This blog is catered to future racers wondering what they should pack for 11 months around the world, but keep reading if you’re curious.
I am currently in month 7 of the race and have been to these countries in Central America & Africa: Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Malawi, Zambia, Swaziland…. still to go…. Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia which are all in Asia. We have summer weather the whole race and hit various countries in rainy season. I suggest looking up your specific countries and the weather you’ll have depending on the month you’re there.
Do you remember that game you played as a kid…. “if you could only bring 3 things with you in a survival scenario what would you bring?”
I think I used to say “my mom, my dog, and my Bible.” Besides, if I bring my mom she’ll have all the other important stuff, right? Finally, that game is relatable. We have to pick and choose wisely the things we bring. Unfortunately, my mom and my dog don’t fit into my pack.
Big Pack Items (62L mystery ranch)
1 water bottle; 32 oz hydroflask
2 large microfiber towels (some people only bring one but I can’t imagine not having 2!)
1 mini microfiber towel
*Airporter- zipper bag that protects pack during travel, I recommend sea to summit… I have an osprey one and regret it! *extremely necessary purchase*
Rainfly for big pack (mystery ranch) – haven’t used this on my big pack at all because that always stays in the airporter, but I’ve liked using it for my day pack as we’ve hit rainy season in every single country
Sleeping pad (I have a thermarest and like it a lot)- finding a sleeping pad you like is worth the investment
Twin size flannel sheet
Throw blanket + compression sack
Eye mask
Ear plugs
Compressible pillow (medium thermarest) + 3 regular pillow cases (use one as laundry bag, & have a backup if the one on your pillow gets dirty)
1 headlamp & backup batteries (Princeton Tec is a great brand)
Hammock – I’ve used it 4 out of 7 countries so far and have been happy to have it
Over the shoulder day bag (I have a Kavu; super helpful to have a purse or something so you don’t have to carry your day pack every time you go somewhere)
One mini febreeze
REI 2-person tent with rainfly & footprint (don’t skip out on the footprint); I put my tent in the bottom of my airporter, not in my big pack
25-50 ft Paracord to hang laundry
1 roll of duct tape: good for patching holes in airporter, taping liquid soap bottle lids so they don’t explode in your pack during travel, etc.
Letters from home – don’t open the invitation to everyone in your life bc it takes up way more weight than you’d think… however, I’ve loved having these for encouragement!
Essential oils + case (Evoon brand case, got it off of amazon): peppermint, lavender, purification, lemon, digize, orange, panaway, stress away, energy, awaken, tea tree, lemongrass
Clothing Items (big pack)
All split between 3 packing cubes; 2 large and 1 small
20 pairs of underwear (bring 4-5 new ones to open halfway through)
4 sports bras, 1 regular bra
Rain coat
1 Flannel
Black dri-fit pants for travel
1 pair Jean shorts
1 tshirt material dress
1 tankini swim suit top + nike shorts as swim suit bottoms (I wish I brought a one piece suit instead)
1 tank top
3 regular tshirts
4 nicer/versatile shirts
1 Black maxi skirt
1 patterned knee length skirt
3 pairs of WR length appropriate gym shorts (I have 4, but everyone says this is unnecessary- I sweat a lot and can’t rewear my clothes a second time before washing them)
1 pair under armor Compression shorts (for under skirts; unnecessary if you don’t use at home)
4 pairs of socks
1 pair of Chacos
1 pair of nicer sandals
1 pair of tennis shoes
1 pair of cheap flip flops for shower shoes
1 Hat (only bring hat if you wear them at home)
5ish headbands
Jewelry: 2 pairs of stud earrings, 2 necklaces, 3 rings (bring what’s normal to you!)
(I didn’t start with a pair of jeans, but have since added those- most people love having jeans)
*Don’t go overboard on clothes because you can pick up clothes as you go. Central America has awesome thrift stores & you’ll want to buy the fun long skirts in Africa. Also follow this packing list loosely! Everybody has different amounts of clothes depending on what you like and are willing to carry.
