Fashionably Light

Here is how we pack for a one-year, round the world adventure. Seriously.

I read the other day that backpackers tend to suffer from two afflictions more so than from anything else. The first is the inevitable traveller’s diarrhea (aka Delhi Belly, Rangoon Runs, Tokyo Trots, Montezuma’s Revenge, etc), for which we have enough ciprofloxacin, azithromycin and loperamide to plug a hole in the Hoover Dam. The second ailment seems so much more sinister to me, perhaps due to its being orthopedic in nature, or that it conjures images of spasming nerves and me lying prostrate in a city street, writhing in pain. A herniated disc!

All things considered, I’ve had enough sciatic nerve pain from my third trimester with Oliver to last me a lifetime, so I have resolved to make this simple for Ryan and I. We are traveling light. Throughout the next couple of posts, I will attempt to describe how we’ve settled/are settling on what will make the cut for our upcoming year on the road. First, the clothes!

Em’s Stuff
2 pairs butt-flattering convertible pants
1 pair Puma sweatpants

1 pair quick-dry shorts
4 tank tops
4 t-shirts (quick-dry/antimicrobial)
2-in-1 skirt/strapless dress in black (a brilliant find at Sports Authority)
3 long sleeve quick-dry shirts
light-weight plaid shirt (v.nice w/Puma)
lightweight fleece jacket
Marmot Precip jacket (keeps the monsoon out, I hope)
6 pairs underwear
1 bra, 1 sports bra
1 bikini (I have been known to substitute my underwear for bikini bottoms)
3 pairs hiking socks
Rainbow sandals
1 bandanna
Ry’s Stuff:
2 pairs REI convertible pants
2 pairs swim shorts
1 pair Nike sweatpants
4 t-shirts (quick-dry/antimicrobial)
3 long sleeve quick-dry shirts
light-weight plaid shirt
lightweight fleece jacket (because it gets chilly in the Himalayas)
GORE-TEX raincoat
5 pairs boxers (I begged him to buy antimicrobial, he would not listen, now we will all suffer)
4 pairs hiking socks
Keen Arroyo shoes
Rainbow sandals
Ollie’s Stuff (everything is lightweight, quick-drying, antimicrobial, and appeared indestructible to me when I purchased it)
2 pair running pants
3 pairs swim shorts
4 t-shirts
3 long sleeves
Marmot Precip jacket (Ollie & I match!)
4 pairs socks
2 pairs long sleeve pj’s
2 pairs short sleeve pj’s
Keen Arroyo shoes (all three of us will be sporting these bad boys)

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