//
.
This blog is a few years in the making. I had a lot of stress with initially packing my backpack – and I think a lot of racers feel the same way. Packing everything you may need for a year in one bag can be overwhelming! My story with minimalist packing: I started the race with an gigantic, overweight 70 liter backpack (around 52 pounds – the lady at the airport desk was generous to let me check in with it) and a stuffed-to-the-brim 31 liter daypack. I’d probably packed and re-packed 20 times. I knew I needed to downsize and I was miserable on travel days. I literally wanted to cry my first big travel day from Pretoria to Durbin in South Africa when I had to carry all that in the bus station. The day leading up to travel day was stressful too, as there was so much to cram back into my big pack. I had stuff everywhere and more than I needed. Throughout my race, I got rid of more and more – until around Month 7 where I felt comfortable enough to ditch my big pack and my daypack and replace them both with a large daypack. From this point on, travel days were a breeze. Day to day life was less stressful as I felt like I could manage my stuff easily. Organizing my things took a few minutes each day, and packing at the end of each month was super easy. Ultimately, several people on my squad also ended up going down to just a daypack or two daypacks and really loved it.
Since the race, I’ve experimented with all sorts of different minimalist packing methods. I went back on the field with a squad for four months and carried two daypacks… And then in January of this year, I joined a squad in Haiti for a month and carried only a tiny 25 liter backpack (see my Burton recommendation below). Honestly, you can make it work with any bag and any amount of things. For me, the least amount of stuff, the less stressed and freer I feel.
And for those of you overpackers – I think it’s fine to overpack at the beginning of your race – so give yourself grace… It’s hard to know what you’ll want and need when you’re on the field until you’re actually there. But if you want to go down to a minimalist bag by the end of your race, just be sure to only bring things you’re okay parting with. Your bag will evolve throughout the year, and you will too.
This list is a compilation of gear I’ve used and know to be fantastic – and a few things I’d like to try. By no means is it a comprehensive packing list. My biggest advice for future racers + long term travelers is to be aware of what you use on a daily basis and the clothes you love wearing – and pack that.
Hope this helps you on your journey. Happy Trails!
The Nitty-Gritty:
For everything you buy, you’ll want to keep an eye on the weight and the packability. Look for things with “ultralight” or “UL” in the name.
Bible: I love this tiny Bible so much and it still stays in my bag every day. Love that it zips.
REI Trail 40 Daypack – You’ll be sitting pretty on travel days if you go with a pack about this size. This is an amazing pack that I’ve used for several trips. I use it as my main pack, but I’ve seen people use it as a daypack also. It’s about as close to a perfect pack as you can get (you can fit soooo much into it for only 40 liters!) and it looks like they’ve made some pretty neat upgrades on the new version released this year.
Burton Bags: I.Love.Burton bags! I loved the look of the Topo Rover backpack, but with a $140 price tag, I just couldn’t swing it. I found the Burton Tinder backpack had a similar feel, excellent quality, and you can sometimes catch them on sale for as low as $37 (like right now when I’m writing this)! After about half a year of traveling with a Burton bag and using it daily for work, I can tell you it barely shows wear and it’s held up really well. It was also the only bag I brought for a month long trip to Haiti and I loved it.
Sleeping Bag/Blankets: I ended up ditching my bulky/heavy sleeping bag the last 1/3 of my race… which I wouldn’t necessarily recommend. It gets COLD in places you’d never expect! (Africa, Central America, hostels in Asia that blast AC). I ended up picking up airplane blankets from a few different flights. When picking out a sleeping bag, I would look at weight and how small it packs down. Also look at temperature rating. You probably want to try it out as well before going – I wouldn’t want to spend the race cold at night!
Ultralight Sleeping Pad: Don’t go with a bulky sleeping pad.. This Nemo one is a good option – it’s comfortable and lightweight. I slept on this Exped mat for several, several months and LOVED it… Sadly, I packed it wet after a backpacking expedition up a mountain in Haiti and realized a few months later it was moldy. Would still recommend it!
Travel Pillow: You can’t go wrong with a Quixote travel pillow. They are small and I used mine every night of the race. Loved it! Just don’t go with the down because it flattens when you put your head on it. Looks like the price has almost doubled since I bought mine sadly…
Headlamp: Ya gotta have a good headlamp, and this one works well.
MSR Folding Spork – I’ve had this spork for a few years for backpacking/camping -then brought it on the race and love it. The great thing about this it is the long handle – if you backpack or eat freeze-dried meals, you won’t have any problem getting the last bits out of the bottom.
Tent: I have yet to find a tent I would recommend here. Tents are pretty controversial topics with racers these days. I ditched mine halfway through, but then needed to borrow a teammates for a few months where we slept in them the whole month. I would recommend bringing a tent – even if you don’t have to sleep in one, it gives you flexibility for introvert time. In Thailand, our little house was overrun with TONS of bugs and I slept more comfortably in my tent. In El Salvador we had to sleep in tents and it would have been awkward sharing one for an entire month. I like my alone time! It’s kind of your own little traveling room. If I were going back out on the field, I would look for an UL 1 person tent with a large vestibule to store gear – and that’s freestanding with side doors.
