When deciding what to take for almost a year in one backpack, the buying, collecting and packing can be overwhelming. I spent 8 months researching, asking my outdoorsy friends and reading WR blogs to learn about gear and find out exactly what I needed. I’m the kind of person that tries on everything I pack before a weekend trip just to make sure it all works. This task was a stretch for my OCD-ness, but like Tim Gunn suggests, I made it work.
I just returned from the World Race and used almost everything that I packed. There were a few things that I wish I would have spent a little bit more money on and made the investment, but overall, this is what you need:
*These items you can buy overseas in almost every country, so you don’t need to pack a year supply of.
-Advil
-airporter – Get the Sea to Summit Converter Duffle Bag. I bought the Osprey and the handle broke, it got holes in it and it was a pain to take on and off my pack. The Sea to Summit is awesome because you can put it on your pack, leave it unzipped and still carry it on your back. Spend the extra money!
-anti diarrhea pills
-baby powder – Great and cheap alternative to dry shampoo.
-baby wipes* – You don’t need a year supply. Every country has babies.
-backpack – This is your day pack. Take a backpack with lots of zippers and pockets and can hold a lot of stuff including your computer, change of clothes, etc. for travel days.
-bank card – Get a Charles Schwab bank account and debit card. You can use this card around the world and it reimburses you for all ATM fees. I recommend applying for the card 2 months before the Race and activate and use it for 2 months before you leave. Practice transferring money and depositing money. Transfer into the Investor Checking account and not the Brokerage account. Deposits take about 4-5 business days and are very inconvenient when on the field. You can have someone at home do mobile deposits for you and they are instantaneous.
-Bible – Some people like hauling around their huge Bible with a full concordance and such. I got this small Bible that has a magnet that closes so the pages don’t get messed up. I loved it!
-Sharpies (4)
-blanket – I took a small, soft throw blanket. When you don’t have furniture or are stuck in the airport, a blanket makes it feel like home.
-bobby pins
-body wash*
-brush/comb
-bug spray (with deet)
-camera
-camera battery charger
-cards – Take a deck of cards…or two. This will provide hours of entertainment and bonding moments for you, your team, and kids who don’t speak English.
-caribeeners
-chapstick – (3) Stock up on Burt’s Bees. Trust me.
-chords – Spend money on good, (2) durable iphone chords like this one. Also take one of these micro USB chords. I used it to charge my speaker, my team phone, among other things.
-clothes – I took 5 shirts, 1 sweatshirt, 1 flannel, 1 rain jacket, 3 tanks, 1 swimsuit, 1 jorts, 1 jeans, 2 printed pants, 1 leggings, 1 athletic shorts, 2 long dresses, Chacos, Converses (not necessary), running shoes, sandals
-Command hooks – I didn’t take these, but there were several occasions they would have come in handy.
-contact solution
-contacts
-cotton pads
-deodorant – They have deodorant in other countries, but they are either spray or roll on. If you want Old Spice or Dove, stock up on a few. (4) should do fine.
–Diva Cup – Girls, thank me later.
-computer/charger
-Dramamine
-duct tape – Take the tape off of the cardboard tube and roll it into itself. It saves space and you will find so many reasons to use it.
-earplugs – Saved my life!! If you want to sleep through crying babies on airplanes, your teammates playing Uno at 1am, or 48 hour bus rides, you need these. They take up virtually no space.
-EmergenC
–Eno – You’re not a World Racer without one.
-Eno bug net- There will be times it is so hot you will want to sleep outside and the bug net will make that possible without getting eaten alive.
–essential oils – These are the bomb! Literally, I made a “sick bomb” of peppermint, lavender, lemon, On Guard, oregano and tea tree oils that are good for anything. Every time I felt myself getting sick, I rubbed some on and felt better. Peppermint oil is great for nausea, stomach aches and headaches. Tea tree is great for mosquito repellant. They’re expensive but a great investment.
-facewash
-fanny pack – Great for day trips when you don’t want to carry around a backpack.
-Febreeze
-glasses
-gum – If you’re an avid gum chewer like myself, take gum that is either packaged in foil or in a plastic container.
-hair ties
-hand sanitizer
-hard drive – Load a hard drive with a few movies and have a space for all the photos you will take.
-headbands
-headlamp – Black Diamond
-headphones (2) – Skull Candy earbuds are durable and noise cancelling.
-insurance card copies
-journal
-lamp – I discovered Luci light month 10 from a friend and it was awesome. It is solar powered and then lights up a whole room or tent.
-laundry chord – I took one like this.
–laundry detergent strips – I wish I would have packed these so I didn’t have to buy laundry detergent in each country.
-makeup – Don’t take your entire daily routine, but mascara and blush are nice to have.
-mirror – A small, compact mirror is great to have for travel days or months you don’t have a clue what you look like.
-notecards – (30) Take blank thank you cards or note cards. I only took about 15 and I wish I would have taken way more. You’ll want to leave notes with your squad mates or thank you notes for your hosts.
-passport copies
-pens – Take pens you love and take many – like one per month.
-perfume – Little samples from Sephora are great to have.
-pictures of family/friends
-pillow
-pillow case – You’ll want to have some kind of cover for your pillow that you can wash after months of travel and sleeping on floors and in the jungle. I sewed one that fit my travel pillow perfectly.
-plug adapter – Universal Travel Adapter. You need this.
-portable charger battery pack – I wish I would have taken one of these. So handy!
-post its
–power strip – This was great for those times you have 8 Racers who all need to charge 3 electronics each at the same time.
-antibiotics
-Q tips*
-rain jacket
-razors*
-reusable bag – A bag like this is useful for so many things – dirty laundry, groceries, etc.
-sewing kit
-shampoo*
-sleeping bag
-sleeping eye mask – A Must.
-sleeping pad
-speaker – The Rugged Ruckus speaker is amazing because it is solar powered and can charge other electronics also. It is a bit heavy, but totally worth the weight. It was the envy of my squad.
–splitter – Awesome for team movie nights.
-cards from family – Get your family and friends to write you notes to open every month.
-sunglasses*
-sunscreen*
-sweatshirt
-swimsuit
-running shoes
-tent
-Tide pen
-toothbrush*/holder
-toothpaste*
-towels – This is a great set. Make sure you get an XL towel, its the only size that will actually wrap around a normal size human. You’ll want to be covered for all squad months or when you’re staying with a host family. #tooclosetoosoon
-triple antibiotic ointment
-underwear (a lot)
–utensils/bowl – There will many a time you will be on the side of a mountain or in the jungle or even in a church and don’t have silverware or bowls…its nice to be prepared.
-watch
-water bottle – I wish I would have had a Hydroflask!! It keeps drinks hot or cold for up to 12 hours! This would have made all the difference in the world doing VBS in the dessert in the heat of the day.
-waterproof band aids
–Wisps – So perfect for travel days on buses with no running water.
-Ziploc bags
