My previous packing post was based on some last minute, minimalistic travel packing, but this time we have done the opposite, breaking two packing records: one for bringing with us much more than we usually do and the second for being finished packing a whole week before we go (because we are homeless and had to move into a hotel for our last week!).
Normally I would say that you should pack as little as possible, but we will start going through a -30 degree icy Siberia and have therefore packed with us winter jackets, boots and other things that we will give away before we leave China. We have also been saving up old t-shirts and underwear for a whole year instead of throwing them away, so that these can be thrown them away while traveling. This is what we will end up bringing:
Packing for him:
– 3 jackets: a thick winter jacket for Siberia (an old one to be given away afterwards), a thin down feather jacket for the South American heights (150kr at Cubus) and a thin rain jacket (can be folded to fit in a pocket)
– 3 pairs of shoes: a pair of winter boots (only for the Trans Mongolian Railway), leightweight running shoes (main pair to be used) and a pair of Hawaiianas (flip flops that can hang on the outside of the backpack)
– 5 pairs of pants: two linen, one cotton, one jeans and one pair of windproof pants
– 3 pairs of shorts (one being a pair of swimshorts)
– 2 pairs of woolen underwear (takes up little space and two layers should keep you warm)
– 1 microfiber towel (10dollars on eBay)
– 3 buffs (free ad buffs that can be gotten anywhere) and other winter wear accessories: one pair of mittens, one scarf, one winter hat
– 5 t-shirts and 3 long shirts (so that I can wash clothes less often)
– 10 pairs of boxers and socks (will be reduced to at least half after around a week of traveling)
– Accessories/gadgets: Flashlight, swiss army knife, sunglasses, GoPro with three batteries and two memory cards, Mounts (GoPole, mini tripod, bicycle mount and a homemade wristmount), iPad with Logitech Ultrathin Mini keyboard and lightning charger, phone with micro USB charger, dry sacks (one red for dirty clothes and a blue for clean ones), fanny pack with id, credit card and foreign currency and all travel documents
-Toiletries: toothbrush, tooth paste, asthma medicine, deodorant, shaving machine (philips running on AA batteries), hairwax and headache and allergy pills.
Packing for her:
– 4 pairs of shoes: a pair of winter boots, leightweight running shoes, two pairs of sandals (one pair of flip-flops and one pair of more supportive sandals).
– 2 pairs of shorts
– 4 pairs of pants: one pair of linen pants, one windproof, one pair of stretchy jeans and one tights
– 2 sweathers: one fleece, one cardigan
– 2 pairs of woolen underwear
– 4 singlets and 4 t-shirts
– One long skirt or dress for special occasions
– 1 microfiber towel
– 2 bikinis
– Thin long shirt to throw over bikini on the beach
– 5 pairs of woolen socks and 5 pair of ankle socks
– underwear + training bra
– Winter wear accessories: scarf, hat, gloves (thin and thick), leg warmers and earflaps
– 2 jackets: one winter jacket and one thin down feather jacket
– Accessories/gadgets: Computer, camera, iPod (loaded with music and audio books), hard drive, chargers, flashlight, sunglasses, pen, notebook, neck pillow for flights, special folder for passports, copies of travel documents and extra cash, soups and travel cutlery (for the trans mongolian train)
– Toiletries: Shampoo, conditioner, intimate soap, moroccan hair oil and hair dresser shampoo in travel size packs for pampering days, facial creme, deodorant, dry shampoo, sun screen, hair scrunchy, nail clipper, antibac and essential makeup products and makeup remover.
And this is how the luggage looks like, fully packed: My blue backpack weighing 13kilos, her orange backpack weighing 13 kilos: although very different, the weight is the same! The small orange day trip backpack, where we also keep all our valuables weights 6 kilos. So we will be well below the 20 kilos plus carry-on is included in most international flights.
