12 month ROW Packing List

Hello to anyoe taking the time to read this. We are off on our first 12 month trip in a few days and after reading many peoples forums and blogs for advice we have decided to put our packing list onto a forum.

It is impossible to say if we are taking the right things, clothes, kit etc as we have never undertaken a trip of this nature before, however, the sheer amount of advice available on all of the blogs is a great place to start. We will only really know if what we are taking is correct or excessive (or indeed not enough) once we are halfway through the trip!

The general trend for advice was to lay everything out and half it. We took this on board when we were putting together our initial list and following our ‘trial run’ our bags are packed with a little space left over. Although this was done in a controlled warm environment at home and not halfway up Mount Everest!!!

We ended up with a 65lt Rucksack (Sarah) and a 70lt (Carl). We realise a lot of travellers have smaller backpacks (some people say they go with 35lt) however, most people who take smaller rucksacks seem to be travelling to hot climates and only need a selection of what we take. Hopefully our choices will work for us.

Before I list out our packing list it is worth bearing in mind we start in our adventure in Nepal to Trek to Everest base camp before going to Tibet and onto China so have had to plan for colder climates before we get to the warmer areas of Indochina. We have decided to purchase our Down Kit (sleeping bags and Jackets) in Nepal at the start of our trip and then send them home with other ‘cold climate’ kit when we arrive in Vietnam where we will buy more sleeping bags for the remainder of our journey.

Anyway i hope this helps anyone who is seeking help, or if anyone has any comments please feel free to make them.

Essentials

Address list and list of important contacts or numbers
Ipod itouch and memory stick
Journal
Passport (put in medical history + insurance details)
Pencils, Pens, Black Felt (for parcels)
Tickets and itinerary (airline, train, bus etc.)
Visas
Extra Passport Photos
Driving licence
Insurance
Blood group and Medic alert information

Finances

Debit & credit card
Cash in the local currency of your arrival destination
Money belt
Travellers' cheques

Clothes Carl
Hiking Boots
Merrels/sandals
flip flops
Hiking socks x4
Black Socks x2
short white socks (running etc) x1
Pants x5
Long johns
Thermal long sleeve top x2
Dress shirt black
Short Sleeve white shirt
T shirt (animal type)
Long sleeve top x 2 technical
Short Sleeve Shirt x 2 technical
Lightweight Jacket
Fleece x2
Shorts running/swimming
Adjustable trousers x2
Linen Trousers
Down jacket

Clothes Sarah
Smart sandals
Hiking boots
Walking sandals
Hiking socks x4
Short white socks (running etc) x1
Underwear x 6 + 1 pair of white shorts
Bra
Sports Bra
Thermal bottoms
Thermal long sleeve top x2
Adjustable trousers x 2
Linen trousers
Shorts x 2
Long sleeve shirts x 3
Long sleeve t-shirts x 2
Running top with integral bra
Lightweight Jacket
Down Jacket
Casual dress
Vest tops x 4
Short & long skirt
Bikini
Sleepwear
Casual leggings
Scarf to cover head/shoulders

Accessories
Hand warmers
Belt
Cap
Woolly hat
Gloves
Scarf
Sunglasses

Toiletries
Savlon
Comb & brush
Cotton buds
Dental floss (also great for fixing things!)
Crystal deodorant (lasts 6 months)
Earplugs
Hair products (gel, spray etc.)
Lip balm (sunscreen)
Mirror
Dermologica Moisturiser (face and body)
Razor/Blades
Scissors - Barber
Tweezers + tick tweezers
Shampoo and conditioner
Shaving cream
Soap - biodegradable
Sunscreen
Talcum/baby powder - Useful against prickly heat, in shoes, on sticky zippers and more
Sanitary products/moon cup
Toothbrush, toothpaste
Toothbrush box
Elizabeth Arden eight hour cream
Soap holder
Water proof toiletry bag
Eye drops
Vaseline

