Wow, future racers, it’s coming up!
I bet you are so excited you can hardly wait.. I remember when Josh and I were
counting down the days to begin this wild ride! Well, here is a packing list made from a
married couple, so both guys and girl can see what you’ll need and what you
won’t need! Hope this helps!
Equipment:
-Week long pack (the big one) make sure it fits your body
right. If you find one with wheels, I
highly recommend it! Some people even ditched their packs and bought those
suitcases with wheels (the only danger with that is there are time that you
might have to hike through a jungle with your baggage, so if you can’t put the
luggage on your back it could get difficult..)
-Air porter (you don’t want your pack to get ruined during
travel, and everyone that didn’t have one wished they did). Also, I suggest
getting one that you can still use the backpack straps with the air porter
on. (Some duffle bag type air porters
work well for this.)
-2-3 stuff sacks (they are nice to compartmentalize
clothes/undies & socks)
-1-2 Compression sack (they make everything smaller!)
-Day-pack, not too big (bc you will fill it) but not too
small either (bc you will hate it..) Try it out before hand and make sure you
like it.
-Nalgene (it wouldn’t hurt to bring an extra one just in
case, but if you do, use it as storage for meds or something so it’s not just
taking up space..)
-Spill-guard for your nalgene.
-Camelback (I have yet to use mine, so don’t bother unless
you use them.)
-Passport/money holder belts (they are great for travel
days)
-Butterfly chair, or any sort of travel chair for that
matter.. Oh how I wish I would’ve just
bit the bullet and paid the fifty bucks for it.. It’s worth it, and you will
def. use it more than 50 times..
-Headlamp (get the cheaper one) But make sure it uses normal
batteries that you can replace.
Sleeping Equipment:
-Emu Hammock with a bug net (everyone that brought one, loved it, and everyone that didn’t wished that they did.)
-Tent (lighter weight) Many months you wont even use it, so you have to lug it around for the few months that you will need it, so the lighter the better! (Unless you would prefer the space for the months that your tent is your home..)
-Sleeping bag/ sleeping liner
-Pillow (make sure you like it~ some people brought a travel one and hated it so they bought a normal pillow along the way, although travel ones are easier to lug around., and I liked mine..)
– Bring a strong pillow case (depending on the pillow) you can shove a bunch of stuff in it on travel days..
-Sleeping pad (this is not the place to go cheap, it’s worth it to spend the money on a good one.) And bring the repair kit that it comes with. * Take note if it is a pain to blow up (when you are looking to buy one.) We bought one that said “self-inflate,” thinking that it would blow itself up, but it literally meant you yourself inflate it for 5 minutes each time.. (Not fun when you have to do it often)
**Also, take the airplane blanket as a travel blanket. (I asked them if I could and they said yes, so it’s not stealing!) It fits perfect in your day pack!
Clothes:
* Check your route for weather.. I am giving you advice based on our route. (it was cold the 1st month, and then HOT the rest of the time..)
LADIES~
Okay, Ladies.. I know this might be the hardest part, but
TRUST me when I tell you.. The way you look at clothes will change while you
are on this race… If you over pack you will probably send half your clothes
home, which isn’t cheap.. (It can be anywhere between $40-$100+) and besides, ***you
can buy cheap clothes along the way!***
-Bring 3-4 tank tops that don’t stretch out after you’ve
used them once, it makes it a lot harder to reuse them before you wash them,
and often times you wont have a dryer to shrink them back to normal. (Plus tank
tops don’t take up a lot of room.)
-2-4 Tech wick T-shirts (They dry quicker and don’t hold
smell as bad)
-1 Long sleeve shirt
-1 Sweater or Zip up
-1 Rain Coat/Wind Breaker (Make sure that it really keeps
you dry in the rain..)
-Bring 1-2 pairs of zip off pants. (I brought them hating
them, thinking that I would probably not use them, but they are so practical,
and it’s a two in one deal. When you are doing manual labor these are great to
have)
– A type of work out capris or long shorts (1-2)
– 1 pair of basketball shorts/ running shorts to sleep in
– 1 pair of warm sweat pants
-1 lightweight Skirt that goes below the knees. (Later you
may need one that goes down to your ankles, but you can buy them along the way)
-3 pairs of socks, I’d bring one high pair. (Don’t waste
your money on the expensive dry wick socks~ regular ones work fine..)
– Undies~ I don’t think you can bring too many pairs of
undies.. And people that bought exificio loved them, but I just brought what I wear
back home and it worked just as good for me, only it was far cheaper!
