Packing for 200 Days
- Vik Leann
- Sep 2, 2015
- 4 min read
Writing this post was hard, because we kept rewriting our list of items, and we procrastinated a lot on our packing. We kinda knew we had most of the items we needed due to the extent of our travels in the past few years, and of course, the additional purchases over the years too, but Vik was constantly worried that he forgot something. With a 7 month trip to kick off in a few days, you could imagine some of the stress we were experiencing. So before we share the complete list with you, here’s just 2 of our guiding principles for packing.
Pack for a week. But don’t scrimp on your undergarments; you never know when the next time you find a laundry shop is. That said, don’t wait till the last minute to wash your clothes. Undergarments are easy to wash anyway.
Ziploc them all. Yes, Vik learnt this in the Army, but it really helps to organise and compact your belongings, and waterproofs them too! We really like to have separate bags for everything. Shirts, Pants, Undergarments, Swimming Attire, Socks, Towels, etc are all in separate Ziploc bags.
The packing categories are pretty much the same across most websites:
Backpack and bags
Apparel
Normal
Cold Wear
Shoes
Accessories
Toiletries
Medication
Electronics
Miscellaneous
BACKPACK AND DAYPACK
It’s called #200daysinabackpack for a reason. What's backpacking without a backpack?
Backpacks are important for functionality and portability. Get a lightweight, comfortable, and ergonomic one that has sufficient compartments. It should sit nicely on your waist above your hipbone which should take most of the weight (instead of your shoulders) if you pack properly (heavy stuff above the waist and close to the back).
Any big trip more than a week will require at least 50L. More if you travel to cold countries. Vik has had the Vaude 60+10L one since Nepal in 2012 while Leann just bought a 60+10L Quechua Easy Fit from Decathlon.
We also needed daypacks for daily use, and as carry-on luggage for our electronic equipment and important documents. We also had a smaller sling bag each (China bag) to carry the most important stuff. This should be able to fit into your day pack, when you are carrying everything.
APPAREL
We were worried about overpacking, and then underpacking. This to and fro of thinking lasted an entire week, and even till the last moment, we were adding to this list. Our principles for apparel was to have: one of everything, versatility (convertibles like my hiking pants), lightweight (i.e. dri-fits), layers (i.e. 2 types of socks and gloves), and double up on those important stuff you need (i.e. buff, undergarments, etc.)
TOILETRIES
The standard toiletries include shampoo, body wash, facial wash, toothbrush, toothpaste, shaver, and of course towels. A toiletries bag would be useful, and we did bring most of our travel sized items, but we knew that we would eventually switch to the bigger versions once we run out. It only made monetary sense to do so. A roll of toilet paper can do wonders in emergency situations too (make sure you water proof it)!
Other tips include mouthwash for lazy days, lip balm and moisturizers for dry days, sunscreen, and wet tissues.
MEDICATION
We packed whatever we could that has not expired and split them into 2 packs. It included the main meds for cold, fever, menses cramp and gastric, our Diamox and Doxycycline, and an ever useful bottle of Feng You (medicated oil). Prevention is better than cure so we brought along Vitamin C effervescent tablets too.
We also had a small first aid kit for our treks. Antiseptic cream is sometimes not included in these kits so we made sure to buy one and bring along.
ELECTRONICS
Vik likes to have different equipment for different purposes. Well,Not much of a difference this time round too.
MISCELLANEOUS
Utility box (Lighter, insect repellent, wet tissue, plasters, utility tool, extra batteries)
3L Waterbag
Headlamp
Neck Pillow for those long plane and bus rides
Extra Ziploc Bags
Snacks, Sauces and Bak Kwa (as gifts for hosts)
Pacsafe Pac to lock up important stuff.
Silkliner for cold days and poor lodging
Documents (Passports, extra passport-sized photos, Immunisation record, Dive Certs, ibanking token)
So a few last tips:
Digitize everything and store it across the different devices (especially your phone) and also in the cloud
Your day pack should have most of your electronics, comfort needs, simple medication, and an empty bottle for water.
We hope this list is useful as a guide and maybe a reminder of what else you need. The photos did not show everything, neither did we write everything that we brought. Feel free to question some of our choices and clarify their purpose. More importantly, this is our list, and everyone has their own. There’s no need to follow strictly as long as you have all the major categories covered. Some people we know bring a lot less than we do, and others bring way too much.
Share with us what your key must-bring items are! Especially if you think we missed them out!