Item

#

Used?

(V-very, S-sometime, N-never

Comments

Rain pants

1

S

Used only while trekking in New Z.

Zip-off pants (black, beige)

2

V

ExOfficio button shirts (green, white)

2

V

Polyester short sleeve semi-formal (blue)

1

V

Polyester t-shirts (white, green)

2

V

Wool socks

3

V

Pairs of underwear (polyester mix)

3

S

Underwear is overrated. 

Synthetic hiking liner sock (white)

1

V

A must for trekking in New Zealand

Polyester long sleeve t-shirt (light blue)

1

V

ExOfficio travel pant (beige green)

1

V

Fiji short sleeve dress shirt

1

S

Bought in Fiji.

Swim trunks (black)

1

V

A must for Fiji.  Doubled as shorts

Safari travel hat

1

S

Lightweight rain jacket (green-black)

1

REI hiking boots

1

V

The best.  Wore 80% of the time

Teva sandals (black)

1

V

Primarily in Fiji.  Other places it was either too dangerous to walk in sandals (hiking treks, animals, weather) or boots looked more formal (restaurants, host family, Fiji chief visits)

Medium waders

1

N

Vest with inside hidden pockets

1

V

Worn over a shirt, makes any outfit look more formal.  The hidden pockets are a must for documents and vital items.

Item

#

Used?

(V-very,  S-sometime, N-never

Comments

Safari travel hat

1

S

Africa & few times in Fiji

Super light sleeping nightie (white)

1

S

Usually too hot for even this

Lightweight rain jacket (red)

1

V

Bikini swimsuit (red)

1

V

Bought in Ushuaia!!!

Polyester above-the-knee dress

1

V

Lightweight, yet nice enough for going out

Polyester ankle length skirt (semi-see through)

1

V

Lightweight, cool

Red polyester semi-formal tank top

1

S

Bought in S. Africa

Sarong

1

V

A must for Fiji

ExOfficio travel pant (black)

1

V

Zip-off pants (sea blue, beige green)

2

V

Underwear panties (4 white polyester mix, 1 black thong)

4

V

More useful for women than men…

Synthetic hiking liner sock (2 beige, one dark)

2

3

A must for trekking, 2 would be ok

Bra with pockets

1

V

For the tough spots while traveling.

Polyester kosilka

1

V

Super lightweight, very good layering

Socks (2 wool beige, 2 cotton beige & black)

4

V

Columbia polyester/cotton long sleeve t-shirt (beige)

1

V

Next time get one with even less cotton, easier to dry

Pair black nylons

1

S

Good layering for trekking in NZ, otherwise unnecessary

ExOfficio button shirts (light purple, white)

1

V

Prana strap top tank

1

V

White embroidered long sleeve cotton top

1

V

Looked nice, yet easy to maintain

Long silk/cotton sleeve t-shirt (dark blue)

1

V

REI hiking boots

1

V

The best boots ever

Chaco sandals (black)

1

V

Used a lot for going out, semi-formal wear.   Still a bit too informal for the nice places…

Vest with hidden inside pockets

1

S

Very useful.  Too bad I lost mine 1/3 into the trip…

Item

#

Used?

(V-very, S-sometime, N-never

Comments

Small stuff sacks (blue)

2

V

All the sacks & bags listed came in quite handy.  Living out of backpacks for 2 months, always enroute can drive anyone batso.  It was still painful to keep searching for stuff, but at least we had items segmented enough that we know which pouch to search, instead of the entire pack.  Sounds trivial, but it’s a sanity saver.

Large stuff sacks (beige, black)

2

V

Medium stuff sacks (red, green)

2

V

Medium pillow stuff sack (black)

1

V

Medium size rucksacks (1 cotton, 1 synthetic)

2

V

Small mesh bag

2

V

Medium mesh bag

3

V

Large mesh bag

2

V

Marmot Sawtooth 15F feather sleeping bag

1

V

Awesome.  Feather is superlightweight, super compactable, super warm.  Wouldn’t travel with any other sleeping bag.

REI (?) feather sleeping bag

1

V

-“-

Compression sacks for sleeping bags

2

V

Gregory (?) backpack

1

V

One of the better ones for women.  I wish it had more pockets & compartments like Geoff’s REI pack, but my choices were more limited for a good pack fit.

REI (?) backpack

1

V

Geoff’s.

Green pack cover (Lenka)

1

V

Lot more useful than expected.  We used it almost all the time while carrying our packs, to cover up their brands and “western look”.  It made us look less like tourists, and if so, like really poor ones…less of a crime target.

REI pack cover (Geoff)

1

V

-“-

ZipLock bags

?

V

Indispensable, esp. the Hefty OneZip brand

Hip belt document holders

2

V

A must for safety travel

Hang up, 5 compartment mini bath pouch

1

V

Held all the necessities in one place, with compartments.  Definitely better than just one pouch; constantly diging for stuff through bags drove us both nuts after while.

Travel mini bag

1

V

For taking meds and other necessities in carryon plane luggage (handy for all 17 airplane flights!)

Plastic folder with rubber bands

1

V

Durable, waterproof document holder

Mini, 7-day pill container

1

V

Each compartment had few pills of various meds that we didn’t want to take an entire package of

Item

#

Used?

(V-very, S-sometime, N-never

Comments

Lenka’s pillow

1

V

It goes wherever I go.

Leki hiking poles

2

S

Very useful on Keppler trek; didn’t use any other time.

Cannon EOS SLR camera with Sigma lense (UV & polarizing filters)

1

V

Our favorite.

Semi-hardshell camera cover

1

V

Heavier, but necessary camera protection

15??? Kodak Rolls of film (36 & 24 exposures)

?

* see note below

Nikon waterproof 8x25 6.3 deg binoculars

1

S

Great for S. Africa, didn’t use otherwise

SLIK Mini-Pro tripod

1

N

Surprisingly, we never use it…

Eye cover patch (for sleeping)

2

V

A must for airplane and hostel sleeping times

Ear plugs

4

V

2 pairs foam, 2 better ones.  Same as above.

Sunglasses

2

V

Sports kind, good eye coverage

Sunglass attachment cord

1

S

Used on trekking, otherwise not.

Kleenex, travel packs

3

V

Luxury, but nicer than toilet paper or bandanas

Docket yellow paper, one block

1

N

Shoe insoles – Lenka

1

V

Makes my boots extra comfy.

Shoe insole – Geoff

1

N

Item

#

Used?

(V-very, S-sometime, N-never

Comments

PackTowl travel towel

1

V

Dries almost instantly

PackTowl wash cloth

1

V

Make-up kit in see-through plastic pouch(1 small waterproof mascara, EverFresh 1.3oz makeup,  1 mini-sponge, Clinique ThinkBronze lipstick, Clinique .06 oz powder, 1 tiny brown pencil)

V

Luxury, but a great break from the monotony of sunscreen lotion beauty care…

Small hair curlers

5

V

No need for hairdryers, curling irons or any other hair torture implements

Feminine napkins (5 medium, 10 minis, 5 tampons)

20

V

The best way to keep fresh for week with just 4 pairs of underwear…

Small wax strips

2

V

Hair pins

5

V

Useful for securing mosquito nets

Rubber bands

10

V

Mini hair clips

2

V

Chapsticks (2 SPF-15, 2 regular, 1 Carmex)

5

V

The SPF ones sometimes don’t moisturize as well, so I like to bring a combination of both

4oz shampoo & conditioner combo

1

V

Supplemented by an occasional free hotel shampoo, this one bottle lasted us for entire two months

2oz hair gel

1

V

Style even when hair washing was infrequent.

2oz massage lotion

1

S

Relaxation came naturally.

Bars of soap

2

V

Soap is not always provided…

4oz BioSuds

1

V

Our laundry detergent

2oz Lubriderm lotion

1

V

1oz hand sanitizing lotion

1

S

Esp. handy after riding public transport with no place to wash hands prior to mealtime.  We also used it to disinfect our sandals.

Emergency roll of toilet paper

1

S

Doubled as Kleenex

Antibacterial handwipes, travel pack

1

S

Oil of Oley facial wipes

6

V

When moistened, these were great for in-between shower washings for all over the body (which happened more often that we imagined)

Drain plug

1

V

For plugging up hotel sinks to wash laundry, etc.

Foldable hairbrush

1

V

Clinique freebie; the best I could find

Foldable toothbrush

2

V

From RiteAid.  It’s not Soniqcare, but worked great

Deodorant (BAN roll-on, Secret solid)

2

S

One of our personal luxuries.  Didn’t use it as much as we thought, at some places three showers a day were the only thing to keep the all-over-the-body humidity and sea salt off.

Teeth floss

1

V

A must for all the carnivore mealtimes in Argentina; plus doubles as thread for emergency sewing

Disposable shaving razors

6

V

First used on Geoff’s face, then Lenka’s legs.  Definitely pays to buy the best brand available.

Hair pick

1

V

Surprisingly useful, esp. in Fiji where using a comb for salt-matted hair was impossible

Item

#

Used?

(V-very, S-sometime, N-never

Comments

Bandanas (red, white, black)

3

V

Sweatbands, handkerchiefs, overall useful

Nalgene camel pack (drinking container & hose)

1

S

Great for trekking in N.Z.

Large Nalgene screw-top bottles

2

V

Indispensable.   Super durable, can pour hot water into them.

Small Nalgene screw-top bottles

1

V

8oz bottle of 45 SPF sunscreen

1

V

2-person mosquito net

1

V

Even though some places had some, ours was usually better quality (no holes!)

Face-cover mosquito nets

2

N

Shout spot cleaning mini towelettes

6

S

One spot is visible, several spots look like a natural fabric pattern…

1 oz Repel100 100% DEET mosquito repellent spray

2

S

Used once in S. Africa.

2oz Ultrathon 32% DEET mosquito repellent lotion

1

S

Doesn’t stink as much.  We never had a terrible mosquito problem, so this was enough.

6oz Sawyer clothing mosquito repellent (permethrin)

1

N

We were sure this would be a must-have item.  To our surprise, the mosquitos never were as bad as expected, so body repellent and above-the-bed netting was sufficient.

Luggage locks with 4ft cords

3

S

Due to airport security, locking up our backpacks was out of question anyway.  They came in handy few times when we wanted to lock up bags to go swimming, or take a nap on a bus.

Packing tape roll

1

Purchased in Sydney for package mailing.  Came in handy for taping up packs at airport (so the straps don’t get ruined) and giraffe repacking

ExStream Water Purification bottle

1

N

MSR WaterWorks II Water Purification system

1

V

The best.  We used it all the time to refill our Nalgenes.

Velcro Reflection strip

1

N

Permanent marker pens

6

V

Waterproof pens are key in humid and moist environments.

Mini calculator

1

V

1”x1.5” mini.  Handy for on-the-spot currency conversion & bargaining

REI mini compass keychain

1

V

Don’t leave home without it.  Even useful in large cities.

LED flashlight

2

V

LED lights are the way to go

Large folding knife (with partial saw blade)

1

V

Not as many “tools” as the swiss army knife, but super strong, super reliable and big enough to cut larger things in emergency

Swiss knife

1

S

Watch with dual time tracking, alarm

1

V

Our only timepiece.  Dual time was useful for keeping track of timezones at home, for phonecalls.

Item

#

Used?

(V-very, S-sometime, N-never

Comments

Prescription glasses

1

S

An old pair that was ok to loose

4 oz sunburn aloe vera lotion

1

V

Even with a 45SPF sunscreen, we had to use this many times..

Disprin dissolvable aspirin tablets

32

S

Bought in South Africa

Chewable Acidophilus tablets

100

V

Better than pepto.  Natural digestive aid.  We never had traveler’s diarrhea!

Cipro tablets, 500mg

40

N

For bacterial infections, travel diarrhea.  Never had to use them, but would not travel without them

Hydrocortisone anti-itch cream

1

S

0.5 oz Tinactin anti-fungal cream

1

S

Usually only a problem when wearing hiking boots non-stop

1 oz Antibiotic cream

1

S

TUMS tablets

20

S

Imodium anti-diarrheal pills

20

N

Sudafed pills (nasal desongestant, cough suppressant)

40

S

Benadryl Allergy pills

5

N

Sore throat lozenges

10

S

Laxative tablets

5

S

Dramamine & Avioplant motion sickness, sleeping pills

10

V

Gave several out to other sick airplane travelers

Ibuprofen

20

V

Aspirin

20

V

Sudafed

20

S

Iron supplements

10

N

Excedrin Headache

10

S

Used once.  The best med for migraines.

