FROM 2 ROOMS TO 40+65 LITERS FOR 6 MONTHS
With less than 3 days left before our take-off the biggest question of the last few days was whether we will fit in our backpacks for the next 6 months!?
We read extensively on several blogs about the benefits of travelling light, and we were determined to reduce the size of our luggages too. Each time we went traveling in the past for 2-week periods with a backpack, we ended up wearing only a few clothes and could easily sort out the laundry locally. This suggested that we don`t actually need all that much stuff! This journey will obviously be a lot longer, and will cover yet unforseen activities in various weather conditions - which adds a bit to the list.
Our list of necessities is mainly built on the aim to take light, fast drying, small pieces that we can wear in layers and can wash on the way for ourselves. We took lots of advice from our dear friends, Carolin and Henry, who are well-prepared in the topic due to their sporty lifestyle and the adventure travel they`re doing in parallel with us in South America!
We also read some related blogs in the topic, checked the current weather and the expected conditions for the areas we`re visiting, and tried to think about the activities we might want to do. Based on this most of our clothes are made of merino wool, an intelligent material for outdoor activities.
The theory is great, however looking at the pictures of all what we`re taking with us, I started doubting if we`ll meet the objective of travelling light in the end... It`s hard to believe that we will be able to close those backpacks with all this stuff! For now here is what we`re trying to take with us:
Bags
- 1 x 40 liters backpack
- 1 x 65 liters backpack
- 1 carry on messenger bag
- 2 x 1 daypacks
- 2 x 3 pack-it cubes to help organising our bags
- 1 safety belt bag
- 2 x 1 bottle holder bag for hiking
Clothes
- 2 x 1 rain & windproof jacket
- 2 x 1 convertable pants (shorts and long trousers in one - a bit cheesy but seems practical)
- 2 x 1 shorts
- 1 x 1 dress (at least I have something a bit more elegant) - 2 x 1 fleece jumper (on the colour we found in promotion)
- 2 x 1 long-sleeve merino wool base layer for the chilly weather in the mountains
- 2 x 1 long-sleeve shirt against the sun
- 2 x 4 short-sleeved merino wool T-shirts
- 2 x 1 pyjama bottom
- 2 x 4 pairs of merino wool sock
- 2 x 6 merino wool underwears
- 1 light beach dress
- 1 sarong (necessary cover for Asia but can also be used as a blanket, towel, bag etc.)
- 2 x 2 swimming wear (1 in good condition and 1 which can be used for the mud volcano bath etc.)
Accessories
- 2 x 1 belt
- 1 straw hat
- 2 x 1 sunglasses
- 2 x 1 replacement glasses in case of emergency (I`m not convinced that this is needed..., but we`ll see)
- 2 x 1 prescription diving mask
- 2 x 1 inflatable travel pillow
- 1 small hand towel
- 2 x 1 normal size compact towel
- 2 x 1 sleeping bag liner (this is an extra layer between you and the sheet and cover at accomodations making it more hygenic as its`t not in direct contact with you)
- 2 x 1 rubber watch (waterproof and has alarm and light function)
- 1 drying line
- 2 x 1 pack clothes peg
- 2 sets of plastic cutleries (this will probably prove to be unnecessary)
- 1 Swiss army knife
Shoes
- 2 x 1 beach flip-flops for showering and the beach
- 2 x 1 sporty sandals
- 2 x 1 hiking shoes
Electronics
- 2 x 1 Reader/Kindle
- 1 light PC with charger and a small mouse
- 1 Tablet (entertainment while someone will write the blog)
- 1 portable mini keybord
- 1 Go Pro camera
- 1 camera with extra SD cards and batteries
- 1 tripod for photography
- 1 mobile charger with international adaptor
- 2 x 1 headlamp for hiking
- 1 tripod for photography
Personal documents/Paperwear
- 2 x 1 passport
- 2 x 1 yellow fever vacctionation proof
- travel insurance documents
- 2 x 1 diving certificate and log book
- 1 South-America guide book (will be replaced by an Asian one in due time)
- 1 pen
Travel bathroom (which takes the most space in the bag. even after strict re-evaluation.)
- 1 sun cream 30 SPF
- 1 electric shaver
- 1 soap
- 2 x 1 roll deodorant
- 1 moscito spray
- 1 body lotion
- 2 x 1 100ml shampoo
- tissues
- small toilet roll
- lip balm
- small portions of face care set (moisturiser, cleaner, tonic)
- 2 x 1 tooth cleaning set
- small seasors
- basic set of medicines
The final packing is still to come over the weekend. Our hope is to not only fit the bags but to keep them relatively light, as we will need to carry them ourselves everywhere. We would also love to have some space left for a few souvenirs that we *might* (most probably) buy on the way.