Starting Somewhere

Three months out

A few months before leaving for our trip we started looking into what backpacks, clothes and essentials we would need for our one year trip around the world. It was overwhelming but exciting at the same time. We did lots of research and then dedicated a little corner of our living room to start packing our stuff together.

Backpacks

What we looked for:

1. A good suspension system was essential since we plan on doing treks along the way.
2. We looked for a front loading pack which would allow us to open it more like a suitcase. This gives easy access without unpacking the whole bag for one item.
3. A pack that is versatile, allowing us to both trek, and travel with. It needed functionality without being too bulky or covered in loops and straps.
4. We tried really hard to get carry on size hoping to have our packs with us as much as possible due to airlines consistently losing our bags.

Together we spent a few weeks visiting REI looking at and trying on backpacks. After a few weeks of intense online research and trying on different packs in the store we went along with Kelty Redwing 40L & Osprey Kestrel 48L. Also, we brought a technology backpack WANDRD 31L which we won during a giveaway a few days just before flying out! It was God’s gift to us. We really needed it, but didn’t have the budget for it.

Size

Many people bring much bigger packs for a trip of this sort, however, we consciously decided to get smaller ones. We believe in mas o menos being minimalistic, and we know that as humans we tend to think we need more than we actually do. Our goal was to force ourselves to think critically about what we brought, and to pack only the essentials. Additionally, having smaller bags translates to less weight which is very important.

Here are some other great packs we considered that might work for you depending on your fit or preferences:

1. Osprey Farpoint 40L

2. Osprey Waypoint 55L

3. Osprey Packs Fairview 55

4. Deuter Transit 50L

5. Osprey Women’s Kyte 46L

 

Alex’s Pack

Osprey Kestrel 48L

Clothes:

• 4 quick drying t-shirts
• 2 casual shirts
• light active sweater
• 1 long sleeve shirt
• Columbia quick dry hiking pants
• Prana pants
• Prana Shorts
• Columbia Packable rain jacket
• Packable Down coat for colder temps
• Prana Swimming shorts
• Set of Merino Wool thermals ( Meriwool is a great company and we love all their stuff!)
• short ankle Merino wool socks
• long ankle Merino wool socks
• 7 boxers
• hat
• Patagonia snapback 
• Sunglasses

Toiletries:

• bamboo toothbrush
• tube of Tom’s toothpaste
• beard trimmer with attachments
• Dr. Bronner’s Organic liquid soap
• Nail Clippers
• Deodorant

Shoes:

• Chaco’s
• Trail Running Shoes – LaSportivas

Katie’s Pack

Kelty Redwing 40L

Clothes:

Shirts

• 4 t-shirts ( keeping the colors neutral and simple so that I can mix and match with shorts/pants. make sure to have at least 1-2 quick dry shirts and merino wool)
• 3-4- tank tops
• 1 hooded sweater/fleece (colder temps, hiking, evenings)
• 1 long sleeve (a long sleeve is always nice to have for hiking or colder days. Again, make sure to get quality and merino wool, its the best!)

Pants/Shorts/Dresses

• 1 quick dry hiking pants (Best for hiking and active days, dry quick)
• 2 pairs of shorts (fold easily and are great for everyday type of wearing)
• 1 pair of active shorts (great for hiking, working out, or on the beach/water activities)
• yoga pants (best for bus rides, hiking, relaxing)
• 1 pair of casual pants ( these are nice to have when you want to dress up a little bit and go out into the city or if temps get cooler)
• 1 pair of capri style pants (wore these a lot because sometimes I didnt feel comfortable wearing shorts in some countries that were more conservative with clothing)
• active skirt
• 2 simple knee length dresses (I liked wearing dresses because it didn’t feel as hot then )

Bra/Underwear/Socks

• 2 swimsuits (one piece & bikini)
• 1-2 bras (usually a good one from Victorias Secret without underwire)
• 1-2 sports bras (I actually wore a sports bra more often than a regular bra because they are so comfortable and since we were hiking and in warm weather it felt better to sweat in a sports bra than a regular one)
• 1-2 smart wool ankle socks (they lasted me the entire trip and worked so well! I definitely recommend getting merino wool because they dry quick, keep you warm and don’t smell bad! Also, last for a long time!)
• smart wool hiking socks
• 7-10 pairs of underwear

Jackets

• packable rain jacket  (such a handy thing to have and it packs so small)
• Packable Down jacket (this is perfect for cooler temps and it packs small too. We wore ours often!)

