| Packing list for Central America trip – summer 2007 |
| Item |
Usage |
Notes |
|
Baggage/containers |
| Backpack: Dana Design New World |
|
borrowed from a friend so I don’t know the exact specs, estimate it was about 2600ci |
| Day pack: REI Mini Sling |
|
sadly, discontinued… but it’s the perfect size and has lots of pockets |
| Baggalini toiletry bag |
|
sent home; too bulky |
| Eagle Creek pack-it cubes |
|
2 medium, one small, also one double-sided waterproof for toiletries |
| Vacuum seal bags |
|
these were great for condensing stuff down in the pack! |
|
Clothes |
| Khaki pants |
1 |
will probably bump this up to 2pr for next trip, one darker fabric |
| 3 pairs shorts (2 for wearing out, 1 for sleeping) |
1 |
one pair had thicker fabric and was hard to dry; could have made do with only two total |
| Black leggings |
3 |
turned out to be mostly unnecessary |
| Dress/cover-up |
2 |
got the most use as a scuba/beach cover-up |
| Long-sleeved shirt (Ex-officio Air Strip Lite) |
2 |
not used a ton, but was really glad to have it |
| Sweater |
2 |
not used a ton, but was really glad to have it |
| 3 short-sleeved shirts |
1 |
acquired two more along the way so this was really overkill. will need to find quicker-drying fabrics for next trip and will bring only one to start. |
| Black tank top |
2 |
acquired another along the way |
|
Footwear |
| Keen H2s |
1 |
love-love-LOVE my Keens! broke 'em in a bit before leaving, and they were completely comfortable from the start. enough traction, plus closed-toe design, made them great for light hiking too. |
| Flip flops |
1 |
don't remember the brand name, but I got the thinnest ones I could fine. they were super-thin and packed well for travel days. I wore them literally to shreds (see above) so I'm gonna have to buy a new pair for the next trip. |
|
Underwear/Accessories |
| 2 bras (one black, one light pink) |
1 |
the pink one had light padding which was a bit tough to dry and the underwire was completely hosed by the end of the trip - consider spending the cash for durable travel bras in lightweight fabric! |
| 8 pairs bottoms |
1 |
too many! reduce to about 4 pairs; high-tech quick-drying ones are worth the investment |
| 3 pairs socks |
2 |
only needed one pair |
| Scarf |
4 |
never really found myself needing to “dress up” an outfit |
| Pashmina |
2 |
useful as a scarf, shawl, blanket, pillow |
| Sarong |
1 |
towel, beach wrap, makeshift shoulder bag |
| Bandana |
1 |
'do rag, gear wrapper, buffered CDs while in transit |
| 3 bathing suits |
2 |
one would have sufficed, except during scuba week when having an alternate was handy |
| Baseball cap |
2 |
too American/touristy, need some other hat |
| Two pairs sunglasses |
1 |
|
| Jacket |
1 |
waterproof but not very warm; layered with sweater and pashmina as needed |
|
Toiletry items
(unless otherwise noted, all items were used almost daily |
| Contact lens supplies, extra contacts, glasses |
|
|
| Oil of Olay lotion |
|
also contains sunscreen, useful in a pinch |
| Shampoo & conditioner in small no-leak bottles |
|
replenished as needed |
| Liquid soap in small no-leak bottle |
|
replenished as needed |
| MSR PackTowl UltraLite Towel - Small |
|
super-small (about washcloth-size and really thin) so I had to supplement with my sarong. the concept is right, but will purchase a larger size for the next trip. |
| Hair brush |
4 |
sent home |
| Perfume in small spray bottle |
|
|
| Hair elastics, cloth head band |
|
|
| 2 nail files, clippers |
|
|
| Foot pumice |
|
|
| Razor w/4 refills |
|
|
| Bandaids & blister pads |
|
|
| Dental floss |
|
|
| Makeup (eyeliner, mascara, shadow, lip gloss) |
3 |
rarely used, but nice to have on hand |
| Jewelry (ring, necklace, earrings) |
1 |
rarely used, but nice to have on hand |
| Earplugs |
|
|
| Cotton balls, Qtips, Tissues |
|
|
| Toilet paper packs (3) |
|
