jd – To Infinity & Beyond!

This is the page that’s up from our Asia 2012 trip. We anticipate packing very similarly for South & Central America and will try to update this page when we’re ready. One change is that we’ll also need to bring some warm clothes for the colder south/mountains, and Jenny is going to break down and bring jeans (she hopes). Planning what to bring/gathering everything is feeling a little stressful right now, but we still anticipate bringing only carry-on backpacks!

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For 10 week trip to Asia: We pack ultra-light for easy mobility, being freed from “stuff” (you really need very little to live), and for avoiding checking luggage on airplanes. We each brought one backpack and a smaller carry-on bag.

David shot a video of all his gear before leaving the States:

[David: I forgot to mention the most versatile item I packed: my iPhone 4S that I used to record that video!]

If you are curious, here is a more detailed list of exactly what we brought (the list will evolve with time):

Jenny:
40 L Gregory Backpack                    1 pair quick-dry hiking pants (convert to capris)
1 pair black capris                            1 multicolor skirt
1 pair quick dry shorts                       2 quick-dry stylish short-sleeve shirts
1 quick-dry tank top                          1 quick-dry wicking tshirt
1 wicking long sleeve shirt                 3 pairs of socks
6 pairs of underwear                          bathing suit
pair of sneakers                                pair of Merrel sandals
raincoat                                            visor (lost it somewhere in Chiang Mai)
clothing packing cube                        sports bra & regular

David:
40 L REI Backpack                         1 pair quick-dry hiking pants (convert to shorts)
1 pairs shorts                                  2 quick-dry wicking tshirts
1 wicking long sleeve shirt               2 pairs of socks
3 pairs of underwear                        1 pair of Merrel hiking sneakers
1 pair of Teva sandals                     raincoat

Tech:
Power converters                            2 cameras + chargers
Memory cards                                Memory card reader
iPhone + charger                            iPad
Small MacBook                              Headphones & splitter

Toiletries (mostly shared):
2 Hand sanitizer                             8 Tissue packs
Ib profen                                        Tums
Immondium                                    Malaria medication
Antibiotics                                     Sunscreen
Bandaids                                       Tweezers
Nail clippers                                   Anticbacterial ointment
Hydrocortisone ointment                 Sleeping pills
Witch hazel pads                           Thermometer
Baby powder                                  Toothbrush
Toothpaste                                     Razor
Floss                                             Tampons/pads
Comb                                             Deodrant
Hairspray                                       Glasses
Contacts                                        Contact case
Contact solution                              Chap stick
Eye shadow                                   Lipgloss
Coverup                                         Hair ties
Qtips                                             Body spray

Other:
1 Quick dry towel                          1 headlamp
1 bandana                                    Sleeping masks/earplugs
Sunglasses                                  2 sporks
Moneybelt                                    Journal
Draw string bag (day pack)            Playing cards
2 books                                       Waterbottle
1 combo lock                               Pen with Duct tape
Ziplock bags                                Work out index cards
Multiuse biodegradable soap         Passports & photocopies
Rough Guides book                      1 ATM, 2 credit cards each
Folder with all important documents (medical information, glasses RX, flight and accommodation info, insurance info, addresses of friends, etc)

FYI: If you are traveling abroad, Charles Schwab reimburses ALL ATM fees! For a credit card, the Chase Sapphire card has no foreign transaction fees.