Getting ready to leave for a trip is always more fun than coming back from one – mostly because packing is roughly 1,000x more fun than unpacking. There is the fun of imagining what your next week, month, or year will look like – Will it rain? Will I need something formal? Will I suddenly decide mouthwash is vital for my oral hygiene? What if I spill BBQ sauce on that one tank top I really like to wear on Tuesdays? We had many of the same questions when planning for our trip that would be 4-6 months, but with the added very important question of, will this make my pack too heavy?

I went through a lot of angst my first backpacking trip – 4 months around Southeast Asia in 2013 – and learned a lot about what is an isn’t useful to carry around on your back through a bit of trial and error. A quick example before I get into the bulk: I originally thought performing all my computer functions on a tablet would be smart, weight/size efficient, and functional. Oh how wrong I was. My friend and I went in and spent $150/each for a nice Samsung Galaxy, only to find we both hated to use tablets. We were able to sell it and each able to make $50 back each. Still a bummer to lose the money and essentially carry around an additional 4lbs that was totally unnecessary. This trip, I invested in a small, light laptop/tablet and purchased a Dell Inspiron 11.5″. Thus far, I am very happy with the decision. Of course, this is my personal preference towards having a keyboard over a touch screen to perform my daily functions.

Without further ado, below you will find photos, packing lists, and tips for a trip that will be through multiple climates for an extended trip.

Health and Wellbeing

Since we don’t always know what will be available at all times, we brought most of what we will likely need. Quantities will of course vary based on how long you will be somewhere and your personal needs. Below is a photo and itemized list of what we have.

• Insect Repellent – We chose a 40% Deet solution
• Sunscreen
• Contact Solution
• Ear plugs
• Ace bandage
• Athletic Tape/Wrap
• Pepto Bismol
• Small Scissors
• A&D Ointment – Dry skin and irritation relief
• Nasal Decongestant
• Dayquil/Nyquil
• Bandaids
• Contacts/Glasses
• Prescription for travellers intestinal infection
• Malaria Pills – We were prescribed Malarone by our travel nurse
• Feminine Products
• Drip Drop – for rapid rehydration
• Cough Drops or Throat Lozenges

*Not pictured – Personal daily toiletries. I’m sure everyone packs a tooth brush and tooth paste, but everything else really depends on what you can/can’t live without. I also chose bring tweezers, nail polish, and a hairbrush. Will has electric clippers.

Be sure to check with your local Travel clinic for vaccinations and detailed lists for what additional medicine might be recommended for your specific area of travel.

General Clothing

Quantities are very general here as well. I made these decisions from my own experiences and what I think is worth carrying for my own comfort. I know there are some people who say you need 1 pair of shorts and 1 shirt – which is true! I find I like a little variety so have a few more things, some are definitely not necessary, especially yoga pants – I just really don’t want to ride in a bus for 15hrs in jeans. Since my pack is pictured, my quantities and items are listed first, Will’s are in brackets after.

• Set of Pajamas (shorts + tanktop) [shorts]
• Shorts (3) [3, including athletic shorts]
• Jeans (1) [1]
• Hiking/Quick Dry Pants (1) [1]
• Capris
• Yoga Pants [1 pair thin sweat pants]
• T-shirts (4, with 1 being quick dry for hiking and activities) [5]
• Tank Tops (3) [1]
• Bathing Suit [1]
• Bras (3, with 1 being a sports bra)
• Dress (1)
• Socks (6 pair) [6]
• Underwear (7) [ 7]

Cold Weather Additions

When I travelled SE Asia, the above section was basically my pack. Since we are travelling to mountain climates and will be in Chile and Argentina in the Winter, we had to make a few additions for cold weather.

• Patagonia Jacket [North Face]
• Flannel (1) [1]
• Rain Coat (1)
• Sweatshirt (1) [1]

Shoes

• Flip Flops
• Tom’s Slip Ons
• Trail Running Shoes – (Merrell) [ASICS]

Electronics and Entertainment

I’m going to be honest, while packing the electronics and entertainment I realized how nice it is to be travelling with another person to distribute the weight between our packs. Though it is definitely doable to carry this all individually.

• Kindle
• Journal
• Canon DSLR + Telephoto lens
• Waterproof Nikon Point and Click
• Portable Speaker
• Unlocked Cell Phone
• Ipod
• Card Games
• Outlet Converter
• 11.5″ Dell Inspirion
• *Not Picutred – ALL THE CABLES! Don’t forget to double check all the chargers, SD Cards, and batteries

Miscellaneous

This section is a combination of things I was unable to fit into another category, or things I forgot at first so hope you don’t too!

• Quick Dry Towel
• Travel Clothesline (Have to say thanks to my travel mate Olivia for this – it was a lifesaver in SE Asia!)
• Sarong (Seriously the most functional travel accessory I have ever used. Need a pillow? towel? beach blanket? beach cover? long skirt? anything? It works for allllll of these things and more!)
• Dry bag for the beach/diving/boat trips
• Friendly Swede Travel and Sleeping Bag Liner

• Moneybelt
• Eyemask
• Sunglasses
• *Not pictured – small sowing kit, bottle opener, small knife, flashlight

Ready to Go!

We are both travelling with 55-60L packs and a day pack. I bought my pack a few years ago, but I am really jealous of Will’s so will recommend that over mine. It is an Osprey Farpoint 55, which has a front panel that basically opens up the entire pack, making it very convenient for organization. Additionally, it’s incredibly light and the straps fold in so it fits in an overhead compartment.

Feel free to message us with any questions or more in depth recommendations for items. I hope this helps take some stress away when planning for your big trip!