People keep asking about what I’ve packed on this little journey of mine. Well, I started out pretty methodically; I literally created a spreadsheet with the items that I needed/wanted. Was it packed? What was it? How much did it cost? And, perhaps most importantly, how much did it weigh? Yes, I bought one of those little electronic kitchen scales and weighed everything. Underwear, flip flops, belt, laptop, cologne; everything. I was aiming to keep weight low, and when I started, I’d managed to have my 40L bag (the Osprey Farpoint 40) weighing only 23lbs fully loaded, with everything I was wearing weighing about 10lbs. The heaviest thing I had outside of my backpack (which weighed in at 2.98 lbs) was my camera. If you know me, you know I won’t go anywhere without it, so that was fixed at 2.72 lbs. I maximized (or should I say minimized) the weight of everything else. I opted for the 12″ MacBook instead of a heavier “Pro” in order to save weight, and while there have been some times when I wished for a more power processor, or bigger screen, it has been a rock solid partner for these last two years.

So, first things first, determining what I wanted to bring for clothes was important. Some people would pick the backpack first, then fit whatever they can in it. That is ultimately what I ended up doing after trying a bunch of bags, but I’d recommend starting from the other end of the equation and truly figuring out what it is you need for the trip. Trust me, saving in volume and weight will pay dividends when you’re trying to book cheap flights from Boston to Reykjavik, Florence to London, Bangkok to Chiang Mai, or Perth to Denpasar. It’s also easier to have a minimal number of items to throw in one small bag when you’re racing out of your hostel or hotel to catch the next train to Sydney or hitch a ride to Rainbow Beach on your way to Fraser Island.

As you start figuring out what to bring, definitely take a look at the weather. In fact, before you even start figuring out where you’re going, check the weather. I didn’t follow that advice and started my trip in Scandinavia and the UK heading into winter. As I’d been living in Maine for the last 5 years, I didn’t think that was a big deal, but wow would I have packed differently if I’d left for the Southern Hemisphere. On a similar note, my motorcycle ride through Vietnam could’ve been done from North to South, instead of the route I took from South to North, and I wouldn’t have been riding into increasingly colder and wetter areas over the course of 6 weeks. Lessons learned. 

Four pairs of travel underwear. Everyone swears by their ExOfficio Boxers. I do to. They’re nearly always the first thing that’s dry after a good wash, and in a pinch they can be worn more than once. I’ve kept two pairs of those handy throughout my travels. Pick up some here. The other two are generally woolen, and before you think, “what the hell were you doing wearing woolen anything in a place like Bali!” don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. I swear by all my woolen wear these days. But I’ll get to the rest of that later. Back to the undies. I started off with Icebreaker Boxer Briefs and Ibex Boxer Briefs, but sadly Ibex seems to have gone out of business. Really a shame, as I got the best customer service from them, and their products are top notch. If you can still find them (like here on Amazon) I’d highly recommend the purchase. After wearing a few holes in the briefs, I purchased more. Don’t choke at the price, as a dear friend once said, if you’re going to spend XX dollars on a pair of jeans or glasses, just think about how much you should spend on something that’s going to be this intimate with you, all day, every day. Pony up the extra money for them. You’ll be happier than going with your run of the mill $10 for 10 undies at Target. Trust me.

I only buy wool blend socks now. Yeah, they don’t come in quite as many fun designs, but they’ll keep your toes warm, comfy, and chafe free. Important with all the miles you’ll be putting in. Originally I packed one pair of Smartwool Micro Socks, one pair of Darn Tough Ankle Socks, and then two more pairs of crew socks from Vermont Darn Tough. I wanted to try them all out, and while the Smartwool socks are pretty much all I wore when I was in Maine, I must say the Vermont Darn Tough socks have been holding up better. The Smartwool developed holes (both in the lightweight ones and the thicker hiking socks), whereas the Darn Tough socks have been just that; darn tough. Keep in mind that the thicker socks will definitely take a while to dry — probably the lengthiest dry time outside of jeans.

