So...How Did You Pack For a Year of Travel?

This is the most common question we get after “where are you going?”. The short answer is we took what we would for a week of travel, but added a few additional items we felt would make the trip more comfortable. Then we subtracted at least as many items we felt were unnecessary because they wouldn’t. After that, we figured out how to make it all fit into two 55L backpacks.
Actual packing list for our year of travel, starting with bags:

• Backpacks: x 2 - Comes with detachable day pack - Osprey Farpoint 55
  
  
  

• Packing Cubes - Keeps clothes organized in our bags. When we need to unload everything or rearrange, we can do it quickly. Also great for separating clean from dirty clothes - Shacke Pak

• Macbook x2: Can't blog without em!

• iPhone x 2 - Having an unlocked phone to buy local SIM cards has been helpful in certain countries we've visited - We have one 6 and one 7.

• Kindle x 2: We're old school with these dinosaurs. This version isn't even sold anymore, but they are rock solid. Free 3G world wide.

• Shaver - I can charge this thing up from dead in just a few minutes which is enough for a shave or haircut - Wahl Lithium Ion Rechargeable

• Dual Voltage Hair Dryer - You have to remember to change the voltage based on which country you're in, but it works globally - Conair 1600 Watt Compact.

• Universal Plug Converter: Need I say more?

• Organizer for all electronic cables: Too many electronics, too many cables. Problem solved.

• Hiking Shoes x 2: We burned out both of our Merrells on the Camino. Replacements were easy to come by. We wouldn't recommend either of these shoes due to bad water proofing technology.

• Flip Flops x 2 - Nice for shared bathrooms in hostels, or just walking around in the morning.

• Hiking Sandals - Heather has these lightweight sandals from Columbia and loves them. A step up from flip flops and nice for longer treks when hiking shoes are too hot/heavy - Columbia Women's Sunbreeze Vent T PFG Casual Sandals -

• Platypus water bags x2: Great for filling at the airport after you've cleared security.

• 0.1 Micron Water Filter - For the occasional hike or 3rd world country. This thing is cheap and tiny - Sawyer Mini

• Speaker - Nice for listening to music or watching movies - Philips BT50B

• Telescoping Trekking Polls - We used these in the mountains in Ireland and on the Camino de Santiago but dumped them at the end of the Camino for space - Trekker Gold

• Battery Pack: We received one similar to this as a gift and it's come in handy on long travel days (trains especially) where we don't have access to outlets.

• Neck Pillows - Another item I’ve always questioned the need for, but after receiving these as a gift, I wouldn’t fly without it again. This is the exact one we have and it's fantastic. We can fold it different ways for maximum support on those bumpy bus rides! - B Cozzy Chin Supporting Travel Pillow

• Philips Noise Cancelling Headphones: I’ve always been skeptical of the “Active noise cancelling” technology, but after these came out and the price was right, I jumped on it. They are worth their weight in gold for plane rides short and long.

• Passports x2: Trust me, you won't get far without these


• First aid kit: A few bandaids and antiseptic wipes for the occasional cut. Anything bigger pretty much requires professional attention


• Cables for all electronic devices.


• Headlamp: For 3rd world power outages and night hikes.


• Bathroom bag with bathroom essentials.


• And finally clothing: Nice to haves :)
  
  
  
  • Shirts - 7
  • Socks - 7
  • Underwear - 8
  • Jeans - 1
  • Shorts - 1
  • Sweatshirt - 1
  • Rain Jacket - 1
  • Sunglasses - 1
  • Glasses - 1
  • Baseball hat - 1
  • Winter hat - 1
  • Bathing suit - 1
  • Long sleeve shirt - 1

There you have it. All of our worldly belongings. It's enough to travel the parts of the world we've encountered so far. When the limits of our gear seem to be getting close, there is almost always a vendor willing to sell us products that fill the gaps. For example, towards the end of the Camino de Santiago, we encountered an unusually cold couple of days as we passed through the Cantabrian Mountains. Without any issue at all, we picked up a pair of wool gloves for about $4.