What’s Still in My Pack, 6 Month Later?

Posted on 27. Mar, 2011 by Steph in Advice, On the Road

I’m not a big fan of packing lists. Or at least of publishing them on the internet. You work so hard on figuring out what you want to bring with you and then everyone comments and tears it apart because- oops, different people need and want different things. What I thought would be more useful would be to tell you, after the fact, what I brought and what worked for me.

You can view my original post on the hell that is packing here.

And here are the contents of my pack (at least the clothing) 6 months later.

What did I end up tossing?

Quite a few things actually.

First to go were my ballet flats, just a month or so in. I almost exclusively wear flip-flops now (incidentally I’m on my fourth pair- two were stolen and one pair broke).

Once I reached Thailand most of my warm weather clothes were just wasting space, so little by little I shed my long-sleeve shirt, my jacket and most of my socks.

I’ve had to replace a few t-shirts that got worn out, and I threw out one unflattering skirt in Thailand after two seperate people asked me if I was expecting.

What Did I Add?

Maybe I am still a shopper at heart. Particularly after my shopping frenzy in hoi an I think I now have more clothing than I left home with. I added two new shirts, a casual dress and a skirt (mostly replacement items).

new clothes!

Pretty early into the trip I aquired a pair of sweatpants (stole them from my boyfriend) for lounging around in hostels, and bought a sarong in Australia that serves an endless variety of purposes from beach dress to towel.

I also bought a cheap blue dress that can be dressed up for going out, and I’m toting around the silk robe I had made in Hoi An because, well I like to feel fancy too.

What am I glad I brought?

My jeans- I know people are always arguing that they aren’t necessary, but they’ve been a real lifesaver, both on chilly days and times when I wanted to look dressed up.

Also my blue scarf has served me incredibly well. It’s an ultimate multi-purpose tool. I use it around my neck when I’m cold, as a blanket on buses, as a pillow, as a shawl to visit temples.

What would I do differently?

I wish I’d brought a second bikini instead of trying to force a style on myself that didn’t fit.

I REALLY wish I’d brought more underwear, as that’s harder to buy in the correct sizes and I HATE running out ever 7 days. One of my bras broke a couple of months ago and now I’m hoarding the other two because my boobs are just TOO LARGE for asian sizes.

photo credit: kalleboo

Other things for the ladies to stock up on beforehand: tampons, razorblades and moisturizer (unless you want to be a guinea pig for “whitening cream”).

And I just don’t know what I was thinking bringing so many socks!

Of course now I’m headed back to China, where I’m told it’s still very much winter. May have been too soon to toss all of those cold weather clothes. One thing that’s lucky about East Asia- the shopping is cheap.

Maybe that was all a bit TMI, but hopefully there are some pearls of wisdom in there for those of you still packing for your big trips. My advice is to really think about what YOU need and will use, and not what other people think you might need.

What would you have packed differently in retrospect?

