Packing for this trip has been a daunting task. Not only is it difficult to predict what kinds of weather conditions you’ll run into all over the world for a whole year, but we made the decision to travel light. This does not come naturally to me. By nature I’m a worrier and I can think of 800 situations in which I will need more stuff. So one of the smartest moves we made was to start out by buying the backpack first – thereby providing a clear limit to the amount of stuff I’m capable of packing.
In case you’re curious, here’s a video showing off my backpack, the Deuter Futura ZeroSL
I’ve been extremely happy with this pack so far and it holds a surprising amount of gear.
Most of the space in the backpack will be taken up by clothing. Here is what I’ve ultimately decided to take with me.
1 – 2 long-sleeved shirts (gray with hood and blue)
2 – 1 short-sleeved shirt (gray)
3 – Hat
4 – 3 tank tops (black, brown, and gray)
5 – bathing suit (blue)
6 – cotton shorts (gray)
7 – bandanna treated with insect repellent (yellow)
8 – fleece jacket (black)
9 – rain coat (green)
10 – long cotton skirt (black with pretty pattern)
11 – 2 pairs hiking trousers (black and olive green)
12 – 4 sports bras
13 – little black (sun)dress
14 – hiking sneakers
15 – hiking sandals
Not pictured – 4 pairs socks, 4 undies
I’m clearly not going to be winning any fashion awards here, but ultimately every item I’ve packed is functional, easy to wash, easy to dry, and able to be layered to keep me warm. This can last me a year, right? Right!?