It was important to us that everything would fit into one taxicab so we had to pare down to two duffel bags (we started with four).
Spend the most you can on the duffels and the backpacks. You will just have to repair or replace them later on if they’re not good. We have had the duffels re-sewn where seams have split but that cost about $1. We got the duffel bags with the wheels, which while heavier, enable us to whiz through airports, down ferry ramps and through train stations unassisted.
One thing that has been key is to repack everything in the same spot every time, and have each person carry the same piece of luggage wherever they go. We can strip a room and pack up everything in less than five minutes.
Luggage Two nylon duffel bags with wheels Three-day packs One computer backpack
Charlie One pair of running shorts One pair of khaki shorts Four tank tops (don’t bring white) One pair of khaki pants One sleeveless long sundress (many temples require visitors to cover their legs) One short black dress (for dressing up in cities) One lightweight khaki sweater (acrylic) One sarong (which can become another skirt) One stretchy knit long skirt and jacket (it’s my airplane outfit) Five pairs of underwear Three pairs of pair socks Two bathing suits (they also act as tank tops) One pair running shoes One pair Teva sandals One pair brown strappy sandals (I refuse to wear Tevas with my dresses) One Patagonia fleece Snap-T pullover One thin Marmot rain jacket
Malcolm One pair walking shorts One pair Levi’s One pair chino khakis Two polo shirts Two collar shirts Two bathing suits One pair Clarke’s hiking shoes Two pair wool socks One pair Tevas One Patagonia fleece Snap-T pullover One thin rain jacket One bandana One pair polarized sunglasses
Fraser Two pair khaki shorts Three short-sleeved button-down shirts Three polo shirts One pair khaki pants Two bathing suits Six pair boxer shorts Four pair socks One pair sneakers One pair Tevas One Patagonia fleece Snap-T pullover One rain jacket One baseball cap
Molly Two pairs shorts One pair khaki pants Four tank tops One short skirt One short knit dress One sundress One sarong One pair silk pajama bottoms (a girl has to have some luxuries) Six pair underwear Four pair thin socks One bathing suit One pair sneakers One pair Tevas One Patagonia fleece Snap-T pullover One rain jacket One baseball cap Note: She also wears her brother’s clothes
Electronics One CD player with earphones (for family sanity) One shortwave radio (indispensable for keeping in touch with the BBC) One digital video camera (Sony DCR PC-100) One laptop computer (with a writeable CD slot and DVD) Gameboy (was abandoned three months into the trip)
School supplies Two comprehensive workbooks for their grade level CD ROMS of Jumpstart and Math for the Real World Magic markers Blank notebook paper Composition notebooks for journals Pocket calculator Protractor Glue stick Pencils with erasers
Books Guide books for the first three countries only (we ended up changing some of the countries we visited so we wasted a lot of money on unused guidebooks bought before leaving home). About four or five pleasure-reading paperbacks to get you started (you can trade them for new ones along the way).
Toiletries Nothing that you wouldn’t normally pack. Pretty much everything is available, if you’re not brand conscious.
First Aid We really over packed here. All we have used are a few band-aids, antibiotic ointment, sunburn cream, Tylenol, and Pepto-Bismol. Note: You can get malaria pills much, much cheaper in the country where they are needed.
Misc. Two small pocket flashlights Plug adaptors Coiled luggage lock Computer lock Pocket calculator for currency calculations Mosquito repellent/coils Sunscreen Sewing kit Good sunglasses for everyone Swiss Army knife with corkscrew Zip-Loc Baggies Two masks with snorkels Compact mini binoculars (10 power: don’t overspend on these, as they tend to get lost) Swimming goggles Two photocopied sets of your passports and shot records Two extra sets of passport-sized photographs International driver license Dog tags (we had dog tags made up with each name, passport number, birth date, social security number and a relative’s phone number back in the states)
Games Magnetic chess set Playing cards Uno card game CD ROM computer games
