Packing the Adventure Backpack

Katie D.

June 19, 2011 - 10:31 PM

The packing is nearly complete! Folks, we are moments away from achieving the final version of the traveling gear for my two months in Central America.

In the past week I have not only finished my work duties, said a temporary farewell to all my friends, and packed my backpack, I have also moved out of my house. In fact, this weekend has been all about moving. The Danger Zone has been my home for three years now, and has included some really wonderful times. Now all my worldly possessions are either in a storage unit (and you can accumulate a lot of worldly goods in three years!), or they are nearly packed into my travel gear.

Here's what goes into the perfect set of travel gear:

Clothes
• A week of shirts, underwear, socks, pants/shorts/skirts, and a couple of dressy outfits
• Four pairs of shoes: Chacos, flip flops, dress shoes, and hiking boots
• Jewelry
• Rain coat
• Light rain jacket
• Rain pants
• Hat
• Sunglasses

Work stuff
• Notebook
• Appointment book
• Computer
• Various power chords, etc.

Travel/Practical stuff
• Passport
• Travel pillow (great for long plane/bus rides)
• Sleeping sack
• Travel medications
• Sunscreen
• Bug spray
• "Just add water" foods like oatmeal and bullion cubes, for emergency situations
• Granola bars
• Extra day pack for weekend vacations
• Laundry bag (separating the "used" from the "new" is important on the road)
• Flashlight
• Alarm clock
• Tissues
• Toilet paper (just to be sure)

Entertainment
• Six books
• New podcasts (five hours)
• Sudoku
• Travel diary (blank)

Final Details
• Contact info for folks on the road
• Emergency contacts
• Addresses for postcards
• Pictures of family and friends to bring with
• Gifts for my host family
• Slipper socks

Oof. No wonder I'm tired. It's been a few long, long days of pulling things together, shopping, re-arranging, and finding the perfect place for each detail. All of this is coming with me in three bags: a backpacking backpack, a day pack, and a purse. I want to be able to walk out of the airport and feel calm about choosing a taxi, rather than frantic to accommodate my bulky possessions. I want to be able to walk myself around town a little, rather than being tied inextricably to my bulky goods. I have a lot of stuff. It's the practical and the comforting: the details are what will make the trip comfortable. I've selected books in a nice mix of the never-before-read and the old favorites. Most I plan to leave behind in the hostels on the road, taking new books in exchange.

The final thing I have packed is space. It's the hardest thing to remember, and the quickest thing you lose when you're on the road. It's so easy to keep on adding and adding until your last bit of flexible space has been overcome by the various needs of the road. I'm trying really hard to maintain that space this time. I want to feel confident that I can pick up new treasures and carry them comfortably with me. This space is generally a myth, an ideal we might chase but never achieve.

So, as I hoist my bag and stride off into my future, wish me luck! The summer is launching, and I've got the gear to prove it.