The Packing List

I love the packing list! But I always loose ear plugs while traveling. One falls on the floor of the bus and rolls somewhere and I never see it again. I would bring at least 2 pairs of earplugs. Or you could always buy more as you go!

Thanks for sharing your personal list. Justin and I are still sorting out exactly what we will bring in our backpacks when we leave on 09-30-08. We are going to backpack and explore various countries for a year or so. I would love to know any or all advice to us. www.nomadbackpackers.com

I modified this list slightly and used everything and felt like I forgot nothing:

• 1 33 liter Backpack
• 6 T-shirts
• 6 Pairs of underwear
• 7 Pairs of Socks
• 2 Pair of Jeans
• 1 Button Down Shirt (never used)
• 1 Gore-Tex Shell
• 1 Soft Shell Fleece
• 1 Small Bottle of Hair and Body wash
• 1 Razor Blade
• 1 Brush
• 1 Towel (thin cotton)
• 1 Money Belt (never used)
• 1 Health insurance card
• 1 Driver License
• 1 Passport
• 1 ATM Card
• 1 Credit Card
• 1 Padlock
• 1 Large Envelope
• 1 Pen and Notebook
• 1 Pair of leather dress shoes
• 1 Pair of Crocs
• 2 Photocopies of passport/health card/drivers license/credit card (one for each bag)
• 1 iPhone & Charger
• 1 Laptop & Charger (dont take it, its too heavy and with the iphone, i never used it).
• 1 Europe-to-North American power adapters

I took a pretty extensive collection of Digital SLR gear with me too:

• 1 Camera bag (fit on my backpacks waist belt with belt loops)
• 1 Small (4” extended) tripod
• 1 Pentax K10D Digital SLR
• 1 50mm f1.7 MF lens
• 1 24mm f2.8 MF lens
• 1 28-210mm f3.5-5.6 MF lens
• Charger, Memory cards, Polarizers, etc…

In terms of camera gear. I would have enjoyed my 18-55mm lens because of the 18mm range…

Water Shoes:
A lot of beaches” in europe are more rocky than sandy (i.e. Greece, Cannes, etc.). You’ll need them for swimming in many places

For Europe you should add suncream, possibly a sunhat and a swimming costume (most Europeans don’t mind topless sunbathing but ot in the sea)

Also a scarf or bandana can be handy, can be used for; scarf if cold, tie hair back, securing items or holding food. They don’t take up much space but have 101 uses.

These are great lists. I was having the feeling that I was packing too light, but after scanning and re-scanning this list since I have been on this site….Im pretty sure Im good to go!

I’m just wondering do you need a sleeping bag while backpacking?

I have few questions: – What is the large envelope for? – Is your driver license really important? It’s not an accepted proof. Only the Passeport is.

I also added to my list: – 1 swimsuit – 1 pair of plastic sandals (for the shower)

Im going to europe for 36 days next june with my b/f, anyone have any tips for female packing.. what should i really take and what i shouldnt… i cant imagine only taking a few pairs of clothes,lol, so any advice would be really helpfull. thanks

bengy, this summer I was on a remote island in the Pacific ocean with only 2 pairs of pants and 2 shorts, 7 shirts, a few pairs of socks, about a dozen underwear, and a rainjacket. For an entire month, without any of the modern amenities you’ll have access to in Europe, like clothing stores and washing machines. I had to handwash my clothes in a bucket with rainwater, so I re-wore everything at least twice before washing (except undies of course).
I would recommend not taking too many clothes and things because it will just get heavy and your back will hurt and you won’t have any room for souvenirs!
Personally, when I go places, my souvenirs are either really small things like postcards which pack flat, or clothes I can wear while still there AND when I’m back home. So pack little and then buy some souvenir clothes in Europe. they don’t have to be cheesy with the name of the city blazing across it, I personally have several items I bought in Paris last year which don’t say “PARIS FRANCE” on them (well, one does) but when people ask me where I got them, I have the satisfaction to say, “Oh I got this in Paris, do you like it?” Europe is ahead of the fashion trend over the US anyway, so you’ll be getting a leg up on next season.
Plus, no one really knows that you are re-wearing something (I just wouldn’t wear something back-to-back, give it a little time to air out from the day before, esp if it is hot where you are). even in pictures later, if your clothes all sort of look alike, dark collared shirts and khakis for example, no one’s going to notice “OMG you’re wearing the same blue polo on day 2 in Paris as you are in day 4!!” LOL. Hope this helps!

Swill nice edited list good details!