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one journey.one world.one year

What to take when traveling around the world

Arc’teryx Naos 55 Backpack - Fully waterproof, ridiculously sturdy, and comfortable beyond belief. Just big enough to store your entire life for a year, just small enough to wear while running to catch a train.

Mountain Hardware Scrambler - The perfect daypack. It folds nicely down and holds enough clothing for a long weekend, a camelback, my laptop, rain coat, books...you get the idea...

Sony VAIO VGN-TXN15P 11.1” Notebook - Ultra-portable, powerful, perfect for writing, Internet, and watching DVDs. Less than 3 pounds...you hardly know it’s there until you need it. I store it in a Booq Vyper ballistic case and use a Western Digital 120GB external hard drive for added memory.

Olympus 770sw Stylus - This is my Point-and-Shoot camera for daily use. Water proof to 33 feet, freeze proof, shock proof, takes a solid picture. Perfect for me. I use a 2GB memory card and an extra battery.

Canon Digital Rebel XT - This digital SLR is for when I need to take more ‘artsy’ photos for articles and such. I’m not a pro, but this camera makes me feel like one.

Motorola SLVR L7 - I currently use an unlocked GSM SLVR as my primary phone, but may upgrade to a quad-band phone with 3G which would work better internationally. Small and light and solid. I use the Telestial Explorer global cell phone service.

Lingo Travel Mate - Small, 16 language translator also can do currency conversions. I carry it everywhere.

Clothing - After much monitoring of Sierra Trading Post, I ended up with a fully synthetic wardrobe of two short sleeve North Face t-shirts, one long sleeve North Face zip up shirt, one short sleeve and one long-sleeve t-shirt, and one long-sleeve zip up Arc’Teryx base layer, one pair of North Face cargo shorts, one pair of zip-off/convertible North Face cargo pants, one pair of board shorts, and two pair of Ex-Officio boxer briefs. Added to that are an Ex-Officio “Buzz-Off” bandana, a money belt, two pairs of Smartwool socks, one pair of Merrell Chameleon trail shoes, one pair of Chaco sandals, my six year old Maui Jim titanium wrap- around sunglasses, and one straw cowboy hat. Most of the clothing is for warm weather as I’ve planned the majority of my trip that way, but I plan to pick up cold-weather (and any more formal) attire when necessary and likely unload it after I use it.

Toiletries - I kept my toiletry kit pretty bare-bones. Replacing my normal leather bag with a series of plastic, water-tight document bags, I’ve packed one normal plastic toothbrush with travel head guard, one tongue scraper, two 3oz tubes of toothpaste, two silicone PKOH NYC 2oz bottles of conditioning shampoo, two additional 2oz bottles of bath gel, two bottles (1oz each) of About Face shaving oil, a Gillette Fusion AAA battery powered razor with 6 months worth of spare blades (I figure I can restock midway through), nail clippers, 100 Q-tips (multiple uses), and a pair of tweezers. No comb (I’ll either keep my hair long or very short— neither of which I have found requires much attention) and no contact lenses (I’ve never worn them). Mom also put together a first aid kit, relevant vitamins, etc. for me.