Some tips on packing light, having more than enough, and a few eco tips as a bonus!
Enjoy!
Bible: You can bring the Bible with all of your notes and highlights or you can bring a new bible. You could bring a theology school study Bible or an electronic Bible. Basically bring whatever you use for your alone time back home.
Essential oils
Tea Tree: scars, cuts, acne, black mold (this is a real thing!), shampoo, lice, dandruff, toothpaste (don’t swallow), mouthwash, burns and a list that goes on and on! If you bring only one bring Tea Tre oil.
Peppermint oil: Migraines, motion sickness, upset stomach.
Frankensence or Lavendar: Muscle Pains/relaxation/ect. (Put a hint of this on your pillow to have a wonderful nights sleep!) Girls: Bring one small bottle of this to use as perfume! Put one drop on your wrists and rub wrists together. It will last you the whole year!
Essential Oils Lotion Bar: I brought one of these bars and it will surely last me till the end of the race. It packs well as it comes in its own can.
Jordan Essentials is a christian run sustainably focused Essential oils company.
Bar shampoo and bar face wash! Funny thing about bar shampoo is that you do not need conditioner, and one bar could possibly last you the whole year (likely will last 6 months). Same with the bar face wash. Bring containers for each.
Face Wipes: Bring a package of your favorite (my personal favorite are Burt’s Bees White tea). Put them in the side pouch of your daypack for travel days. (A replacement would be Tea Tree oil and tissues.)
Chapstick: I use chapstick like it is candy and loose it like it is a pen. So, naturally, I brought five and packed them in all different places. My town has a local brand that is my favorite, but Burt’s Bees comes in close second. (Note: Turkish Airlines gives you natural chapstick for free!)
“Thai Crystals” deodorant: I am almost into month 8 and the one I brought from home is still going! (Yes, I use it everyday. Just because you’re a racer doesn’t mean you have to smell like one.)
Quick Dry Towel: Just say no! They may pack small, and are light, but they smell wretched fast! I would suggest cutting a normal towel in half (if you are worried about size cut a beach towel in half).
Clothes: bring what you need and you wear. In the cold months you can survive off of three shirts and a pair of blue jeans. Bring more underwear than you think you will need, and bring less of everything else than your mind is telling you is necessary. Clothes are cheap overseas! Do not buy any new clothing for the race (other than underwear). If you don’t wear it at home you are not going to want to wear it overseas, and the clothes overseas are much more exciting! Likelihood is you will not return home with any of the clothes you left with. (Note: girls- bring a scarf that can also be tied as a head band.)
Chacos: I’m not saying you have to buy chacos, but I would suggest buying a pair of nice hiking sandals. You literally can survive with only these shoes for the whole year! (Socks and Chacos is ok fashion on the World Race).
Airporter: I hope you hear me in this. A duffle bag works wonders! I bought the osprey airporter, and unless they have had a revelation since I left, it is the worst for travel days! Find an air porter that allows you to wear your pack while the airporter is on. If you find one that is also waterproof consider it a bonus!
Spend money on your pack and sleeping pad (I was able to buy my sleeping pad at the used gear sale and save $100! I also bought my main pack on sale during the summer REI sale.) Just trust me on this.
Sleeping Bag: Mine is rated 32degrees. I would suggest a similar rating as you can always sleep outside of it or sleep in a sleeping bag liner. Don’t try and bace your sleeping bag temperature rating on your current route. Your route WILL change.
Tent: Well, mine blew off a roof in Cambodia, and has not been seen since. If you buy a tent through REI purchase at the used gear sale.
Girls: Go Diva! Just trust me.
Snacks: You will discover new snacks along the way! Nuts and dried fruit in Eastern Europe are very cheap! There are a lot of organic snacks and healthy street food in Asia! Ultimately you can go a year without Virgil’s soda and organic gummy sour bears (although they will be the first snacks I buy when I get home!).
Daypack: Buy a new pack as it will wear out, but don’t spend the big bucks on this one. If it fits comfortably with your electronics and Bible you will be great!
Technology: If you have a nice camera-Bring it! If you are worried about it getting damaged on a journey where you will see some of God’s most beautiful creations you might be too physically attached to a material item. Computer: I brought my 15in mac that I bought in college for photo editing. It weighs about 7 lbs. You can do it, but considering on off days or free time I typically prefer reading or exploring over sitting in front of my computer to edit photos I suggest bringing a Ipad with an external hard drive. I have gone the year without an ipod (it was stolen in my first two weeks) or an electronic reader. I would pick one or none, you don’t need both, and I love reading and music!
Journals: I brought one journal and picked up other ones along the way. Bring a notebook for languages! Attempting to learn the language is one of the best ways to get to know the locals and the culture. Don’t worry if you think you sound like a fool, you already stand out, so make the best of it!
Instrument: If you play an instrument bring an instrument! The race is also a great time to learn a new skill. I regret not my brining my guitar. I am no protégé, in fact I often can’t remember very basic chords, but I played my guitar enough to miss it on the race. Look for one at a garage sale or purchase a cheap acoustic if you are worried about what will happen to it. (You can buy these overseas, but budget for it beforehand if you plan to.)
Drawing/painting: Bring one nice drawing notebook and the materials you normally use. I draw with prisma color pencils and charcoal pencils back home. I brought the charcoal and left the prsima. Ended up with an 8 pack of children’s colored pencils in China. It’s just not the same. IDEA: instead of bringing a drawing notebook find unique materials in each country to draw on. Napkins from favorite restaurants, receipts or tickets from random journeys, leafs from a tree at your ministry, and tape them into an old copy of your favorite adventure book. It could be a unique way of documenting your journey!
Very helpful website: http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/
If you are low on money message your World Race contact to see if any past racers have used gear they are willing to sell discounted or give away.
Simply put you don’t need to go broke to go on the race, and America is not the only ‘civilized’ nation in the world. You are going on this journey with and for God. He will provide, and however small your backpack currently seems, you will get what you really ‘need’ to fit. After all, God called the disciples to leave everything.
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, ” and I will make you fishers of men.”
At once they left their nets and followed him.
~Matthew 4:19-20
If you have any questions or would like more specific information feel free to message me:
