Packing 

If I've learned anything from asking other travelers for advice on what to bring while traveling, it's that everyone has a best way of doing it, and nobody's "best way" is the same as anyone else. I've spent the last two months piecing together my collection of gear through my own experience and advice given to me by friends, guidebooks, travel forums and advertisements. Here's what it looks like, unpacked:

An explosion of gear. See detailed list at the end of the entry.

Feel free to judge my list all you want. I am sure yours would look quite different. The fact is, every traveler has their own style and their own purpose for traveling. My parents told me a story of a traveler they met on the beach in Hawaii in the 70s. He had one small bag with him that he said had "everything I need." While he was out surfing, they took a peek inside to find: a lightweight jacket, sunglasses, a toothbrush and a hairdryer. On the other hand, some people show up for a week's vacation with several suitcases and a horde of porters to help carry it. Needless to say, my packing list falls somewhere between the two.

I haven't yet weighed my pack, but it's heavy enough that my mother refuses to lift it and light enough that I wouldn't mind walking with it for a long while. I expect that over the next several weeks I will lose some weight here and there (clif bars, books, underwear), and probably gain some elsewhere (street food, local clothing, pets). I plan to take a similar photo and inventory near the end of my trip, as well as at least once along the way to see how my gear evolves over time.

Some of these things may seem ridiculous or superfluous (Two sleeping bag liners? Down booties? Passport?), but I have my own reason for bringing each item. I am running on the assumption that I have at least everything I need, and that some of this will be dropped or gifted along the way.  I am also trying to remember a philosophy I have for this trip: In the end, all decisions in the next several months are up to me. Some I will make well, some I will make poorly. Either way, I will enjoy the consequences.

So that's it for the US. I have a few more hours this side of the date line, then it's off to Beijing! I'll keep you posted.

-Shawn


Gear:

- Large backpack - 65L  (1)

- Small backpack – 30L (1)

- light sleeping bag (1)

- sleeping bag liners (2)

- bivy sac (1)

- extra plastic bags (lots)

- stuff sacks (4)

- bars/snacks/other food (plenty)

- sunglasses w/ case (1 pair)

- aqua mira water treatment (1 set)

- iodine water treatment (1 bottle)

- soap (1 bottle)

- bug spray (1 bottle)

- hand sanitizer (2 small bottles)

- pack towel (1)

- repair kit (sewing, patching, etc.) (1)

- sunscreen (1 bottle)

- earplugs (20 pairs)

- star chart (1)

- mini carabiners (6)

- multi-tool (1)

- headlamp (1)

- pocket knives for gifts (4)

- headlamps for gifts (2)

- AAA batteries (6)

- ipod shuffle (1)

- camera (1)

- extra SD cards (2)

- extra camera battery (1)

- smartphone (1)

- dumbphone (1)

- chargers for electronics

- toothbrush (1)

- floss (1)

- toothpaste (1 tube)

- scissors (1)

- deoderant (1)

- nightguard (1)

- eye mask (1)

- spork (1)

- foldable plate (1)

- wristwatch (1)

- compass (1)

- lighter (1)

- outlet adapters (1 set)

- playing cards (1 deck)

- postcards of Seattle (20)

- other postcards from the US (6)

- journals of varying size (5)

- address book (1)

- fun books (3 – Life of Pi, Siddhartha and Geography of Bliss)

- guidebooks (2 ½ - Mongolia, Xinjiang chapter, and Central Asia)

- phrasebooks (3 – Mandarin, Mongolian, Russian)

- water bottles (2)

- pens and pencils (plenty)

- sharpies (2)

- zip ties (bunches)

- passport (1, unfortunately)

- credit cards (3)

- debit cards (1)

- insurance card (1)

- copies of the above 4 items (at least 3)

- yellow fever vaccination card (1)

- international driver’s permit (1)

Medical supplies

- First aid kit

- multi-vitamins (100)

- doxycycline (320)

- azithromycin (42 – 7 courses)

- hydrocortisone (1 tube)

- Neosporin (1 tube)

- Aloe vera (1 small bottle)

- Emergen-C packets (10)

- Ibuprofin (50)

- Tylenol (50)

- diphenhydramine (12)

- loperamide (24)

- Pepto bismol (~30)

- motion sickness pills (8) and gum (24)

- rehydration electrolyte packets (5)

- band-aids (12)

- gauze (1 pad, 1 roll)

- tape (~3 rolls)

- antiseptic wipes (4)

Clothing:

- quick-dry khakhi pants (1 pair)

- jeans (1 pair)

- quick-dry cargo shorts (1 pair)

- quick-dry underwear (2 pairs)

- wool socks (3 pairs)

- cotton socks (2 pairs)

- flip flops (1 pair)

- light hiking shoes (1 pair)

- down booties (1 pair)

- wool gloves (1 pair)

- wool hat (1 pair)

- long underwear set (1)

- t-shirt (2)

- undershirt (1)

- collared long-sleeve shirts (3)

- fleece vest (1)

- light fleece (1)

- down jacket (1)

- mosquito head net (1)

- visor (1)

- bandana (2)

- light scarf (1)
- rain jacket (1)
- rain pants (1)