One of the questions friends asked me the most before I left on this trip was about packing – how would I pack for a year’s worth of traveling?
The answer? Very carefully.
I had several factors working against me when I started the massive task of trying to pack:
- I decided to bring the Eagle Creek Truist Vita 55L backpack with me as my main pack. Considering that I normally travel with a suitcase or an older Eagle Creek 70L pack, this was a huge change for me and meant downsizing from what I would normally take on a 2 week trip.
- I am running the Tallinn Marathon on September 11. This means packing running gear that I would not normally bring with me.
- I will be traveling largely during the fall and winter in cold and snowy regions, which necessitates bulkier clothing than, say, a warm weather trip through Southeast Asia.
After many making multiple lists and piles and cutting things out and adding things back in, only to cut them out again, here is what I ended up hauling with me when I departed for Helsinki:
Clothing:
- Jeans – 2 pairs (I know many long-term travelers are anti-jeans but these are a must for me – especially in cold weather when something like khakis would not be warm enough)
- Nice black pants
- Running/yoga pants
- Skirts – 2
- Khaki shorts (mainly because I was wearing them in Chicago before I left and didn’t want to throw them out – they don’t take up much room)
- Running capris (for the marathon, may get tossed afterwards)
- Shorts & t-shirt for pajamas
- Under Armour dri-fit short sleeve shirts – 2 (for running, may get tossed after the marathon)
- Short sleeve t-shirts – 5
- Camisoles – 1 black, 1 white
- Under Armour dri-fit long sleeve shirts – 2
- Long sleeve t-shirts – 4
- Black cardigan sweater
- Fleece pullovers – 2
- Underwear – 10
- Bras – 4 (2 regular, 2 sports)
- Socks – 8 pairs plus 1 pair of tights
- Swimsuit (an afterthought, good in case I get sucked into trying a Russian banya)
- Black Marmot rain jacket (folds up into its pocket)
Footwear:
- Running shoes (will get tossed after the marathon)
- Patagonia Bly Hemp walking/hiking shoes (absolutely love these shoes)
- Black ballet flats
- Nike flip flops (comfortable and supportive!)
- Isotoner terry ballet slippers (I’ll be living with families in Russia and possibly elsewhere in Eastern Europe and I’ve been told it’s customary to wear slippers inside – I also figure they’ll be better for hostels in the winter than flip flops)
Toiletries:
- Lush shampoo bar (supposedly good for 90(!!) washes
- Spray conditioner
- Face soap
- Body soap
- Acne cream
- Deodorant
- Razors
- Cotton swabs
- Pumice stone
- Nail clippers & file
- Hair binders and headbands (2)
- Tweezers
- Sunscreen
- Toothbrush/paste/floss
- Tampons (I’ve heard they can be hard to find in some countries)
- Eye drops (I get really dry eyes)
Electronics:
- Asus netbook
- Kindle 3G
- Blackberry (unlocked by T-Mobile so I can use with local SIM cards)
- iPod
- Samsung HZ30W camera (an upgrade from my previous point & shoot – I’m not yet ready to invest in a pricey camera)
- My old Canon point & shoot (small enough to fit in my pocket, great to carry out on the town)
- Extra memory cards & camera batteries
- Western Digital portable hard drive
- 2 USB flash drives
- Adaptor/converter set (think I may toss the converter, I don’t seem to need it since everything I have runs on dual voltage)
- Travel size hair dryer (in my mind, a total necessity – don’t bother arguing!)
- Garmin watch (again, for the marathon)
- Wireless antenna (to improve wi-fi connections)
Medical:
- Prescription medications
- Aleve
- Pepto-Bismol
- Band-aids
- Neosporin
- Hydrocortisone cream
Other:
- Travel towel
- Sleeping bag liner
- Plastic folder for various documents
- Jewelry (3 earrings, 3 necklaces, 3 rings)
- Makeup (foundation, eyeliner, mascara & eye shadow – I don’t wear much!)
- 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 (I love these and they are super small!)
- 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
In addition to my Truist Vita 55L pack, I am carrying a North Face Borealis 27L backpack as a carry-on/daypack and an Eagle Creek shoulder bag for day to day use. I also got an REI pack duffle to protect my pack when checking it on airplanes.
Whew. That was a lot.
What do you think? Too much? Did I miss anything?
