The Inventory

As I said previously, when I was learning about the Bonderman Fellowship I really became fixated on finding out what a person would pack for an eight month trip around the world. The following is the inventory list of my backpack and the little daypack that straps onto my larger pack.

Clothing:

• 2 tank tops/undershirts
• 2 pairs REI type zip off pants/shorts/capris
• 1 knee length skirt
• 1 green scoop-neck t-shirt
• 1 polo-ish t-shirt with stripes and a collar
• 1 purple t-shirt
• 1 thermal long sleeve shirt with thumbholes in the sleeves
• 1 pair long underwear (which make good pajamas)
• 3 pairs short athletic socks
• 1 pair long wool socks (not very thick)
• 2 sports bras
• 2 non-sports bras (?)
• 2 fancy shmancy ex-officio travel underwear
• 1 less fancy plain (now tie-died... I had fun with that in Quito) cotton undwear
• 1 bathing suit (workout tank-top that doubles as shirt and bathingsuit bottoms (replaced by suit bought in Canoa after bottoms vanished))
• 4 bandanas (assorted colors and sizes...) One of which used to be my moms and is extra large. I love this one because it has thus far been a scarf, a belt, a pillow case and a shirt/bra when in dire situations.
• 1 "Buff" scarf/headband REI thinkg (Thanks Auntie Helen!)
• 1 dark green plain cotton zip-up hoody
• 1 light green thin rain coat
• 1 pair chaco sandals (and sack to hold them)
• 1 pair walking shoes (and sack to hold them) and extra shoe laces
• 1 pair thin polar tec gloves (may never use them, but it could be a bit cold on trains etc)
• 1 short-billed hat with canada pin :)
• 1 headband (which counts as a clothing item in my book so there it is)

Other stuff:

• 1 thin washcloth (cut from an old REI travel towel I had)
• 1 XL REI travel towel
• Silk Jersey Sleeping bag liner
• Blue metal camp mug
• Nalgene camelback waterbottle
• Gallon, pint and tiny size zip-lock bags
• Zip ties
• Large plastic document holder
• 7x5 (?) photo album/portfolio (for family pictures, friends, and info of people I meet)
• Sewing kit (thank you patty) that I transferred to an altoids tin. I added some clothing repair tape stuff.
• Spool of thick white thread and super-needle (leatherworking type)
• Franklin electronic spanish dictionary (Thank you Ant)
• Larousse mini spanish dictionary (Ditched this at the trotamundo hostel in Aljajela)
  
• Around the neck-type Passport/document holder (from SPIPA youth conference!) (I don´t really use this since I have the money belt... and I don´t really even need the money belt all that often so I am thinking about ditching this document holder)
  
• Money belt
• 1 combination luggage lock
• 2 small key locks
• Heavy plastic spoon/fork/knife thing from REI
• Eyemask
• Earplugs
• Small inflatable pillow
• Small white handkerchief with great Japanese designs on it from Diaso
• Bag hooks (plant hanger style s-shaped metal hooks) to hold up bags in bathroom stalls etc
• Bottle opener on key chain
• Credit card size fold up phone book (Auntie Judy gave this to me way back, thanks Judy!) (Gave this to a friend in Nicaragua)
  
• Lifetime supply of brown hairties
• Lifetime supply of safety pins
• Fold out travel brush/mirror
• Julbo sunglasses and thing to hold them on my head (bought these from the HUB lost and found sale for 2 bucks woo hoo)
• 2 whistles (Thanks to my mom)
• A lot of chapstick (I´ve ditched some of the chapstick along the way...)
  
• Cocoabutter stick for lotion etc (Thank you so much Kitty, it's perfect!)
• Assorted pencils, pens and markers (Ditched some of these in Monteverde, Costa Rica)
  
• small watercolors set and pad of watercolor paper
• Compass
• Couple notebooks/writing pads
• Big soft covered journal
• write-in-the-rain spiral notebook to keep important info in
• Harper Collins Pocket World Atlas
• Mini rolls of emergency toilet paper
• Sink plug for laundry
• Scotch tape and extra roll
• Little bit of ducttape (Thanks Ant)
• Rubber doorstop
• Tiny rubberbands
• Medical Kit (too much stuff to list)
• Crystal body deoderant (perfect for travel)
• Mini emery boards (thanks mom)
• Nail clippers
• tweezers
• Plastic earrings, smallest gauge I could find because 1) I am so allergic to metals 2) I don't want to wear flashy earrings 3) I don't want my ear piercings to close up. (Don´t really use these now that I have my earrings made out of coconut)
  
• Necklace from my parents (puffins! a necklace they each have worn a lot)
• Make-up: Small eyeshadow and mascara
• 2 travel toothbrushes (now down to one travel toothbrush, having two was just silly)
  
• Floss
• 2 razors
• Couple carabeaner things
• Couple large bobby-pins
• Shampoo/Cond.
• Toothpaste
• Deet insect repellent
• Bodywash/barsoap
• Compact mirror
• Hand sanitizer
• Woolite
• Spf 15 lotion

Electronics/battery powered stuff:

• Travelsmart Dual wattage International Converter Set
• Small digital Camera, charger and upload cord
• My good 'ole Ipod (one of the big fat old ones, probably will die on this trip, but on the bright side, then my pack will be lighter), charger, headphones
• small travel clock (with an alarm that does not wake me up -- oops)
• Steripen Adventurer water purification thingy
• Plain black digital watch
• Small black LED flashlight
• Smaller key ring type light
• Tiny little calculator
• 2 flashdrives
• Extra memory card for camera
• Extra batteries for everything with batteries

Gifts for people I meet along the way:

• Split cedar for making gifts
• miniature moccasins made by my great-aunt marge
• 2 wind-up toys to entertain myself and others (muchas gracias dad)

And that is it, I don't think I am leaving anything out. I actually still have some room in my bag which is good and I hope to keep it that way. I have no idea how much my bag weighs, but it reminds me of a 50's/60's book on "knapsacking" around the world that I checked out from the UW library where there is a quote that goes something to the effect of:

When asked if the heavy knapsack "weighs you down" a knapsacker said, "Maybe a little at first, but from then on I think you stand a little taller."