What's in my backpack?
This page is the second in a two-part series. The first tells the story of my present pack. This one gives an inventory of all the gear in my pack!
Living out of a pack
One bonus of living out of a backpack, a situation I find myself in most of the time, is that your life stays pretty simple. If it won't fit in your pack, you don't need to own it.That doesn't mean you never buy anything. I love gradually replacing little things from the gear that's in the pack. Finding the perfect pair of pants to replace the one I've been wearing for a year can take me another year, but it give me lots of pleasure.
I had long been meaning to do an inventory of what I like to pack on long trips. This page has given me an excuse to do it. It will list what's with me now on the two-year round-the-world journey that started on April 27 2008.
Pack Bottom
This is the section of the pack with the red fabric. I don't zip the flap that can separate the pack into two compartments.Hiking boots. I've tried traveling around the world without hiking boots but found I didn't like it. It severely limits you when the chance arises to go on a nice mountain walk. Sadly, my boots don't come out nearly as often as I'd like. They're cheap lightweight hiking books with Goretex lining to make it easier to cross streams and puddles. I used to only buy hiking boots with Vibram soles, but these boots don't have Vibram and they've been great. Each boot sits at the bottom of the pack in its own little plastic bag from the supermarket.
Shoe polish in a black nylon bag, for my everyday shoes: "blunnies" (Australian casual / work boots). The nylon bag contains a plastic bag. The plastic bag contains a toothbrush for removing dirt and a ziplock. The ziplock contains a shoe brush with natural bristles, and a 38g (one-ounce) tin of dark tak shoe polish, Kiwi brand.
Sleeping bag in a plastic bag for water protection. It's a Zodiac 400 XL by Mont (an Australian brand). A very light down sleeping bag. I used to have the Mont Nitro (an even lighter model), but I was too cold too often. This bag can fully unzip into a blanket. Mine has a left-hand zipper that can hook to my lady friend's right-hand zipper to make one big bag.
Silk liner. Lives inside the sleeping bag stuff sack, in its own little silk bag. 100% silk, standard size, no brand. Adds a few degrees on chilly nights.
Mattress. Thermarest NeoAir (large). Mattresses have been getting lighter and warmer. My previous mattress was a Thermarest ProLite3 (regular). I found it too narrow at the shoulders on really cold nights.
Mozzie Net. Sea to Summit double mosquito net (treated, black). In many countries, mosquitoes are a health hazard. And even if they're safe, who wouldn't want a good night's sleep? This net is heavy but worth the weight. The single I owned before was not wide enough for most hotel matresses. When there's no obvious place to attach the net, I either use adhesive tape or a little screw-hook that I keep in my toiletry bag.
Rain jacket. Marmot Nano (XL). This shell only weighs eight ounces! It is made of Goretex PacLite. Before that, I owned a NorthFace Goretex shell that I thought I'd never replace. But it weighted about two pounds, and the advance in materials was such that I couldn't resist the weight savings.
Rain pants. XL polyester pants by Rainbird. For torrential rain. Efficient but could be lighter.
Mosquito head net by Sea to Summit. Particularly useful for flies in the Australian outback. Rarely used, but when it is, it's a hero.
Middle section of the pack
Sun hat, pressed against the wall of the bag. It's made in the USA by Sunday Afternoons, size L. I found it at REI and it's the best sun hat I've ever owned. The visor is large enough to shield my big nose in all sun conditions, and the back flap fully covers the neck.Down Jacket (Marmot Zeus, Large). Part of my four-layer system to keep warm and dry (thermals, softshell, down jacket, rain jacket).
Clothes. I keep my clothes in an ultra-light water-resistant stuff sack, a 20-liter model by Sea to Summit. (They make several models, this is the one made of ultra-sil nylon.) The sack contains:
- One pair of Smartwool "Hiking" socks (size L, medium cushion). The second pair is on my feet. Smartwool makes the best socks I've found for all kinds of conditions. They're comfortable, they don't stink, and they last forever.
- One pair of Smartwool "Trekking" socks (size L, heavy cushion).
- One pair of Smartwool "Mountaineering" socks (size L, extra heavy cushion). For the coldest days.
- Two pairs of silk socks, black (Wetze brand). These weigh close to nothing, and they're the best I've found to protect feet against frostbite.