Wool. Yes, you read that right. Wool. Merino wool to be exact. Most of my initial clothing purchases were through Ibex, which you can still find on Amazon. If the interwebs are right, Ibex may be making a comeback under new ownership, but in the interim, I’ve found great items from Katmandu (an Australian company), and generally REI has a good selection of merino wool blend clothing as well. There’s something about 87% merino wool with the remainder being nylon or something which makes for better durability. However, the 100% merino shirts are amazing if you care well for your gear. Handwashing, and staying away from prickly bushes is a requirement. You might have little control over the latter, but hand washing, when you only have a handful of clothing to wash, is quite easy. For a bit of a formal upgrade, Wool & Prince makes some great wool button down shirts — a nice treat for spiffying up a bit on Friday or Saturday night out, or when you feel like being fancy on one of those international flights. Makes going through security easier, and generally you’re treated better by airline staff. Life.

Nearly every day of the first two years of my trip I wore either my travel jeans (Aviator) or my Fjall Raven hiking pants. The latter aren’t stretchy like some of the products out there, but the material is super durable, water-proof-able, and when spending hours riding around on scooter and motorcycles, the lack of pockets on the bum is actually a huge benefit. Shorts were either Kühl or Oliver All Over Short. The Olivers were my go-to gym, running, beach, and pool short. With the Kühl’s coming in for hiking or in Bali, my nearly every day pair.

My go-to throughout the whole journey has been my trusty Patagonia Nano Air Jacket. It packs down small when not needed, dries quickly when wet, breathes incredibly well, yet somehow also keeps me cozy. I love this thing, and it’s nearly always in my bag wherever I am in the world.

When I needed an extra insulating layer on top this, I rocked the Patagonia Nano Puff Hoody. Similar to the Nano Air, it packs down small while providing a tremendous amount of warmth.

Both of these jackets will handle a small amount of moisture, but for really cold or wet weather, my rain shell was essential. Again, I went with Patagonia (man, maybe I should get them to sponsor me!?) Luckily, where I lived in Maine, we were blessed with outlet stores a short drive away, so I saved quite a bundle buying off-season gear.

I think you could get away with one pair, plus flip flops (thongs for the Aussies.) My favorite thus far has been Scarpa. While they’re not easy to come by in the States, you can order them online, try ‘em out, then send back the ones that don’t work. I did that before I left and ended up with the Scarpa Zen Pro. Those things are bullet proof. Made it all the way around the world with them once, then somehow managed to leave them behind in Ibiza…still not sure how that happened. The Zen Pro’s were followed by the Scarpa Zodiac GTX. I’d hoped to be doing some trekking in Nepal, as well as riding around Vietnam on a motorcycle, so I wanted something a bit more rugged with ankle cover. I love these things. If you want something a little more urban, their line of Scarpa Mojito are awesome all-rounders.

The other pair that I started off with were the Nike Free RN Flyknit. I should’ve got a half-size bigger, but managed to still make it nearly a year with them. They are super lightweight. Totally squishable. And washable (important!) They’re nearly ubiquitous around the world as being the travel shoe. Seriously. You walk through an international airport anywhere and tell me that people aren’t rocking these things. That being said, when I got to Spain last summer, it was time for a change, and I found some awesome Adidas Hamburg Black Gums that have been adorning my feet ever since. I wouldn’t go running in them, but I left the marathon-ing behind when I left the states.

Last, but certainly not least, are the flip flops. My recommendation would be to go with whichever flavor of Havaianas floats your boat. They’re rubber, so they literally float (good for those times when you’re jumping from ship to short), they’re easy to clean, they won’t get water logged, and if you lose them, you can generally replace them fairly easily. I love my Rainbows, and that’s what I’m currently wearing, but when you’re roaming through hostel bathrooms and the places like Khao San Road of Bangkok, it’s nice to have something that doesn’t absorb the muck.

