Dear Future Racer, before you read this and fifty other racer’s packing list blogs…just breathe.
You will fit everything in your pack. It will probably be heavy and you will probably feel unsure about what you are bringing and what you are leaving out.
You will feel like you are packing close to nothing and probably still need to take out a few more things. You will go through emotions of being exited to totally freaked out.
This is all normal.
I remember trying to do my “final” packing a few days before launch. It ended with me sitting on my living room floor crying and frustrated because what was on the 10 packing lists I had compiled together, just wouldn’t fit in my pack. I felt like I “needed” it all. But when I shoved it all in my pack…my pack was WAY over 50lbs.
The truth is, that looking back I wish I would have worried less about what I was squeezing into that pack and starting to let go and to trust God more. He WILL provide. They DO make things in other countries that you use and you WILL be able to find little American treasures along the way.
I wish I would have made less trips to Walmart for last minute things and saved that extra money to have for personal money along the way. You will have opportunities to splurge on a nice meal, toiletries, and little goodies for teammates birthdays. I wish I would have realized that “free piles” DO exist and you will trade wardrobes and God will provide little things that you need and even want.
So here is what I brought (minus some things I didn’t really need). Please realize that everyone’s race is different. A lot of what you will need depends on your route and the climates. Look it up and be willing to be flexible…our route changed at least 5 times.
Also, don’t worry. You are entering a season of intense community. If you forget something, someone will have it and more than likely let you use it. So if you cannot afford something…ask your teammates, supporters, and God. He’s got your back.
So here is my list…straight from the mouth of a girly girl who had never even thought about sleeping in a tent until training camp and freaked out at the thought of wearing no make-up and living without a mirror. Everyone packs differently, so just remember to bring what you already use and if you get overwhelmed, go back to the WR packing list too…it’s pretty dead on.
Before you start…I advise you to sit, pray, and ask God to show you what you really “need”…and trust Him when it doesn’t feel like enough!
Gear:
- Tent (You will want a two person one for you and your pack)
- Pack (Make sure you can carry it for at least a mile with about 50lbs in it!)
- Day pack (Mine is small and I love it because I could use it when we went hiking and on day adventures….if you get a big one, you will fill it up. Remember you have to carry everything on travel days!)
- Sleeping bag (get a comfy one…it’s worth it the months you use it! I got a down one)
- Sleeping bag liner (Sea to Summit: Cool Max Brand…You will want this for hot months. I used this more than my sleeping bag but recommend bringing both)?
- Sleeping pad (Thermarest: 2 1/2 in…worth it. This is your bed for the next year and it rolls up really small so it doesn’t take up much space. You only have to blow it up a few times a month at most, so it’s not too bad.?
- Sleeping pad repair kit (I never had to use mine but better safe than sorry…a lot of my squad mates got holes in their sleeping pads throughout the year)
- Eno hammock. If you are a hammock kind of girl J?(don’t forget the straps haha)
- Packing cubes (I started my race with the plastic bag ones. They are good to pack things down but I also suggest bringing the Eagle Creek square packing cubes. They will make your life so much easier since this is literally what you live out of for a year. If you like to be organized…do yourself a favor and just get a few!!) or Stuff sacks or old Toms shoes bag (I brought a few different sizes for meds, toiletries, converters, etc.)
- Laundry bag (bring a mesh one. Your clothes get nasty and smelly)
- Pillow case
- Pillow (Do yourself a favor and bring a real one. It is one extra thing to carry on travel days but ABSOLUTELY worth it for the rest of the month)
- Air porter (This is important. It protects your pack while you travel and you can put extra stuff in there if it doesn’t all fit in your pack. Get the REI one…NOT the Osprey one….you will thank me.)
- Toiletry bag (bring a hanging one. My whole team was jealous of mine. It will be so handy when the bathroom is nasty and some have a mirror that come with it which is nice for those months that there are none to be found)
- Mosquito Net: just buy one when you get to the countries where you need it.
Paperwork:
- Passport
- Bring photo copies of your passport on full pages…don’t cut them. (bring 4 and stash them in different places in your pack just in case)
- Yellow Fever/Vaccinations card?
