What’s In My Backpack?

Traveling lightly, but warmly, in Switzerland

I must admit, I look at the details of my post about what I took on my trip with a tinge of embarrassment.  I can only guess the level of order and detail was directly proportional to my level of excitement!

I was aware of how the contents of my bag and wardrobe slowly morphed as I moved from continent to continent over the months.  Hopefully you can see a little bit of humor in the eclectic assortment of items with which I ended.  I noted whatever I bought along the way, and am not including the few things I've picked since I stopped traveling.

Clothes and Packs

• Gregory Chaos backpack (2,800 cubic inches)
• Patagonia daypack
• Merrell multi-purpose sneakers (Kynsna, South Africa)
• Brazilian flip flops (mall in suburban Jo'burg, South Africa)
• Windbreaker (mall in suburban Jo'burg, South Africa)
• North Face khaki cargo pants
• North Face khaki cargo shorts
• Volcom board shorts (Jeffrey's Bay, South Africa)
• Element collared shirt (Hermanus, South Africa)
• 3 t-shirts by Volcom, Quicksilver, Billabong (Jeffrey's Bay, South Africa)
• 3 pairs of socks (Smart Wool – medium for hiking, low cut for everyday)
• 3 boxers
• 1 bandanna
• Green cap (Kho San Road, Bangkok)
• Eagle Creek money belt
• Oakley sunglasses (Cape Town, South Africa)

Toiletries and First Aid

• Small pack towel
• First Aid Kit (ziploc bag) –  assorted drugs from various countries, (uch as Cipro from Nepal), Neosporin, Cortizone, Imodium, Gas-x, Benadryl, band aids, Q-tips, digital thermometer, moleskin, healthy travel and first aid booklets
• Toiletry bag – toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, Listerine, nail clippers, tweezers,  skin lotion, Centrum vitamins, Gillette Mach3 razors, shaving gel, Burberry aftershave (gift!), mini-mirror
• Suntan and bug sprays

Electronic Gear

• ASUS eeePC laptop (Hong Kong)
• Canon PowerShot Digital IXUS 860IS camera w/soft case (Phuket, Thailand)
• 2 camera batteries and 5 SD memory cards (four 2gb cards, one 1gb card)
• Canon battery charger
• Petzl Zipka LED headlamp w/2 AAA batteries
• Casio Pathfinder digital watch (loved the altimeter and digital compass functions)
• Transcend 4gb MP3 player w/headphones (Phnom Penh, Cambodia)
• Universal Adapter/Power Converter (minus one lost adapter piece)
• E*Trade digital security token (new)
• SanDisk Cruzer Micro 2gb Flash Stick (recently lost all info, reloaded with Mozilla Firefox, Filezilla FTP, Flickr uploader, etc.)

Documents and Money

• Passport w/extra pages added
• Photocopy of passport info page
• 5 extra photos (for Visas)
• WHO Immunization card
• Lonely Planet Colombia
• E*Trade Visa debit card
• Capital One Visa credit card
• 3 paper E*Trade checks (never used them)
• $60 cash (USD)

Miscellaneous

• Notebook and pen (Medellin, Colombia)
• Binoculars (Hermanus, South Africa)
• Small nylon drybag (Australia)
• Large nylon drybag (Chengdu, China)
• 2 scarves (Holland, Egypt)
• Combination/cable lock (Hong Kong)
• 3 Moo/Flickr mini cards w/blog and e-mail address
• 4 DVD's of archived photos (2 original plus copies)
• Assortment of tickets, business cards, etc. kept as souvenirs
• Gum

Lost and Stolen Items

• Lost – 2 pairs of Smart Wool socks (which sucks because they're even more expensive abroad, though worth the investment)
• Lost – North Face fleece (light) – accidentally left behind somewhere toward the end of my Nepal trek
• Stolen – money pouch with VA Driver's License, ATM card, and some cash (Barcelona, Spain)
• Stolen – laptop AC adapter, USB cable, 3 mix CD´s, French corkscrew (Medellin hostel)

**Tips**

• Traveler's checks were a hassle – I am glad I only took $150 worth as back-up funds.
• Advice I read before my trip rings even truer now – pack light and maximize your savings and methods for accessing money abroad.  My E*Trade ATM card worked in every country, and I almost never approached an ATM I couldn't use.
• Strong (freezer-style) ziploc bags are priceless.  I had a few which have lasted 15 months!
• I´m a fan of packing stuff in nylon or heavier (but more waterproof) rubber drybags.  Consider them as an alternative to backpack covers.  Plus, they also function as a way to compress the contents of your backpack.

Dave Lee

Dave is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Go Backpacking and Feastio. He's been to 66 countries and lived in Colombia and Peru. Read the full story of how he became a travel blogger.