Quandary: Eight months + ten countries + three seasons + one backpack = What to wear?

No rtw blog would be complete without the infamous packing list.  It serves as a resource for those other brave souls who climb on the rtw bus after us.  It is meticulously curated to ensure pragmatic efficiency.  Fashion, sadly, takes a subservient role.

I’ve combed rtw blogs for months hungry for packing lists.  The most useful of all was at http://www.answeringoliver.com/2012/02/my-rtw-packing-list.html and you’ll see that my list closely resembles Devon’s.

As our 10-day countdown begins, here’s what we are packing:

Clothing (Rachel’s list – kids & DH are similar)

• Hats (one baseball & one newsboy)
• Ex-Officio BugsAway Pant (to keep Dengue fever, malaria & Japanese encephalitis at bay!)
• Ex-Officio BugsAway Hoody
• Ex-Officio BugsAway Tee
• Shorts (1)
• Capris Pants (2)
• Belt
• Quick Drying Dress (1)
• T-Shirts (3)
• Tank Tops (2)
• Sports Bras & Regular Bra
• Quick Drying Undies
• Quick Drying Socks
• Bathing Suit (1)
• Keen Trail Shoes
• Teva Sandals
• Patagonia Fleece Pullover
• Patagonia Rain Shell
• Buffs (2)
• Scarf & necklace (my limited bling)

Eight months of clothes?

Compression Bag = Magic!

No heels in sight.

When a buff becomes the bling.

Electronics

• iPhone (unlocked)
• iPad
• Kindle
• Assorted Chargers (not shown)
• Anker External Battery
• Headphones& Splitter
• Digital Camera (not shown because I used it to take this pic!)
• Outlet Converter
• Headlamp

Other

• Doorstop (helps secure doors from the inside if we end up at a sketchy guesthouse)
• Silk Sleep Sack
• Point It Dictionary
• Cheap Sunglasses (I expect to lose them so nice glasses will stay at home!)
• Carabineers
• Sewing Kit
• Clothesline
• Portable Laundry Soap
• Portable Fan
• Ear Plugs & Sleep Masks
• Duct Tape
• Barf Bags (I know my family well)
• Security Belt
• Baggallini Triple Zip Bag (small bag that attaches to my belt — telling myself its NOT a fanny pack)
• Instant Cold Towel (Loews)

Travel necessity: mustache duct tape

Medical

• Malaria Pills
• Ciprofloxacin (traveler’s diarrhea – fun!)
• Azithromycin (same as above – hope we don’t need both!)
• Imodium & Pepto Pills
• Acetazolamide (altitude sickness)
• Advil
• Allegra Allergy Pills
• Benedryl
• Epipen
• Bug Spray w/Deet
• Neosprin
• Band-aids
• Moleskin
• Antibiotic Wipes & Gel
• Kleenex
• First Aid Kit

Toiletries

• Mini shampoo / conditioner (purchase upon arrival)
• Body Wash
• Face Lotion w/Sunscreen
• Sunscreen (purchase upon arrival)
• Hairbrush
• Headbands
• Wet Wipes
• Body Lotion (purchase upon arrival)
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Floss
• Blistex
• Nail Clippers
• Tweezers
• Deodorant
• Razor

Homeschool

• Singapore Math 7^th & 8^th Grade Curriculum
• Two Graph Paper Notebooks
• Writing Workshop Lesson Plan Loaded on Ipad
• Two Writing Notebooks
• Pencils
• Sharpener
• Calculator
• Kindle App Loaded with Fiction & Non-Fiction Books
• Kids Ipads Fitted with Keyboards & Loaded with QuickOffice

Traveling classroom

Documents

• Passports
• Immunization Records
• 2 Sets of Photocopies of the above plus copies of birth certificates, drivers licenses, marriage certificate, health insurance coverage
• Health Cards
• Credit and Bank Cards (Capital One Venture Card has no foreign transaction fees)
• Itinerary & Travel Notes
• Notebooks of Different Sizes (for journaling & jotting down travel notes)
• Much of the Above Scanned on iPad

What I Am not Bringing that I will Miss

• Flat Iron (high maintenance, I know, but I’m just being honest!)
• Jeans (I live in my jeans but they are too bulky for the trip)
• FitFlops (DH will be so glad not to see these for 8 months)
• MacBook Pro (despite much advice from seasoned travelers, I’m only taking my iPad – lugging my 13” MacBook across continents flies in the face of simplification, so I am leaving it in Seattle & hope not to regret it)

I should note that we’ve packed a box of winter clothes to be sent to meet us in Germany.  Now if only it all goes as planned…as I appreciate we won’t really know what we needed and what we could have left behind until we’re actually on the road!