Packing List

With only 82 liters of space in our backpacks, each item had to be carefully selected.  Some things were picked for their quick-drying properties (necessary when hand washing), for their ability to minimize odors, or for their versatility in multiple climates.  We spent MANY hours (~100) researching, reading packing lists from other blogs, comparison shopping on the internet, and making repeated trips to REI to return any item that wasn’t perfectly suited to our needs.

All 82 liters of gear

General guidelines:

  • Pack as little as possible. Our 40 and 42 liter packs are smaller than about 95% of the other travelers’ we’ve encountered.  When you’re switching cities every few days, having something that’s easier to carry, easier to pack, and easier to squeeze into bus overheads is comforting.
  • Cotton is bad, synthetics are good. Cotton isn’t comfortable when wet, takes a long time to dry, and weighs more than synthetic materials.  Most performance travel clothes are made of polyester.  But the caveat is that synthetics smell bad faster.
  • Don’t bring jeans. Jeans are most people’s pants of choice and are thus difficult to sacrifice.  But they’re heavy and bulky, and once they get wet game over.
  • Long sleeves are useful even in hot climates. Sometimes the sun is so scorching that sunscreen doesn’t cut it.  Lightweight, moisture-wicking sleeves can actually be cooler than short sleeves.

Thanks to this site for much inspiration.

See photos and detailed explanations of:
Joe’s Gear
Kasey’s Gear
Shared Gear

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