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.