First Aid Kit
Latex gloves
Blister Plasters
Second Skin spray
Compression bandages
Butterfly plasters
Diarrhoea tablets
Gauses
Insect and/or mosquito repellent
Iodine spray
Paracetemol/Nurofen
Liquid Biocidin
Vitamin pills
Needles/Syringes (for use in countries where equipment is re-used)
Homeopathic travel kit
Wound dressings
Triangular bandage
First aid kit bag

Other Items
Backpack rain cover
Batteries/rechargeable
Camera, batteries/Charger - spare flash cards
Download cables and universal USB cable
Combo or key locks
Compass with Thermometer
Duct tape - Fixes everything!
Eating utensils (Spork)
Electrical adapter and plug converter
Fishing line - Strongest string in the world!
Torch & headtorch
Games - Frisbee, hackey sack, pigs, pack of cards
Balloons to give to kids
Guidebooks
Laundry detergent - biodegradable
Maps (incl. small map of the world to show where you are from)
Mobile phone & global SIM
Mosquito net
Phone + Charger (we are using a freeloader solar device also charges ipod)
Photocopies of important documents in case they are stolen and online
Pillowcase to stuff with clothes
Plastic bags for dirty laundry
Freeloader solar charger = cables & adapters
Sleep sheet
Sleeping bag & sleeping bag liner
Toilet paper
Micro Fibre Towels
Universal sink plug
Watch
Wet wipes/Baby wipes - for washing in absence of a shower
Safety pins
Sewing kit
Carabiners
Hair Grip
Hair Bands
Family photos
Katadyn Water Filter
Water bottle
Flash card reader
Crystals
Spiritual altar
Shaman medicine bag
Survival kit (fire lighter, whistle, matches, glow torch, sleep sheet)
Onya sandwich wraps (useful to stock up at breakfast)
Onya Dag Bag
Bum bag
Compact hairbrush with mirror
Tumble dryer sheets (keep clothes fresh)
Stuff sacks
Empty water spray bottle

You sure are over packing a lot! I had a 75L backpack and had to pack for all continents including Antarctica and didn't even have half the quantity of stuff you are talking about taking!

From your preparation it seems that you have done your home work well in advance and you don't want to take any chance its really a good effort to make your trip hassle free.

You're taking a lot of stuff... I think you could leave some of it. For example, you don't need to take sandals AND flip-flops. It's a good idea, sending most of that stuff home, once you come down from Tibet. In China and Southeast Asia, outside of Tibet, you can pretty much buy anything you need (clothes especially are cheap). If you are staying in cheap hotels or hostels, you don't need a sleeping bag- the sheets are clean, in most places.

Have a good trip!

How many Sherpas are you hiring to carry it all?
Strooth, there's enough stuff here to start your own superstore !
The chances are you won't use 1/2 of what's on your list. Well thought out, but far too much kit.

from experience i packed the same quantity that you did, followed the example lists in lonely planet guides etc however when i was on my travels found i did not use pretty much 75% of the things i packed and ended up throwing it away or sending home. alot of the things packed can easily be purchased on travels and often extremely cheap. hope that is some help and....
good luck! happy travels!

I say take what you want. You can always give away what you aren't using. I brought a air mattress and gave it away within 2 months to a homeless family on the street and when I came back a few hours later, both of the kids were sleeping on it. You don't know what you will want until you are on the road. If you find something really burdensome either donate it, trade it, or send it home (if you really like it). There are some things on your list that are a bit much. Carl, 5 pairs of pants, two trousers and two fleeces??? That's a lot, I'd say 2 pairs of pants and one fleece, which will soon probably have 100 cigarette burns in it (even if you don't smoke). I would leave the down jacket as well, although I'm not sure where you are going, but instead buy a locally made top, it may be just as warm plus you won't look like a marshmallow! Sarah, your list looks a bit more manageable, but I still think you can leave a few things and pick them up on the way. I know that when my wife packs for our 11 month trip, she will end up having to cut a lot that she thinks she needs.

Good luck!

Wow I'd have to agree that this seems a huge amount of stuff. I'd also second that our list looked fairly similar before we went away (we packed for hot & cold too) and we dumped most of our stuff pretty quickly.

