The Packing List

The packing list. Ohhh, the packing list. A source of great stress for both Nicholas and me in the beginning. Let’s be real though, women tend to stress a little more than men about their fashion choices. How on EARTH do you pack for 2 months in Asia and 3 months in Europe?! Well, if you ever decide to take a trip like ours, you can skip the research and just read this blog!

So…where did we start?  We started by researching backpacks.  We began reading a lot of blogs by fellow travelers on packs that worked and packs that did not work.  Also, I probably read close to 20 travel blogs written solely on what clothing to bring, medications, gear, electronics, etc. in order to understand what this pack had to be capable of doing.  After gaining an understanding of the gear we would need, we first had to find that right pack.  Nicholas and I both did a large amount of research on the variety of packs there were to choose from.  One of the first things we learned about our packs was that they should be front loading for easy access.  Also, we learned the bag should be carry on size and should be no bigger than 45 Liters.  Additionally, we learned how the bag should fit on your back, how the bags should be packed and that there should be a way of securing the items inside (lock on zipper)…Nicholas and I learned so much about bags, we almost didn’t know where to begin…brands like Kelty, Deuter, Osprey, Tortuga, you name it we read about it. However, as we continued to research, our list narrowed and we ended up with 2 of the same bags, just different in size (for those of you that may not be familiar, pack sizes are measured in Liters).  Ultimately, we decided to go with Osprey packs, the Farpoint model, Kaitlyn’s being the 40L and mine being 45L with a 10L day pack (total 55L of space).  When we finally picked our packs, we were able to compile a master list of clothing and then slowly whittled it down.  Again, all we were reading was overwhelming to say the least.  As we learned extensively about materials and fashion, we also wanted to be ensured of our own comfort with what we would be wearing. Thus, as we began to build our inventory, we kept comfort in the fore front of our minds.  

I must make note, while searching what to bring, this lead me to design our “travel path.” We definitely didn’t want to pack for two seasons (since we’re leaving in Feb. and returning the end of July), which is why Asia will be our first stop.  In an earlier post, I mentioned the weather will be in the 80s and the coolest in the mid 50s.  This will work perfectly with the “one season” clothing we will be packing.  The majority, however, will be in the 70s. Perfect, right?! The days that are cold we will be able to layer, so we feel we have come up with the perfect combination of clothing. 

Currently, my backpack weighs 21 lbs when packed and Nicholas’s weighs 30 lbs. We are hoping to get rid of a few things as we go. Additionally, if we aren’t using an item or article of clothing we’ll either give it away or mail it back home. With this all said, I realize that there is only so much research one can do, thus we may have under or over packed.  I’d say there is a little give and take as each person has different needs, however, without the prior experience, we won’t know until we’re out living it. 

Below you will find a very specific list of items that we have packed and plan to bring at this point.  As I said, this list may include too little or too much, but we look forward to learning as we go and then sharing with you again what we have learned.  So…without further ado…

Following is our list:

Kaitlyn

4 t-shirts

2 tank tops

2 long sleeve shirts (1 jean, 1 button-up)

1 skirt

1 dress

1 pair of jeans

1 pair of skinny pants

1 pair of capris

2 swimsuits (I’m anticipating one being destroyed in the Dead Sea)

1 pair pajamas 

3 bras
4 pairs of socks

8 pairs of underwear

1 rain jacket

1 softshell jacket

1 pair chaco sandels

1 pair running shoes

1 pair walking shoes

1 scarf/buff 

Earrings

Nicholas

4 Socks, 2 reg, 1 no show, 1 long

5 underwear

5 T-Shirts

1 Under Armor Long Sleeve

1 Button Up T-Shirt

1 Button Up Long Sleeve

1 Swimsuit

1 Athletic Shorts

2 Travel shorts

1 Travel Pants

1 Jeans

1 Belt

1 MultiClava

1 Soft Shell Jacket

1 Rain/Wind Jacket

1 Hat

1 Pair Sun Glasses

1 pair Olukai walking shoes

1 pair Flip Flops

1 pair Nike shoes

1 pair Chacos

Electronics

Camera + 2 batteries + Charger

External Hard Drive + Cord

SD Card

Go Pro + Go Pro Extras

Computer + Computer Cord

Plug Adapter

Surge Protection Bar

Cell Phone 

Watch

Mini Flash Light

Lexar Mini SD Adapter + Mini SD Case

HeadPhones

First Aid

Ibuprofen

Band-Aids

Imodium (let’s hope we don’t actually ever have to take this one…)

Dramamine

Allergy meds

Cold medicine

Decongestant

Mild laxative

Cough drops

Hydrocortisone cream

Antibiotics

Neosporin

First aid kit

Misc.

1 Sink stopper

Travel laundry soap

Flexible travel clothesline

Stain remover (Shout wipes)

Retractable cable lock

Duct tape

Hand sanitizer

2 quick dry towels

Water bottles

Sunglasses

Toiletries 

Toothpaste/toothbrush

2 Razors

Bar soap

2-1 shampoo/conditioner

Deodorant 

Chapstick 

Makeup (Mascara, Eyeliner, BB cream, Blush, 1 eye shadow)

Glasses/case

Glasses cleaner wipes

Nail clippers

Make-up remover

Wet wipes

Body powder

Hair ties

There you have it, these are the items that we will be bringing along on our journey, although it may not look minimalistic on paper, it looks pretty minimal when all laid out (We’ll be posting some pictures coming up so you can see for yourself).  Hope this post helps to break down how we went about picking our packs and gear for the upcoming 6 months!

N & K

P.S. We'll be doing laundry once a week. Most hostels have laundry facilities and we've kept all of our clothes in the same color range, so we can throw it all in one load. Everything is quick dry, as well, so we're hoping it is a pretty simple process.