What's in my Pack

Sasha: 


I've been meaning to do this post since we left. I did a lot of research on what to pack- both by interviewing friends who had done big travel, by listening to podcasts (check out the Indie Travel Podcast for some great suggestions on packing light, and packing for rain.) and by reading other people's blogs.  The number one piece of advice I got from everybody is to pack as light as you possibly can.  We deliberately picked out bags on the smaller size, and have managed to have them filled to to brim since we left.  We saw one girl with a 37L pack (compared to our 45L packs) and were immediately jealous


Since we are four months into the trip, some things have been added and taken away from my original pack- we picked up our own padlock so we didn't have to use the wimpy padlocks that many bungalows provide, and I found that I wanted to have more than one sarong since we spent so much time on the beach.  We each have a super soft and lightweight wool blanket we got after a couple cool nights in India.  I use it as an extra pillow in most places we stay. I've ditched several pieces of clothing that either wore out or seemed unnecessary, and sent back home a parcel which included some unnecessary things and some gifts we had picked out.  Our weather has been consistently warm, and except for the week in Pune all of our warm clothes have been sitting at the bottom of our pack.  If I had known that we were going to spend so much time living on a beach, I would have packed 2 bikinis instead of just the one, especially because I have found it impossible to find another one that fits me. 


Here is a picture of everything I carry with me.  I have all of our pills and first aid kit, while Ra carries our laptop and all of our chargers. In the packing list below, I've highlighted the things that I think are the most important, and would not travel without. For example, I would not recommend doing an overnight train in Thailand without both earplugs and an eyemask!

The Basics
1 Osprey 45 ltr backpack
Small REI messenger bag/ day pack
Reusable stainless steel water bottle
Emergency chocolate
Cash
Passport
Train tickets
Chapstick
Eye drops
Hand sanitizer
Tiny flashlight on a lanyard
Key for the padlock we use on our bungalow doors
Pens
Pencil, sharpener, eraser
Insect repellent
Sunscreen
Earplugs
Sleeping mask

Useful things
String
Electric tape
Gaff tape
Zip ties
Plug in mosqito repellant
Clothespin
Caribiner
Booklight
Small cable lock 
Shoe glue
Southeast Asia guidebook, Chiangmai pamphlet, himchal pradesh guidbook section
Sewing kit
Travel towel
Gluten free food allergy cards in four languages
Backpack rainfly

Things to do
Yoga mat and carrier
Fire staff
Sock poi and backup stockings
Cotton fire poi( never used)
Two glow rings
Deck of cards
Netti pot

Health, first aid, personal care
Antihistamine
Ibprofin
Cranberry pills
Probiotics
Chinese herbs from Lisa Sherman
Vicodin
Malaria pills
Antacids
Uti treatment
Monostat
Anti diareah pills
Trameel
Rehydration salts
Bandaids
Blister pads
Grapefruitseed extract
Neosporin
Hydrocortisone
Burn gel
Filling repair kit
Pee funnel
Condoms
Multi vitamin
Razor and blades
Floss
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Facewash
Shampoo
Conditioner
Lotion
Deoderant
Contacts
Contact solution
Lipgloss
Eyeliner
Eyeshadow
Blush
Mascara
Makeup brush kit
Mirror
Tweezers

Bedding
Silk sleeping bag liner
Small wool blanket, can double as a pillow

Apparrel
Fleece jacket
Pair of flipflops
Keen sport sandals
Leather belt bag
Money belt
8 pairs of underwear
3 bras
4pairs of socks- 1 wool, 2 anklets, 1 kneesocks
Bikini
3 tanktops
2 tshirts
3 longsleeve shirts- one lightweight hoodie, one silk buttonup, one woven cotton
One set longjohn top and bottom
4 pairs of pants- black leggings, Ali baba pants, two nylon cargo pants
2 skirts- one long one short
1 dress
2 sarongs (double as skirts or dresses)
2 scarves ( double as short skirts ot tops)
2 hats
3 pairs of earrings
3 necklaces
2 bracelets
Hair pins and hair ties
Small travel brush
"burns well with others" and " aloha, shalom, suck it" pins
4 pairs of glasses- regular prescription, backup prescription, prescription sun glasses, regular sunglasses
2 Glasses cases and 1 cleaning cloth

Electronics and other red things
iPod mini
iPhone
Amazon kindle and booklight case
Headphones
Nikon coolpix camera and case
Moleskin journal
Wallet


* I highlighted my clothing, but I'm sure I'd be fine if I had half as many clothes as I'm actually taking.