– If you wear jeans back home, bring 1 pair.. You will miss
wearing them if you don’t.. But just bring 1 bc they are heavy. (And I’d bring
a pair that you wouldn’t mind getting rid of) If you think you can do with out
them, than DON’T bring them!
* Bring 2 cute outfits (You will miss feeling normal every
now and again)
-Go easy on bringing accessories
over seas you’ll buy cute stuff along the way.
Shoes~ obviously this is your
preference.. (I recommend 3 pairs) I brought:
-1 pair of Old Navy sandals, and
they have worked great for shower shoes and dress up shoes, and they have lasted
the whole time (I’m at month 7).
-1 pair of crocks, they are breathable, you can
get them wet, and they are comfy.
-1 pair of sneakers (for the jungles and
mountains.) Many people like chacos or tevas, (but they are heavy..)
MEN~
Ok fellas, here is what I have used on the trip. Depending on your route these things could change slightly but I will tell you what has worked best for me. Weather wise, we have had a very hot route, so keep that in mind.
-Let’s start with the most important thing which is exificio underwear! Get it. I know it’s pricy but it is so worth it. Get the boxers if you can because the boxer briefs get a little uncomfortable and tend to stick to your legs when it is so hot! Not too fun…I would recommend 5 or 6 pairs and maybe 1 or 2 cotton boxers. The cotton is a nice change…I will just leave it at that.
-The teck wick shirts or nike quick dry shirts are awesome. Again they are a little pricy but well worth it. I have 5 of these and 2 collared shirts for church. This is plenty. Cotton shirts are heavy, retain a ton of heat and moisture and take forever to dry when you wash them.
-When it comes to pants bring 4 pair of the zip-off hiking pants at REI or Eastern Mountain Sports (depending on where you are from.) These are awesome. They are your shorts and pants! They may not look the coolest all the time but they are a life saver and are very easy to wash plus they dry quickly. You can bring a nice pair of khakis for church but just make sure they are light weight. Pants can really weigh down your pack.
–1 pair of basketball/running shorts
-As far as shoes go.. I recommend 3 pairs. I brought flip flops for showering and they work great. Bring a pair of running/trail shoes for hiking and exercising. If you want you can also bring along a pair of crocs or sanuks. They are both light weight and make a good shoe for church or just hanging out. I have worn flip flops most of the race and you can find them all over the world for around 2 bucks.
-1 Rain Coat/Wind Breaker (Make sure that it really keeps you dry in the rain..)
-Bring a few bandanas or handkerchiefs with you. They are great for keeping the sweat off your face and are very packable. I where one almost all the time. Some of the guys also have bought the buffs you find at hiking stores. They both work great.
-Socks are not a very big deal but you do want to bring about 4 pair. I have 2 of the smart wool pair and 2 regular cotton pair. This should be plenty.
-This is it guys…Good luck and God Bless you all! Represent us well as men and be warriors for Christ!
(Check at the bottom for stores to shop at.)
Meds/Vaccinations
*This is just my view on vaccinations, but you do what you think is best for you.. This also can depend on your route.
Vaccinations~ I’d get your regular vaccinations up to date, Polio, Typhoid, Yellow Fever (I think you are required to get this one..) and to be honest.. I wouldn’t waste your money on the rest of them. When you talk to a nurse they make it sound like YOU WILL get this disease if you don’t get the vaccination.. But its highly unlikely. And they are SO expensive!
Malaria meds you can buy SO much cheaper in other countries.. So just buy like two weeks worth if any.
*If you don’t take vitamins back home, than don’t bring them. Same with Tylenol and IBP, etc..
-I would recommend Cypro (for your stomach) and a bunch of Pepto-Bismol chewables. Stomach issues seem to be the most common sickness we come across.
-I would also recommend some re-hydration tablets, they come in handy when you have a bad headache, or when you haven’t been drinking enough fluids.
-I wish I would have brought some Air-Bourn (you take it at the first sign of a cold, but its also good to take when you feel like your immune system is starting to get weak.)
Toiletries:
-2-3 Small travel containers
(shampoo/conditioner/body wash)
-Soap holder
-2 Toothbrush holders (it’s nice
to be able to change it out, but you can also buy these along the way)
-Toiletry bag that hangs in the
shower
*Also.. Budget your own money for
shampoo and stuff, because our budget doesn’t cover toiletries…
-Ladies.. Tampons! I’d just bring a
years worth of supplies, you find them in some places, and not in others. (Depending
on your route) Asia & Africa~ hard to find. It’s no fun when you’re in the
jungle… (And every month your pack will have that much more room 😉
Bank Account:
As far as your Bank Account goes~ you will lose A LOT of
money on ATM fees unless you have a bank that wont charge.. Check out
Schwab.com, the best one I’ve heard of yet.. You can even link it to another
bank account and just transfer it over before you take money out..
