Hi everyone! This is about to be a long one!
We just arrived in Kasane, Botswana (and I’ve already seen two elephants and several baboons), and our travel day had me asking myself, “what on earth do I have in here?” several times as I was lugging around my pack. And then I remembered that I had said I would write a packing blog during month four of the Race.
As a note to future Racers that may be reading my blog: I have dropped several things, but I’ll include them in this post if they were beneficial. I’ll also continue to drop and buy things as the climate determines. I haven’t really lacked much, but my bag is heavy (around 43-44 lbs). So here we go!
Let’s start small. Here’s what’s in my fanny-pack during travel days:
- My fanny-pack is by Matador and it’s great! Lightweight and water resistant
- A plastic bag with my passport, vaccination/yellow fever info, insurance card, and some backup paperwork
- Two things of hand sanitizer
- Some baby wipes (international public loos aren’t often stocked with toilet paper, so I restock on these about every other month)
- Three things of chap-stick (ya girl gets some crunchy lips in these countries)
- A crocheted cross in case an opportunity to give it away arises
- My tiny wallet (with some emergency cash, license, and cards)
- Spare headphones
- My phone
- A headphone splitter (10/10 would recommend)
Daypack (this one’s around 20 lbs. typically):
- I have a United by Blue backpack, and I love it!
- My water-damaged, but still kickin’ laptop
- Kindle
- My phone charger (I brought two charging blocks and have already lost both, so definitely remember to mark your stuff!)
- Kindle charger
- My 2TB hard drive (named “The Pensieve”) where everything from my laptop is backed up and my movies hang out
- My camera (Canon Rebel T5I) wrapped in a t-shirt because I dropped my camera padding
- My other lens
- More baby wipes
- Headphones and earplugs
- An eyemask
- My Bible and journal
- Sticky notes
- A LOT of pens for journaling (I came on the Race with three black gel-pens and went through them all by month two) and colored pens for fun
- A deck of cards
- A rain cover for my daypack (I got a cheap one from Amazon and it’s doing great)
- Tripod
The big boy, my pack:
- 65 L Osprey Ariel (I bought it used from a previous Racer and it’s holding up just fine)
- XL Osprey airporter (10/10 would NOT recommend unless ya get it for free like I did. Get a Sea-to-Summit so you can carry it on your back, not duffel style)
- Gear:
- Tent: An REI two-person that I’m borrowing from my friend (with a rain-cover and footprint and stakes). Just get one that’s lightweight and packs down well!
- Sleeping bag: A 32-degree that I got from TJ-Maxx for like $14
- Pillow: Nemo Fillo (it’s got some foam and it’s inflatable and packs down small, so I love it)
- Sleeping pad: Thermarest something or other. Get one that’s comfy and packs down – I think this one is something worth investing in!
- Sleeping bag liner: The cheapest one on Amazon with good reviews (though Thermarest has a cool one with bug-repellant which may be worth checking out if you’re in a Malaria area)
- Towel: Matador Nanofiber L (bring what you’ll want. I don’t mind washing my quick-dry one, but it gets nasty quickly)
- Tent and sleeping pad patch kit
- Two baby tiny rolls of duct tape
- A travel multi-tool
- A camping pop-up bowl and knife/spork combo
- A little sewing kit (I’ve used it in every country)
- Bags: One waterproof one for my chargers/batteries, three small stuff-sacks for organization, one laundry bag
- Packing cubes (2): One large for clothes, one small for undies
- Laundry line (a baby tiny Sea-to-Summit one)
- My double-nester Eno hammock, bug net, and straps
- Clothes (I have too many, I know):
- Underwear: Get what you wear at home. I brought like 25 pairs and have not regretted that decision once.
- Bras (6): Three sports, two regular, one bralette
- Socks (7): Two pairs of long socks and five pairs of ankle socks
- Pants (6): Two pairs of Old Navy cotton ones, two pairs of cuter ones, one pair of jeans, one pair of leggings. NOT WORLD RACE APPROPRIATE. Bring them if you’ll wear them under things or for warmth!
