Marisa's Packing List

3 packing cubes, 1 toiletry case, and makeup kit



All my "summer" clothes- excluding rain jacket, fleece, leggings, etc.

All stuffed in the bag!

the bag normally cloeses... I was having trouble that day.

Contents of our day pack; sunscreen, bug spray, hand sanitizer, cards/dominoes, tissue, bandana, silverware, etc.

Denton and I (okay, primarily Denton) did A LOT of research of what we should pack. We followed several travel blogs and read about individuals and couples that completed similar adventures to ours. The most useful blogs included a packing list for us to use as a reference (like this one, or this one, or this one). Denton and I have the same packs and they usually weigh close to the same: 8-10kgs (~17-24 lbs). 

Also, we have to pack for ONE YEAR! At the time, we had to assume we wouldn't necessarily be receiving reinforcements. Fortunately, both of our parents brought over some stuff that we needed and were able to order online.  So, we brought some things we assumed we wouldn't be able to get more of (like medicine or preferred brands) and had to pack a lot of it. Without further ado, this is what you'll find in my pack...

Marisa’s Packing List

CLOTHING- packed in two packing cubes

• 4 tops (short sleeves/tanks)
• 1 long sleeve
• 5 dresses
• 1 rain jacket
• 1 fleece
• 3 pairs of socks
• underwear and bras (a sufficient amount, thank you very much)
• 1 pair of pants that roll into capris
• 1 pair of yoga pants capris (warning- spandex it the worst thing in world to wear in humidity. trust me.)
• 1 pair of shorts
• 1 pair of leggings
• 1 scarf
• 1 ear warmer
• 2 bathing suits (doubles as underwear on lanudry days... bonus!)
• 2 pairs of shoes- Teva's sandals and Teva's wedge flip flops

MISCELLANEOUS (Remember, we’re gone for a LONG time and it’s nice to have products that are familiar rather than searching for unfamiliar products in unfamiliar countries)

• Sunblock
• Probiotics
• First aid kit: bandaids, neosporin
• Tummy/gut meds
• Tea
• Hand sanitizer
• Watch
• Ear plugs & Sleep mask (necessary for sleeping on buses, trains, or hostel dorms)
• Cork screw
• Head lamp
• Screwdriver, mini swiss army knife thing
• Plastic silverware
• Bandana
• "Dream Journal" (for inspiration)
• Tiny travel notebook, for notes and directions
• Laundry detergent
• Books; constantly rotating
• Travel guides- We've used Rick Steve's and Lonely Planet. Though, I'd tell other people to avoid Lonely Planet like the plague- stick to Rough Guides or basically ANYTHING else. And I actually love Rick Steve's... he knows EVERYTHING!

TOILETRIES

·         Mach 3 razor (that we share)

·         Shampoo/Conditioner

·         Contacts, Cleaner Solution

·         Finger nail clippers

·         Hand soaps taken from hotels

·         Acne cream

MAKE UP KIT

·         Tinted moisturizer

·         Blush and brush

·         Mascara

·         Lip gloss & chap stick

·         Tweezers

·         Sample size perfumes

·         5 2 pairs of earrings (lost/broken)

·         Eyelash curler

·         2 eye liner pencils

FLASH PACK GEAR- in a separate backpack

·         Canon Powershot SX260 HS Digital Camera, battery charger, case, 2- 8G SD cards

·         Eee PC Netbook, battery pack/chords, soft case

·         Misc: microphone, ear buds, Ipod charging chord, universal adapter

·         Denton’s Camera, battery charger,

Note; Denton has considerably less clothes than I do. He only has 5 shirts, 3 short sleeves, 2 long sleeves and 3 pairs of shorts, one that converts into pants. He has one large fleece jacket and a plastic poncho in case it rains. He also has a large pair of shoes/boots and a pair of flip flops.


Backpack vs. Suitcase...
Depends on your needs. We prefer our backpacks. Often Denton and I laugh at people with rolling suitcases when they have to go anywhere that isn't completely smooth- sandy streets, cobblestone paths, stairs! BUT, if you're only traveling for 2 weeks and don't have a backpack, I wouldn't go out of my way to buy one. AND, if you were to buy one... spend a decent amount of money on it and make sure it fits you! My new backpack makes such a huge difference.

Packing cubes vs. Chaos...
My brother teased me as I was backing that I was taking several packing cubes. All I can really say is that the packing cubes have saved my life. They are just as amazing as Rick Steve...

In conclusion, we feel we've brought the perfect amount. We feel quite smug and proud when we see backpackers with 2-3x the amount of stuff as us. They often have shoes dangling from their packs, and wear lots of layers so they don't have to carry them. We also feel like our packs are easy to carry and weight light enough that we can walk around with them for a long period of time and still feel comfortable... but we'd really not have to!