Nasal Decongestant Spray

1

V

For Geoff’s flight nasal pains

1oz Echinacea liquid

1

S

Chewing gum

10

V

For Lenka’s flight ear ache

0.2 oz ClearEyes liquid

1

S

Monistat 3, anti-fungal cream for women

1

N

Malaria pills + humidity apparently can create a need for these.

Malarone Malaria pills

24

Y

Used in Kruger park

Sweet breath mouth drops (0.12 oz)

3ml 22g, 1.5 syringes

10

N

Item

#

Used?

(V-very, S-sometime, N-never

Comments

Lonely Planet: Argentina, Uruguay & Paraguay

1

V

Lonely Planet: South Africa

1

V

Lonely Planet: Tramping in New Zealand

1

S

Great for trekking, less useful for general country info.

Lonely Planet: Fiji

1

V

Paul Otteson: World Awaits – How to travel far and well

1

V

Great travel insight and perspectives

Stephen Gray: Modern South African Stories

1

N

Bought in S. Africa for future reading

JRR Tolkien: The Hobbit

1

V

Donated to library in Ushuaia

JRR Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings (3 volumes)

1

V

How could we visit New Zealand and not read Tolkien?  We donated the first two volumes to the local Fiji tribe book exchange.

Will Durant: The Story of Philosophy

1

S

One of Geoff’s favorite books

W. Shakespear: King Lear

1

V

Donated to library in Ushuaia

Nelson Mandela: In the words

1

N

Bought in S. Africa for future reading

Map: Coromandel Peninsula

1

N

Map: Tierra Del Fuego

1

S

VOX Traveler’s Spanish Dictionary

1

V

Great for Argentina.  Rest of the world spoke English, Zulu or Fiji J

Lonely Planet Spanish Phrasebook

1

V

Item

#

Used?

(V-very, S-sometime, N-never

Comments

Passports (Geoff & Lenka)

2

V

Not always a passport to the world, but useful for re-entry and proof that we are not British colonizers J

International Certificate of Immunization (G&L)

2

N

Never ended up needing this, but one never knows

Credit Cards Lenka (REI Visa, AmEx, MBNA MasterCard, Credit Union ATM/Visa)

V

Used the MBNA card and ATM cards the most.  Most cards charge % for foreign charges, MBNA was free.

Credit Cards Geoff (AmEx, Shell ?, Credit Union ATM/Visa)

V

Item

#

Used?

(V-very, S-sometime, N-never

Comments

Medium Size nylon bag

1

S

Held all Survival bag items

Emergency rain poncho

1

N

Velcro strips

4

N

Whistle/compass/mirror combination

1

N

Parachute cord, 40ft

1

V

Doubled as clothes line

Duct tape, 10 ft

1

N

Storm proof matches

20

V

PotableAqua Iodine & neutralizing water tablets

50

N

Our MSR filter worked great.

Swiss Army knife

1

S

Sugar candy

6

N

0.02 oz SuperGlue

1

S

Broken sunglasses quick-fix

Safety Pins

5

S

4” stick of high-sap starter wood

1

N

40gal trash bags (emergency shelter tents)

2

N

Luna protein bars

3

S

Handy even outside of emergencies

Moro candy bar

1

Bought in N.Z. Carbohydrate energy

Item

#

Used?

(V-very, S-sometime, N-never

Comments

Emergency string/shoelaces

2

N

Benadryl

20

N

Gauze, roll

1

N

Tape, roll

1

N

Ibuprofen

20

N

Plastic gloves

1

N

BandAid

15

S

Compress Pads

3

N

Wildreness manual

1

N

Dressing sponges

2

N

Tweezers

1

N

Pencil

1

N

Blister Kit

1

N

Alcohol disinfect pads

4

N