- One pair of fleece booties, Katmandu brand. Not extremely effective, but they help a bit, and I do hate cold feet!
- Three t-shirts (Hanes Beefy-T, size L, purchased from Cheapest Tees. The fourth is on my body. Great fit, last a long time. My favorite colors in these shirts are Deep Navy, Dark Chocolate, Deep Royal, Deep Forest and Lavender.
- One long-sleeve t-shirt (Hanes Beefy-T, Gold, size XL). Essential for protection from the sun.
- One "party shirt". For these two nights a year when I might want to look a bit smarter than usual.
- Three pairs of Ex-Officio boxer briefs, size M. The fourth is on my body. Wash them in the sink at night, they're dry in the morning. I've had my oldest pair for nearly four years, it shows few signs of aging. I hate the recent redesign: they've stuck the brand prominently on the waistband, and they've placed a cheap-looking plastic color logo on the leg. If I'd known, I wouldn't have bought them. Hey, Ex-Officio, don't you get it that we just want a good product, we don't to be used as billboards???
- Thermal tops. A must have. I wouldn't dream to travel without my thermal tops and bottoms. Rainbow-color, made in New Zealand by Paddy Pallin, size XXL. 100% polypropylene. Sporting goods stores say that thermals made of Merino wool are even better. Don't believe it. I've bought a pair, it cost way more, it weighed double and it wasn't as warm. With the polypro thermals, do make sure not to leave your shirt and pants in the dryer, they can melt!
- "Long Johns", i.e., thermal underwear. Rainbow-color, made in New Zealand by Paddy Pallin, size XXL.
- Gloves, made of polar fleece. Always glad to have them at some stage. I used to carry silk gloves (slightly lighter), but I find that the fleece gloves give more protection when it's windy.
- Hat (Mountain Hardwear Dome Perignon, Blue Ice, L). Cuts the wind and protects the ears.
- Hood, made of polar fleece. When the drawstring is pulled, the hood can covers the ears, the neck, the lips and the nose.
- Silk scarf. Weighs nothing, and I like to wrap it around my head to keep the light out on flights and overnight bus rides.
- Towel. Some lightweight towels are just awful—they're made of a stretchy fabric you don't want to be rubbing on your body. But this towel is fantastic: it feels like a towel, but it's still very light and dries fast. Brand unknown, about two feet by four.
- Short pants in quick-dry fabric, with drawstring and good pockets. for swimming or walking around. In one pocket, I keep "swimmer's ear plugs" to keep water out of my sensitive ears when I swim.
Cheap sunglasses. One pair lives in the clothes bag. There is another pair in the pack's outside pocket.
GPS. Lives in the clothes bag. Garmin 60CSX with a 16GB SD card loaded with maps of wherever I'm going. I bought this unit for hiking but have come to love it for turn-by-turn directions when driving in a new place. Heavy, but I don't have a camera.
Water filters. The Steripen Adventurer (which lives in the clothes bag) is half the weight of previous model. I also carry the Steripen pre-filter for Nalgene bottles. Five ounces altogether.
Food container. Great to receive food and carry it around. Round plastic box by Lock & Lock. The rubber seal and clamps supposedly make it leak-proof, but I've definitely had leaks.
Money pouch in a plastic bag. The pouch itself is meant to be strapped around the calf, but I use a money belt instead. The pouch contains several small ziplocks with:
- the key to my shack,
- the passport I'm not traveling on (US or Australia),
- a photocopy of my other passport,
- the "electronic security dongles" for two bank accounts,
- the ATM cards I'm not using at the time,
- a bit of paper currency (usually US, Euro and Australian),
- a checkbook,
- my second driver's license,
- credit-card-size "contact cards" I've made with many phone numbers and important details (some of them coded), and the same for my lady friend,
- an electronic pass to enter a storage facility in Australia,
- my voter card,
- a few receipts that I need to scan and store online,
- a photo of my lady friend,
- several passport photos (handy for visa applications),
- a few tickets for the Paris metro (for my next visit twenty years from now).
