Now that I have been on the road almost six months, I thought I would take a look back at my original packing list and share how it has held up.
What have I tossed and what have I replaced?
Here is the packing list I posted back in August as I prepared to depart. I’ve updated it to reflect what I have ditched so far.
Clothing:
- Jeans – 2 pairs (both replaced in December after they developed holes near the crotch)
- Nice black pants
- Running/yoga pants
- Skirts –
21 (tossed one in September when I realized I would never wear it) - Khaki shorts
- Running capris
- Shorts & t-shirt for pajamas
- Under Armour dri-fit short sleeve shirts – 2
- Short sleeve t-shirts –
52 (tossed 3 as it got colder to make room for new long-sleeve shirts) - Camisoles – 1 black,
1 white
- Under Armour dri-fit long sleeve shirts – 2
- Long sleeve t-shirts – 4 (tossed 1 of the originals & replaced with a new one)
- Black cardigan sweater
- Fleece pullovers – 2
- Underwear – 10
- Bras – 4 (2 regular, 2 sports) (replaced both regular bras in January)
- Socks –
86 pairs plus 1 pair of tights (tossed lighter socks & replaced with wool ski socks in Siberia) - Swimsuit
- Black Marmot rain jacket
Footwear:
Running shoes(tossed after the Tallinn Marathon)- Patagonia Bly Hemp walking/hiking shoes
- Black ballet flats
- Nike flip flops
Isotoner terry ballet slippers(tossed after I finished my Eastern European homestay swing)
Toiletries:
Lush shampoo bar(lasted barely 30 days and never felt like my hair was clean – replaced w/ my regular Pantene shampoo)Spray conditioner(used up in the fall, replaced w/ regular Pantene conditioner)- Face soap (have replaced twice)
- Body soap (have replaced twice)
- Acne cream
- Deodorant (have replaced once)
- Razors
- Cotton swabs (have replaced once)
- Pumice stone
- Nail clippers & file (lost both & replaced)
- Hair binders and headbands (2)
- Tweezers
Sunscreen- Toothbrush/paste/floss (have replaced brush once, paste & floss twice)
- Tampons (have bought more along the way, they’ve been everywhere so far and not too expensive)
- Eye drops
Electronics:
- Asus netbook
- Kindle 3G
- Blackberry
- iPod
Samsung HZ30W camera(replaced with the Samsung WB700 after I developed mold on the lens)My old Canon point & shoot(now using my old Samsung as a backup, even w/ the mold spot)- Extra memory cards & camera batteries
- Western Digital portable hard drive
- 2 USB flash drives (sent one home w/ a backup of my first 5 months of photos & bought another one)
- Adaptor/converter set
- Travel size hair dryer
Garmin watch(sent home after marathon)Wireless antenna(lost)
Medical:
- Prescription medications
Aleve(replaced w/ ibuprofen after running out in January)- Pepto-Bismol
- Band-aids
- Neosporin
- Hydrocortisone cream
Other:
- Travel towel
- Sleeping bag liner
- Plastic folder for various documents
- Jewelry (sent home one necklace & earrings that I never wore)
- Makeup
- Steripen
- Travel alarm clock
- Packets of Woolite, a sink stopper and a travel clothesline
- Russian phrase book
Eyewitness Top Ten guides to Tallinn, St. Petersburg and Moscow(donated to various hostels when I left town)- Extra pair of eyeglasses
- Extra Zip Lock bags
- Extra padlocks for hostel lockers
- Laminated cards in Finnish, Estonian, Russian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Ukrainian and Uzbek explaining my gluten intolerance
- Extra copies of passport
- Extra passport photos for obtaining visas along the way
- List of US embassy information for each country I’m visiting
- List of bank and credit card company contact information
What have I acquired along the way?
- Winter jacket
- Winter boots (tossed in January after I realized they were the cause of my severe foot pain)
- Gloves (a total of 3 pairs – I lost the first, then decided the second weren’t warm enough to hike in Siberia and bought a third pair)
- Fleece hat & neck warmer (replaced with a knit hat & scarf in Warsaw)
- 2 lightweight sweaters
- Long underwear
- Russian grammar book (sent home after Russian classes ended in Kiev)
- Purse (to replace my shoulder bag when the zipper broke).
- Shoulder bag (to replace the purse when I got sick of it and realized it wasn’t as practical as I thought)
When my volunteer stint in Armenia ends in mid-April, I plan to lighten my load by sending home or discarding most of my winter gear. At the same time, my parents will be sending me some warm-weather clothes from home: capri pants, a skirt and a few tank tops. I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you I am ridiculously excited for that – I just hope they all still fit!
