Preparation

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Gear

Here is a list of gear we took with us or gathered along the way. Looking back, we made the rookie mistake of bringing too much stuff and ended up having to pitch things along the way. There is so much available in Asia for very reasonable prices, but it is mostly low quality. I still believe that getting a few high-tech pieces of clothing ahead of time is the way to go. The high expense pays off in a lighter load and less wear over time.

—Jake—

Wish I brought
Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera (Black)

Pack
Eagle Creek Cross Roads Wheeled Luggage 25″ (8lbs/3.64kg)
Backpack Rain Cover
Master Lock 4687DNKL Instant Alert TSA Accepted Luggage Lock
JanSport Adrenaline Series Boost Backpack (too heavy, left on a bus in Cambodia)
Eagle Creek Travel Gear Travel Bug Bag
eBags Shoe Bag (Black)
Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Dry Sack4 Liter
Eagle Creek Travel Gear Pack-It Cube Organizer (x2 med, x1 small)
The North Face Cerrotorre 40 Backpack (bought in the market in Phnom Penh, Cambodia)

Clothes
1 swimsuit shorts (stolen by hotel staff in Hoi An, Vietnam)
1 replacement shorts (bought in market in Chiang Mai, Thailand)
4 underwear (2 ExOfficio Men’s Give-N-Go Boxer) (wicking boxers are really as good as they say)
Merrell Chameleon Evo GTX XCR Hiking Shoe – Men’s (uncomfortable at first, but are amazing!)
Columbia Sportswear Men’s Sun Scape Backstrap Sandal (back strap cut up my ankle)
Columbia Men’s Mountain Tech Long Sleeve Shirt Knit Top (Deep Teal, Small)
Columbia Sportswear Men’s Cougar Peaks II Jacket (rain jacket, most useful in New Zealand)
1 bandana (most useful on Chiang Mai trek, sweaty)
1 laundry bag (good for getting your laundry done in town)
Lorpen Merino Wool Light Hiker Socks-Great for Hiking,Camping,Trekking and More! (3 pair)
New York Yankees Clean Up Adjustable Cap
1 handmade winter hat from our friends in Ecuador
Columbia Accelerator 2 Fleece Beanie
Columbia Neck Gaiter cu8203
Duofold Men’s Polypropylene Mid Weight Single-Layer Thermal Crew
Duofold Men’s Insulayer Originals 2-Layer Long Underwear Pant 400b
Columbia Omni-Dry Tough Soft Half-Zip Shirt – Long-Sleeve – Men’s
1 Cherokee pant 65% nylon / 35% cotton
1 Old Khaki convertible pant 100% cotton
North Face Paramount Convertible Pant – Reg | RockCreek 100% nylon
1 White Sierra Detachable Pant 100% nylon
1 White Sierra button-up long sleeve shirt 100% nylon
1 White Sierra t-shirt
Columbia Omni-Dry Yeti Ridge Polo Mens (x3) 100% polyester
1 pair cargo shorts (too heavy, left in NZ)
1 pajama bottoms (light and great for getting comfortable in a hostel)
1 pair smart wool socks (only useful for very long treks)
1 work out t-shirt
2 traditional Bali t-shirts (bought in Bali)
1 sarong with head scarf (bought in Bali)
1 set rain paints (used during a crazy rainy bike ride in Cambodia and farming in New Zealand)
1 brown sun hat (used all the time)
1 rain poncho (bought in Singapore Zoo)

