Packing List blog:
Okay, this blog is all about packing for the race and training camp! If you are a future racer, I know all the feelings you’re having and all the ideas, so here’s a few suggestions to help you!
First of all, packing for training camp and the actual race are very different. Training camp was like summer camp, and the race was like living for a year, so very different.
My training camp was in July, so if yours is in October, I would say use this list very loosely. For Training camp, you have to do a 2 mile walk/jog with your big pack strapped on. So that being said, pack as lightly as possible. Or shove a ton into your daypack, because you don’t have to carry that on the hike. And electronics, like laptops or iPads don’t need to be brought to training camp.
Training camp packing list:
2/3 shirts, wash every other day and set up line in your camp
2/3 shorts, same with washing
Tent (I have the Kelty Salida 2, and it packs down into a compression sack fairly small and is good quality and spacious. With the poles, I stuck them in my pack between things)
Sleeping pad (I am extra and have a REI camp bed 3.5, which is massive to carry, but so stinking comfy it’s worth every travel day)
Sleeping Bag & Liner (I have a Nemo bag that is really nice and was on sale, and my liner is ALPS mountaineering and is microfiber, so it stays really clean and nice)
5/6 pairs of underwear, again wash when needed
1 buff/headband for India day
1 long skirt for India day
Rain Jacket (Do Not Forget, Georgia rains randomly and can potentially get you in a torrential downpour)
Laundry detergent leafs (Sea to Summit)
1 sweater/hoodie for cooler mornings and to be comfortable
If you don’t want to wear shorts every day, bring one pair of Capri or calf length airy pants, I have a North Face pair and they were comfy even in the heat
Toothbrush & toothpaste
Minimal toiletries (I only showered twice during my training camp, I rinsed off my sweat quite a few times but only used soap twice. So bring like the travel sizes of shampoo, conditioner, & body wash. And forget about face wash, rinse off your face nightly and in the mornings)
Mosquito Repellent
Bible, Journal, & Pens
Chacos or Tevas or whatever sandals you subscribe to (you don’t need any other shoes for the week honestly)
And the rest of the room in your pack, fill it with snacks for your team and yourself!! You will not regret this, and it’s a fast way to make friends, cuz everyone will love you for feeding them:)
Now onto the actual race, I brought a bit more with me. I had my sleeping bag with me for the first 6 months, but sent it home on a layover and did not regret it. But, a lot of things like this depend on your route. My route was predominantly very warm, and I only used my sleeping bag the first 2 months. My route was Romania, Ukraine, Chile, Peru, India, & Nepal and we launched in September. So seasonly, it was autumn when we were in Europe and then Summer in South America and Spring in Asia. So, when packing think about things like that. Also, Asia has a rainy season and monsoon season, so if you are there during that be thinking about it. As far as tents go, I only used mine 2 months, and that was by personal choice, we had mattresses provided but they were rock hard. So, I used my tent and sleeping pad. Also, for clothes, bring things you want to wear and colors you would normally. I hardly wear black and grey at home but I brought a bunch on the race, and I really liked how I packed, but that was one thing I would have done differently. Also, bring things you look cute in, I cannot stress this enough, you will have chances to look cute all the time, way more often than you think, and you’re not going to want to look like a bum in a dri-fit shirt and hiking shorts. One of my teammates didn’t bring skinny jeans, and bought some month 2. Another thing is, when I was preparing to leave, I was thinking I would not be able to buy things in other countries, that’s so wrong. In Europe, there’s thrift stores everywhere. And South America has a bunch of stores that are basically Walmart. So keep that in mind, ALSO free table can be your best friend. I’ve gotten so much off the free table. What is the free table? You might ask. Well, at the end of every month, your team will decide they don’t want stuff and will free table it and sometimes people get rid of really cute stuff that you can keep! I pretty much stuck to the rule that if I got something off the free table I had to get rid of something and that helped with the size of my pack a lot. Also, do not bring sentimental shirts or sweatshirts, because you will either lose it or stain it or regret bringing it because now you’re forced to carry it around when you just don’t want to anymore. One of my other teammates brought a boyfriend’s shirt and sweatshirt and regretted it and sent them home. I would definitely bring one nice church outfit, like a long skirt and a cute shirt, because most cultures wear long skirts to church. Another thing, don’t bring solely t-shirts with your school on them or random words, bring like one or two of those and then make the rest of them plain colored v-necks or cute t-shirts. I brought 3 t-shirts and 1 V-neck with me and then one long sleeve, and I wish I had brought another “cute” shirt. Use packing cubes or even compression sacks for your clothes!! It will save you so much space! I used one big packing cube for all my clothes and a girl on my squad used compression sacks, and both are great choices!