Accessories:

• Patagonia snapback 
• Beanie hat
• Scarf (if you’re visiting temples and need to cover up. Also, I used mine if the temps were cool or dressing up a dress for going out)
• Simple earrings
• 1 necklace to dress things up
• A few hair ties & bobby pins
• 1-2 bandanas/headbands (for hiking or around the neck)
• Bamboo sunglasses
• Sleeping Mask, Ear plugs (Guys! These two are a must!), travel pillow 

Toiletries:

• BUBM Toiletry Kit Organizer (I really liked this one and it was perfect for travel because I could hang it and it had lots of room)
• bamboo toothbrush (eco-friendly)
• Floss
• Travel Hairbrush
• Shaver & 3 refills
• Lunette Cup (instead of tampons & pads. You have to get used to it but it was the best decision I ever made!)
• Silicon Tubes of Shampoo, Conditioner, Body-Wash & Body Lotion
• Coconut Oil (great makeup remover &  moisturizer)
• Wipes (great for when you need to wipe off dirt or when you don’t have a shower. We got a special pouch and refilled when needed)
• Dr Bronners soap

Face and Makeup

• Face Cleanser & Face Oil ( I use Gressa Skincare and I love it! It’s very travel friendly and organic! Also, I like Andalou and ACURE, they work really well for travel)
• travel friendly Exfoliator
• Moisturizing Face Lotion
• Mineral Pressed Foundation (worked really well for me and was enough for me. I didn’t put on too much makeup because we were chasing summer all year round )
• Tarte Fondation Brush (my favorite)
• Mascara
• 2-lip balms
• Makeup Remover Wipes (great when we are camping)

Shoes:

• Chaco’s (great for around town, short hikes & walks)
• Trail Running Shoes Brooks Cascadia 12 (So much lighter than bulky hiking boots! Great ankle support & light-weight)
• Flip Flops (great for when you are taking a shower or at the beach)

Technology Pack

WANDRD 31L

• BUBM  Travel Cord Organizer
• iPhone battery pack case
• 2 Hard Drives (backup for all picture/videos)
• Solid State Drive (extremely fast allows us to work from it)
• iphone Chargers
• iPad
• kindle & charger
• Battery Pack
• Sony a6300 camera & case
• Sigma 30mm lens & protective lens case
• Camera chargers & SD cards
• GoPro Hero 4, attachments, sd card, charger, & selfie stick
• 2 pairs of earphones & splitter (listening to podcasts or books together, watching a movie)
• Diving lens filters
• Power strip with power surge protection
• Travel Adapter with surge protection
• 2 laptops (MacBook Pro) & chargers
• Tripod
• Travel Locks

Medical Kit

• Organic Reef Safe sunscreen
• Organic Bug Spray
• Ibuprofen-headaches
• Pepto Bismol-Nausea, Heartburn, Indigestion, Upset Stomach and Diarrhea
• If you get motion sickness bring, Dramamine or Meclizine
• Anti-itch cream
• Advil Cold & Flu
• Mini travel first aid kit with bandages (Great to carry in a day pack or when you go hike)

Staying Healthy

• Spirulina-nutrient dense, antioxidants, helps with allergies
• Probiotics -help boost your immune system and help with unfamiliar germs and bacteria
• Vitamin C– drinking it to boost immune system and when we felt like a cold was coming on

• Sore throat spray
• Essential Oils (Lavender-soothing & great to relieve mosquito bites, Peppermint- focus & nausea, Tea Tree- for cuts, bites) I buy mine from Mountain Rose Herbs – organic and sustainable
• Activated Charcoal-effective for food poisoning/digestive distress.

There are pharmacies everywhere and it’s not hard to get what you need if you accidentally forgot something or you got sick. It’s not expensive and very accessible, but it is very nice to have a basic medical with you.

Travel Essentials & Other

• Grayl Water Purifier
• 2 Replacement filter cartriges
• Stainless steel Takea water bottle
• Tent
• Dry bag
• Sleeping bags
• Portable camping stove
• Ultralight spoons
• Microfiber towels
• Leatherman multi-tool
• Head lamp
• Compression Packing Cubes, these or these.
• Day Pack (We picked one up once we arrived to Quito, Ecuador. This is essential because we take it with us during the day or on day trips)
• Lonely Planet travel guides

Tips on Packing

1. Pack for the type of trip you are going on. We knew that we were going to be doing many treks & outdoor activities, therefore, we brought more active and quick dry clothing items. If you going to be visiting more museums & sites vs. outdoor activities then you might want to bring more casual clothing.

2. Pack for the weather & country. We chose to chase summer around the globe and that means our wardrobe consists more of lose & less bulky items. We did not expect South America to be so chilly, so we definitely needed to pack more warmer clothes & less shorts! Merino Wool is amazing and it’s totally worth the investment.

3. Pack & buy clothing items that have a good color scheme and you can mix & match with. We chose to buy colors that are easy to work with for example, light grey, dark grey, navy blue, maroon, dark green, & khaki. These also are harder to get dirty and are great for mixing and matching.

4. Don’t forget that even if you forgot something or need something there’s always stores that you can find to go shopping at. It might be even cheaper abroad and better quality.

5. Lastly, don’t pack last minute. Take time to think through the things that you will need and what you really want to bring and what you want to leave out.

Lets get packin’

If you have any questions about any of the gear we packed with us please comment below or send us an email we would be happy to help out!

As you are well used to by now all the links to Amazon are affiliate links and if you end up liking any of the items a purchase using one of the links helps us travel longer!

Love you all 🙂

Alex & Katie

Are you interested in creating the lifesyle of your dreams but aren’t sure where to start? Perhaps you find yourself with less time, focus, or inspiration than you would like. Or maybe you’d like to ditch it all and go travel for a year, but would like to talk to someone who has done it already? Send us an email at

thatoneadventurecouple@gmail.com 

We’d love to set up a consultation with you, and get you started on your goals!