This will be a post unto itself, but suffice it to say a lightweight computer (if you intend on doing anything more than just reading emails and checking facebook), a camera (yes, you can get by with only your phone, but as a photographer I wasn’t going to leave the country without a proper camera. See my post on it here.), an unlocked phone (definitely do this, as data SIMs can be purchase for $10-30 for ~10GB of data, nearly everywhere else in the world), headlamp, battery, universal adapter, bluetooth speaker, Kindle, noise cancelling headphones, watch. If you use Apple products, definitely purchase this International Adapter Kit and you can use your power block worldwide to charge your devices. If you need a water purifier, I was gifted this amazing USB rechargeable one by SteriPen.

Oh, one of the best companions I’ve had is Evernote – I absolutely love writing longhand in a journal, and still do sometimes, but the ability to jot down quick lists, or write journal entries immediately after riding your first self-controlled roller coaster, or crouched on the ledge of an incredible lookout somewhere in Southern India is invaluable. Also is the ability to make checklists of all your items to be packed, and repacked. One of the most useful things I’ve done is create packing lists wherever and whenever I go. I know what I’m bringing, I know what’s packed, and I know what needs to be repacked so I don’t leave something hanging on a laundry line…it’s happened before, and when you only have a handful of items, missing one feels like losing one of your front fingers.

The quick answer, my one bag throughout this whole journey has been the Osprey Farpoint 40. This thing has been a most trusty steed. It’s been thrown atop (and from) boats, strapped to the back of a motorcycle for 3,000 kilometers, in the cargo hold and carry-on compartments of countless airlines around the world. Of course there are always things that could be improved, but this bag is the bees knees. First, it’s comfortable. Look, when you’re lugging 20-40 lbs (yes, that’s happened) all around the world, and you realize you’re actually a human-sized turtle carrying your life on your back, you want it to be comfortable. Not only that, but they’re intelligent (when I first saw it I thought it was quite odd) design around the zippers, ensures they remain safe and hidden in transit, even with a lock keeping them secure. You’ll never use the pockets on the outside for water bottles, at least I haven’t, but they’re great for throwing small miscellaneous things here and there. The straps can be used to secure your dirty laundry, a wet towel, or a travel yoga mat. I’d recommend attaching something like a brightly colored carabiner to one of the top corners to easily identify it in a pile of similar bags (it’ll happen), and that also comes in handy for clipping on a water bottle if needed.

Also, another bag that’s been with me from the start is the Osprey Stuff Pack. It packs down to a ball smaller than my fist, but can expand whenever needed into an 18 liter backpack. Perfect for day trips or even a multi-night adventure (you’ll find you need very little once you get used to the lifestyle).

I’ll post a full writeup of my comparisons between this bag and others, but suffice it to say, I did my homework before I left, and I’m glad I made the decision I did.

If you’re traveling on any length of journey where you even think you might need to wash some clothes, get this clothesline. Yes, you read that right. A freaking clothesline. One of the major missing pieces in hostels (and in general) around the world is an adequate place to hang things to dry. In a pinch, it can also double as a privacy curtain if you hang clothes on it between two outside posts on your bed. Not too shabby.

Bring some soap. I’d highly recommend Dr Bronners Peppermint or Eucalyptus soap. I also picked up a linen travel towel (like this one) that’s been fantastic. It’s lightweight, dries fast, and is much more odor resistant than the typical travel towel. I’ll see if I can find a link for that somewhere too.

Last thing is a silk sleeping bag liner. Sounds cushy. It is. If you’re not feeling super comfortable about the state of the bed you’re sleeping in, this will help. It’s also perfect for those times when you’re crashing on someone’s couch, or all you have are super itchy wool blankets (yup, happened in India.) This Sea to Summit liner has been with me since I started and has been a great addition.

Well there you have it. A basic summary of my travel gear. After the dust settles (and I get some sleep!) I’ll have a look and see what I missed.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out!

PS – I’ve tried linking to Amazon and others where I can to see if this whole “affiliate” thing is worth it. So forgive me if it doesn’t work as planned!