So:
1/2 casual t-shirts that you can do hard labor in – one could be a tank top
1/2 cute shirts that you feel good in
1 long sleeve
1 hoodie/Patagonia for travel days and cold mornings (I got rid of my hoodie after our cold countries and got a thin flannel that worked perfectly)
1/2/3 pairs of shorts- again depending on your route (Patagonia shorts are amazing! Splurge and get them!)
1 pair of Capri pants that you can wear doing anything
1 pair of tights/leggings to wear under shorts and skirts
1 pair of jeans
1 long skirt
1 casual dress ( I brought an overall dress that I love!)
5-7 pairs of underwear (trust me, you don’t need 20 pairs)
1 pair of spandex for under dresses on hot days
2 sports bras
1 bralette
1 normal bra
If you love scarves/accessories bring one that folds really small and matches a lot of stuff!
1/2 Buffs (at Wal-Mart they have Buffs that are off brand but are just as good for like $3 – would recommend!)
I also have a little bag with a couple pairs of earrings and a necklace and rings in it, as well as extra ponytails and scrunchies!
As for shoes, I brought Chacos, sneakers, and a pair of $2 flip-flop shower shoes. I’ve hardly worn the sneakers except when working out or when my Chacos are too muddy and I didn’t clean them in time to dry. I wouldn’t bring sneakers if I did this again, but it’s all a personal choice. As for my flip-flops, I’ve worn them nearly everyday on the race. They are my house shoes and shower shoes. I hate my feet being dirty so I wear my flip flops around the compounds we have stayed in and the houses. They were an unexpected blessing to have, I didn’t think about how dirty even house floors would get, but they get stinking dirty with 7-35 people walking around them.
Medicine/Shots: I got Japanese Encephalitis, Yellow Fever, Hep A, Cholera, and Typhoid. I honestly probably didn’t need to get a single one of them. Yellow fever was required for India, but they stopped requiring it before we got here. Hepatitis A is the only one I am glad I got because I’ve come in contact with some risky water and foods and people cooking. Honestly, for shots, do your own research and know that there are hospitals everywhere and you won’t die. As far as Malaria meds, I didn’t bring any. As it turns out, where we were in India was the lowest possibility of Malaria zone, so it was okay I didn’t. But, in place of Malaria meds my plan was to take Neem and Garlic which are immune boosters and would help me if I got Malaria. Truth is, even if you are taking Malaria meds, you’ll still get Malaria they will just hide your symptoms longer and, once you get to a hospital, it’ll make it an easier recovery for you. So, again do your research and honestly you won’t die so don’t worry too much about it. I took a Garlic pill everyday of the race and DO IT, trust me this stuff helped me get over sickness quicker and was so good for my system. When I felt like I was getting sick, I took 2 pills and the next day would already feel better. Also, I brought a package of DayQuil and NyQuil with me, the extra strength stuff, and that was such a good decision. I’ve used it and given it to others and it’s so strong it’ll knock the cold/flu out of your system. I also brought Emergen-C packets with me, and whenever a lot of people were getting sick I’d take one of those. And I also suggest Airborne tablets, similar to Emergen-C, and just as good! For stomach stuff, I brought peptobismal pills and Imodium(which is an anti-diarrheal), and laxatives, but I’ve barely used any of these. I’ve used the pepto the most and most of time when it’s stomach stuff or either have a parasite and need to go to a doctor or you just need to wait it out. Foods in foreign countries will mess up your stomach royally, but you’ll be okay. And if you need medicine, you can find it pretty much in any city, so you don’t need to over-prepare for sicknesses. DayQuil, NyQuil, and Emergen-C are things you cannot find overseas so being those for sure!