Upper part of the pack
Softshell jacket (REI One, Medium). Replaced a two-layer fleece. Part of my four-layer system to stay warm and dry (thermals, softshell, down jacket, rain jacket).Toiletries. This nylon bag contains:
- toothbrush, toothpaste, and sometimes a little baking soda in a ziplock,
- "flossing brush" (Access Flosser by Reach), and a ziplock with disposable heads,
- cotton swabs in ziplock,
- 5%-minoxidil hair regrowth treatment,
- nail clipper,
- one hairtie,
- tiny flask of lavender oil, in case I ever want to smell good,
- container with ibuprofen tablets (rarely used),
- one or two disposable shavers,
- tube of Lucas papaw ointment for scratches and occasional skin care,
- tube of hydrating lotion,
- a screw with a hook, sometimes used to hang the mosquito net,
- one 15ml-flask of betadine antiseptic,
- four tablets of anti-histaminic in case of a life-threatening allergic reaction (xyzall brand, 5 grams, never used).
First-aid and miscellaneous body-care. Rarely opened, this canvas zipper bag contains:
- ten to twenty pairs of my favorite foam earplugs (Pro-Soft EPPSR, SLC80, 25db, Class 4, by Protector Alsafe, +612-9203-0111, 13 Cooper Street, Smithfield, NSW 2164 Australia),
- about a hundred "floss heads" for the Reach "Access Flosser",
- one spare "floss brush" by Reach,
- one spare toothbrush (wrapped in cling-wrap),
- two spare containers of 5%-minoxidil hair regrowth treatment,
- one course of cephalexin antibiotics, just in case, over three years old,
- one course of lofenoxal anti diarrea treatment, over three years old,
- seven tablets of xyzall 5mg antihistaminic in case of extreme allergies,
- four "magic pills" (Rinchen Mangjor Chemo) from the Tibetan Medical Institute (Gangchen Kyishong), Dharamsala, India,
- one pair of surgical gloves,
- a roll of gauze,
- one small ziplock full of band-aids from a first-aid kit (I counted 44 pieces, one sterile pad and a 5in x 9in dressing),
- one ziplock with little pouches from a ten-year-old first-aid kit: two bags of diphen antihistamine for hay fever, two bags of cetafen extra pain reliever, five bags of betadine swabs, three bags of benzalkonium chloride antiseptic towelettes, one sani-dex antimicrobial wipe, one povidone-iodine pad, three bags of triple antibiotic ointment,
- one tube of neosporin antibiotic and pain relieving cream,
- one "eye cup", an ayurvedic implement, "Naulakha Deluxe" model, bought for 11 roupies in Pune, India.
Stove. SnowPeak LiteMax. I didn't have my beloved MSR Pocket Rocket on this trip and missed it. I was amazed by the weight of this stove—two ounces! There is no longer an excuse for not carrying a stove.
Water coil. When I can find one, I carry an electric coil that can be plunged directly into a cup of water to make a cup of tea. This is an item I have to replace all the time because (i) voltages vary from country to country, and (ii) the cheap, lightweight models that I buy tend to fry after a couple months of intensive use.
Mug. 600ml titanium mug by Snow Peak. Amazingly light. The handles fold back for easy packing. Nice to be able to drink a large amount of hot liquid without refilling. This is the "single wall" model that is a little bit lighter and can go straight on the stove.
Musical instrument. I'd rarely travel without some kind of musical instrument, such as shakers, drumsticks or a flute. (I once went around the world with an amazing slide-didge of my making, but obviously that didn't fit in the pack.)
One pair of Croc's, black. These shoes' appearance dismayed me for years, but I surrendered and bought a pair to replace my flip flops. Open-air, ultra-light-weight foot gear is a must-pack if you're going through hot countries or anywhere near a beach. I find the Croc's easier to walk in than the Reef's flip flops I had before, and they're not much heavier.
Book, paper and pen. I wish I didn't have to carry the weight, but I usually carry one or more books as well as other kinds of paper product, such as a notebook, print-outs of travel itineraries, a list of yoga asanas or xeroxed pages from a guide book. The lot usually stays in a large ziplock or plastic bag, together with a pen.
Sturdy plastic bag. This bag is made of green, red, yellow and blue threaded plastic. It's big, it has a zipper, it's really strong and it looks really cheap, which doesn't make me as much of a target. I bought in in Bangkok but there are equivalents in many countries. I use it for carry-on luggage and also when walking on the street.
