All right, ladies.
I won’t claim this is the only packing list you’ll ever need but I’d like to share 11 of the things I’ve learned on the Race as far as packing goes. I’ll only mention brands if I think they were particularly awesome, otherwise, you can probably assume I got the REI brand.
Tent/footprint. Bring both. If your squad is anything like mine, you will end up camping more than you ever thought you would and you are going to want to have your own space. Bring the stakes and guy lines as well. I’m not sure if I just used my footprint wrong, but eventually, it didn’t help keep water out (during a typhoon in the Philippines) so I ended up laying inside my tent and putting my stuff on top of it. It didn’t protect my tent, obviously, but I stopped waking up every morning with my stuff soaked.
Sleeping bag/bag liner. Bring both. I got a REI helio sack and I love it. The liner was awesome as well, I used it much more than my sleeping bag. I got the green one (the one that is supposed to ward off bugs) and it wasn’t worth spending the extra money for the bug protection- they got to me anyway. The bag liner is good to carry in your daypack on travel days (if you have an overnight train, or are staying in a hostel overnight, any time you don’t necessarily want to rely on the bedding provided.)
Sleeping pad. Please do yourself a favor and get a really good one. I have one that is insanely irritating on travel days. I got at a REI garage sale super cheap- two (or so) inches of foam that you can roll up. I like the foam ones because even if I were to get a hole, there is still something between the ground and me. You can obviously bring a blow-up one and patch it up… if you can find the hole… I also got a twin-sized sheet, folded it in half, sewed up one of the short sides and the long side and have used it as a sleeping pad case. Hands down, best decision I’ve made. It made sweating every night in Cambodia that much more pleasant knowing I was able to protect my pad and just wash the sheet.
Bags. A smaller big pack will serve you well. It’s hard to stay under the weight limit on flights with a big pack. Also, an airporter is a must. I would bring a good daypack if you’re planning on bringing a laptop/a lot of electronics. I also brought a Kavu and I packed it into my daypack when I didn’t want to use it. Fun fact- some airlines will weigh your big pack AND your day pack. Usually, you don’t find out they are doing this until you get there.
Diva cup/Tampons. At home, I wear tampons exclusively but I tried the Diva cup a couple times before I left. I was a fan- sometimes. For my first couple days, I found the Diva cup was a little impractical for my needs so I have been using tampons those days. The following days I save on tampons by using my Diva cup. I would suggest figuring out what works for you before leaving. If you are going with tampons, I would stock up. The Kotex Click ones are great- they are smaller than regular ones. You can find tampons overseas, depending on where you are, but they are super expensive.
Clothing. Girl, do you. If you wouldn’t wear it at home, you won’t wear it on the Race. I would bring one long skirt. I dislike wearing long skirts and t-shirts but that was my uniform throughout Asia and Africa. You’ll probably leave the US with more clothing than you need- but it’s hard to judge what exactly you’ll want to have with you. Just know that you won’t be away from stores that long and you’ll be able to pick things up along the way. ?A couple exceptions- it’s been hard for me to find jeans I like overseas. Also, underwear- I would stock up a bit.
Shoes. I dropped my Chacos after MONTHS of carrying them with me without wearing them. In Asia and Africa, I wore flip flops and, very rarely, tennis shoes. In Europe, I’ve worn my tennis shoes, my Tieks, and flip flops.
Money for Souvenirs. I know. Those Thai elephant pants are adorable. They also tear so easily. I bought so much in Asia and I ended up dropping a lot of it very soon afterward. Pace yourself!
Medicine. Don’t go and buy out Walgreens before you leave (like I did). I used Tylenol and Advil, Dayquil/ Nyquil pills, Doxy (Buy one month and the rest overseas. You don’t need to go to a doctor or anything- just walk into a pharmacy off the street and ask for how much you need), tums/pepto, motion sickness pills. Bring some lotion and chapstick if you want.
Makeup. Bring it, if you wear it. You’re still you on the Race.
Deodorant/body spray/perfume. Honey, stock up on your favorites. Stick deodorant wasn’t a thing in Asia or Africa (and IF you could find it, it was crazy expensive). I have found it in Europe pretty easy but I wish I had brought more. Also, watch where you keep them- they will melt…
If you have any other questions, comment and I’ll be sure to answer!
Best of luck!
