Fitting Our Lives into Two Backpacks

Packing. It’s hard enough to plan ahead and pack for a weekend trip away, but when we started thinking about what to bring on our year-long trip, it was pretty overwhelming. Whenever we tell people that we are only bringing one backpack each, usually their eyes get big in disbelief and then the questions start pouring in. “How do you even begin packing for a trip like this?” “What are you going to bring?” “How will you accommodate for the different climates?”

The truth is, we’re not sure we are bringing exactly what we will need. We’re hopeful that we have the basics for what we will need and use and if not, that we can find and buy things along the way. For the most part we are timing our stops in each city to coincide with warm weather for that region, so we will not need heavy clothes or jackets. Since we’re traveling on a tight budget, we also plan to avoid most fancy places where we will need to dress up which helps narrow down our clothing options. We kept the number of clothes to a minimum with the assumption that we will do laundry or hand-wash items frequently. Every blog we have read about what to pack emphasizes the importance of packing light, so we definitely tried to keep that in mind. We are packing a general first aid kit, but plan to visit local pharmacies if needed. We’re also very lucky that our sisters are coming to meet up with us early on in the first few weeks we are on the road, so if we forgot something, they can bring it with them!

Here is the list of what we are planning to pack:

Christina’s Stuff

Christina’s Stuff

• 1 Jacket
• 3 pairs of shoes – sneakers, walking, sandals
• 2 dresses
• 1 long-sleeved shirt
• 5 tank tops
• 3 short-sleeved shirts
• 4 pairs of shorts – 1 running, 2 regular, 1 sleeping
• 1 pair of jeans
• 2 pairs of leggings
• 2 bathing suits
• 7 pairs of socks
• 4 bras – 2 sports, 2 regular
• 7 pairs of underwear (not pictured)
• 1 lightweight scarf
• 3 packing cubes

Chris’s Stuff

Chris’s Stuff

• 1 Jacket
• 3 shoes – sneakers, walking (not pictured), sandals
• 2 long-sleeved shirts
• 1 tank top
• 6 short-sleeved shirts – 2 polo, 4 regular
• 3 pairs of shorts – 1 running, 2 regular
• 1 pair of jeans
• 1 bathing suit
• 7 pairs of socks
• 1 belt
• 7 pairs of underwear (not pictured)
• 3 packing cubes

Tech & Other Miscellaneous Gear

Technology & Miscellaneous

• 2 Travel towels
• Canon Rebel T3i camera with case and charger
• 2 backpack locks and 1 padlock
• ASUS laptop with case, mouse and charger
• 1 selfie stick (this was our one, essential item!)
• 2 iPhone6 cellphones with chargers and headphones
• 1 portable iPhone charger
• sunglasses
• 2 plug adapters
• 1 headphone splitter
• 1 Kindle and charger

Toiletry bags

• Toothbrush & toothpaste
• Travel-sized shampoo/conditioner/body-wash
• Deodorant
• Travel-sized lotion, sunblock, face-wash
• Chapstick
• Qtips
• Makeup and makeup remover pads
• Band-Aids
• Travel-sized hand sanitizer
• Razors and tweezers
• Nail clippers
• Hair ties and 2 headbands
• Travel-sized hairspray
• Bug spray

Medicine

• Meclizine (anti-nausea)
• Ciprofloxacin (antibiotics)
• Atovaqauone-Proguanil (anti-Malaria)
• Pepto-Bismol
• Antihistamine tablets
• Advil
• Tylenol PM
• Hydrocortisone cream
• Eye drops

Documentation

• Passports, copies, and extra passport photos
• Proof of insurance
• Train tickets we have booked so far

One Bag Each

Somehow we’re making it all fit into these two Deuter backpacks! Christina will be carrying a 50L bag with a 10L daypack and Chris will have the 65L bag with the same 10L daypack. Wish us luck carrying these up the sixth floor walk-up to the apartment we rented in Paris!

-The Morts