Inside Pocket
Headlamp. Petzl Tikka XP 2. Headlamp technology keeps improving. For the same amount of power, LED bulbs are getting brighter. I chose this lamp as a replacement for a three-year-old Black Diamond because of weight.MP3 players. It may sound inefficient, but at the moment I carry two MP3 players. Fortunately, both are tiny. The Sansa clip stores 8GB of music and recharges via USB. The Creative Muvo, which I've owned for five years, only stores 1GB, but it runs on a single AAA battery, which is a great benefit on long camping trips: you can't recharge a battery on the trail. I carry one pair of earbuds, the ER 6i by Etymotic.
Alarm clock. My watch is not loud enough, and I wear ear-plugs. The Casio PQ-10 is light, loud and it runs for a year on two tiny LR-44 batteries.
Batteries. Four to eight AAA batteries for the headlamp and the Muvo mp3 player. Two AA batteries for the GPS.
"Tech bag". This 1-L ultra-sil dry sack by Sea to Summit contains a few items I've found useful to carry:
- USB key,
- mini-jack "Y-splitter" (allowing two people to plug into an mp3 player),
- 10-inch mini-jack to RCA cable (to plug an mp3 player into a TV or stereo),
- 3-foot male-male mini-jack extension cord,
- female-female mini-jack coupler,
- two CR2016 batteries for the Photon Freedom Micro light,
- four-inch USB extension, often useful in internet cafés,
- USB cable (not sure what the other much thinner side is called), used both for the GPS and the Sansa Clip,
- Eight SD cards in a hard carrying case by LowePro, totalling about 100GB capacity: five x 8GB, two x 16GB, 1 x 32GB. I used to carry DVDs around, they often failed. SD cards are safer, lighter, and easier to use.
- USB SD-card reader by Kingston (MobileLite).
Knifes. Two knifes. Victorinox Swiss-Army knife, blue. A fairly basic model with scissors and can opener. Might downgrade to a model without the cork-screw as I haven't been drinking. This is probably inefficient, but I also have a knife with a longer blade for food-prepping. It's also a Victorinox, it's very light and it has a serrated blade.
Spork. Titanium spoon / fork by Snow Peak. One of my most treasured possessions. Can't believe I haven't lost it since 2001.
Lighter (in a ziplock).
Compass. A hiking model by Silva, about five inches long (to be used on a map).
Odds and ends in a water-resistant stuff sack (ultra-light 2-L bag by Sea to Summit):
- ziplock containing a spool of maroon thread and a needle,
- thermarest repair kit (what good is a matress if it won't hold air?),
- universal sink plug, no brand, bought from a supermarket,
- rope. At least ten feet of strong thin rope. You never know when you'll need a knot or a clothesline.
- swimming goggles, lightweight, in case there's a swimming pool or a chance to snorkel,
- thin card holder, in case I'm in a country where I feel safe carrying cards in my pocket rather than in a money belt,
- whistle, in case I ever have the time and need to call for help,
- a few tiny key rings, to replace broken zipper handles,
- a tube of super glue.
Space blanket. I haven't had to use it but would on an unbearably cold night. The blanket reflects body heat. So far, when I've been really really cold, I've managed by pushing my legs (in the sleeping bag) inside my backpack, and laying the rain shell on top of the thermarest for further insulation from the ground.
Knee brace. For hikes with serious declines, in case of knee pain.
Lock. Combination lock by Master. For countries where you supply your own padlock on hotel doors. Too heavy! I'd love to find a lightweight lock.
Security Cable. Cable by Pacsafe. To secure the pack to a luggage rack or a piece of furniture. Nothing that a pair of pliers won't cut, but good insurance against "pick-up-and-runs". Too heavy.
Vision glasses. In case I ever have to drive a long distance at night. I haven't found a satisfactory place for these—over the course of many packings and unpackings, they tend to bend or break.
Upper (Outside) pocket
This is the most accessible part of the pack, so I use it to store items that I can lose without great upset.Adhesive tape. One roll of two-inch-wide transparent tape. Cannot count the number of occasions this has come in handy.
Water bottle. Nalgene Silo (48 oz., 1.5L).
Sunscreen, in safe plastic container and ziplock.
Empty Nalgene bottle, 200ml, in case I ever want to carry oil.
Hand sanitizer (about 50ml).
Trowel. An orange plastic trowel by Coghlans for those times when a hole must be dug and a toilet improvised.
Toilet paper. One or two rolls, in ziplock.
Laundry soap. One bar, inside a little "holder bag" I found in India that's convenient to hang the soap to dry—the lot wrapped in plastic bags.