- Visa photos: don’t smile and wear a solid color shirt with minimum skin showing. They are very particular about these.
- ID (student ID if you have one…sometimes you can get discounts)
- Credit card (Visa works everywhere)
- Some cash
- Bible (SO IMPORTANT. Bring one you love 🙂 I started one fresh so that I could have my journey throughout my Bible.)
- Devotional (this is just a personal thing…but I wished I would have had one to work through some months)
- Notebooks for journaling. I brought Moleskins…one for each month. Or bring a few thicker ones to last you. You CAN find them if you aren’t particular about your journaling.
- Blank cards (these are fun for birthdays and thank you notes for contacts)
- Pens, Markers, Highlighters (save some for the end of the race because they get lost, stolen, and borrowed and not returned! Or buy them along the way.)
Electronics
- iPhone (AKA: most used item. Great when you find an unexpected wifi spot. I used it as an iPod, for texting, journaling, camera and the Nook/Kindle app for reading) Also, get an Otterbox or Life Proof case…it is worth it. The race is hard on your electronics.
- iPad?or Mac Computer (It’s nice to have a keyboard. Mac’s also have iPhoto, iMovie, and connect to any wifi unlike some PC. They also stay charged longer)
- Camera and case
- External hard drive and case
- Chargers/chords for everything
- Outlet Converters/Adapter
- Earphone splitter (star)
- Flash drive (to share movies, music and photos)
- Headphones (bring extras…I went through 5 pairs. They are hard to find on the race)
- Speaker (I brought one called HDMX Jam Box. It’s a small circular Bluetooth speaker and was the loudest I’ve heard on the race. You will want this for iPod worship and movie nights!)
Shoes
- Crock flip flops (great for shower shoes and dress shoes)
- Chacos (I would never be caught dead in these before the race, but I wore them a lot this year. They really are practical!)
- Tennis shoes (light weight running shoes are the way to go!)
- Toms (Simple closed toe shoes. Only if you wear them at home)
Understuff
- Bottom line…bring panties you wear at home. I know, I know you are becoming a missionary and all but trust me…you will want to feel normal. So bring those cute panties and bring extra!! (I brought 10 pair plus a baggie of 10 new ones that I saved for month six. The more the merrier!)
- Bras: 1 regular, 4 sports bras
- Socks: 4 pair (bring one pair of wool socks and keep them in you day pack for travel days…flights are COLD!)
- Spaghetti tanks (undershirts): 1 black, 1 white
Tops
BRING SHIRTS YOU ACTUALLY WEAR AT HOME. Do not go out and buy quick dry everything. Trust me. This is your life for the next year. You will want to feel like YOU. This is what I brought…bring what you wear the most of at home.
- T-shirts: 2-3
- Workout shirt/tank: 1-2
- Tank tops: 2-3
- Nice Comfy shirts: 3-4
- Cardigan: lightweight short sleeved to wear over tank tops
- Cotton dresses: 2 (you can always add leggings to these for Africa/more modest countries)
- Rain Jacket
- Travel hoodie/Sweatshirt (My team made fun of me for this, but sometimes you want a hood. A lightweight, comfy hoodie is just nice sometimes)
Bottoms
- Skirts: 1-2
- Running shorts: 2
- Jeans: bring them if you wear them at home.
- Yoga capris (most worn item of the race)
- Yoga pants/Sweat pants (only if you are going to cold countries)
- Leggings: 2 (I never regretted having two pairs. Bring comfy ones.)
- Compression Shorts/Spandex Shorts (chaffing is real…I envied those who had these. They make your life so much easier when you have to wear skirts every day in hot and humid countries)
Toiletries
The rest of the world has toiletries…don’t over pack on these like I did. Just bring enough to last until debriefs and you can restock.
- Tampons (bringing enough for the whole race is very doable…pack them in small baggies and they will fit in the small holes in your pack)
- Deodorant: If you are picky bring a few. If not you can find some generic brands.
- Chapstick (you don’t need 11…you can find these all over the world)
- Q-tips
- Cotton balls
- Face wash/toner: Bring a bigger container of the kind that works for you. You can find good brands in some countries but it will be more expensive!
- Travel size shampoo/conditioner
- Travel size body wash or soap
- Loofa (yes, you WILL want one. You can buy new ones along the way)
- Toothbrush/toothpaste (Keep an extra…because you just never know)
- Toothbrush covers (the ones that sanitize your toothbrush are really handy especially if you plan on using the water)
- Floss
- Razor with extra blades (I didn’t regret this. You will want to shave and feel like a girl…I promise. You can find cheap razors along the way if you want to do that but the nice ones are expensive)
- Brush (small travel size one) or Comb
- Blow dryer (I brought one and mostly just used it month one…some girls brought a flat iron and have used it along the way but eventually you wont care) **Blow dryers prevent lice and flat irons are the only thing that kills lice eggs. So if you have a lice infestation for four months like we did…you will want these on your team.
- Towel: XL quick dry (some people brought two)
- Small quick dry face towel?
- Hand sanitizer
- Wet wipes (I honestly think I could’ve made it the race without these, but I showered a lot. If you can’t do cold showers…wet wipes are the way to go.) **You don’t need 4 packs of them. Just bring a few and restock along the way
- Face Wipes (great for travel days or those hot countries)
- Nail clippers
- Tweezers
- Bug spray
Medicines
- Malaria meds
- Birth control?(helps with breaking out and you can skip every other month which means packing less tampons! Tampons are hard to find and expensive.)
- Probiotics
- Aspirin
- Benadryl
- Multi-vitamin
- Pepto
- Y.I. medication (you are taking doxi (malaria meds) every day and will be prone to these…if you don’t need it, someone on your team will)
- Motion Sickness Meds (You will want these on travel days)
- Cipro (this kills every bacterial infection. It’s our go to med on the race)
Accessories
- Hair ties (I only brought a few and was fine!)
- Bobby pins
- Headbands/hat (if you wear them at home)
- Jewelry (I put some in a little Tupperware. Just bring a few earrings and necklaces in case you ever want to feel like a girl. If you have a nose ring or ear piercings…bring extra studs.)
- Dry shampoo/Baby powder works just as well and does wonders for oily hair.
- Makeup (bring the essentials…powder, mascara, etc.)
- Sunglasses (just one, you can find these all over the world)
- Watch (waterproof and with an alarm)
- Scarf
- Nail polish: bring your favorite color
- Small mirror with stand?(lots of months you wont have a mirror and bring one that is sturdy…lots of ours have broken)
- Body splash (I brought a roll on one that lasted a few months and was perfect, I wish I would have brought more)
- Febreeze: the travel size one. By the end of the race Febreeze will be your perfume.
Extras
- Headlamp (bring a few extra batteries, you can buy them in some countries so you don’t need a lot)
- Pocket knife (its handy for cutting fruit on the go)
- Nalgene and sip guard
- Earplugs (bring a few. Your teammates will snore, be annoyingly loud, and roosters…roosters…roosters)
- Mini sewing kit (things fall apart and this will come in handy)
- Carabineers
- Sporks or a set of plastic silverware
- Collapsible bowl (will work as a mug too)
- Resistance bands/Jump rope (if you are the work out type… they are good for when you cannot go running)
- Eye mask (I used mine a lot)
- Purse or Patagonia shoulder bag
- Pictures from home (just a few)
- Super glue (this comes in handy for a lot of things that break along the way)
- Duct tape
- Tea tree oil (it prevents lice and is good for lots of rashes/breakouts)
- Extra zip lock bags (these are gold on the race. Anything that is liquid…put in a zip lock bag. It will explode…including nail polish)
- Vaseline
- Crystal light packets. (Hoard these…you will crave them when they are gone. They help when you are having to drink warm water all month)
- Cards/Catch phrase. You will have down time.
Get ready…
The World Race really is what you make it….so make it a good one!
(I WILL BE ADDING PICTURES AND A FEW EXTRA THINGS WHEN I CAN GET BETTER WIFI! SO STAY TUNED)
