In a few days I leave with F-Squad for West Africa. Today I finished packing my bags. One thing I’ve learned over my previous traveling experiences is how wonderful it is to live simply. Its just great having less stuff. The World Race re-shaped my relationship with material possessions. I began realizing how easy it is to make-do with less. At the same time, I got more value out of the items I do have in my pack.
To this effect, I’ve written this blog to help you pack. I’ll start with a few things I am not bringing with me and then include a few items which I love having with me in my travels.
I’m of the philosophy that “luxury is the absence of worry” and it’s better to be flexible than to plan for every single possible eventuality. Rather than bring five extra iPod charging chords, I bring one. If it breaks, I’ll just go a month without my iPod and then buy a cord on my next travel day, or I’ll borrow a chord from one of my dozens of teammates who have the exact same stuff I do.
Stuff I am NOT taking with me…
1. Waterbottle – I always lose these. And 90% of the time, you’ll be drinking out of bottled water anyways. I choose to re-use the plastic bottles along the way. Sometimes I have to borrow water from the person next to me. Sometimes I go a little thirsty. Usually, I’m 100% glad that I’m not having to keep track of stupid water bottle. If I lose one a cheap one…then who cares? It costs one dollar to buy another, and it comes pre-filled with clean drinkable water.
2. Tent – I’ve spent 16 full months out on the World Race. I’ve tented exactly twice. One time was in a church in Nicaragua. We put up tents mostly to keeps the wolf spiders from climbing in bed with us. The second time I tented was in Mozambique, in a field beside a school. I’ve decided to keep my tent at home this time and trust to one of my teammates to help me out if (in the last case scenario) I must absolutely have a tent.
3. Survival gear (i.e high tech water pumps, international indestructible cell phones, utility knives, collapsible bowls/cups/spoons, permethrin, etc.) – I brought all this stuff with me last time and it was perfectly useless. I used the utility knife once to fix a cheap pair of glasses and then I lost it to security going into an airport. Clean bottled water is in every city (though the cost is usually beyond what the habitants of those cities can usually afford), and in the rural areas there’s always the option of boiling the water, using iodine tablets (provided by AIM to every team), etc. etc.
*note: the iodine tablets are a good idea. I’ve never used them on the race, but they take up minuscule space in your bag and will give you peace of mind about your water, if nothing else.
4. REI Clothes – REI sells amazing stuff. I have a single pair of breathable nylon pants which I use for work on the race. But the ex-officio, anti-smell, anti-bug gear is completely superfluous. Anyplace where bugs are a major problem, they will not be dissuade by the fact your shirt was bought at REI. In fact, the worst bug situation I’ve encountered in my life is right here in Minneapolis in the summer. Everywhere else I went was a dream compared to the mosquito population here. REI does sell a few items which are invaluable to me (which I’ll get into in a second), but regarding clothes my best advice is to pack a single outfit for church, a single outfit for exercise, and a single outfit for casual hanging out. 90% of the time you’ll be wearing the same outfits and nobody will even notice; you’ll be more concerned about ministry and the myriad other tasks you have to do every day. Pack clothes you actually like, lots of underwear, and leave the rest at home.
5. Toiletries – I launched in January 2014 with a bunch of shampoo I didn’t need. I thought it’d be months before I’d have the opportunity to buy basic toiletry provisions. What I found on the race was that nearly everything you need can be had just around the corner: shampoo, toothbrushes, soap, lotion, deodorant, shaving cream, floss, razors, feminine products, and they even have your favorite brands. Though, of course, the more picky your are, the less chance you have of finding what you want. Also, I’d like to note, my hair and skin has never been healthier than when I’m out and about in all these hot climates and taking cold showers every night (or maybe, every OTHER night, if the water is ice-cold like it was in Costa Rica).
6. Fancy sunglasses – same as the fancy waterbottle, they get lost easy. I prefer to just buy cheap new ones if absolutely necessary. Every market around the world sells sunglasses for cheap, maybe $4-5 USD.
7. Airporter – Just the thought of these things gives me back pain. These black zip duffels transform perfectly engineered travel backpacks into a 60 lbs behemoth which must be unceremoniously slung over the shoulder like a purse and walked many hundreds of yards through airports. Can you say herniated disc? I would venture to guess their are owners of these bags who never actually used their expensive backpacks correctly. Hiking backpacks are meant to be put on the back and are designed to withstand a beating. DONT BUY and Airporter. If you’ve already bought one, then whatever you do DO NOT USE IT.
Stuff I really enjoyed having with me…
1. iPad mini – I use it to write blogs (I’m using it right now!), research stuff, write home, update people, etc. etc. With it I have a lightweight travel keyboard (Key-to-go currently) to spare my thumbs from all that typing on the screen. It’s also small enough to put in nearly any kind of bag. You don’t need long power bulky power chords, and it doubles as a book for my days off (if needed, I also bring my kindle, see below).
2. Kindle – Reading is how I relax and stay sane. The Kindle allows me to have an entire library with me, but without the back-breaking weight. In Nicaragua my team transported out to our worksite every day in the back of truck. During the thirty-minute ride there each day, and the thirty-minute ride back, I read The Circle Maker by Batterson. I also many wonderful nights of reading in my hammock in Honduras. Of note, I’m probably not the most creative guy when it comes to free time. My teammates helped me find other things to do besides read all the time.
3. GearTies – Ever feel frustrated when your charging chords get all tangled up in your bag? Well, these little things sold at REI cost about $8 and are like durable, re-useable twisty-ties. I use them to keep my two charging chords/headphones in order. Its a nice way to stay organized.
4. Flip-flops – I’m not a huge fan of chocos or tevas, as durable as they are. They’re too heavy for me. I wear cheap flip-flops as much as I can. If they break, well then I just buy another. I tried more expensive flip flops for a time, but they didn’t last nearly as long as their price tag suggested.
5. A light sweatshirt – In the mornings and evenings it can cool down a bit no matter where you are, and so I liked having my light hooded sweatshirt from the The Gap with me. It was light enough to pack away when it got hot, but not so bulky that you had to wear it around your waist.
6. Quick-dry towel – some of my teammates disliked the quick dry towels because they smell odd when wet and don’t feel as nice a regular towel. But I don’t have a problem with mine. It’s durable, dries fast, and packs small.
7. My REI AirRale 1.5 sleeping pad – It has little bumpers on the side to keep you centered during the night, and being off the ground keeps you warmer, cleaner, and you feel subjectively safer. I sleep great on mine. The only disadvantage with these is that they don’t pack as small as they could, so you’ll have to find a way to fit it in with all your stuff. I’m going to strap mine to the side of my pack and then put it inside on travel days.
The items above do not require an enormous backpack. I’ve fit them all into a small 30L backpack (with the pad strapped to the front) and a day pack from Target.
See you out on the field!
And remember: keep it simple, you’re not Mary Poppins.
