Ten plus months on the road?? What did you pack? Each person in our family has a slightly different packing list, but in general, the basics are the same. This is by no means “the perfect packing list.” This is what we’ve found to be useful on our trip around the world. The contents of our bags has changed tremendously as we move between different climates and cultures. Packing cubes are heaven-sent in keeping our packs organized. Everything will feel much heavier than you thought it would once trek around an airport with the backpack on and you’ll end up mailing back or dumping some stuff immediately! Scroll to the bottom to see a time-lapse of H and I packing our bags. Notice we roll EVERYTHING. 

Clothing

We’ve learned that clothes that match are essential for creating the semblance of a fresh outfit, items that are lightweight and can be layered for warmth are best, you will get tired of wearing the same clothes for a year. After a while we refreshed our wardrobe with some new additions from H&M and Thai markets.

K and C are obviously smaller than the rest of us but have the same size packs as we do so, they packed extra leggings and shirts in addition to what is listed below.

• 5-8 t-shirts
• 1 long sleeve shirt
• 2 shorts
• 7 underwear
• 1-3 pants/leggings, quick drying (Mom loves the travel pants she got at Costco)
• 1 pair PJs
• 3 pairs of socks — many of us started with more, some with less, but by the end of the journey it was about 3 pairs each
• 1 pair of warm socks–for cozy, around the house
• 1-2 swim suits
• 1 sandals/flip flops — most had Tevas or Keens
• 1 sneakers (I love my waterproof ones I got at REI)
• 1 rain jacket — rain jacket + sweat shirt = makeshift winter coat
• 1 sweat shirt — some places we bought cheap extras and then donated when we left that colder climate
• baseball cap/sun hat
• sunglasses
• laundry bag — we had a designated cloth bag but at least a plastic bag to keep dirty shoes or wet clothes separate

For the girls:

• 1 bra
• 1 sports bra
• 1 dress
• 1-2 tank tops for layering or hot weather
• 2 skirts — at least one full-length
• 1 button down shirt for layering
• 1 scarf — for warmth and modesty
• 1 sarong/wrap skirt — double as blankets and pillows on airplanes
• 1 buff — used to protect from dust/sweat, kept hair back and doubled as an eye mask at night; Mom also used a lot for neck warmth

Toiletries

When it comes to toiletries, we were told by one expert before we left the States that we should stock up on toothbrushes, deodorant etc because other countries won’t have the right kind or the same cleanliness standards. Well, we didn’t take her advice. You can find toothbrushes and deodorant anywhere in the world (where we’ve been at least) and they seem to work just fine.

• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• hairbrush
• face wash
• deodorant
• sunscreen
• mosquito repellant
• nail clippers
• tweezers
• razors (men’s and ladies’) and shaving cream (the guys)
• dry shampoo
• solid shampoo — didn’t use this as much as I thought we would, most Airbnbs and hotels provide shampoo but it didn’t take up much space and I was extremely thankful I had it the few times I did use it
• q-tips
• chapstick
• 1 bottle nail polish
• mascara
• small bottle of lavender essential oil — Sometimes after a long flight, and a not so nice hotel, dousing a little lavender lightens the mood and makes an uncomfortable bed feel more welcoming
• feminine hygiene products (yes, you can find these all over the world but watch out for added ingredients like menthol!!)
• mini travel towel — didn’t use this much either but when we did, we were so glad we brought it!
• hairbands and bobby-pins — plenty. Just like at home, you WILL lose them.
• mini packs of hand wipes and hand sanitizers
• always have on hand spare toilet paper

Medication/First Aid

Prior to the trip we met with a travel doctor and got all our immunizations needed for the different areas of the world we’d be visiting and she prescribed a year’s worth of needed medicines. In addition to asthma medicine and meds for some minor allergies we packed…

