packed backpack

Amazingly, it’s all in there!

It took me several hours, but I spent today (when I wasn’t chasing our resident squirrel away from the birdfeeder) weeding through the mountain of gear I’ve amassed during the last few months. Thanks to some incredible friends and colleagues at my former workplace, I had some great options to choose from, and I regret not being able to fit all their thoughtful gifts within my Gregory Savant backpack. I was also disappointed to realize I had to cut some of the sporty clothes I bought on Gander Mountain’s sales racks and slash by half my Harmon Face Values  stash of travel-size goodies. But I just reminded myself of one of a favorite line from the Rough Guide “First Time Around The World” book: “There are two basic approaches to dressing: stay in the same town and change clothes every day, or wear the same clothes and just change towns.” I don’t mind adhering to the latter approach – as long as I don’t reek.

Both Him and I agree: If we could cut one thing from our bags, it would be our medication. Nine months of prescription pills make a hell of a lot of racket when you’re on the move. We’re both walking pharmacies. We split up the pills so that each of us is carrying about a month’s worth of the other’s medication in case one of the backpacks is stolen, and I admit he got the raw end of that deal.

If you’re at all curious to learn what brand deodorant I’m packing and other fascinating hygiene product preferences, below is what made the preliminary cut into the precious 48 liters on my back. It does sounds like a lot, and I went a little nuts with the facial moisturizers and lotions (I have acne, dammit!), but most of the bathroom items are miniature-sized. If you think there’s something I forgot or spot something I would be wise to chuck now, please leave a comment on this post or on the CompassWhistle Facebook page.

Clothes

  • 1 white bandana
  • 1 polyester headband/ear cover
  • 1 pair of Merrell hiking shoes
  • 1 pair of Reef flip flops
  • 1 cloth belt
  • 1 rain jacket
  • 1 pair of rain pants
  • 2 pairs of cargo pants (a khaki pair and a navy pair that zip off into shorts)
  • 1 Nike Dri-Fit zip-up jacket
  • 2 button-down shirts
  • 3 moisture wicking T-shirts
  • 1 Marmot wicking tank top
  • 1 Columbia Omni-Wick collared shirts
  • 1 long-sleeved shirt
  • 2 cotton T-shirts (to sleep in)
  • 1 pair of cotton shorts (to sleep in)
  • 1 bathing suit
  • 1 frilly sarong (thanks, Ana!)
  • 1 strapless bra
  • 3 sports bras
  • 5 pairs of Ex-Officio underwear
  • 1 pair of thin gloves
  • 1 hat

Bathroom junk

  • 1 folding toothbrush
  • 1, 24-gram tube of toothpaste
  • 50 m. of Oral B floss
  • 1 pair of tweezers
  • Nail clippers
  • 1 mini sample perfume bottle
  • 1 Blistex spf 15 lip balm
  • 1 tube of Great Lash mascara
  • 1, 10-count package of Garnier face cleansing towels
  • 1, 2-oz bottle of Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser
  • 1, 25-gram tube of Minus Sol face moisturizer
  • 1, 3-oz bottle of CeraVe face lotion
  • 1, 1.7-oz tube of Cetaphil Daily face moisturizer (SPF 50)
  • 1, 14-gram tube of Cetaphil moisturizing cream
  • 1, 3-oz tube of Walgreens sunscreen (50 SPF)
  • 1, 14-gram tube of Neutrogena hand cream
  • 1, 45-gram Secret Clinical Strength deodorant
  • 1, 19.8-gram Mitchum PowerGel deodorant (for when white marks matter)
  • 1 Venus razor (no shaving cream — the mini Olay canister wasn’t quite mini enough)
  • 2 Venus razor cartridges
  • 1 bar of Irish Spring soap (in plastic caddy)
  • 1 terry cloth soap container
  • 1, 3-oz bottle of Pert Plus shampoo
  • 1, 2-oz container of Opti-free contact lens solution
  • 1 contact lens case
  • Womanly stuff
  • 4 hair ties
  • 2 scrunchies
  • 1 folding hairbrush
  • 1 mini mirror
  • 1 mini roll of Charmin toilet paper (55 sheets!)
  • 5 Charmin toilet seat covers
  • 9 Clorox disinfecting wipes
  • 2, 2.5-oz bottles of Germ-X
  • 4 Mack’s Pillow Soft Earplugs
  • 2 mini packages of Kleenex tissues (10 in each)

Meds

  • Prescription medication
  • Prescription eyeglasses
  • 5 boxes of Acuvue Oasys contact lenses
  • 10 tabs of Advil
  • 10 tabs of Tylenol
  • 24 chewable Tums
  • 8 Band-Aids
  • 32 Unisom pills

Electronics

  • 1 Canon DSLR camera
  • 3 camera lenses (10-20 mm, 28-80 mm, 75-300 mm)
  • 2, 16-GB Sandisk CF cards
  • 2, 4-GB Sandsisk CF cards
  • 2 DSLR batteries
  • DSLR battery charger
  • 1 Canon videocamera
  • 1, 32-GB SDHC card
  • 2, 16-GB SDHC cards
  • 2 video camera batteries
  • 1 video camera battery charger
  • 1 CF/SDHC card reader
  • 1 Kindle
  • 1 iPod
  • 1 iPhone (in Survivor case)
  • 1 iPhone/iPod charger

Misc

  • 1 Grand Trunk bamboo sleep sack (bamboo is super-soft and is said to wick away moisture)
  • 1 mini Britanne microfiber towel
  • 1 Hohner Special 20 harmonica (in the key of “C”)
  • 1 pair of sunglasses (with dorky neck strap)
  • 1 wallet
  • 1 super-secret leg-fastening wallet
  • 1 journal
  • 1 journalist’s notepad
  • 3 erasable pens
  • 1 [mini] Sharpie
  • 1 light flute (thanks, mom!)
  • 1 mini LED flashlight (thanks Scot & Meredith!)
  • 1 headlamp
  • Stack of business cards
  • 1 Master Lock locker lock
  • 1 water bottle
  • 1, 13-liter Sea to Summit dry bag
  • 1, 20-liter Sea to Summit lightweight dry bag
  • 1 PacSafe mesh net to lock up backpack
  • 1 hooded poncho (thanks, EMD!)
  • Huayruro seeds (Peruvian lucky charms) (thanks, Ana!)
  • 1 pair of Skunkies (thanks, EMD!)
  • 1 pedometer
  • 1 pack of Extra peppermint gum (15 sticks)
  • 1, 1.5-oz container of IceBreakers Sours
  • 1 laminated paper Sister

*Due to my uncanny knack for misplacing important documents, Him has the honor of carrying my passport, Hosteling International card and vaccination card.