Okay, so now random! Some random things I brought that have been very helpful was a small bag of makeup. Mascara, a small eye shadow palette, eyeliner, 2 lipstick colors, and tweezers was pretty much all that I brought. Of course it’s always up to you, if you are into makeup, bring more! You’re not gonna want to be without it if you really enjoy wearing it! Some days, it just makes you feel normal and like a human, even when you’ve been wearing the same pair of pants all week:) I also brought a headlamp, which I’ve used when the power goes out. A portable charger that lasts for like 4-5 recharges, an extra power chord for my phone, an adapter (Link here)- this one is awesome and works in all countries and you can plug a bunch of stuff in at once! I had a laptop at the beginning of the race, but I sent it home beginning of month 6 and haven’t regretted it! I blog on my phone and watch movies on others laptops! But, if you know you want your laptop, I would definitely recommend bringing an external hard drive, because people will have good movies you will want! A couple guys on my team have bought movies really cheap overseas and ripped them and have accumulated like 400, so we’re all stealing theirs currently! Also, for backing up pictures your going to want a hard drive! Also, something else I sincerely wish I’d brought was a backpack/shoulder bag that folded into itself so that it could be used on bus travel days for food. On bus travel days, you have to bring food with you because you hardly stop and plastic grocery bags are annoying and break all the time, so one of those tiny backpacks that packs into itself is ideal. I would also recommend Paracord, for laundry lines and random other things you’ll need it for, like tying a mosquito net to your bed:) also, a mosquito net! I used mine one month, in Peru because we had ridiculous mosquitoes, so look at your route and decide! Some other random things, a Swiss Army knife, a fanny pack doubling as a shoulder bag, extra batteries for my headlamp, a wide tooth comb for my hair instead of a brush, a collapsible bowl, a fork & spoon, CLIF bars, extra razors,and Vaseline for makeup remover. I brought like 6 tubes of Burt’s Bees chapstick and stuck them in every random pocket so I wouldn’t lose any and it’s worked! I am an avid chapstick user. Also, something I definitely recommend is printing out pictures to hang on your wall wherever you go or just to look at if your people back home and have people write you letters for each month or for holidays! I had a friend that write me one for every country and it was awesome to look forward to opening it and getting encouraged by what she had to say before the race began! These letters will mean so much to you as you reach the halfway point and the last couple months you’ll need them!
Toiletries: I brought a travel size conditioner, shampoo, body wash, face wash, and moisturizer. Then I bought new ones that were big whenever I ran out. We had a layover in Chicago month 6 and I bought more face wash, they have stick face wash by St. Ives and I would definitely recommend because it lasts so much longer than liquid face wash. But, also I think it’s worth it to bring the face wash you’ve been using back home because your face is already used to it and the chances of you breaking out is way less. Since the water is different in each country, your face may react weirdly to some of it, so just beware of that. My face broke out in Ukraine really badly super randomly, just because of the water being different than what I was used to. I have the best toiletry bag by eBags (Link here) it’s on the pricey side but it held everything I needed for the bathroom and my meds and packed so well. I also have eBags packing cubes, which are so much cheaper than Eagle Creeks and work just as well.
My suggestion is don’t spend a billion dollars on clothes and expensive name brand things when you’re going to ditch stuff and pick up new things. Also, make things you already have work, don’t go buy a whole new toiletry bag if you have one you already use, it’s gonna be more comfortable for you to use things you’re already use to. And don’t bring things you don’t use/like at home, you’re still going to not use them and not like them overseas.
I hope this was helpful to all you future racers looking for packing ideas! Comment down below if you’ve done the race and have another idea to add!
