in a world full of racers, unpredictable situations, and a pack on your back. im clare. i created a guide that will help you survive your world race.
in this post i will thoroughly go through my pack from when we left the states till now. i will also include helpful tips to settle in wherever you are in the world.
if you’re a future racer (or anything of the sort, or a curious soul), here is my packing advice from 6 months of being on the field. before i went on the race i read so many packing blogs and most of them are out of date. world race has changed its rules and regulations over the years so here is an updated version. i’m no expert but here it goes :))
(the last chunk of this blog includes commentary from my squadmates. gap N approved. don’t miss it. it reveals MANY realities of the race)
equipment:
pack
i have an osprey aura ag 65 L pack. most other racers also have a 65L pack.
looking back, i would have chosen a smaller pack to force myself into extreme minimalism. i would have gone for a 40-55 L pack. it’s doable. totally doable.
the bigger the bag the more tempted you’ll be to fill it (items add up in weight very quickly). however, i’m certain others on the squad wish they had bought a larger pack. it’s all personal preference. make sure to get fitted. a girl on my team didn’t and we think her pack is 2 times larger than it should be. there’s nothing more uncomfortable than back pains while travelling far far away (longest travel “day” was 6 days. choose carefully) ((we walked across the thailand-cambodia border. choose carefully)). REI will be your best option. it’s totally road trip worthy.
***you’ll 100% need an airporter for your pack. i have never heard of these until the race but they are the best for travel (airports require something like these anyway-usually. cant check your pack without some sort of cover-usually). the sea to summit pack converter duffle bag is a great option since you can still wear your pack with it on instead of dragging your pack on the floor. REI brand airporter is also a great choice. your bag will take lots of beatings during your race, the airporter will help lengthen its life.***
daypack
a lot of people on my squad brought old school bags for the race and they are currently falling apart. it may be best to start fresh. 15-30 L should be fine, 30 L is plenty!
tent (optional)
in more recent years, world race has made it mandatory to bring a tent but i sent mine home after month 2 along with many other squadmates. it really depends on what your route looks like. some of your ministry sites won’t have space for tents while other ministry sites do. sometimes people choose to set their tent up on the roof rather than sleeping inside. all personal preference. a two person tent is highly recommended. you’ll have space for both you and your pack (or another teammate if they don’t have a tent)
bedding:
sleeping bag
you’ll use this every night on the race, i recommend 40 f bag.
whatever you do do NOT send your sleeping bag home or drop it. there will be cold nights. your teammates will always want the fan on and will to leave the door open to let in more air. thailand would get down to the 30s at night. drop all expectations. (you’ll be surprised what you’ll be willing to drop to save space + weight)
*use a compression sack for your sleeping bag*
pillow (optional)
i dropped mine after month 3. i usually never used pillows back in the states so here we are. sometimes ill just use a sweater or really anything i can find. BUT there is someone on my squad who brought her pillow from home. again, personal preference. for my fellow pillow lovers- therm-a-rest compressible will be your best friend.
*pillowcase(s). your pillow will take a beating. also good for stuffing clothes in for laundry days*
sleeping pad (optional)
some of my squadmates enjoy sleeping on the ground, they are happy anywhere. i don’t prefer sleeping on the hard ground so i bought a sleeping pad! i got a womans airrail 1.5 self inflating sleeping pad and LOVE IT. other good brands racers love include thermarest and exped.
*some people have gone most of the race sleeping in their hammock. maybe something worth considering.*
or you’ll end up sleeping on a blown up flamingo. this is as world racey as it gets.
sleeping bag liner
if you get super cold at night or your route may be a little chilly i would recommend this.
organization:
packing cubes
these make your life so so so much easier. eagle creek packing cubes are normally racers go to. 2 larges and 1 small would be a-ok (tops, bottoms, undergarments). i got mine from marshalls and they are pretty solid.
*don’t use a compression sack for your clothes.*
***there has only been one country where we have gotten space to hang our clothes. you know. in an actual closet. we were not expecting that whatsoever and neither should you. it’s dangerous to have expectations but it is good to expect your so called closet WILL be the ground. i picked up a little plastic box in thailand around month 3 to hold all of my cosmetic/shower stuff. still holding on strong month 6.
it’s helpful to lean your pack against the wall and fold your clothes on top of it so they don’t get stepped on or dusty. as neat as it can be.
highly recommend bringing or picking up a cross body bag that can fit some books and essentials. you’ll get tired of carrying around your day pack for times you don’t need it (especially during ministry/going out to get coffee/market runs).***
clothing:
DO NOT OVERTHINK. DO NOT OVERPACK
i wear dresses almost everyday. i’ve lost track of how many i have picked up. you will most likely end up with a completely different wardrobe that you started the race with. clothes get icky. they stain. they smell. they rip (tiny sewing kit has been used many times). you’ll drop a lot of clothes so be careful not to bring too many sentimental pieces. maybe limit yourself to 1 to remind yourself of home.
about half my team still has most of the clothes they began the race with. so if you’re like them, choose wisely.
good rule of thumb is to bring clothes you already like to wear on a daily basis-
i’d have to say that the clothes i originally brought worked out but for a while but after wearing them all the time. they got very gross very fast.
you DO NOT need as much as you think.
ASIA
if your route is going to asia expect to only wear shorts in your sleeping area (or long basketball shorts for manual labor/workouts). most places in asia have a very strict dress code. it is usually never modest to expose your shoulders no matter how thick the straps are. you will be reminded of this pretty much on the daily. so expect to wear pants all the days long or longish dresses.
also
relax
you’ll become an expert at thrifting and market runs. you’ll find the coolest and cheapest clothes ever
showering:
the drylite towels from REI are super great but i wouldn’t count on using 1 or 2 of those for the entirety of the race. your towel WILL get stinky and begin to grow mold. it might be best to buy a new towel at the beginning of each month or country (they are super cheap everywhere). but honestly, i’ve given up on that and have been using a washcloth and/or a t shirt.