- Shorts (2): Columbia shorts (in dress code in most places, super light)
- Shirts (11, which is too many): Three big t-shirts, three cuter casual shirts, three tank-tops, two button-ups
- Cardigan (1)
- Sweatshirt (1)
- Dress (1)
- Maxi-skirt (1)
- Shoes (3): Chacos, TOMS, and tennis shoes
- Medical:
- Note: your team will have a first-aid kit, but here’s my personal one
- Band-Aids and alcohol swabs
- Neosporin + pain relief
- Aloe vera
- Ibuprofen (a bunch)
- Day-Quil and Ny-Quil (maybe bring extra – I’ve had a cold in every country)
- Malaria meds (I started with three-month’s worth and will have to restock in India, most likely)
- Probiotics
- Pepto-Bismol
- All the things relating to stools
- Dramamine for those 18-hour bus rides
- Moleskin for blisters
- Toiletries
- Tips for success: Buy team shampoo and body wash at the beginning of the month.
- Essential oils (I brought tea tree, lemongrass, and frankincense for my skin, lavender to try to smell nice, and peppermint for my stinky Chacos and bug bites)
- Facewash (some intense stuff for breakouts and just a facial soap bar otherwise)
- Cotton swabs and two metal reusable ear cleaners
- Lotion
- A lot more lotion (you can buy it on the field though, so don’t weigh yourself down)
- Just got some cocoa butter today in Botswana because my skin is SO dry. I was shedding like a snake in South Africa.
- Deodorant (two sticks will probably last me through month six, which would never happen in the States. I think the Lord is multiplying it as I use it so consider stocking up. Only spray and roll-on kinds are accessible everywhere)
- Makeup – If you wear makeup at home, bring some. I brought some foundation and mascara for days I want to feel a little at home, and I’m thankful I did.
- Leave-in conditioner (my team splits shampoo each month, but having leave-in conditioner is nice if your hair dries out easily)
- Toothbrushes (I brought 4)
- Toothpaste is accessible everywhere, but I would recommend getting some for sensitive teeth!
- A razor and 11 razor-heads. Seems excessive, but nothing makes me feel fresh like being able to switch to a new razor each month.
- Luxury items: I bought some sugar scrub after month two because my skin was getting really crusty and some salve for my breakouts.
- @Everyone with a uterus: consider using a menstrual cup for the Race! You won’t have to bring a thousand tampons and you’ll be helping reduce waste, which is awesome.
- I know that list seemed long, but I can fit all but my sugar scrub and backup razors, toothbrushes, and deodorant in a little toiletry bag the size of a couple good Panera baguettes stacked on top of each other!
- Other, non-daypack Electronics:
- My spare 1TB hard drive that I’ve back-backed up everything on
- Extra camera batteries and spare chargers
- Outlet converters
- Surge protector/power strip (mine blew at the beginning of month three which stinks, but definitely bring one)
- Etc.
- My planner
- Headlamp
- Spare batteries
- Bug spray
- Sunscreen (I only brought a tiny bit for my face, but my fairer-skinned pals out there should definitely take some)
- Good tweezers
- One pair of earrings, two rings, a watch (super helpful), and a necklace for when I’m feeling snazzy)
- Japanese rice seasoning for when I’m missing home
Random things that are all over:
- Five carabiners
- Luggage locks
- My spare glasses (2 pairs, and then prescription sunglasses)
Things I’ve dropped:
- A travel mug with a French press (honestly loved it, I just didn’t use it enough to justify the weight)
- One of my things of bug spray. I have wipes with high deet which I’ll use in super Malaria, mosquito-y areas, but I dropped my deet bug spray because the mosquitos were biting me just as much as when I used the essential oils one I bought in a layover in Boston.
- Camera padding for my daypack
Just some notes: You can buy things overseas, and you’ll probably want to. If you bring too much stuff you’re attached to, you won’t be able to get the cool scarves in India or the pretty necklaces in the African markets. Bring what you wear at home, being mindful of dress code and other cultures. The World Race is real life, and there are stores where you can get the things you miss in most countries. The Lord will provide what you need!
Also, write your name on ALL of your stuff. Your friends won’t mean to take your stuff, but when there are 6 identical chargers plugged into a power strip, you might end up without yours!
Thanks friends! If the Race has taught me anything about traveling, it’s that you can do with much less than you think. Much love!