2 on a string, 1 in a plastic case |
| Fem prods |
|
I have a particular brand I like, but otherwise these would be easy to find worldwide. |
| Laundry detergent (powdered) |
|
should’ve brought liquid; powder hard to dissolve by hand |
| Shout wipes & Tide to-go |
|
|
| Thermometer |
|
|
| Lavender essential oil |
|
helpful in stinky hostel rooms |
| Sewing kit |
|
|
| Safer sex supplies |
|
never leave home without 'em |
| Deep Woods Off towelettes |
|
handy, but used 'em up really fast, and the chemical was pretty harsh on my skin |
| Cream mozzie repellent |
|
acquired along the way… much nicer on the skin than the spray junk |
| Mozzie coils |
|
acquired along the way… love these things! |
| Sanitizing hand wipes |
|
|
| Sunscreen |
|
easily replenished as needed |
| Prescription meds: Naproxen, Cipro, Diflucan, Compro, Chloroquinine |
|
the only one I ever really used was the Chloro, but it was comforting to have these on hand |
| OTC meds: Neosporin, Anti-itch cream, Tylenol PM, Dramamine, Pepto tablets, Chloroseptic strips, Alleve, Anti-diarrheal, Multi-vitamin |
|
one thing I forgot was Nyquil! also planning on taking some powdered Emergen-C on the next trip |
|
Technology |
| Phone plus charger |
1 |
not used as a phone, but as an alarm clock, address book, calendar, entertainment |
| Camera (Nikon Coolpix S7c) plus charger/dock/cables |
1 |
convenient size, but I miss the functionality of a DSLR |
| Extra cam battery & mem card |
2 |
|
| Universal converter |
4 |
unnecessary in Central Am, duh! |
| Skype headset |
4 |
most internet cafes that support Skype also have headsets |
| Blank CDs for archiving pics |
1 |
some got scratched along the way; better to use a small thumb drive instead |
| Music CDs for gifting |
2 |
handy, lightweight gifts for CouchSurfing hosts and friends met along the way |
|
Misc |
| Dive log & card |
1 |
|
| Drawing supplies (charcol, paper, blending tools) |
4 |
nice idea, but charcoal is just too messy for the road |
| Camera manual |
2 |
used in beginning, should have mailed it back |
| Research materials (notes) |
3 |
relied more on guidebooks (see below) |
| Insurance & other paperwork |
|
|
| Extra baggies & rubber bands |
1 |
can never have too many of these! a million and one uses |
| Binder clips and large paper clips |
2 |
|
| 3 sharpies |
2 |
|
| Mini post-its |
2 |
helpful for flagging key areas of guidebooks |
| Extra safety pins |
3 |
|
| Four journals |
1 |
brought two; acquired two – hard to find good journals in CentAm |
| Two packs of colored pens |
1
| probably overkill, but I do loves mah special pens! |
| Compass |
2 |
useful when exiting public transport in a new city |
| Two carabiners, one locking |
1 |
|
| Matches |
2
| |
| Key pouch for wrist |
4 |
anytime I was out & about with a key I also had enough other stuff with me that I just took my daypack |
| Small notebook & small pens |
1 |
great for recording daily expenses and small notes |
| Security pouch: passport, trav chex, US dollars, defunct currency, extra pen |
1
| put items in small Ziploc bags to protect against sweat |
| Oktapodi |
1 |
essential! J |
| Guidebooks (more details below) & reading materials |
1 |
I carve up my guidebooks as I go (gasp!) and then trash them when leaving the country. new reading materials were pretty easy to find at hostel book exchanges. |
| Travel cards |
2 |
like a business card, with contact info like email, Skype handle, web site. easier than writing it all out on a scrap of paper every time I met a new travel friend, and they're available for free from places like VistaPrint.com. |
Many an article has been penned on how to pack for long-term travel. People spend countless hours scheming and planning and worrying about how to fit everything into one bag. Not a very big bag, either, since you'll be humping it around on your back the whole time. 