Gear
When it comes to gear, we kept it simple. We travel with old, well tested stuff, so that we are not too sad when it gets lost or broken. Moreover, we know what to expect from these things and there are no unexpected surprises such as bad fit, long drying etc. Look around your house, you might well have all the basics. Remember, you don’t need much to get on the road and you can always buy stuff in the destination!
Clothing
This pack list will vary according to the destination, but our list provides a good balance for a variety of temperatures, ranging from tropical climate to cold weather found in the mountains. With this pack list, you’ll be good for 3-season backpacking. Backpacking is a wide term - you should know who you are as a traveler. Will you be camping, hostel hopping or working away? Do you plan to travel by bus, foot, bike, car, motorbike or plane? The pack list will very much depend on your travel style and the things you want to do. Clothes are the biggest weight, you can easily get up to 5kgs by choosing inappropriate clothes
- Osprey Kestrel 58L (although quite heavy, it’s a durable and well built backpack I’ve had for about 8 years now. It’s showing wear and tear only now)
- Columbia Gore-Tex jacket 1x (wind/rain proof)
- Patagonia Down Jacket (something for cold weather around 0°C, which is often the case in the mountains)
- Patagonia hiking travel pants (quick dry, look good in city as well)
- Swimshorts 1x (quick dry)
- Normal canvas shorts 1x (don’t look like an idiot hiker in cities)
- Socks 3x (2 thin pairs and one warm pair)
- Underwear 3x (those loose ones, they double as shorts in the heat)
- Klimatex Base layers 1x (quick dry long sleeve t-shirt)
- Beanie (good for windy nights in warmer climate as well)
- Short cotton t-shirt 2x (something you would wear normally)
- Long sleeve shirt 1x (get a travel shirt with pockets maybe? I didn’t bother and bought a shirt I liked in Argentina)
- O’Neill Fleece sweatshirt 1x
- Travel nano towel (quick dry, I lost 3 of them so far)
- Sunglasses 1x
- Travel Buff 1x (doubles as a scarf, neckwarmer, balaclava…)
- Shoes you’re comfortable with (flip-flops, sneakers, Vans, Nike whatever. I have Vans shoes and my hiking sneakers)
Sleeping and camping
This part is completely optional and should be skipped entirely unless you’re a hardcore backpacker, planning on going off the beaten path, traveling independently and camping out. It’s possible to arrange many hikes with tour companies - this way you support local people but end up paying at least 5 times more than if you diy. Do not try to save money here at any cost - ask yourself how much you’re willing to pay for a portable sleeping system for a year? How much would you spend for just one night at any hotel? Maybe those $80 for a good mat or sleeping bag are no longer that expensive.. Ideally, your system will weigh around 3kgs per person. Last, some destinations offer such cheap food and accommodation that it doesn’t make sense to camp at all (SE Asia).
- Summer sleeping bag rated down to 10ºC (consider Husky Mini or Micro)
- Good sleeping pad (Klymit Static V / how much are you willing to pay for a comfortable bed for 6 months or a year?)
- Lightweight and compact tent (Husky Brunel for 2, 1kg per person)
- Outdoor cookware (GSI Outdoors Pinnacle)
- Stove: a simple diy alcohol-fuel stove for south america or MSR Pocket Rocket 2 gas stove for north america (depends on destination..)
- Cutlery (handmade wooden spoon from Bolivia)
- Solid hiking shoes (Salomon X Ultra 2 / breathability is key)
- Headlight (Black Diamond Ion)
- Swiss knife (knife, can/bottle opener are a must, scissors/screwdrivers nice to have)
Electronics
We love them, but remember that electronics are heavy and need juice. Many travel with laptops, ipads, DSLR cameras, gopros etc. but think twice - do you wanna haul 5kgs of metal or rather travel light, having only the gadgets you actually need? You should be able to get under 1kg with your gadgets.
Before we got robbed in Argentina:
- Charging: 16000mAh Xiaomi battery pack, iPad usb charger, solar panel, DIY usb camera charger, USB cables
- 2 cellphones (old Samsung Galaxy S3 mini/iPhone 4; Simon goes with Xiaomi), 1 serving as a backup and music player
- Panasonic LX5 camera
- Drift Ghost HD action camera
- Kindle Touch
New equip after the robbery:
- Charging: 10000mAh GP battery pack (recharges phone 3x), 1x quick charge charger (60% battery in 30min), 1x normal usb charger (I don’t really use it) and usb cables that came with electronics (you need 2-3)
- Moto G4 smartphone (good smartphone is a must!)
Sony RX100 camera (the only option in Chile practically) - Canon GX 9 Mark II (great quality/size/weight ratio)
- GoPro Hero 4 Session (could be avoided unless you wanna have photos from water, the session is small enough to justify the sacrifice)
- Kindle Touch
- compact Earplugs (they last for 3 months average so leave your nice ones at home)
Other practicalities
- Waterproof bag for clothes (good for rain, water crossings, kayaking, carry-on luggage)
- Water filter Sawyer Mini (use it all the time, very handy and cheap $25)
- Nalgene 1,5L BPA-free water bottle (to avoid waste from disposable bottles)
- Documents: passport, credit cards 3x (1 for free withdrawals, 1 for payments, 1 as a backup) 3x photocopies of all important documents (+ available in the cloud, Dropbox), passport photos 4x and visa in advance where necessary (India, China..)
- Cash ($200, handy when entering a new country to exchange for local currency)
- Sunscreen factor 30, 50
- Mosquito repellent
- Hand wash biodegradable soap (real handy too)
- Spare AAA batteries for headlight
- Notebook and a pen (good for ideas/planning on the go)
- Hygiene (deodorant, moisturising cream, toothpaste, castille hard soap, toothbrush, earbuds, lip balm)
- First Aid Kit incl. antibiotics (consult your doctor)
- Ear plugs, eye mask
- Small wallet for coins and small change
- Money belt (for passport and credit cards)
- Daypack (I’m using my tent and sleeping bags as lightweight daypacks)
- Raincover for your backpack (serves as protection during air/bus/train travel as well)
Bikepacking items
I kept a minimalist approach and worked with what I already had, buying the bare minimum to cycle off on two wheels. I didn’t get any panniers, just a simple rear rack, onto which I attached my backpack. This setup lasted me for 2 months and although it wasn’t perfect, it was actually really good.
- Trek FX 2 $430
- Topeak Air pump $15
- 2 spare tubes $10
- 2 sets of patches $6
- Kryptonite U-lock $19
- DIY shelf brackets and plastic straps from hardware store $10
- Rear rack $15
- Borrowed rear light (very useful) and toolkit (not really used)
- Straps 2x $10
- Stove MSR Pocket Rocket 2 $45
- Gas for cooking 4x (one canister lasts 2wks) $24
- Replacement chain and pedals $40
- Workshop charge $3
total cost $627, sold for $380, net loss $247 or $4/day
For more information about packing, you can consider this excellent website (in czech), which suggests pack lists all under 7kgs tailored for specific destinations and weather (for low-cost airline carriers). It’s good to start here and see how far you can get with minimalist packing!