Accessories
1 pair work gloves for organic farming (left in NZ after using)
Suction Sink Stopper for doing laundry
Coffee Filters for water filtration (poor man’s filter)
MSR Miox Water Purifier with Batteries (super light)
Potable Aqua Chlorine Dioxide Tablets – 30 pack (emergency)
Cocoon Air Core Travel Pillow (used when one was not provided a couple times)
Cocoon CoolMax TravelSheet (a must)
1 REI Daypack First Aid Kiti (used a lot and kept stocking with supplies)
1 REI Travelers’ Clothesline (used a few times to dry clothes)
MSR Packtowl UltraLite, Blue, Medium (dries super fast, excellent!)
Space Brand Emergency Blanket (never used)
1 generic multitool (heavy, but used a few times)
Adventure Medical Kits Pocket Medic First Aid Kit (merged with other first aid kit)
Swift Ultra Lite 8×42 Waterproof Birding Binoculars 929 Models: Swift Ultra Lite 8×42 Waterproof Birding Binoculars – Green Model 929-green (great for birding and locals love them)
2 journals with pens and pencils
1 roll duct tape (used a few times)
1 roll electrical tape (used once)
1 length of thin nylon rope (used to hang our mosquito net in Kathmandu, Nepal)
1 set goggles and snorkel (bought in Amed, Bali)
1 sleep mask with ear plugs (very good for public transport)
2 sets waterproof matches (one pack taken at some airport)
1 waterproof sunblock (really hard to find waterproof replacements, got some more in Bali)
1 toothpaste and toothbrush and floss (replaced a couple times along the way, cheap good brand replacement brushes everywhere)
1 shampoo travel bottle (filled with Head & Shoulders which is available everywhere)
1 hair brush
2 sticks deodorant
1 camper clothes washing detergent (bought bar soap and washing soap packs which work better as we went)
1 tea mug (bought in NZ, gave away in Vietnam)
1 chap stick (very useful, got a replacement along the way)
4 decks of playing cards (to give away to people) (left 1 at the station in Clinton, New Zealand) (left one in Kathmandu with my host brother)
1 hacky sack (to play with locals)
1 guide book to New Zealand (traded along the way for other contries)
1 “Travels with Charlie” by Steinbeck book
set of business cards to give away to people
set of photos of family to show people
1 travel umbrella (lost on the train in Singapore)
1 foot powder from Target (nobody likes stinky feet)
1 tube of mosquito repellent

Medications
1 bottle of Malarone malaria pills (used in Cambodia)
1 set of stomach cocktail pills (Pepto Bismol, Cipro, Flagyl (Metronidazole), Lomotil, Donnatal, Vominorm)
1 set of antihistamine pills
1 bottle of Advil
a few sets of cold pills
2 packs of ORS (oral rehydration salts, you can get for cheap all over Asia)
1 bottle multi-vitamins (stupidly left on bus in Bali, got small and expensive replacement bottle in Cambodia; you really need to stay healthy)

Electronics
Apple MacBook MC516LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop with charger
1 Spectra Flash 500GB external hard drive (bought in Kuta, Bali when internal drive died)
SanDisk Cruzer Micro 8 GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive (SDCZ6-8192-A11, Retail Package)
Apple iPod touch 8 GB (2nd Generation) NEWEST MODEL with charger (best and most used item!)
Motorola RAZR V3 GSM Phone with charger (broke in Bali)
Micro Portable Speakers (very useful since the MacBook speakers suck)
Dynamo Illuminator Wind-up LED Flashlight (too heavy, left in NZ)
50-WATT International Converter (too low power, burnt out)
Grundig M300 Shortwave Radio (too heavy, left in NZ)
Universal International Travel Power Plug Adapter – 110V – max. 275W and 220V… (replaced fuse in Australia, broke again in Cambodia – do yourself a favor and get a good one)
Magellan eXplorist 500LE Color Handheld GPS (great for figuring out where you are and telling taxi drivers where to go)
Petzl Tikka Plus 4-LED Headlamp or Energizer Led Headbeam (a must especially in Kathmandu where you get only 12 hours of electricity per day, try taking a #2 with no light)
Belkin Mini Surge 3OUT Wall Mount 75K 918J with USB Charger (very useful but broke in Vietnam)
Sandisk Corporation – Memory Stick Pro Duo, 2GB (x3)
Sony Cybershot DSC-H9 8MP Digital Camera with 15x Optical Image Stabilization Zoom with battery and charger
Digipower BP-BG1 Replacement Li-Ion Battery for Sony NP-BG1
Rechargeable shaver (bought new one in Australia, other died in NZ)
Apple iPod nano 8 GB Black (2nd Generation) OLD MODEL (thought I could go running with it, but there is no place to run in Asia)
1 USB mouse
a few DVD-R’s to back up photos

