How do you pack for a round the world, multi-year trip? We don’t think there’s a definitive answer to this questions, but we’re going to tell you how we did it.
To begin with we don’t really have an end game so we could be gone for a few months or a few years. We plan on doing a bit of volunteering along the way which will be anything from helping at an orphanage in Cambodia, where all we need is a sarong and flip flops, or a dog sled group in Switzerland, where we’ll obviously need some warm winter clothing. Even as we write this, opportunities have already opened in Telluride, CO.
We decided to not over-think the initial packing situation and looked at what we had, where we are going first and reminded each other that there are jackets, pants, shorts, etc… available to buy in other parts of the world.
We both had backpacks which where solid, well-used but not over-used and really the perfect size, Cory’s is 65 liters and Kate’s is 50 liters. If we could have changed anything, we would have upgraded Kate’s backpack so that it had access from the bottom as well as the top making storing and pulling out the sleeping bag a lot easier.
Next, we simply tossed all our camping gear into a pile along with the clothes we planned on taking. We had a bit of gear and a lot of clothes and we knew it wasn’t all coming with us. Over a period of 40 some years, you accumulate a lot of stuff. We weren’t going to bring 4 camelbacks and we certainly didn’t need to bring 5 knives and two folding saws. So before we picked and finally settled in on our final selection, we looked at our game plan which we broke into Phase 1, 2 and 3.
Phase 1: Aug 8 – Sept 1 we will be camping and hiking our way through West Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and then on to Minnesota.
Phase 2: September 10 (or whenever we leave MN) through roughly November. We plan on more camping and hiking at places like Glacier National Park, Yellowstone, The Tetons, Utah, down to Lake Havasu, over to Palm Springs and then back to Arizona to sell the Zoom Zoom (aka our Mazda 3).
During phase 1 and 2 we will be driving around in the Zoom Zoom. Although this adds an added expense with gas, insurance and maintenance, it is really the best (and only) way to travel in the United States, especially in these western states where you might have to drive over 100 miles to the next town or gas stop. Having the Zoom Zoom does allow us to be a bit “lazy” with our gear, we can carry a bit more than we normally would – olive oil, salt and pepper grinders, a cooler for food and when you come across a “Buy 3 bottles of wine for $9.99” and a “2 for 1 deal on Smirnoff vodka” like we did in Holbrook, AZ, well the Zoom Zoom allows you to soak up those opportunities.
Phase 3: This starts once the Zoom Zoom is sold and then we start making our way down to and through Central America and on to South America. We have not created an itinerary for this part of the trip because our travel will be inspired and dictated by volunteer opportunities via workaway.info, any other volunteer opportunities that present itself as well as what we learn from other travelers as to what to see and things to do. Keeping all doors open at this point.
Cory discovered www.Workaway.Info one day when looking for International Volunteer opportunities and that’s when we really started to dream about the possibilities. Not only would these volunteer opportunities allow us to travel cheaply – most workaways provide room and board – but we could pursue those things about which we are truly passionate.
Okay, getting back to what we packed – here is the list:
Kate’s pack, weighing in at 30 lbs:
REI Backpack FLASH 50
REI sleeping bag – Radiant +25 F, 650 down fill
Therm-a-rest – TrailPro Women’s 1877001
Inflatable pillow (Aotu, purchased on eBay from China, 2 for $6)
Therm-a-rest camping pillow
Hammock (no-name, purchased on eBay from China for $5)
Camelback
Seat to Summit dry bag
MSR water bag
REI Flexlite camping chair
Petzl headlamp
iPhone holder and arm band (Quad-Lock)
Silk mummy liner
Washcloth
Rope
Gerber folding knife
Compass
Toiletries
Camera (Nikon J3)
Chaco’s
Go-girl
(3) pairs of socks
(2) pairs of hiking socks
Bandanna
Dress
Bathing suit
(3) pairs underwear
(3) sports bras
(4) shirts
Cold-weather hat
Sun-protection hat
Gloves
Running shorts
Running pants
REI hiking pants
REI rain jacket
Northface fleece
Light jacket
Sarong
Hiking shoes
Flip flops
MacBook Air
Cory’s pack, weighing in at 47 pounds;
Osprey Atmos 65 backpack
Mountain Hardware Sleeping bag with compression sack
REI Trekker 1.75 air mattress
MSR Hubba Hubba 2-person tent
Inflatable pillow (Aotu, purchased on eBay from China, 2 for $6)
Hammock
Wingnut day pack with 3 liter Camelback bladder
Dry bag
MSR Alpine 2 Pot Set – I added two sets of silverware, lighter, coffee cup, salt and pepper and Dr Bonners Lavender soap
Optimus Nova Stove
(2) MSR Fuel canisters (22) ounces
Vortex Crossfire 10×42 Binoculars
Trail Blazer Sawvivor 15” folding saw
REI Flexlite camping chair
Petzl headlamp (2)
Silk mummy liner
Towel
Snorkel and mask
Swiss Army Knife
Wine opener
Flask
Gerber folding knife
Compass
Toiletries
(4) carabiners and extra webbing
Chaco’s
Adventure Medical Kits Smart Travel First-Aid Kit
(3) pairs of socks
(2) pairs of hiking socks
Bandanna
Merrell hiking boots
(2) Swim trunks
(3) short sleeve shirts
(1) long sleeve wicking shirt
(4) shirts
Cold-weather hat
Cap
Gloves
Running shorts
Running tights
Hiking pants
Rain jacket
Light jacket
Sarong
Flip flops
Kate’s approach to packing was to force herself to make honest decisions about what she will need, with a few wants if there was room. The goal is lightweight and convenience. Cory’s reasons for the gear he packed…practicality with a dash of convenience.
Once we go global, the contents of our backpacks will change a little. And again, we can always purchase, or have friends and family send us what we need (hint-hint). Once you take a hard look at what your activities are and come to terms with the fact that you will be dirty and without a shower for several days, the decisions become easy. Clothes now have become about necessity.
Commentaires