After our time traveling, we actually would update our list to the following more essential items (compared to our previous pre-trip list!), all of which we each fit into a carry on bag and a day pack backpack:
Electronics:
- Phones + chargers
- Portable 2TB hard drive
- Computers + power adapter (chromebook)
- GoPro camera + attachments
- Camera + charger
- Kindle reader
- 64GB micro SD cards (for GoPro and camera) x 4
- Micro-USB 3.0 cable x 1
- Micro-USB cables x 5
- Mini-USB cable x 1
- Selfie stick
- Spare batteries
- Flashlight
- Head lamp
- Digital files of important documents stored offline on laptops + both our phones
- Earbuds x2 + audio splitter
Miscellaneous:
- Small day packs (one with camel pack)
- Cross body everyday bag
- Luggage tags
- Printed itinerary and tickets
- Paper checks x 3
- Yellow fever immunization card
- Sets of passport photos (4 in color)
- Printed emergency numbers: doctor, lawyer, credit card, insurance, passport #, phone numbers
- Credit cards and bank cards
- Emergency stash total
- Platypus bottle x2 (1 L and 2 L)
- Dry bag sack for electronics
- Key chain carbine
- Permanent marker, pen, pencil
- Sewing kit
- Playing cards (with 5m of duct tape wrapped around the box)
- Superglue
- Sunglasses + case
- Rubber bands x5
- Garbage & zip lock bags
- Water purifier straw (didn't use it, but still was good to have)
- Spork
Clothing per person:
This often depended on the weather, so we tried to go for versatile layers.
- Zipper swim shorts x 2 (Marc)
- 2 Swimsuits (Lauren)
- Hiking boots (bought in country)
- 3 Sport socks
- 1 Non-cotton socks (wool, sock liners)
- 3 Short sleeve t-shirts
- 2 Long-sleeve polypropylene shirt
- 1 Micro-fleece jacket
- 1 rain jacket
- 2 Pair travel pants
- 1 Pair jeans (Marc)
- 2 Bras (one sport, one normal)
- 4-7 Sets of travel underwear
- 1 Pair of sports sandals
- 1 Pair flip flops
- 1 Collapsible hat
- 1 scarf (bought in country)
- 2 Wrinkle-free dresses (Lauren)
- 2 long skirts (Lauren)
- 1 Pair of shorts (Lauren)
Toiletries:
We mostly purchased daily items in country (e.g. soap, shampoo), and only carried travel sized items, which we shared between the two of us.
- Toothpaste
- Electric toothbrush with 3 heads + 100-240V base (shared)
- Dental floss
- Contact lens, case, & fluid (travel size)
- Medicated spf 15 chap stick
- Comb
- Face lotion, spf 15 (3oz bottle)
- Astringent + cotton pads
- Tampons/pads/pantyliner
- Razors (plus extra heads)
- Sunscreen: face and body
- All purpose soap
- Shampoo (3oz bottle)
- Conditioner (3oz bottle)
- Deodorant
- Ear plugs
- Bobby pins x10
- Sleep mask
- Tissue packs x5
- Hand sanitizer x2
- Hair ties x5
- Glasses + case
- Makeup: powder, eyeliner
- Tweezers
- Nail clippers and file
- Safety pins
- REI travel towels x2
Medical supplies:
To pack all of our pills, we actually just put all of these into these small baggies, labeled them with our label maker, and took pictures of the medical information on the packaging and uploaded it onto our computers and phones for easy reference. This saves the pain of lugging around all that packaging!
- Malaria pills (prescrip)
- Diarrhea medicine type 1 and 2 (prescrip)
- Height sickness (prescrip)
- Bandaids
- Alcohol swabs
- Hydrocortisone
- Imodium
- Motion sickness
- Neosporin
- Tylenol
- Ibuprofen
- Tiger balm
- Cold remedy
- Insect repellent (40% deet)
- Cepacol
- Mucinex
- Sleeping pills
- Peptobismol
- Antihistamine (drowsy + non-drowsy)
- Lidocain cream
- Anti-itch cream
- Thermometer
- Vaseline
- Gauze pads