• preventative malaria pills
• diarrhea medicine
• neosporin/antibiotic cream
• hydrocortisone cream
• saline drops
• sleep aide and melatonin for bad jet lag
• Benadryl (kid and adult)
• ibuprofen (kid and adult)
• z-pack (antibiotic)
• motion sickness medicine (picked up some great herbal remedy in Thailand later in trip)
• balm for sore muscles and injuries
• tea bags are easy to carry in a zip lock bag for those sore throats
• electrolyte powder/tablets for rehydration (really came in handy after stomach bugs)
• digital thermometer
• ankle wrap
• band aids

Technology

• 2 kindle paperwhite for girls to read e-books from library
• 1 kindle fire
• MacBook Air — for photo editing and blog writing 🙂
• 2 iPads
• 4 iPhones
• DSLR Camera
  • 2 lenses
  • mini tripod
  • extra batteries
  • charger
  • 2 hard drives — stored in different locations in our luggage
• USB flashdrive
• GoPro — bought a few years before the trip, it broke towards the beginning of the trip (hence the lack of videos on our website)
• 2 small cameras for girls
• 5 waterproof watches
• charging port and adapters — this has been a life saver
• rechargeable batteries — wasn’t worth carrying around, but occasionally came in handy
• earbuds — 6 plus any free pairs from airlines
• earbud splitter — bought it on a whim after watching a recommended RTW packing video before the trip but it has become surprisingly useful and has been a small luxury as we listen to music, podcasts or watch movies together.

Random

• universal sink stopper and mini bottle of laundry detergent for hand washing
• clothes line
• mini sewing kit
• mini TSA approved travel locks
• 1 sleep sack for each person — peace of mind that we’d have a clean spot to sleep if a bed was sketchy, and also provided a little warmth on chilly flights etc
• copies of shot records, passports, credit cards, international drivers licenses, travel insurance (make copies on your phone for easy access and safe keeping); should have brought copies of kids’ birth certificates for Africa, had to have emailed later in the moment; necessary visas
• headlamps and flashlights — the rechargeable batteries were handy for these
• ear plugs for light sleepers
• a few school workbooks for the kids
• duct tape –wrapped a good amount around a pencil prior to leaving so didn’t need to take a whole roll–very useful!

Entertainment

• playing cards and UNO
• electronic 20 questions game
• colored pencils, pencil sharpener, paper
• watercolor sets — fits in an Altoid tin
• 6 journals
• rugby ball and mini pump (airport security deflated the ball more than once)
• a few small stuffed animals picked up along the way
• ukulele — a stress reliever for our musical family members
• 1 extremely faded and beloved blanket (see almost every photo of K)

Luggage

Initially, we thought we’d be roughin’ it, so to speak. We expected to carry on our luggage every flight and have to run to catch trains with our bags strapped to our backs. So far *crossed fingers* this hasn’t happened, but it’s been great having our hands free as we move through a new city upon arrival and departure.

Big packs

• C and Mom’s 40L Osprey Fairview — when packed to the max it’s too fat to fit in an overhead compartment but no other complaints.
• Greta’s 40L REI Rucksack — clamshell doesn’t fully unzip which makes it harder to pack than the Osprey Fairview but REI Rucksack’s stowaway rainproof shell came in handy.
• H’s 40L Osprey Farpoint–he’s been happy with what he can fit in it but has always wished it had wheels, a personal preference
• K’s 40L adjustable REI — As she grew, we could move the arm straps.
• Dad’s 65L Eaglecreek Global Companion Travel Pack — he absolutely loves it and we’ve all been jealous the amount of space he has and how well divided the space is.

Day bags

• Pacsafe CS200 — used to carry the camera and camera gear
• REI – H wished it had more pockets, but small and lightweight
• 2 Deuter — Small biking backpacks we picked up years ago. I can’t find the specific model. They were perfect for the girls to bring their own workbooks, kindles, and cameras on travel days.
• A New Zealand souvenir backpack– picked up as a souvenir in Christchurch after Eddie Bauer one was too small and tore a hole
• Jansport — Dad’s day bag that could fit a lot of everyone else’s stuff!
• Variety of packing cubes — some the zippers broke but that didn’t stop us from using them. Eagle Creek packing cubes held up the best.

Packing up mine and H’s bags in Germany — K drops the camera near the beginning