USA Road Trip Camping
Firestarters Lightning Nugget (work like a charm)
Coghlans Mosquito Coil
1 Osh Flashlight
1 journal
Coleman Ara 4-Person Tent (awesome tent!)
Coleman H/T Two-Burner InstaStart Propane Stove (great little stove)
Coleman Speckled Enamelware Dining Kit
1 percolator (to heat up water for tea)
2 tarps (used under the tent)
1 LED lantern (great for seeing in the cooler and cooking at night)
1 large cooler
1 gallon water cooler
America the Beautiful – the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass (awesome pass!)
box of books (okay I went a little overboard for six weeks of driving)
2 camping chairs (great for reading and sitting by the fire)
2 sleep mats (picked up along the way, totally needed)
2 sleeping bags (get comfortable ones)
1 entry floor mat (take off your mucky shoes before entering tent)
cooking supplies (pots, pans, plates, cups, utensils, wash basins, soap)
1 can opener (had to snag at Walmart on the way (forgot!) need to get at those baked beans)
1 Magellan GPS voice navigation (named Delores)
2 metal water bottles (not insulated and the Utah desert made the water hot in minutes)
1 small broom (helps keep the tent clean)

Documents
1 document purse with folders (really helped keep things organized)
Passports
Copies of passports
lots of passport photos made from epassportphoto.com
flight itineraries (some airports are more picky than others about your future itinerary)
Travel insurance documents from Worldnomads.com
Emergency contacts and emergency ATM/credit card phone numbers
1 ITIC (International Teacher Identity Card, totally useless)
2 bag labels

—Kendall—

Clothing
1 Columbia Titanium wind-resistant jacket
1 bandana
1 pair nylon pants
1 pair shorts
2 Columbia polo t-shirts (polyester)
underwear and bras
1 sports bra
socks
1 bathing suit
1 Packtowl
3 sun dresses (custom-made in Hoi An, Vietnam)
1 warm coat
1 pair waterproof shoes (bought in NZ when other pair leaked)
1 rain poncho (bought in Singapore Zoo)

Accessories
1 pair work gloves for organic farming (left in NZ when finished)
Cocoon Air Core Travel Pillow
Cocoon CoolMax TravelSheet
1 Phorm reading light / alarm clock (ditched after USA road trip)
Vortex® Lightning 8×32 mm Binoculars for Birding (left after USA road trip)
1 sleep mask with ear plugs (use all the time)
2 journals
1 set of water color paints with brushes and pad (used sometimes, good for travel)
bunch of hair ties
1 toothpaste and toothbrush and floss (replacements along the way)
1 small shampoo bottle
1 small conditioner bottle (replacement conditioner in Thailand)
1 shaving razor
1 deodorant
1 Swiss army knife (got melted by a DEET explosion, then confiscated at the airport)
1 pair hair cutting scissors (to cut Jake’s hair)
1 Eucerin Everyday Protection Face Lotion (use everyday)
1 bottle multi-vitamins
1 travel umbrella

Electronics
30GB iPod
Luxor Ion Baby Dryer 700W (did not work with other voltages, left in NZ)

Planning

We have saved money for about two years to fund our trip. We haven’t changed our lifestyle greatly but just focused on being mindful of what we spend money on and focused on having a certain amount per month to put into the savings account.

A really nice tool that we have expanded is a spreadsheet offered by Filipe Morato Gomes over at round-the-world-trip.com. It lets you plug in numbers for daily budget and pre-trip expenses to see your overall outlook. Each around the world trip is unique as far as budget goes, so you have to plan accordingly.