Obviously, this is a blog geared toward the World Racer or Passport trip man or woman. This whole blog is going to be devoted to a list of things that are essential to pack, highlighting some things NOT to bring, and just giving a run down of the World Race.
Also, below I’m going to write a minimalist packing list because I honestly wish I would have done that instead of all the stuff I brought. By the way, an airline lost my friends bag month 3 and he made it with way less than this so it is possible!
WHAT TO PACK:
Large backpack (55-75L) It all depends on how much stuff you want to bring.
Day Pack—Bring a regular sized backpack. It can be anything from 20-40L, but really around 30L is plenty!
Sleeping Bag—I used mine for the entire race and in some places it gets cold at night too. I recommend a 40F bag.
Tent— I used a tent about 7 out of the 9 months of my race so it’s worth it. A one or two man tent is fine. Brand doesn’t matter a ton. Just make sure what you’re getting isn’t too bulky or heavy.
Pillow—If you’re bringing one from home just make sure it’s smaller, but I got a Therm-a-rest Compressible pillow and love it!
Headlamp— Black Diamond has good headlamps. Get one.
Sleeping Bag liner—If you get cold at night a lot or your route is gearing up to be a littler chilly then I would recommend, but if not then don’t worry about it.
Nalgene—Bring some sort of water bottle. I like Hydroflasks, but that’s just me.
Airporter—The REI brand is probably the best.
Packing Cubes—Eagle Creek Packing Cubes and just so wonderful and help you pack a little easier too.
Optional—Sleeping pad— I say this is optional because sometimes a racer can luck out and get a mattress for 7 months out of their race. Personally, I can sleep anywhere and just gave mine to a friend when his popped and haven’t regretted it (it can take up a lot of space and it can also save you a hundred dollars or so).
Optional—ENO and BugNet—It is a hammock and I LOVE to hammock so YES it is worth it.
Optional—Mosquito Net— If you have a tent then you can use that or buy a cheap one in country.
CLOTHES:
Don’t bring your whole wardrobe along. I brought far too much of everything and my bag was overweight and I sent things home. It’s a nightmare so just pack on the lighter side. You’ll have plenty of clothes and you can even buy some while on the Race. Also, for any girls reading this, you will have to take skirts and any other extra items you may need.
T-shirt— 5-6 good t-shirts should be plenty. I think I brought 9 and didn’t use a lot of them.
Long Sleeve— 1 should be good shirt or exercise shirt.
Exercise Clothes—Do you like exercising? Cool! then bring a pair of them. You don’t need more than one pair.
Basket ball shorts/comfy shorts—I LOVE basketball shorts. I spent most of my Race in them. So, bring at least 2-3 pairs if you wear them at home a lot. If you aren’t a fan of basketball shorts the same still applies for whatever shorts are World Race appropriate. Bring several pairs of whatever comfortable shorts you like.
Sweat pants— I brought some lighter ones and those are perfect.
Pants—Brought one pair of jeans, but don’t usually wear them. Girls kind of need them because the dress code is a little more strict.
Sweatshirt—Yes, one should be good enough.
Nicer clothes—1 dressy outfit. Khakis and a decent button-down shirt for men and for girls a long dress (I mean long) or skirts.
Underwear—5-10 pairs. It depends on how often you want to do laundry.
Socks—I wore sandals or Chacos my whole race. 3 regular ankle socks should be fine.
Shoes—Tennis shoes are handy, but if you don’t often wear them at home then don’t bring them. You don’t normally need hiking boots so don’t worry about that.
Sandals— I bought Chacos for my Race. I would definitely suggest buying some sort of good sandal that will last because you will wear them most of the Race. However, Chacos weren’t my favorite so try Teva or another brand.
Hat— Some sort of hat or protection from the sun is really nice.
MISCELLANEOUS:
Bible and Journal— I never really journaled before the Race, but now I do it everyday. It’s worth it.
Pens and pencils—You cannot find good ones outside of the US.
Toiletries—Things like toothpaste, tooth brush, shampoo, and deodorant, just bring like 1-3 months worth because you can honestly buy that stuff anywhere in the world.
Towel—A smaller one is good. A giant one can take up a lot of space in your pack. Doesn’t have to be quick dry, but they’re still good towels.
Swimsuit—Make sure it’s appropriate
Books or a kindle—Bring a few books that you can swap with people or a kindle. They’re a life saver!
Belt—Yes.
ELECTRONICS:
Computer— Brought my Mac and love it! you don’t need a computer on the Race, but it is nice to have for movie nights, blogs, and looking up things when going home.
Phone—Not an essential, but it’s nice to have for communication and pictures. They do get stolen a lot so beware.
Headphones—Bring at least 1-2 good pairs because they get lost, stolen, or broken.
Hard drive—I brought one to get movies and other peoples pictures and as a back up just in case my things were stolen.
Portable speaker—They come in handy A LOT and are really nice for worship and team movies.
WHAT YOU DO NOT NEED:
Travel adapters—You can by them literally anywhere in the world for really cheap.
Malaria Medication—Most people stress out about this; I did too. You can by Malaria meds wherever they have malaria and it’s usually pretty cheap too. I bought 9 months worth and haven’t used any on my Race.
Too many electronics— You only need a couple devices so choose wisely.
Too many toiletries— Like I said, you can buy them anywhere.
Too many clothes—This is the one that got me. I overpacked by 10 pounds and paid the price. Literally…
The Ultralight Racer:
Honestly, I wanted to do this come month 3, but didn’t have the guts. You could pretty easily do the Race with a 40-50L day pack. You could bring one small pack and a few changes of clothes. Here’s what an ultra racer looks like (if I did the Race again, I would do this). All of these things should fit inside of a carry on bag. It makes life so much easier not having to check a big heavy bag.
GEAR:
One Pack (day pack size)— 40-50L pack
Sleeping Bag—A very light sleeping bag maybe going down to 50F or so.
ENO with BugNet—An ENO to sleep in and no tent, but a bug net and maybe a rain fly.
Shoes— One pair of gym shoes.
Sandals—One pair of good sandals.
CLOTHES:
Shirts—3 shirts. Two short sleeve and one long.
Shorts—a pair of basketball shorts and another somewhat nice pair.
Nice clothes— One pair of nicer clothes for church and certain ministry.
underwear— 4 pairs of underwear (if you need more you can buy it on the Race).
Sweat shirt and pants— Maybe one of each depending on my route.
MISCELLANEOUS:
Computer— I love my mac and would bring it again.
Phone—I would bring my phone again as well.
Bible and Journal
Toiletries— One to two months of supplies should last just fine. YOU DO NOT NEED A YEARS SUPPLY!!!!
Whatever else you can or want to fit can go in there too. Honestly, I really do wish I would have packed this light. If you ever need anything, it can just be purchased in another country anyways.
I just want to say that the best advice I can give you is DON’T WORRY! It’ll be okay; I promise. Also, definitely pack on the lighter side with everything!! I brought too much and so did everyone on my squad. It’s easier to buy things on the field than to send a bunch of things home. Just get pumped for such an awesome and wonderful year ahead with the Lord! If I missed anything here, I apologize, but that’s why there are other packing blogs out there 🙂