Clothes: Figuring out what to bring clothing-wise can be a huge challenge. I personally look for clothes that are lightweight/fold super small, don’t wrinkle and are low maintenance to wash (you’ll be hand washing clothes). From there, I try to think about a capsule wardrobe. I try to go with a specific color scheme or have clothes that all match each other. I typically travel with basics and pick fun things up in other countries – markets in SE Asia for example, or thrift stores in Central America.
Merino Wool: Merino wool is magical for traveling – expensive but worth it to keep an eye out for a good deal. The name is misleading b/c it actually keeps you cool. It also breathes and wicks, manages moisture, resists odor, and LASTS. Read more about the merino sheep and process here (Icebreaker is a great option but SUPER expensive so wait for a great sale!)
Target T-Shirts, etc are totally fine and I do bring these as well – but just prepare to replace them often. They will not hold up for the 11 months in the rough and tumble of travel!
Joggers: Finding shorts and pants that fit in the dress code while being lightweight and cool can be super difficult! I really like joggers like these… They are looser than traditional leggings so they fit into dress code – but are really comfy. I also have a pair of ExOfficio joggers that have a cooling ingredient and that keeps bugs away. I don’t think they are selling them anymore, but maybe they’ll release a new version! These North Face joggers also look great!
Underwear: Whatever kind of underwear you prefer, just bring lots of it, even while traveling minimally (I think I had like two weeks worth)! It packs down well and you won’t regret it.
Eagle Creek Packing Cube Set When living out of a backpack – it’s sooo important to have things organized in your bag. Packing cubes are must haves – and invest in good ones! There are more options on the Eagle Creek website. Rei also makes a good option.
Flannel: A must for traveling – sometimes A/C is really cold when you’re not used to it! Really, any ol’ flannel will work – as long as you love it. I particularly like the ones at Urban Outfitters (mine’s a men’s because I wanted it a little oversized).
Chacos: Chacos hold up really well and the sole will last all year. I personally like the ‘dressier’ style and have a pair similar to the ones here.
Toiletries: I personally don’t skimp on toiletries, but I find ways to repackage products and think through travel and smaller sized items – so I can bring everything I need. I also bring a small bag of makeup – I bring small sizes of everything I use at home.
Toiletry Kit: I love this Sea-to-Summit toiletry kit. It’s held up really well and packs great.
Travel Brush: I LOVE this luxury tiny brush by Sephora (I had one until it got stolen). You can also get a cheaper version at a drugstore that’ll work just fine.
Lush Shampoo Bars: Lush shampoo bars are AMAZING and will last something like 80 washes each. I also love the conditioner bars, but found they didn’t last as long and I ended up picking up conditioner in country.
St. Ives Apricot Face Scrub: This stuff was like liquid gold to me while on the field. I usually stock up on several travel sized tubes before I head out on the field.
Solid Deodorant: I switched to using men’s Old Spice deodorant because I found it on the field, it lasted longer, it worked, and I loved the smell (of Fiji). Here’s a solid natural deodorant I also like if you are into organic stuff and don’t mind smelling like a hippy.
Steripod – You’ll encounter some pretty gross grime, so you may want to protect your toothbrush with this. Or get a folding travel one!
Travel size toothpaste – I usually pack a handful of these and ditch them as I finish them out. When I’m out, I’ll replace in country.
Electronics: I’m pretty into photography/videography when I travel, so these are some things I recommend if you are too.
Adapter Plug Set – This is just a necessity of traveling. I like that they are separate and pack small.
Camera Case: I use a neoprene sleeve for my DSLR and toss it in my bag. Takes up zero room and is low maintenance.
You could also try this: I don’t own this (Matador Camera Base Layer) but I’m really curious about it, especially love that it comes with it’s own tiny rainfly. Looks amazing!
External Hard Drive: If you are planning on getting into photography or videography at all on your race, I would get at least one of these, two if you can. I got two and made them carbon copies of one another (marked them “1” and “2” on the back). I kept them in separate places always – in case one got lost or stolen. This would be my #1 must have for a racer. My pictures from my race are my most prized possession!
Organizer: I use a lightweight toiletry bag to organize cords + camera gear.
Lens Cleaner: Your lens is gonna get dirrrrty.
Kindle: I like to read and I don’t like to carry books :).
**This is everything I can think of at the time I’m writing this (August 2018). As travel gear is constantly evolving, I’ll update this from time to time. Please add any questions or comments below and I’ll try to incorporate those in updates!
First travel day vs. last travel day of first WR
Happy as a clam in Nicaragua on travel day after downsizing.
Another fun travel day in Honduras
My bag inside my tent in El Salvador
A tent can be a personal oasis on the race!
All my gear for race #2
Flying to S. Africa to meet up with a squad and start WR Storytelling.
Some of my electronic gear!
