14 9 / 2011

13 pounds of stuff for the next 2 months

It’s always challenging to pack for a big trip. You need to take enough, but not too much. A general rule that’s almost cliche by this point is lay everything out that you think you need, then remove 1/2 of it. That’s what you should take.

For this trip, we’re doing something new. We’re taking computers and trying to stay connected throughout the trip. We’re doing this because this trip isn’t really a vacation, it’s an exploration. We’re as excited to meet entrepreneurs and designers as we are to visit sites and beaches.

So here’s my packing list for 2 months and 6 countries:

  • 30 Liter backpack
  • 4 ultralight cotton t-shirts
  • 3 exofficio boxers, 1 cotton boxer
  • light raincoat
  • high absorption microfiber towel
  • Backpack cover
  • small flashlight
  • kiva expandable bag
  • swim trunks
  • 1 pair zipoff cargo pants/shorts
  • 1 pair of ultralight north face pants
  • 2 large ziplock bags
  • 2 pairs of socks
  • sandals
  • slip on light shoes
  • sleep mask and ear plugs
  • silk sleep sack (basically a sleeping bag, but just a sheet)
  • moleskin journal
  • small lock
  • travel surge protector & power strip
  • stuff sacks for clothes
  • toiletries
  • macbook air
  • iphone 4 (no service)
  • jailbroken nexus S

That’s essentially it. In addition, here are the services we are relying on during the trip

  • TripIt - to keep our entire travel itinerary
  • Dropbox - file sync and backup
  • Backblaze - Full backup
  • Evernote Premium - keeping advice and research about cities we are going to
  • Kindle/Kindle iPhone/Kindle Mac/Kindle Android - We have ALL our travel guides (lonely planet) in digital form and sync them between these devices so elle and I can annotate, highlight, etc…)
  • Skype - voice / video chats
  • Google Maps - Mobile maps have made finding your way around new cities a whole different experience.

That’s all I can remember at this point. It’s about 3 AM and our flight leaves in 8 hours from SFO to Tokyo! Generally, when doing a big trip like this, I stay up most of the night so I can sleep on the plane.

Tags:

Permalink

bmull Posted by By bmull