Generally though if you are happy to carry it then take as much as you want but...
We thought this and practiced carrying round our packs to see how they felt, doing this in the comfort of your house is very very different from traipsing round hot humid city streets with people bumping into you and coping with uneven pavements, random bits of metal sticking out to trip you up etc. Believe me (because it's happened to me) falling over with a heavy pack is not a fun experience.

Also you have to remember where you pack will be stashed as you travel around, especially on buses. Sometimes you have to get on a packed bus which is flying up and down steep, twisting roads. If you're lucky the bus will have a roof or underneath locker to put your bag. At other times you may have to dump it where you can or at the very worst sit with it on your lap for hours and hours on end so a small lightweight pack is obviously an advantage.

I think as well as the amount of stuff you pack, the weight of it all is the most important thing, our packs generally weigh between 13 - 15kg which is heavy enough and we don't have to do any major trekking with them as we normally leave them at a hostel and take day packs. We've met people though who were travelling with 20kg + which must be a real killer. Remember too that on most budget airlines you have to pay for your check in luggage, generally the cheapest option is up to 15kg so if you are carrying way more than that then luggage fees go up too.

Good plan to do posting in Vietnam.. it's one of the cheapest places to post things home. Also they sell nice 100% silk sleeping sheets in Vietnam so maybe you could buy one of those instead of another sleeping bag.

Have a fab trip though, going to the base camp will be an amazing journey.

I pack and this includes what I am wearing. This is for an all weather all seasons 12 month around the world Travel list. I am a minimilist and think its better to go minimum. I am ruthless about this list and do not stray from it at all. If I need a sleeping bag I will buy one one on the road same with a tent or anything else I need. As far as extras throwing in a pack of cards is great if thier is two of you a travel sized cribbage board and a pack of cards would be the only extra's I might take and thats it. I belive light is better and I do all this in a small pack and then also have a day pack and thats it.

1 pr Jeans
1 pr black pants
1 pr nice pants

1 t-shirt
1 nice top
1 casual top

1 sweater
1 hoodie

1 dress
1 skirt
1 2 pc swimsuit so that the top functions as a top if needed.
1 Jacket
1 pr gloves
1 hat

2 scarves
2 belts
6 pr underwere
6 pr socks

1 pr black boots
1 pr travel slippers/shoes
1 pr small slippers

Then as far as other items

1 lap top computer

2 fave videos that travel in one case
1 lock for a locker
1 small notebook
2 pencil

1 big travel towel
1 sleep sack
1 travel pillow
1 travel blanket

1 sm shampoo/creamrinse that I also use as soap.
1 sm lotion because I get dry.
1 sm toothbrush
1 toothpaste
deoderant

small facial washes
small packets of washing liqued for cleaning clothes
deoderizing spray to keep clothes clean
1 book only for the road to be exchanged for other books

Also a camera that comes with a connecter that connects it to the internet for uploads
extra batteries for camera
Power cord for computer
Phone and power cord for phone

sections of any guidebooks that I use. I favor Rick steves for europe travel
maps
a water bottle
Snacks

at least 4 envelopes and Stamps as needed

And that folks is it,

Wow, that's a really detailed list. My wife and I just completed an 11 month trip. We also went to Nepal, but towards the end of our trip. We did Annapurna and it was amazing! You'll have a blast.

Now down to business. You are taking too much. Here are my notes:

Carl has way too many pants
Not enough socks
You won't need nice dress clothes
Carl doesn't need flip flops if you have hiking sandals, same for sarah
No mirror
no scissors, you can borrow them
no compass
no duct tape
take very little laundry detergent, or buy really small packs. you can buy it everywhere
no pillowcase
no sink plug
buy toilet paper as you go, it's sold everywhere even if it's not used there
no wet wipes

Remember that you can buy stuff on your trip. Be prepared to throw stuff out. My advice is to inventory your stuff after a month (and every month) and throw out the things that you aren't using. Your lifestyle will change, so reevaluate your desire to carry luxury items.

Good luck!