The first thing you notice when you begin to condense your life into a backpack is just how much you own that you really don’t need. I’ve always prided myself in owning little, so looking at the heap that’s going into storage for the summer sparks my mind into contortions of justification. That box is full of useful tools, I tell myself–I’m sure one day when I get back I’m going to need that old screwdriver I bent into an L-shape when I was in high school so I could learn how to pick locks (which didn’t work, but that’s beside the point). Or the roll-up keyboard I bought months ago for this very trip, before I realized I could type easier on the small but natural-feeling keys of my Eee PC.
Maybe when I get back I’ll burn it. Or sell it. Or something. Probably not. At any rate, on to the contestants.
PACKING
- The pack: my Lowe Alpine Walkabout 25. I’ve had this pack for a few years now and taken it everywhere from a 100-mile trek in the Shenandoah to the high deserts of the southwest to Bermuda in our ten day beach-camping trip two Easters ago. Not huge, but tried and true and with plenty of miles on it.
- Assorted compression sacks, for sleeping bag and clothes. Waterproof, too, for if I ever need to protect my camera in a pinch (besides, there’s nothing worse than a wet sleeping bag).
- A Kiva Key Chain Pack. Packs up small, perfect for day trips and for checking assorted no-carry items on my flights there and back.
SLEEPING
- A mountain hardware synthetic sleeping bag, very light, very compact. Now before I get castigated for bringing things I don’t need, I’d like to point out that I do in fact plan to do some real backpacking (stay tuned for Corsica and the GR20 sometime in early June!).
- A lightweight sleeping bag liner, which doubles as bedding for hostels and the like.
- An ultralight backpacking groundcloth.
- The GoLite Ultra-Lite Poncho Tarp, which works both as a poncho and a shelter. Touristy I know, but hey, when the rain starts falling we’ll see who’s laughing.
- Paracord, in varying lengths, for setting up shelter and other sundries.
CLOTHES
- I usually don’t spend a lot of money on clothes, but this time it was worth it. ExOfficio Nomad Pants are lightweight (they pack amazingly well), water resistant, odor resistant, tear resistant, and just generally travel resistant.
- A pair of linen pants, because I’m too poor to buy two pairs of the $60 variety.
- Shorts, and assorted underwear and socks. Smartwool is amazing, and I’ve got plenty in stock. When you come from a family of backpackers, getting socks for Christmas is actually a good thing.
- A couple of t-shirts, a couple of button-downs.
- Blundstone Boots, which I am in love with. A hard initial hit on the wallet, but well worth it. They look great (I got the tapered toe dress boots), have great traction, and are durable and breathable. Perfect for walking long distances in something other than tennis shoes.
- My hat, which was broken in in the Utah desert. Not much to look at, but I suppose it has sentimental value.
- A lightweight jacket.
FIRST AID, ETC.
- Assorted supplies, bandages, alcohol rubs, etc.
- Grapefruit Seed Extract, which purports to have magical bacteria-fighting qualities and prevent traveler’s stomach. For a few bucks I figure it’s worth a shot.
- Emu Oil, from a farm back in Montana. Works on burns and sores like no other.
- All Natural Pacific Shaving Oil, which is great for those of us who have to shave a few times a week. A tiny bottle like this is good for at least eighty or ninety shaves.
- The The Pocket Doctor: A Passport to Healthy Travel. A pocket-sized book with first-aid and medical advice for your daily ailment.
ELECTRONICS AND CAMERA EQUIPMENT
- My Canon Digital Rebel XT. If you’re going to see some decent sights, you might as well have a decent camera. Not pictured in the image above, for obvious reasons.
- A monopod, for taking stable pictures without taking up too much valuable pack space.
- At a fraction of the cost of the equivalent Canon lens, the Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG APO Macro Telephoto Zoom Lens surprised me. Good image quality. A bit noisier than the Canon lens on autofocus and zoom, but great for the price.
- A Eee PC, which I seriously should have waited until now to buy, as they’re much better and even cheaper than when I bought mine. Ah, well. So it goes.
- A portable hard drive for pictures.
- A SanDisk Sansa Fuze, loaded with songs, audiobooks, and Pimsleur language programs for most of the countries I’ll be visiting.
ART AND LITERATURE
- Not quite as heavy as it sounds. I want to do some sketching and ink work while I’m abroad and, if lucky, maybe even make some cash while I’m at it. Thus I’m bringing my art set and a sketch pad.
- And, of course, some reading. I’ll bring a paperback that I don’t mind trading away once I’ve finished it–any suggestions?
- A Moleskine notebook to serve as a travel journal, with attendant pens.
Contrary to what you may believe, this all does actually fit into my backpack. Very, very tightly.
Two weeks until I get to try it out.
Did you pack your toothbrush?
haha, yay for moms!
“Adventure is a path. Real adventure – self-determined, self-motivated, often risky – forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind – and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.” – Mark Jenkins
actually, the need for tooth-brushes will ALWAYS be black-and-white
“ExOfficio Nomad Pants are lightweight (they pack amazingly well), water resistant, odor resistant, tear resistant, and just generally travel resistant.”
Odor resistant, you say?