Essential Packing For RTW Trip

Hey folks. I will be leaving for my RTW Trip next year and am looking for advice on essential gear / packing. I realize a high quality backpack will be important. I have more reading to do on this, but as of the moment these are some of the items I am thinking: basic first aid kit, few pairs of socks (one pair special for extra warmth), two pairs of shoes (one all purpose and other sandals), basic amenities (needed hygiene stuffs, sun lotion, sunglasses, hat), couple pairs of clothes (one for mainstay travel, other nicer for going out), smartphone, camera (small) and necessary paperwork/identifications/funds/etc. I'm sure there's a few others I'm not thinking of off hand.

I realize that this needs to be kept down to as LITTLE as humanly possible and that I'll probably end up repacking 3-4 times. This is why I need your guys expertise!

For a trip that will be around the world and consist of a time frame somewhere around a year or a little over, What in your experiences have you found to be essential packing items for a trip such as this? What have you learned that you can typically do without? What are some good ways to keep what you do bring secure (IE: I've heard about a tough netting that can go over your pack and lock somehow)?

Thanks for your time guys.

Chris

P.S. If there are already good existing threads on this subject, feel free to send me there!

If you're travelling in warm climates and staying in hostels/hotels (no camping) then with a little experience it's easy to travel indefinitely with a 40 litre backpack with room left over.

The "what to pack" question is one of the most common questions on any travel forum so there are literally countless threads on countless forums that address this question. On the very first page of the Travel Gear forum that you posted on there's these posts:

http://www.travellerspoint.com/forum.cfm?thread=74798
http://www.travellerspoint.com/forum.cfm?thread=81657
http://www.travellerspoint.com/forum.cfm?thread=26633
http://www.travellerspoint.com/forum.cfm?thread=33237

Have fun with your research.

Cheers,
Terry

@CheersT: Appreciate the bag size tip as well as the threads to read. Will definitely have fun.

Thanks again.

Quoting AcrossTheGlobe

Hey folks. I will be leaving for my RTW Trip next year and am looking for advice on essential gear / packing. I realize a high quality backpack will be important.

>
Try to keep your backpack weight down to 10% of your body weight. Often you can buy necessities in the places where you momentarily need them. Start with easy to wash clothes (one set wearing, another in your backpack), sturdy walking shoes, and ...... your internationally recognized credit card! Have a plan of countries to visit and locate places where you can collect/drop off whatever you may need, as well as places where internet is available for communication. After a short while of traveling you'd be amazed how little stuff you need to carry along!

I like the 40L size for myself too (male) because I walk just about everywhere (you just miss so much when you ride in a vehicle). On a recent overseas trip, the only thing I couldn't find in the local stores was Listerine mouthwash and decent-sized socks. I still didn't wear one or two shirts before I got home.

My travel pack lets me tuck away the straps so I can easily check it with the airlines should that be necessary. I don't lock the pack, but I do use the wrapping services at airports when I check this bag (90% of the time I carry on). When you do check a pack/bag, be careful what you put in it (no valuables, medications, eyeglasses or documents). I made the mistake of putting keys attached to a magnetic fob in a checked bag, and when I got home at 1am, I couldn't open the door of my apartment building. The fob must have been demagnetized by an airport xray as far as I can tell?

[ Edit: Edited on 26-Nov-2011, at 18:19 by Daawgon ]