-I also heard Credit Union was good for this.
** Take care of this BEFORE you leave for the Race!!
Electronics:
-Laptop~ every person on my team that brought a netbook
hated it.. (it never picked up Wi-Fi as
good, and was really slow. It was worth the weight to bring my Mac Book, if you
have an I-pad and you already love it, that might be a lighter way to go, but I
heard that the internet is still more spotty with those..
P.S. Things to have on your computer: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
-Movies (handbrake works good for getting them on your computer)
-Skype (best thing ever to see your friends and family)
-Newest software for photos and stuff (it would have made my life so much easier when it came to blogging)
-If you have a Mac I’d use MobileMe E-mail~ it allows you to pull up your e-mails (when you have internet), and then check them later even when you are offline. You can also set up a Google account that does the same thing. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
-Bring a few GOOD headphones with a mic. (it’s such a pain when you Skype your family and you cant hear them or they cant hear you.) When one breaks, you want to have another good pair. (Instead of having to continually waste your money on cheap ones.)
-Kindle or I-books (If you don’t want to carry the weight)
-Flash drive
-External hard drive~ my computer got full so I had to buy
one during my race
-Magic Jack~ look into it, it’s
awesome! Pretty much every time I had Internet; I was able to call anyone from
back home for free! (After the one time fee for a yr..) It was so worth it!
-Camera~ I wasn’t a picture taker,
but I became one on this trip! You will want memories, and pics for blogs
-I-pod~ (I highly recommend an I-pod touch for this, you can
Skype and grab your e-mail and get on internet with it..)
-A great app to have on it is
Text free and voice (you get a # with your area code, and when you have
internet you can txt your friends back home for free!) Also.. Download the free
Bible App that you can use offline, Bible Memory Verses is a great one too, some games, and Skype.
-Case for your Laptop and a case for your I-pod
-Chargers/ wall converters,
portable back up charger for I-pod on the go (monoprice.com)
-Bring a watch
-Alarm Clock
Other:
-A deck of cards
-A battery charged Fan~ SO worth
it for hot countries!
-Ear plugs/ Eye mask
-1 Quick dry towel. (I’d recommend the shammi cloth feeling ones.) I bought the other kind and it smelled so bad at training camp, so I got the shammi one, and it has worked better~ make sure its not to small for you too..
-First Aids Kit (throw in some neosporin)
-Needle and thread (it comes in handy more than you think)
-Steri-pen (great for sterilizing
water)
-Bowl/ spork
-Have one person on your team
bring a knife/tool. (you don’t all need one)
-Sharpies (Mark all of your stuff
ahead of time, everyone will have similar things if not the exact same
things..)
-Zip lock bags
-Mesh Hamper Bag
-Little travel Umbrella (I was so
glad I brought this!)
* Don’t bring Rain pants; you know
you’re not going to wear them….
-Drink packets (you’ll get tired
of water, add some flavor!)
-French press (for those of you who are crazy about coffee.. Although.. I am pretty crazy about coffee, and the 3-in-1 instant coffee’s aren’t bad!) So only if you REALLY want to bring it..
-A travel perfume… I RECOMMEND IT!
-Baby Wipes (you can buy these along the way) You will take plenty of baby wipe showers on this trip!
-An extra mesh bag for your shoes (optional)
-Scissors
-Nail supplies~ cuticle clippers,
finger nail clippers, nail filer, tweezers, etc..
-DEET
-Bandana
-Wallet
-Purse (unless you want to buy one along the way, then just use your daypack til you get one.)
-Small Bible** (Most people that brought their big Bibles ended up sending them home and buying a smaller one. Big ones are heavy.)
-Journal
-A good book (Don’t bring too many, everyone on the squad trades books throughout the year!)
***********Stores to Shop At:***************
-REI or Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) depending on where you live.
-Marshals, T J Max, and Ross are good places to find your clothing (zip offs, dry fit shirts, etc..) And they are WAY cheaper here.. ***
*******************************************
** If you don’t use it at home,
you probably won’t use it on the race. (Except for some of the dry wick
clothing) Remember that you are still living everyday life; you are just moving
around more.
*Also.. Once you know your
teammates you can talk about who will bring what, because you don’t ALL need to
bring a steri-pen, a first aids kit, or a tool, etc. And the less weight to your packs the better!
Get ready for a wild adventure! It
will be one of the hardest, and best years of your lives! And remember, that
intimacy with God must be your main focus, because if it’s not, then nothing
else you do can be at it’s best. God Bless!
