Packing for one year of travel

Living a year with only one bag of stuff can be challenging. Here’s how I packed my carry-on backpack for such a long time.

The Bag®

Choosing a bag was quite tricky and it took me much more time than I thought it would. At first I was thinking of taking a big hiking bag of 60L. After reading about the subject, I came to realize that my trip wasn’t some kind of long hike but simply a long trip and that there were bags more suited to this situation.

I decided to go with a carry-on bag, this means at most 46L. I also wanted to be able to wear it on my back for easier transportation and one of the mandatory feature was a wide opening on the front (like a normal travel bag).

Bag

I went for the Osprey Porter 46 (2011 edition) because I had read great reviews about it from other world travelers. I tested it during my Eurotrip and it is indeed a very good bag. Comfortable enough to carry on the back for a full day with a big front opening and made of strong materials.

My daypack is a Millet Prolight 24 which is a really good bag and very comfortable to wear with an airflow suspension system. This was important to me as in the end, this is the bag I will carry the most.

Packing list

Packing list

All this stuff fits inside the bag thanks to the Eagle Creek Pack-it Cubes. Without them it wouldn’t be possible!

Clothing & accessories

  • 7 pairs of underwear
  • 3 pairs of socks
  • 1 pair swim trunks
  • 1 sport shorts
  • 3 pairs of shorts
  • 1 pair of denim
  • 1 pair of convertible pants
  • 1 short sleeve shirt
  • 1 long sleeve shirt
  • 5 short sleeve t-shirts
  • 1 long sleeve t-shirt
  • 1 base layer
  • 1 soft shell
  • 1 jacket

Some of these clothes are quick dry but I didn’t want to buy an entirely new wardrobe and I find most tek clothes not very pretty.

Shoes:

  • 1 pair of walking shoes
  • 1 pair of “light” shoes (for the city and to go out)
  • 1 pair of sandals

Accessories:

  • 1 toiletry kit
  • 1 medical kit (I asked a doctor to advise me on which medicine to take)
  • Sea to Summit Tek Towel (quick dry towel)

Gadgets

Most of the gadgets will go into my daypack.

Misc stuff

All cubed up:

Cubes

And in the bag:

In the bag

I hope I didn’t forget anything important!


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10/12/2012