Packing Blog 101:
What do you even pack to survive 11 months?! The key is pack the basics, but still having the comfort of home. So let me break it down for you. I am traveling with one day pack (32 liters) and my big pack (65 liters). Sounds like a lot of space in theory…but it’s not. Trust me.
Let’s start with my big pack.
Here you see:
8 solid color/lightweight material short sleeve shirts (packs down smaller than actual t-shirts, makes it easier to match with any color bottoms you chose and you also don’t know what kind of cool articles of clothing you’ll buy while on the race! So this way, hopefully you’ll have something to match with those awesome sarongs or flowy Thai pants).
1 scarf that will match most of my shirts just mentioned. This is a scarf I bought from Wal-Mart for $2.50 thinking I won’t be upset if I have to toss it once I buy one while in country.
2 Nike running shorts, 1 pair of longer soccer Adidas shorts, and 1 pair of casual Columbia shorts
1 long sleeve Columbia 40 SPF PFG button down
1 pair of jeans and belt (which I decided to send back home with my parents before leaving. I want to leave room for pants I will buy once I’m in the countries and jeans/belt add more weight)
2 tie dye t-shirt (Not only do I just love tie dye, but I won’t be super upset if I need to toss this mid race and buy fresher shirts since they aren’t a sentimental type of t-shirt)
2 loose capris (black & grey), 1 grey maxi skirt (Again, just bringing one of these because I will want to buy one on the race)
2 camis (white & grey)
1 Northface rainjacket
2 yoga pants (mainly for travel days or to wear underneath shorts/skirts)
1 regular bra, 8-10 sports bras, 14 undergarments
9 pairs of socks (this is my one “gift” I allowed myself to bring extra of. Clean feet is a clean body :D)
1 tankini
1 travel pillow (my incredible mom made this for me to fit just right on my travel pillow!)
3 pairs of shoes: Chacos, Brooks tennis shoes (light weight), gladiator sandals (these are a pair I bought 3 years ago at Forever 21 for $9, have glued back twice already and am not concerned if I have to ditch them along the way)
THAT’S IT! After all of that is rolled up and packed into their packing cubes it looks like this:
Magic. I know.
Next is a picture of these items:
2-in-1 Shampoo/Soap / Spray in conditioner (for times you only have 1 bucket to take a bath in or a really quick,cold shower. My hair NEEDS conditioner to be able to keep any, so I sacrifice this weight for hair)
Compression Sack: 2 person REI Dome Tent, Footprint, Rainfly
Therm-A-Rest 3” sleeping pack (this is one I manually have to blow up myself-I’ve got it down to 8 minutes time!) I feel like this is something I felt like I needed to splurge on. I got the one that is longer so that it will be wider. The one’s I laid on at REI, my arms fell off the sides. Good sleep is essential to me, so having a bigger sleeping pad was important.
Compression Sack: REI Joule Sleeping Bag (32 degrees…I think)
Toiletries Bag: lotion, smell good spray, toothbrush, toothpaste, toothbrush sanitizers (1 lasts 3 months-so I brought 3 extra), cortizone cream, bobby pens, hair ties, headbands, head buffs, tea tree oil (keeps lice away), powder make up / eye liner / mascara (for those rare days of wanting to feel girly), bug spray, sunscreen, etc.
Eno Hammock/Straps
REI Towels: 1 large, 1 medium (I have that I will more than likely get rid of these because once they smell, they smell. But we will see how long I can last with them!)
Tent poles
Big Pack Airporter (This is basically a large enough duffle bag that fits to your pack when traveling in airports. Helps your pack not to get beat up in the process)
Now all of my clothes in the first picture and all of this fits into this:
It’s like playing Tetris, but more frustrating 😛
Now my day pack, which just basically means my carry on:
Canon 60D digital camera (this was important to me because I love pictures and making videos for memories. Pictures/videos to me are my blogs)
Small Canon Powershot for days I know I won’t need my big camera or when we go into town. (Again, 2 cameras, or even 1 camera-besides an iPhone- isn’t necessary, but for me it is!)
Ziplock bag of water mixes (Crystal Lights, Air-Bourne Vitamin C, Instant coffee, and instant iced coffee)
Baby wipes (for those moments/days we won’t be able to take a legit shower, or long travel days)
Medications: Advil, Advil PM, Allergy meds, malaria pills, etc.
Tissues / Mini First Aid kit
Purse that can fit into my daypack but I can use once in country on days offs
Sleeping mask / Ear plugs
Headlamp
Rain cover for daypack
Journal/Bible / 1 Spiritual growth book and 1 fiction book
Mess kit (bowl/mug-both collapsible)
Ziplock bag of girly things: 2 fingernail polish (because let’s be real, our fingernails are going to be nasty. Gotta cover that stuff up!), Febreeze, Lysol Spray, Hand Sanitizer, etc.
Hairbrush (I choose to put the hairbrush in my daypack/carryon because for long travel days)
1 Patagonia Fleece Pullover
Ziplock bag of clean outfit for travel days-incase something may happen to our big packs in the process or if you just feel gross and need to change after a 15 hour flight! (Socks, Nike running shorts, tie dye t-shirt)
Wallet/Passport
Playing Cards/Gum/Cheap Sunglasses
Travel pillow (Therm-A-Rest)
Laptop / External Hard drive / Mouse for editing video / all necessary charging devices / Ear Phones / iPhone
And all of that…. fits into this:
After the final weighing:
Day Pack: 18 pounds
Big Pack: 40 pounds