Shampoo in small Nalgene bottle, wrapped in two plastic bags.
Dish-washing liquid and scrubber sponge. Occasionally I'll carry a miniature bottle of detergent, along with the smallest scrubber I can find. Handy for periods when I eat out of my plastic food container.
Neti pot. A light plastic pot shaped like a watering can, for the yoga practice of "neti kriya" (cleaning the inside of the nose). Inside the pot, I often keep a ziplock with a little coarse sea salt, required for the practice.
Cheap sunglasses. I keep a pair in the outside pocket for easy reach. They often break. There is an extra pair in the clothes bag.
Extra plastic bags and ziplocks. A few of these have a way of always coming in handy.
Garbage bag. If chances of being stranded under pouring rain are considerable, I will back a large garbage bag in which to place the backpack.
What's On Me (not in the pack)
The packing list wouldn't be complete if I didn't include the gear that's on me. At any time, one of the items below is liable to find itself in the pack in place of one of the items listed above.Shoes. Blundstones #500, size 10½, equipped with insoles by Superfeet (Orange, size G). These low boots have three great things going for them. You can slip them on and off in about two seconds; they'll easily last two years of daily use; and they can look casual or dressy depending on what you wear them with. However, they're no good to hike in. I used to joke that my blunnies where one of only two things I owned that were made in Australia. I was so fond of these shoes that I once made a detour to see the factory outside of Hobart, Tasmania. But now they've moved the manufacturing to China! The only Australian-made item I now own is my African bougarabou drum made by the brilliant Cliff Salaun of Ecodrums, Ettrick.
Socks. A pair of regular thickness Smartwool socks. Three more pairs of Smartwools are in the pack.
Pants. A pair of Paramount Utility pants by the North Face. They replaced a great pair of pants I bought for ten bucks at a market in the Middle East, and I'm still getting to know them. The fabric feels both strong and light. But I miss the elastic waist band of my former pants, which made them accomodating of seasonal weight swings.
Underpants. One pair of Ex-Officio boxer briefs. Three more in the pack.
T-shirt. Hanes Beefy-T, color, size L. Three more in the pack.
Money belt. The black Coversafe by Pacsafe is the best of the many money belts I've owned. Its selling points are the cable-reinforced waist-band and the mesh that makes the pouch itself resistant to razor blades. I couldn't care less about these "risks"—if they have razor blades, they can take it anyway—but I appreciate the sturdiness. This is a solid, reliable product. On the minus side, the waterproof passport pouch is a joke: it won't accomodate a 52-page US passport, and the plastic zipper goes off-track after three-uses. My belt contains:
- the passport I'm traveling on,
- a photocopy of my other passport,
- my driver's license,
- the same credit-card-size "contact card" mentioned above, with many phone numbers and important details (some of them in code)
- ATM cards, credit cards, and a card with access codes for a financial website.
Around the neck: Watch and Flashlight. On a loop of strong black string, I've attached two items that I wear around my neck:
- Watch. I don't like the feel of a watch around the wrist. I bought a lightweight lady's watch by Casio (the LW-201), stripped the bracelet and tied it to the string. The chest area can get very humid; after two years, the first LW-201 died and I bought a replacement. I wish this watch had a stronger alarm.
- Flashlight. I love always having light on me. A small light makes itself useful often and in many ways, whether to find my way on a moonless night or to light up the dial of my combination padlock. At the moment I carry a tiny one-LED light by Photon, the Freedom Micro. I've had it for nearly three years, and it's better than the other Photon models I've owned.
Gear that intrigues me
This hammock sounds neat. I have been wondering about experimenting with a hammock on a camping trip (rather than the usual tent).Gear Links
For info on headlamps, I like this forum.Reviews are well-organized on Trailspace. It's often hard to find comparative reviews on the latest equipment. One trick that sometimes works is to use the search words "Best All-Around" on the backpacker.com website. The Consumer Search website has gone way commercial and down in quality, but for some items it can be a good place to start. On rare occasions, the Backpacking Light website has helpful reviews, but most of the content is out of bounds for non-subscribers—seeya.
Smiles,
Andy
p.s.: If you have found this page useful, please share, bookmark or comment below. (If you have a question, please ask on the forum rather than in the guestbook below, where questions won't be answered.)
