By Emily Landsiedel

So how does one pack for a round the world trip with nothing but a carry-on? This is a question Peter and I struggled with a lot. We spent many hours unpacking all the advice on the subject. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist!) There’s just so much that goes into it. Okay, I’m done now.

Peter and I made a promise to ourselves that we would only bring carry-on compatible backpacks. We are going to be flying to nearly every continent and traveling through about 23 different countries, so it’s crucial that we avoid checked baggage fees. On top of that, since we are going to carry all of our belongings on our backs everywhere we go, we don’t want it to be an unbearable load.

Before I get started on my packing list, I do want to mention that the choice of a pack is as important as what you choose to put inside it. After a few months of searching, I found a backpack designed for world travel that I have been nothing but delighted with: the Osprey Farpoint 55. This backpack is amazing in that it is panel loading, so it zips open all the way allowing me easy access to everything like a suitcase. It also has a 15 liter compartment in the front that zips off and becomes a day pack, and it’s padded straps and hip belt can be zipped up behind a piece of fabric so it looks more like a suitcase than a backpack when necessary. The only disappointing aspect is that it doesn’t have a spot to stick a water bladder tube through the top so you have to run it through the open zippers in the daypack. Below is my Farpoint 55 packed full with all my belongings for the trip:

 

During our world tour, Peter and I are going to experience every possible climate, so we have to be prepared for anything. Since we have to pack for everything, we can’t really pack much of anything. Below is a picture of nearly everything I’ll bring on the trip organized by what’s going in the main backpack vs. the smaller daypack.

 

 

As a disclaimer, there are several things in my list below that are not in any of my pictures. That is mostly because Peter will be carrying a lot of the electronics and some other miscellaneous items, or I just forgot them the day I did my trial run of my pack. So without further ado:

Warm weather clothes:

☐ 2 tank tops
☐ 2 short sleeve shirts
☐ 2 dresses
☐ 1 pair of shorts
☐ 1 pair of athletic shorts/ Sleep shorts
☐ 1 scarf
☐ 1 swimsuit
☐ Ballcap

Cold weather clothes:

☐ 1 long sleeve/base layer
☐ 1 cardigan
☐ 1 sweatshirt
☐ 1 pair of leggings (doubles as long underwear)
☐ 1 pair of jeans (I know these are heavy and cotton, but it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.)
☐ 1 pair hiking pants that roll into capris
☐ 1 winter hat
☐ 1 pair of thin gloves (not pictured)
☐ 1 Patagonia down jacket (packs down to nothing)
☐ 1 raincoat

Undergarments:

☐ 3 pairs of Darn Tough wool socks
☐ 1 underwire bra and 1 sports bra
☐ 9 pairs of underwear

It’s important to avoid bringing cotton fabric with long term travel so that your clothes dry faster in hot climates and when you have to hang dry them. I didn’t completely follow this rule, but I tried to.

Shoes:

☐ 1 pair Chacos
☐ 1 pair Reef flip-flops
☐ 1 pair Brooks running shoes
(The Brooks are a whole story in and of themselves. It took me MONTHS to pick a pair of shoes, but I love these!)

Toiletries:

☐ Toothbrush and cover
☐ Toothpaste
☐ Floss
☐ Retainer and cleaning tablets
☐ Shampoo bar/ body wash
☐ Conditioner
☐ Razor with shaving cream built in
☐ Dry shampoo
☐ Deodorant
☐ Hairbrush or comb
☐ 3 Hair ties
☐ Toilet paper
☐ Hand lotion
☐ Face lotion with SPF
☐ Makeup:

• Chapstick
• Eye shadow
• Eye liner
• Mascara
• Lipstick
• Lip gloss

☐ Tweezers
☐ Nail clippers
☐ Pack towel (I have Packtwl brand- XXL)
☐ Pack towel face cloth (get the smallest of the pack twls)
☐ Glasses
☐ Contacts (and backup boxes)
☐ Contact solution
☐ Feminine products

Prevention:

☐ Sunscreen
☐ Bug spray
☐ Eye mask and earplugs
☐ 4 Combo locks for backpacks
☐ First Aid Kit:

• Bandaids
• Painkiller
• Pepto Bismal
• Allergy Medicine
• Motion sick pills
• Antibiotic ointment
• Hand sanitizer
• Wet wipes

☐ Proof of immunizations
☐ Paper copies of important documents
 

Electronics:

(Most of these aren’t pictured but I’m taking them or Peter is)
☐ Ipod
☐ Iphone
☐ Macbook Air (Peter is carrying this)
☐ Chargers
☐ Electrical converter
☐ Portable USB charger
☐ Canon Powershot S120 Digital Camera
☐ 2 memory cards and reader
☐ Headphone splitter
☐ 3’ multi-prong USB charger (to charge multiple electronics at once)
☐ Backup hard drive

Miscellaneous:

☐ Camelback Water bladder
☐ Hydro Flask Vacuum insulated water bottle (I’m in love with this for hot days!)
☐ Thermarest travel pillow
☐ Black Diamond Headlamp
☐ Deck of cards
☐ Small pocket Microstream flashlight
☐ Portable single cup coffee filter
☐ Ziploc bags
☐ Dirty laundry sack
☐ Journal and pen
☐ Point It travel book (for when you don’t speak the language)
☐ Small pad of paper
☐ Selfie-stick (I’m embarrased to admit this, but it makes sense for our trip)
☐ Passport
☐ 8 Passport photos (for Visas)
☐ Driver’s License
☐ Money/Some Foreign Currency/Credit Cards

We will also have basic camping gear for our road trip that we intend to either send back home with Peter’s mom when she flies back from Texas or ditch before we leave the country.

Well there you have it! Sorry I packed so much into this post, but hopefully you can use this when you plan your next trip.When you think about it, it’s amazing how much you can fit into one bag! In total, my pack was about 27 lbs when we weighed it. Peter’s bag is only 33L and 25 lbs and somehow he’s managing it! (I’m baffled as to how he performs that miracle! He’ll be posting his packing list soon.) Let me know in the comments below if you think I missed anything!

 

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