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Tags: equipment

21 Responses to “What’s Still in My Pack, 6 Month Later?”

Florine
27. Mar, 2011
Funny how the same story goes for everyone travelling abroad. What I’m doing now is just pack as little as possible. Like you said, shopping is cheap in many places, and you will always find cloths that better suit the local climate.
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Rease
27. Mar, 2011
I feel like there is no way to perfect packing! I’m on a two week trip right now and here are my thoughts:
-I didn’t need a dress AND a skirt. One or the other would have been fine.
-I brought 6 shirts. I could have done with 4.
+ SO glad I brought extra underwear
- I wish I had 1 long sleeve shirt, it’s chillier than I thought, but mostly I wish I had it for the buses- they are freezing
+ Happy I brought my own face moisturizer
- All I needed was eyeliner. That 2 shade of eyeshadow is pointless.
+ Choosing the mini backpack over the purse was an excellent choice.
+ 100% agree about the jeans. 1 pair is perfect for the cold buses, windy cold days, etc.
I’m already planning what to pack for my winter trip (Southern Hemisphere winter) that will be around a month and a half.
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Fred
27. Mar, 2011
Thanks for the perspective. I’m glad someone else is willing to speak out in favor of jeans I recently wrote an entire post on the subject: http://blog.tortugabackpacks.com/jeans-are-the-best-travel-pants/
Re: underwear, I’m a huge fan of ExOfficio’s products for men. They’re expensive but easy to hand wash and quick to dry. Might be worth checking out their women’s line.
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Jack
27. Mar, 2011
If there is one thing I have learned at all, it is that you can never have too much underwear when you are traveling.
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Gexx
27. Mar, 2011
When it comes to menstrual stuff, I am SO GLAD that I swapped to a menstrual cup. I know it’s not for everyone, as it’s a reusable cup that you empty out. I camp a whole bunch and I’ve traveled a good deal, and it’s nice to have a simple, small, sanitary (you sterilize it with vinegar) thing rather than having to plan packs of tampons. I was so glad that when I visited my dude friend overseas I didn’t need to navigate those aisles in the drugstores.
I’m not sure what you can find where you are now, but if you make your way to Europe you may be able to pick some up. I’m in the US and Whole Foods and other similar stores carry them (to Americans who haven’t left just yet).
http://www.mooncup.co.uk/
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- Dalene - Hecktic Travels
  28. Mar, 2011
  I picked up one of these before leaving home too, and I’m not sold on it. It’s terribly uncomfortable (I find), but it does come in really handy in a pinch (long bus rides, or when I forget to buy the other stuff, which happens often!)
  I know people that do love it though, I might just be a weird “shape” – ha!
  TMI, TMI, TMI!! =)
  Reply to this comment
  - Steph
    28. Mar, 2011
    I’m with you Dalene actually. I bought one before I left and could never quite get the hang of it, so I ultimately left it at home. Maybe I’ll give it another shot though…
    Reply to this comment
    - Kristen
      20. Sep, 2011
      It takes a few months to get used to a menstrual cup (or at least it did for me). Now I’m hooked!
      Reply to this comment
Rishe - Off Track Planet
28. Mar, 2011
I think I essentially replaced the items in my pack by the time I was two months in. Ended up mailing some stuff home and buying new crap in a cheap chain store in France. Turns out I didn’t need an extra maxi drass, but another skirt was welcomed. Got rid of my ballet flats too, but had to replace my sneakers (which was heartbreaking, considering I have thousands of pairs at home after four years working for an athletic footwear company). Ended up buying another twenty pairs of underwear (okay, maybe it was only ten…) but smartest thing I ever did, as seriously, sometimes the laundry doing is just not worth it. Dumped a lot of pyjamarey/lounging around crap I’d brought, like a nightie and gym T-shirts, instead just wearing my same singlets over and over. Had to replenish toiletries several times, because if there’s one thing I hate it’s dragging around copious amounts of shampoo and moisturizer – though I hear you on the whitening, when in Asia I suppose!
I’m also a flip-flop girl, but must admit that as a former sneaker designer, I NEVER wore sneakers until my backpacking trip. Suddenly, I realized that a wardrobe that includes sneakers also requires socks… of which I had none. Muchos gracias to all those travel companions from whom I surreptitiously filled my backpack with stolen socks!
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Dominika
28. Mar, 2011
That’s so truth, everybody wants and needs something else while backpacking. I’m a leggins + jersey tunics/ dresses girl and I never wear jeans. When i tell other backpackers that i have 5 dresses with me and no t-shirts, they always lough. Well, that’s the most comfortable way for me. One dress = top+ bottom, and leggins are just for everything: covering legs, sleaping, hiking, and when it’s cold i wear two at once… plus a big scarf just like Steph.
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ayngelina
28. Mar, 2011
I also wish i brought so much less and didn’t buy any fancy travel clothing.
In Central and South America I’ve been lucky with toiletries, they have all the razors, creams etc I need and so much cheaper than at home.
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- Steph
  28. Mar, 2011
  Shampoo and stuff hasn’t been to difficult in Asia although my hair is pretty thick and straight- I imagine it might be tough for a curly haired person around here!
  Reply to this comment
Sarah
28. Mar, 2011
I love taking jeans away with me – despite the fact everyone says you shouldn’t. However, my upcoming trip is two months in South East Asia (Malaysia, Laos, Vietnam mostly) I wondered if you’d worn your jeans at all in these countries, or did you just find it too hot?
Ta!
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- Steph
  28. Mar, 2011
  Hi Sarah. I didn’t use my jeans at all in Laos or Cambodia where it’s currently VERY hot, but they were pretty useful in Vietnam- particularly up north where it’s still a bit chilly, in Halong Bay and in the evenings up in the mountains and on the coast. I used them a bit in Thailand too on rainy island days.
  Reply to this comment
Sheryll
28. Mar, 2011
I know that less is always more, but I know the one thing I couldn’t possibly skimp on are my toiletries. Pretty sure that skin whitening cream would not be a good idea for me……hahahahaha!
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Ali
29. Mar, 2011
I’m a carry-on only girl and I’m sticking to it for my upcoming trip. Which is becoming more and more scary, even though I’m still months away from actually leaving. I’d love to bring jeans but I think they might just take up too much room. I don’t understand how so many people can walk around for hours and hours in flip flops, my feet would be covered in blisters in no time. Sneakers are a must for me. I was planning on only bringing a week’s worth of underwear but after reading this, it really sounds like more would be a better idea. I’ll just keep reminding myself that most things can be purchased on the road.
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Sabina
01. Apr, 2011
I am an accidental whitening cream guinea pig. The stuff works. I wrote a post about this a few months ago. I had an ugly, pretty dark (for my fair skin) sunspot on my left cheek, plus freckles on my forehead which plagued me for years. Three separate laser treatments at a total of $300 for that sunspot did nothing. Then I spent three months in the UAE, where whitening products are way, way more plentiful than in Asia, and the spot and freckles are completely gone. I purposefully bought products that did not mention that they had whitening cream in them, because I didn’t want it on my skin. Even with these supposedly non-whitening products, my face was wiped clean of pigment. I’m still using face products I bought in the MidEast and SE Asia, so I’ll see if the pigment comes back when I run out.
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- Steph
  04. Apr, 2011
  That’s pretty alarming that even the products that dont state they have whitening cream could have such a profound effect. The last thing I wanted was to come back from Asia MORE white than when i left!
  Reply to this comment
Dina
03. Apr, 2011
Just 2 weeks ago I sent home 3 kgs away from my pack. The keen amphibious pair of sandals were among it. This is the second time I sent those pair home. The first time was almost 2 years ago. Last Christmas we visited our hometown and somehow I got the idea that the pair could be useful, not burdening, this time. Turn out that it’s way too fancy for Central America. While it’s great, I’m afraid I will be a target of crime just because my sandals are flashy.
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- Steph
  04. Apr, 2011
  Isn’t cleaning out the dead weight from your pack the best feeling though? I love package days for that reason.
  I’d never really considered how clothing can make you a target but in some parts of the world that’s probably a very real consideration.
  Reply to this comment
Manuela
14. Jun, 2011
Totally agree with the packing whats right for you and generally packing lists, in terms of clothes, wont do you much good b.c. its so personal for each person.
That being said though, one thing I love about packing lists is the non clothes items that remind you of multipurposes things to bring like duct tape and dental floss. Those I think can be helpful for most people regardless of preference, you’ll always find SOME use for duct tape.
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What’s Still in My Pack, 6 Month Later?

21 Responses to “What’s Still in My Pack, 6 Month Later?”

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