***toiletries***
you truly only need 1-3 months supply of things like shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrush because you can honestly buy that stuff anywhere in the world.
*put 3 drops per oz of tea tree oil in your shampoo. it will (should) prevent lice. yes.*
*dr bronner’s all purpose soap is a life saver. this lasted through month 5. it’s great for washing clothes, dishes, self. a little goes a long way*
things that are worth bringing:
4-6 passport photos (you actually need these)
for border crossing and visa extension. you can get these taken at walgreens.
charles schwab card
what’s this you ask? its magical. it’s an international debit card that reimburses you for every transaction (largest fee i have gotten is $7) at the end of each month. it’s a lifesaver. a money saver.
hydroflask
yes.
a few extra phone chargers/earbuds
i bought 3 pairs of headphones and am already on my last pair. it’s month 6. it’s difficult to find earbuds overseas so if you can’t go a day without listening to music i recommend grabbing a few from the states before you leave. same with phone chargers.
headphone splitter
i’m a stickler for movies. sadly, i didn’t bring one of these but luckily some of my teammates did. we watch movies all the time. love your friends? share movies with them! quality time with quality people.
external hard drive
also regret not bringing one of these babies. they can hold oh so many movies. you’ll have super sweet squadmates who will let you borrow their drive to download movies onto your laptop.
*also good for stocking podcasts/books + pictures from back home to share with your squadmates*
headlamp
yep.
lots of tea tree oil
lice(even for you boys).
belt
yep.
the rest are not completely necessary but they can be oh so fun.
laptop
this can be good to have but not completely necessary at times. sometimes you’ll be so bored you won’t know what else to do other than watch movies and snoop around the internet. most times, we find some pretty interesting ways to keep us occupied- time with fly.
disposable/ polaroid camera
it’s a fun way to make memories. i’ve taken disposable cameras on every mission trip i’ve gone on and the pictures that turn out from them have always been my favorite to look back on.
watercolors/watercolor paper
- a fun way to relax,
- cool way to decorate your journal/ highlight scripture that sticks out to you
- write little letters to your teammates
- community art time
scrapbook (washy) tape
i bought 7 or 8 little rolls of these at michaels before i left and i still have a ton left. they last for ages. these are super super fun. hang up pictures/letters from friends & family on the wall. tape in little things you find into your journal. do i need to say more?
a GOOD pair of gym shoes
if you’re a little more dedicated to exercising i (speaking on my teammates behalf) recommend investing in a good pair of running shoes BEFORE the race. that’s one thing that’ll be hard to find out and about here. if you’re not a runner now and want to be, world race is a good time to start.
collapsible bowl & spork
nail polish
to feel pretty. you’ll thank me. these are pretty easy to find. trust me ladies, you will want to feel normal.
pocket sized mirror
yep.
HEY
just because you’re going on the world race doesn’t mean you won’t EVER eat “normal food” again. common american stores we have come across: kentucky fried chicken, 7/11, mcdonalds, dairy queen, etc. there will always always always be a grocery store nearby. HECK i have lived near malls before. it all depends on where wr places your team but you will have access to civilization. with that, on grocery days, bring your daypack to put your groceries in. you never know when you have to walk 45 minutes or hitchhike in someone’s pickup truck or even just bike home.
HOWEVER
*take advantage when you can eat authentic cultural food*
extreme minimalist packing list
you CAN survive the race with these few things. i’ve seen it done (40-55 l pack).
- clothes (personal preference since there are less things overall-you have room for more clothes)
- sleeping bag
- headlamp
- pbj (pen,bible, journal)
- earbuds
- pair of gym shoes
- pair of sandals
- computer/phone
- 1-2 months supply of toiletries
- essential oils (optional)
advice/comments from the peanut gallery (squadmates)
-you WILL want to look nice. do not bring trashy clothes. we live a normal life. you will not be doing manual labor on the daily
-black jeans. impossible to find anywhere else
-chacos are awful. they are heavy and they begin to reek. some people really do love them though. if you do not wear them at home do not bring them
-tall people: you will rarely buy dresses or pants in asia. difficult to find
-have a balanced wardrobe
-lice comb. trust me
-harder to live on $100 a month than you think
-taxis and tuk tuks are real and normally reliable
-take everything you want to bring and cut that in half and cut it in half again
-do not bring clothes that are too small expecting that you will lose weight
-you will be exposed to civilization
-take advantage when you can eat authentic cultural food
-THAI FOOD IS SO GOOD
-dried mango, banana chips, khao lam, papaya salad
-its easy to stay in your budget by going to markets
-you will not go on adventures everyday
-always have kleenex packs with you. most (literally all) bathrooms will not have tp
-essential oils. if you don’t use them you will probably start
-there are people who are “hard core oils for life”. they have oils for everything.
-safety pins for ear piercings and for clothes
-benadryl aka bennies are a necessity. great for 10+ hour bus/plane rides. one time on a 13 hour bus ride i took a few bennies and knocked out so hard that when a hydroflask fell on my head i didn’t even wake up. i beat jet lag so hard that day
the most important thing to remember is always be subject to change. change is good. definitely pack on the lighter side with everything. i bought way too much along with everyone else on my squad. you’ll find that it’s so much easier to buy things on the field. hope you found this blog helpful 🙂
