Kristin's Pack

This was one of the hardest parts of preparing for the trip (in my book). I was told that ideally I was supposed to carry a backpack that weighed 10% of my bodweight........and that was going to hold everything I needed for a year!?!?! Yea right ;-). I had everything that I "wanted" to take laid out on the bed and started packing it in my bag, and to my surprise IT DID NOT FIT!! After some stressful moments and maybe a few tears, I managed to take stuff out and get everything to fit. My big pack weighed about 30 lbs and my day pack weighed about 12 lbs. Yay, I did it :-).

Day pack:  Mountain Smith, Clear Creek 20 (Academy special)

Big pack:  Deuter, Act lite 60 + 10

In the day pack:
Passport, passport photos, vaccination cards, pen and travel journal, 2 credit cards, book, Nalgene bottle, Canon Power Shot Elph camera, ipod, hoodie, hat, sleeping bag liner, mini flash light, head lamp, chapstick, and other miscellaneous items.

In the big pack:

Clothing:  3 short sleeve shirts, 3 tank tops, 3 t-shirts, 2 shorts, 2 athletic shorts, khaki pants, jeans, khaki capris, thermals, light long sleeve top (to protect against mosquitoes), 1 dress, 2 bathing suits, cover up, 4 pairs of socks, and undergarments.

Shoes:  Salomon XA Pro 3D, Bobs (slip-ons),  Sanuk flip-flops, Old Navy shower flip-flops, water shoes, and slippers (I want clean feet in the hostels).

Other:  camp towel, mosquito spray, sunscreen, medicines, malaria pills, antibacterial soap, South America Lonely Planet guide book, hair dryer, outlet converter, waterproof bags, money belt for the leg, and snorkel mask.


Toiletries:  tooth paste, tooth brush, razors, vitamins, deodorant, shampoo/soap, face moisturizer, face wash, headband, hair twisties, clips, mascara, eyeliner, and blush.