Toiletries
2 bottles of contact solution (hard to find elsewhere)
Glasses + case
Diva cup (worth all the hype… you can’t find tampons in a lot of countries & a year supply takes up a ton of space)
1 tooth brush (you can buy normal brand toothbrush & toothpaste literally everywhere)
1 tube of toothpaste
3 contact cases
1 shampoo
1 conditioner (I started with a travel size)
1 body wash (bar soap + plastic box)
Small box of Q-tips (you can buy these everywhere)
Razor (3 replacement blades; you can buy these everywhere including Africa, they’re just expensive)
6 mini bottles of hand sanitizer (bath & body works ones are my favorite as it makes you remember what it’s like to smell like a girl)
Hair brush
3ish chapsticks
Tweezers
1 bottle of Sunscreen lotion (expensive everywhere else in the world.. lotion will last way longer than spray; it’s month 6 and I’m on the same bottle I started with)
1 bottle of Bug spray w/ deet (can be found everywhere, but expensive- I’ve gone through several bottles)
1 bottle of Ibuprofen
1 bottle of Zyrtec (haven’t used yet but some teammates have been thankful to have it)
EmergenC (I’ve used this a lot)
Year supply of contacts
Year supply of 2 prescription medications (keep in day pack on travel days w/ written prescription- I’ve never been asked about it before, but have it as a precaution)
Makeup (mascara/lipstick.. you’ll want to feel like yourself so if you wear makeup at home, bring some. Foundation isn’t worth it because you’ll sweat it off and probably change shade anyway)
Baby wipes!!!!!!! (You can actually buy these everywhere so don’t go overboard.. exclamation points are for how wonderful they are)
1 pack of Hair ties
1 case of Bobby pins
1-2 deodorants (I use old spice men’s deodorant because the deodorant itself as well as the application last longer.. you can buy common brands of deodorant everywhere)
5-10 empty ziplock bags (you can find these everywhere, even Africa)
1 thing of Dental floss
Bandaids (various sizes)
Day pack items (Swiss gear backpack)
Mini sewing kit (I’ve used this sooo many times)
2 Journals (you can pick these up along the way)
1 thin notebook for scrap paper/writing notes
1 Thin line bible (I recommend a study bible bc you can’t rely on google to plan devotionals/sermons)
10+ Pens
2 pencils
2 Highlighters
Book to trade with squadmates (Love Does)
Wallet (buy a cheap one for the race)
License
Passport
5 Extra passport pics for visas
Hand held Mirror
Watch (highly recommend)
Baby wipes
Medications
1 Hand sanitizer
Electronics (daypack)
iPad w/ keyboard
Phone + 2 chargers
Camera + charger + camera to phone adaptor
Backup hard drive for pictures + movies (I have a 64 GB duolink usb drive bc I have an iPad instead of a laptop.. one end is USB, the other fits into the iPad charging port)
2 sets of headphones (1 is blue tooth set + charger)
Headphone splitter
World wide Adaptor (make sure it takes 3 prong)
Travel Power strip (these are smaller than normal power strips and have USB plug-ins as well)
(I recommend adding a mini speaker to this list)
BagSmart electronics bag is one of my favorite items I bought for the race; organizes everything well (amazon)
*Power Bank/External Battery- I use this every single day. Important for travel day! You won’t always have access to an outlet anyway; I haven’t charged my phone with a wall charger since starting the race! Buy a lightweight one with 3-4 charges. These can be expensive, but are worth every dollar. (I got mine from AT&T. It’s the 10,000 mAh rapid charge power bank)
Details….
Toiletries: bringing back-up toiletries is what added the most weight to my pack and most of it was unnecessary bc I didn’t realize how often we’d have access to stores with these things! They always have common brands like Dove soap, Secret deodorant, Old Spice deodorant, Suave soap, Dial Soap, Olay soap, sometimes even herbal essences (at least in Central America), Colgate and crest toothpaste, etc. I would suggest bringing your own facewash if that’s important to you. They have common brands like aveeno, cetaphil, and clean & clear pretty much everywhere, but it’s ridiculously expensive (sometimes 35 dollars…) I was worried my face would be bad because I’ve had struggles with acne, but my face has not been this clear since 8th grade. I think it’s due to sweating all the time and getting the toxins out. As far as shampoo, I brought 2 shampoo bars from Lush.. they’re small and last a long time. You can buy shampoo everywhere, even common brands in Africa. The girls on my team would buy bottles of shampoo and conditioner and share it all month because we wanted to save our shampoo bars for Africa (turns out there’s common shampoo in stores here too.)
Airporter: a MUST! I am on month 7 of the race and have only taken my big pack out of the airporter once and it was just for organizational purposes while tenting that month. It keeps your pack from getting dirty and torn during travel. I recommend getting a size bigger than what you need as it’s helpful to throw miscellaneous stuff into your airporter while packing. My shoes, tent, and pillow case of dirty clothes always get thrown in my airporter. The most common airporter is sea to summit. It is easier to carry as it has a big strap and handles. The osprey ones have a big strap, but no extra handles and are tough to carry. Some people on my squad have a duffle that their pack goes in and that’s a great option too, as it’s very sturdy and has back straps on it. I didn’t want to go with that option because I figured it would be bulky to pack away, but there’s never a time where you have to pack it away. Your bag will likely stay in your airporter at all times. Pro tip: put colored duct tape on your airporter or tie a bright bandana on the strap so you can always locate your bag!
