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.

Matt's Pack

If I must...

Alright, it's time for the inevitable:  "packing list post."  I tend to lean on the side of thinking I have too much.


However, everything I have packed is pretty much things I already had, and much of it old enough to not care too much about.  I simply put together things I like, and limited what I took.

Day pack:  Jansport,  unknown model
Big pack:  Kelty, Big Bend 6300

In the day pack  (12 lbs): 


Passport, passport photos, dive card and log book, vaccinations card, pens/pencils, eye glasses, credit card, fake wallet, travel journal, book, frisbee, bandanna, a 1 liter Nalgene, Asus netbook computer, Nikon AW100 camera (waterproof), itouch, other miscellaneous items.


In the big pack (38 lbs):


Clothing:  5 undies (2 ex-officio and 3 jockey atheltic), 4 pairs of socks (one 3/4 synthetic hiking, one black cotton, 2 low cut athletic), 3 cotton t-shirts, 3 athletic material shirts, 1 tank top, 1 button up cotton, 2 long sleeved shirts (1 athletic material, 1 cotton), 1 pair black athletic shorts, 2 board shorts, 2 pairs of shorts, 2 pair of jeans, 1 small camp towel, 2 bandannas, 1 thermal top and bottom, 1 hoodie sweatshirt, 1 zip-up hoodie rain shell, 1 Outdoor Research floppy hat, 1 REI toboggan


Shoes:  Merrell Moab Ventilator, Vans, and Haviana flip-flops


Other:  camp towel, mosquito spray, sunscreen, first aid kit (various items I threw together), malarials, beard trimmer, cables/chargers for electronics, 2 knifes, 2 small hand held light, extra batteries, copy of passport, plastic bags, SE Asia Lonely Planet guide book, deck of cards


Toiletries:  tooth paste, tooth brush, razors, vitamins, Old Spice deodorant (Fresh scent, it's the best), shampoo/soap, Gold Bond, 2 pacakages of baby wipes (a must in my book)