Packing

In case anyone is planning their own around-the-world adventure, here is a list of everything we brought with us, or purchased along the way (excluding souvenirs, which we mostly mailed home). Keep in mind that many of our choices were dictated by geography and time of year: it is always hot in almost every country we visited. We found the site Independent Traveller useful for getting organized and for suggesting some handy items we hadn't thought of originally.

JEROME

1. Luggage

• 1 MEC 60L backpack
• 1 MEC day pack

2. Clothes

• 1 wool socks
• 2 light socks
• 1 hiking socks
• 1 light fleece jacket
• 1 cotton pants
• 2 linen pants
• 1 shorts
• 1 swimming suit
• 4 hankerchiefs
• 1 long-sleeve button-up shirt
• 1 T-shirt
• 1 polo shirt
• 2 undershirts
• 3 short-sleeve button-up shirts (2 linen, 1 cotton)
• 1 belt
• 5 underpants (lost one along the way)
• 1 hat
• 1 extra prescription glasses
• 1 prescription sunglasses
• 1 pair hiking shoes
• 1 pair sandal Birkenstocks
• 1 pair plastic flip flops
• 1 watch

3. Toilettries (items replenished along the way)

• 1 medium size bag
• 1 toothpaste
• 1 cream shaving lotion
• 1 small shampoo
• 1 razor (3 blades)
• 1 toothbrush
• 1 toothbrush cover
• 1 deoderant
• 2 small bottles hand sanatizer
• 1 plastic soap container
• 1 bar soap
• 1 floss
• 1 lip balm
• 1 nail clippers

4. Wish list (should have brought...)

• 1 light sweater
• MP3 player

CAROLINE

1. Luggage

• 1 MEC 48L backpack
• 1 MEC shoulder bag

2. Clothes

• 4 pairs socks
• 1 fleece jacket
• 3 skirts
• 2 linen pants
• 1 shorts
• 1 summer pyjamas
• 2 swimming suits
• 1 long-sleeve button-up shirt
• 1 cardigan
• 5 T-shirts
• 3 bras
• 3 sleeveless shirts
• 8 pairs underwear (lost three along the way)
• 1 hat
• 1 pair hiking shoes
• 1 pair sandal Birkenstocks
• 1 pair plastic flip flops
• 1 watch
• 1 glasses
• 1 sunglasses

3. Toilettries

• 1 toilettries bag
• 1 toothpaste
• 1 2-in-1 shampoo
• 1 small conditioner
• 330 ml SPF30 sunblock (all used and replaced as we went!)
• 120 ml Oil of Olay SPF15 face cream
• 70 ml hand cream
• 3 disposable razors
• 1 toothbrush
• 1 toothbrush cover
• 1 deoderant
• 1 plastic soap container
• 1 bar soap
• 1 floss
• 1 lip gloss
• "ladies" supplies
• 10 hair elastics
• nightguard for teeth grinding
• 180 pairs daily disposable contact lenses

4. Wish list (should have brought...)

• 1 long linen skirt

SHARED ITEMS

1. First Aid (some items were included in a MEC Plus first aid kit)

• 36 wet wipes
• 16 Benadryl tabs (anti-histamine)
• 12 immodium
• 8 gravol pills (motion sickness)
• Malarone antimalarials (6 week supply)
• 10 Exlax tablets
• 2 prescriptions Ciprofloxacin (antibiotic)
• tension bandage
• first aid tape
• 20 bandaids
• moleskin
• Polysporin anti-septic tube (small)
• 4 anti-septic wipes
• 5 gauze pads
• Advil (ibuprofen, not enough!)
• Pepto tablets (antacid, not enough!)
• Halls
• gauze bandage
• tweezers

2. Accessories

• 2 sandwich-sized tupperware containers for storing accessories
• 2 MEC silk sleeping sacks
• 2 travel towels
• mosquito spray
• 1 mini-umbrella
• ziplock bags (various sizes)
• 2 journals
• 2 pens
• 1 camera
• 2 camera batteries
• 1 unlocked mobile phone
• 1 keychain compass
• 2 LED pen lights
• 2 small combination locks for bags
• adaptors (various)
• 1 phone recharger
• 1 universal sink plug
• 1 suction cup laundry line
• 1 sewing kit
• 1 Swiss army knife
• 2 ear plugs
• 2 phone batteries
• Tide laundry soap in small plastic container
• 1 USB camera cable
• 1 travel alarm clock

3. Guide books (mainly purchased along the way)

• Turkey Lonely Planet (very good)
• Middle East Let's Go (horrible)
• Egypt Lonely Planet (good enough)
• India Lonely Planet (OK)
• Thailand Lonely Planet (OK but has many mistakes)

4. Other

• $300 USD emergency cash (didn't use much, as there are ATMs everywhere)
• 2 novels
• passports
• mini photo album with pics of our friends and family for lonely moments
• spare passport photos
• photocopies of essential documents + vaccination records
• Visa, AMEX, and Mastercard credit cards
• ATM cards for both Plus and Cirrus (IMPORTANT!)
• ISIC Card
• Drivers' Licenses
• Health Insurance

*** each pack weighed around 11 kg, with room for souvenirs