Water bottle: you only need one! 10/10 recommend a 32 oz hydroflask! I bought one specifically for the race and can’t imagine going any other way. It’s worth the weight. You’ll actually have cold water more than you think you would on the race. Plus, room temperature water is better than hot water that’s been sitting in the sun all day. I recommend the normal hydroflask lid that comes with the bottle. I bought a pop up lid with a straw on amazon, but the mouth piece gets dirty quickly. The regular lid keeps the part your mouth goes on protected. *you should always have access to clean drinking water so a lifestraw isn’t necessary; if for some reason you don’t have clean drinking water, every team has a water filter on hand*
Towel: I just amazon searched microfiber towel and ordered 2. I’ve never regretted having 2. It comes in handy when you can pack one for swimming and have the other one designated for showering. They also get smelly fast or if it’s hanging to dry and the wind blows it on the ground in the sand, you have a back up. I asked my squad for suggested microfiber towel brands that they’ve enjoyed: Relefree (from amazon), REI brand, Ugpg, Bogi
Bedding: I’ve loved having a sheet and blanket instead of a sleeping bag, even while tenting! Sleeping bags get hot & take up a lot of space. I pack my blanket & compression sack in my daypack for bus & airport travel because it gets COLD. Most of the time charter busses have air-conditioning (unless you’re in Africa) and airports get cold as well. I’ve had a bed 6/7 months so far. This month we have beds, but sheets, blankets, & pillows were not provided. I’m thankful to have my sheet to tuck over the mattress. My sheet was an old one from home. My blanket is a 10 dollar throw blanket from target and I put it in an extra small compression sack.
Big Pack/Day Pack: Your big pack has to remain under 50 lbs for travel as this is the rule for most airlines. My big pack is a mystery ranch, but the most common ones are Osprey and Gregory. Mine is 62 liters, and I haven’t seen anyone on my squad with one bigger than 70 liters. You will fill the space you have so if you’re determined to pack light, buy the smaller pack! My day pack is Swiss Gear brand. It’s the backpack I used in college, and unfortunately I don’t know how many liters it is. Keep in mind the dimensions of your laptop when picking out a day pack because you’ll never want to put your laptop in your big pack as it gets tossed around and isn’t with you at all times. The most common day pack brands I see are Osprey, Patagonia, Under Armor, Nike, North Face, etc. *Someone suggested not going Osprey on your day pack bc they hold too much and get heavy fast. Again, you’ll fill the space you have.*
Tent: I have an REI half dome tent that I got on the World Race buy and sell page for around $120. It has survived 10 days at training camp as well as a month in Zambia where we had several storms that lasted through the night and all my stuff stayed dry & secure. Make sure you buy a footprint which is just another layer between the ground and the bottom of your tent to keep you and your stuff dry! It’s also easier to clean the sand/dirt off from the bottom of your footprint rather than the bottom of a tent.
Shampoo: I brought 2 shampoo bars from Lush.. they’re small and last a long time. You can buy shampoo everywhere, even common brands in Africa. The girls on my team would buy bottles of shampoo and conditioner and share it all month after our bars were gone.
Packing Cubes: doesn’t matter the brand.. I have eagle creek and sharper image… pro tip: bring an empty medium sized packing cube for packing a change of clothes in your day pack on travel days so you don’t have to open your big pack at all. This also comes in handy taking clean clothes to the shower when there’s no place to hang them.
One thing I didn’t bring but wish I did is a set of lists of popular worship songs with lyrics, children’s ministry games (keep in mind there may be a language barrier to work with), skit ideas, sermon ideas, etc. A lot of times you have to come up with a ministry plan with no access to WiFi.
I asked a few of my squad mates to contribute their pro-packing tips and these are the results!
Rachel: Don’t bring a camera if you’re not a photographer. Be aware how heavy a camera is and how much space it takes up in your pack. I would suggest just getting a better phone with a good camera. Only bring clothes that you would wear at home. If you don’t like it at home, you’re not going to like it on the race.
Hannah: Don’t bring your expensive laptop. Bring a cheaper laptop or bring an iPad. From the girl whose laptop got destroyed month 3 of the race (spilled coffee on keyboard; even though this scenario could happen at home, you’d have to carry around your laptop the rest of the race.) There’s no need to pack back-up toiletries. You can buy as you go.
Jessie: Don’t overload your day pack. Get a bigger pack if you have the stuff, and then a smaller day pack so your shoulders & back aren’t exhausted on travel day. Large Sea to Summit airporter is what you want!! I wish I didn’t bring my go pro because I don’t use it enough and don’t do any video projects.
Amber: My sleeping pad is bigger than a normal one because I wanted to sleep comfortably, but I’ve had a bed 7/7 months on the race so far. I would go with a normal sized one to save space.
Taylor: Bring a twin size bed sheet and a blanket! Don’t bring a sleeping bag or sleeping liner. This goes for space and comfort!
If you’ve read this far and you’re not currently trying to pack for the world race you’re probably my parents, grandparents, or Carrie Hudson and I thank you for always reading what I write regardless of how much it’s actually captivated your attention 🙂 Love to all!
