Phil’s Packing

Our packing goal for the trip is to each fit into a carry-on backpack and small shoulder bag, and to have about a week’s worth of clothes for climates between about 40 and 90 degrees. We plan to live by the rule that each day you need to either change clothes or change cities, but not both… All laid out, it still looks a little daunting:

Without going through item-by-item, you should be able to see piles of t-shirts and underwear and socks, along with a row of rolled pants, shorts, and shirt layers. There are a few hats and jackets, misc toiletries and medications, and some electronics and headphones in the bottom right. All together, it looks like this:

For those who are looking for details, a few of the specific key items for this trip were as follows:

Osprey Porter 46: The largest possibly backpack that is still within standard international carry-on limits.

PacSafe Metrosafe 250: I have been using this bag for a while, it is the perfect size for a few tablets and electronics and I love the double sleeves on the sides for bottles.

Kean Clearwater CNX Sandals: Because nothing says “Suave Man of the World” like sandals with socks.

North Face Thermoball Full Zip: In theory, it maintains warmth and heft through rain and it packs down to a nice pillow-sized bundle.

Outdoor Research Helios Hat: Only because my Goorin Brothers Heisenberg Pork Pie didn’t fit.

ExOfficio Yukonico Pants: Thin, quick-drying, rip-resistant, nice deep pockets. Perfect everyday travel pants.

ExOfficio Air Strip Shirt: I hope the chest pockets don’t look as goofy on me as they look on the model.

ExOfficio Give-N-Go Underwear: I have been wearing these every day for years, they are comfortable, light, and quick-drying when needed.

SUPERNIGHT Silicone Keyboard: The keyboard isn’t all that much faster to type on than an iPhone, but being able to see the whole screen while typing makes a huge difference.

Kindle Fire 7″ HDX: 64 GB of television at a time (starting with The West Wing, the Sopranos, Rome, Deadwood, Pushing Daisies, and Cougartown).

Kindle Paperwhite: Great battery and backlighting, and it’s a lot lighter than the literal ton of books that we downloaded.

Canon PowerShot S110: WiFi-enabled for quick syncs to the iPhone, it gets close to DSLR quality without looking like an expensive camera.

Anker 4-port USB Charger: We can use 1 plug with 1 converter for 4 devices, which covers like a third of our electronics, at least!

Lumsing Portable Power Bank: Because nothing is worse than a dead phone or tablet on a long flight.

Bose SoundTrue Headphones: Only thing worse than running out of power is having to listen to the screaming babies.

Cooler Master Display Stand: Fits the iPhone, Kindle Fire, or Paperwhite, supports excessive laziness.

Tom Bihn Belt: Hides a bit of money and paperwork without looking bulky or setting off metal detectors.

Eagle Creek Money Belt: Because sometimes you just want your passport next to your body, even if you look like a dork.

REI Aluminum Wallet: Holds credit cards and cash and blocks RFID scans, which may or may not be a huge problem depending on who you ask.

Cocoon RipStop Silk Travel Sheet: Because as a married couple, we want to be sure to be able to sleep without accidentally touching.