The Backpack
While traveling around the world I carried around a good 35 pounds and was often asked what I packed. No, I didn’t carry souvenirs (there are post offices!) or evening gowns. there just isn’t much you really need to set off for a good global adventure.
1. Medicines – I had stuff for all sorts of ailments and injuries as just in case for times I wasn’t near a pharmacy or wasn’t well enough to get to one. By far the most valuable ones to me were Neosporin (it cures everything the Greeks use Windex for), Dramamine, oral rehydration salts and probiotics. Other than Neosporin the others could be bought at any pharmacy. The only preventative medicine I used was Malarone for malaria in Madagascar (I recently heard of someone taking that for a trip to Costa Rica where all they were going to do was take a tour bus and I still can’t get my eyebrows back down) and that really needs to be purchased in advance of travel. Any anti-malaria with -quine in the name seems to provide great visions and an overall odd feeling so unless that’s your goal I would go with the low/no side effect Malarone.
2. Gadgets and batteries – I had my camera, lens attachments, video camera, binoculars, outlet adapters and chargers of all sorts. The medicine and gadget bag were by far the heaviest portion of my pack, but I never could pare them down very far. I probably used the binoculars the least, but was so glad when I had them – for lemurs, whales, etc.
3. A good multi-purpose knife (knife, scissors, corkscrew) and wet wipes. I had great dreams of eating mangoes while traveling by train through Madagascar. Turned out they only had one short-ish distance train line semi-running and it wasn’t mango season. I didn’t give up hope though because the Philippines came later and there were good mangoes (along with Vietnam). India had excellent mangoes as well but I ate them civilized residential. When you have good mangoes and limited access to a sink, you need wet wipes.
4. Clothes, Teva sandals (seems like standard traveler equipment), 50 cent flip flops for showers, a versatile walking/hiking shoe and a pair of black flats I was ready to retire when done traveling. As for clothes, there was the usual traveler/hiker North Face kinds of t-shirts and shorts (fleece top, rain jacket, no heavy jacket), but for pants I can’t say enough about Dockers. They’re cheap, they’re stretchy enough for hiking, they’re cotton so they breath, and my black pair with flats got me out of the jungle and into 777 first class seats as if I hadn’t missed a hot shower.
5. A list of addresses for postcards, copy of my passport (also emailed to myself) and a self-made photo ID listing medications, allergies and emergency contact info.
6. Sunscreen. Period.
Other than that, there’s nothing you really need to carry around for a year and a half. It’s funny when I hear about what people have to have or need and most of the time none of that would have fit in my backpack. Really, with clean water and a few necessities you are all set to set off on a world trip.
