Journeyman: Packing for a Trip Around the World

While we’re staying in places for longer periods of time, I’m hoping to use the extra hours to write about some of the many details surrounding a trip around the world. One of the questions I heard most from people once they had found out about our excursion was, “How in the world are you going to pack for something like that?” The ratio between the time it took to create a packing list and the amount of items we ended up taking is very uneven, but so far, the research has paid off. My family has invested a lot of time over the years camping, backpacking, and taking major trips to national parks and other areas of interest across the fruited plain. Through all those trips, one of the major themes has been packing light so that we can move quickly and not be burdened with excess baggage full of items that never get used.

People tend to operate under the pretense that it’s better to have something and not need it than to need something and not have it. Fear of the unknown and the desire to recreate the lifestyle at home while on the road drives the packing process for many. Thinking like that can lead to misery and disorganization on the trail and on the road, and when it comes down to it, one can get by comfortably on an adventure with very little in tow. With all that said, here’s my packing list for this trip with a brief explanation of the thought process behind the inclusion of the items:

Luggage - Osprey Farpoint 40. I'm a big fan of the Osprey company because their products are well designed and made to last. I’ve used an Osprey Aether 70-liter internal-frame pack for many backpacking excursions. The Farpoint 40 liter bag conforms to all airline carry-on restrictions so it doesn’t have to be checked—saving a lot of time and money. The bag can be carried as a suitcase or converted to a backpack with shoulder straps, hip straps, chest strap, and load lifters. It has straps inside for compressing clothing and outside for compressing the whole bag once it’s packed. There is an interior sleeve for a laptop as well as easy-to-access pockets for documents and chargers—I love it. Joseph and Deveny are carrying Farpoint 40s as well, while Deena is packing one of our trusty carry-on suitcases also with a 40-liter capacity.

Base layer - synthetic long underwear—top and bottom can be used for sleeping or layering in colder temperatures.

Underwear - three pairs of synthetic boxer briefs made by Uniqlo—lightweight, breathable, and the silkiest, most comfortable underwear I’ve ever worn.

Socks - three pairs of Nike dri-fit crew socks. These socks are a synthetic/cotton blend, which makes them a little more slow-drying than the rest of my clothing, but they are the most comfortable socks in the world, and since they’re black, they can used for dress or casual occasions.

Short-sleeved shirts - three synthetic t-shirts, blue, gray, and red, purchased at Walmart for five dollars each.

Long-sleeved shirt - my trusty slate blue synthetic Eddie Bauer hiking shirt purchased on Ebay for fifteen bucks.

Pants - synthetic khaki zip-off hiking pants, can be used for dress or casual wear. I started this trip with two pairs of pants, but threw the older one away after determining it was unnecessary.

Shorts - two pairs synthetic khaki shorts by Columbia, another one of my favorite manufacturers. One pair has a mesh liner so it can double as a bathing suit.

Shoes - one pair of low-rise Eddie Bauer trail hikers, thirty dollars on Ebay, dress or casual, very comfortable walking shoes.

Outerwear - one lightweight raincoat and a down jacket that packs to the size of a grapefruit. Synthetic stocking cap and a lightweight pair of gloves.

Microfiber camp towel - we don’t have room to pack fluffy cotton towels, so each of us have one of these microfiber towels in our bags. They pack down to the size of of a handkerchief, and while not as luxurious as a full sized towel, they get the job done. So far, we’ve stayed in two places where we needed them, and we lived to tell the tale.

Toiletries - I have a small toiletry bag in which I pack a toothbrush, dental floss, razor, and fifteen spare razor blades which should easily last the remainder of the trip.

That’s it for the clothing and individual toiletries in my bag—three days worth of clothes with pants and a long-sleeved shirt to wear for church and cooler weather.

Now, I’m sure you’re wondering how we’ve been able to do laundry every three days to maintain an optimum level of freshness. Here’s a little secret: one can wear the same clothes for multiple days and not die—hard to believe, but it’s true. We do laundry once a week and sometimes wash items in the sink. There are no dryers; so we hang everything on racks or a length of paracord to dry overnight, and because everything is synthetic, drying within a two-three hour period is guaranteed. Synthetic clothing is very lightweight, comfortable, breathable, packs down very small with no wrinkling, and can be layered easily for cold weather. The rest of my family members are packing in a similar fashion, and the girls have a few additional items particular to females. Joseph and I have a bit of extra room in our bags used to carry crew gear which is described below:

Bible - one shouldn’t leave home without one’s sword.

Nook - small tablet which takes the place of many heavy books, and my special edition Lord of the Rings set is stored in the memory. We might have been able to work out reading on the laptop, but I prefer reading on the Nook, and it takes up very little space.

Two iphones - these contain most of our travel information and contacts, and the kids claim about 99.9% possession of them. They use them to document our trip with pictures and to keep up with their friends through about 100 social media outlets. Given the choice between keeping their phones or keeping their clothes, they would take the phones immediately without considering the consequences of traveling unadorned.

Two textbooks - Joseph unfortunately has to lug two paperback textbooks around, but there were no American literature or American history books that we liked available in digital form.

Liquids - all of our travel-size toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, contact solution, shaving cream,etc. These items are broken down into four quart-sized ziploc freezer bags ready for inspection by airport security.

Two REI Flash 18 daypacks - these packs are an absolute necessity as we use them in our local travels every day and during the long hauls for carrying our liquid bags. Due to their bright orange color, they also immediately reveal our status as tourists to the local population.

Full length Inflatable sleeping pad - the type used for backpacking, necessary for the times when we have just three beds and someone gets the floor - usually Joseph. Packs to the size of a Nalgene bottle.

Two 32-degree-down sleeping bags - These are mummy-style bags that are lightweight, warm, and pack down to the size of a small nerf football. It was a stretch to bring two of these, but we’ve already used them several times, and we’re glad we made room for them.

Two liter-sized Nalgene water bottles - these go with us everywhere in the daypacks and provide just the right amount of water to get through a day of sightseeing.

Three 11 inch laptop computers - the kids do schoolwork on theirs, and we do research, writing, and communication on ours.

Two small electric adapter boxes - all of our electronics are dual voltage, so there is no need for convertors, but the adapters are necessary for the different plug configurations.

Pens, paper, headlamp, clothesline, portable charger - all fits in one daypack zipper pocket

Medicines - in addition to first aid type medications such as Aleve and Tums tablets, Deena and I have a ten-month supply of our prescribed medications. They take up a lot of room, but what can we do? All the bottles are kept in two gallon-sized ziploc freezer bags. The method used for obtaining ten months worth of prescription medication will be included in a future blog post.

Passports and travel documents - Deena keeps these in a small shoulder bag along with flash drives and quick need items like sunglasses and chapstick.

That’s pretty much it. Everything we’re packing fits into four carry on sized bags with the addition of a couple of small daypacks allowed by all airlines except for the diabolical EasyJet, and I’ve shown in earlier posts how we defeated them. So far, our system is working well—we’re organized, comfortable, and unburdened by unnecessary items. By packing light, we can get ready quickly, carry our luggage with little discomfort, and get through airports with relative ease. We’re saving an average of 120 dollars per flight by not checking bags, and we’re already on our way to our destination while others are still waiting at baggage claim.