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[fuzzyhatjon]

Our full packing list for a 5-month trip to Central America is now on our Travelpod Journal. Hope this list helps other soon-to-be travellers!

Kay and Franks Trip to Central America - Packing List

Our trip in general:
- 5 months backpacking in Central America
- January through May 2007
- Visited all countries (Mexico through Panama).
- Many different climates (beaches, mountains, volcanos, lakes, rain, sunshine, cold, humidity, etc)
- 1 male and 1 female in their mid 30's
- Travelled by plane, bus (lots of buses!), taxi, shuttle, and boats

Cheers,
Kay

The list of what was not useful was good. I was thinking of bringing an extra lense (telephoto for my nikon d70), but probably will not. I haven't been using it very much anyway.

[becky23]

Packing all depends on where you are going, and how long you are staying. General rules though:
always have: Waterproof lightweight jacket, sweater, earplugs (i cannot stress this enough!!), at least 3 shirts, one pants, 3 shorts, bathing suit, lightweight towel, and a bag of toiletries. A first aid kit is always good too, for those unwanted blisters, and those times where you eat something you definately dont want EVER again....
a blanket or sheet is a good option too.. sometimes trains and ferries are cold, and the hostel beds arent exactly sanitary at most places!

[worldwanderer05]

My job requires me to be on the move all the time. I actually live out of my backpack. I have the most ridiculous packing list ever, but it is absolutely necessary that I feel like home wherever I go, so here it is, and none of it is an exaggeration:

1 sweater, many dresses, skirts, shirts, pants, shorts, bathing suits, underwear, socks (unknown number, I have a second bag that I exchange clothing from in the start city of my journeys)
One pair of Tevas (so useful), Pumas, slippers, dance shoes
Backpacking essentials: pack towel, first aid kits, flashlight, swiss army knife, umbrella, poncho
Business essentials: Huge folder with paperwork, laptop, digital rebel, assorted pens and small office supplies (receipts, paperclips, highlighter and permanent marker)
Bathroom essentials: a 4 liter bag FILLED with product-4 bottles for my face, 5 1oz bottles of misc goodness, insect repellant, hair protector (sunscreen for your hair!), shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, the good stuff, really. Toothpaste, toothbrush, deoderant. Note: nearly all my products are all natural, organic products of Costa Rica.
Me essentials: MP3 player, portable speakers (not so small, may I add), travel candles, incense, 2 small photo frames of loved ones, a mini photo album of random printed pictures I've acquired, mini zen garden, tarot cards (brand new, have no idea how to use them), a guitar...
Obviously not everyone needs all these things or have the space for it, but all of this fits in one 77 liter bag, one guitar case, and one backpack designed to carry laptops, less than 30 L. I don't hike with all this stuff, I am not backpacking, but it is my advice and experience...if you are going to be away from home for a long time and have a little extra space, at least bring one or two things that make your life more comfortable, more like home, it will keep you going a lot longer.

By the way, a lot of peace of mind comes from insuring your things. Highly recommended!

[Jessica_CDN]

..if you are going to be away from home for a long time and have a little extra space, at least bring one or two things that make your life more comfortable, more like home, it will keep you going a lot longer.

I completely agree! For me it's often books, and sometimes DVDs, or a really nice blanket that will keep me warm on those cold bus rides through central and south america!

[erriuc]

Hi there,

pretty much everything has been said in this forum. Carry the smallest backpack you can (60L is good). You can have a small backpack that can be attached to your bigger one, this way its handy when you need to walk a long time with your backpack. I find a backpack with zippers on top or the side is very handy to pack and find what you are looking for vs a big pouch on top.

The 3 best things I am carrying are: a small GSM cell phone that plays MP3, alarm clock, flashlight and more gadgets (card games for some, but not me, I don't really like card games). You can buy local SIM card and combined with Skype (skype.com), you can receive and make calls around the world for pretty cheap!

The second thing is a chamois dry towel. Once folded its 1/3 the size of a t-shirt, but can dry you up in seconds and it dries very quickly. Nothing worst than having a big wet towel inside your bagpack or hanging off your backpack while you are traveling.

Third thing is the Internet. If your laptop is a good friend at home, you can find all you need on the Web today. You can have webmail (of course), with docs.google.com you can manage your excel and word documents directly online for Free, you can talk online using Skype for a very cheap price if not Free and throught Internet cafes, Universities libraries you can find all the softwares you may need to modify your pictures before to upload them, etc. And of course, the web can be used to find information about what you want to visit. Cheaper and lighter than carrying a travel guide on each destination you want to see... especially if you are traveling around the world.

But mainly, the fun is to do your own experiences
Enjoy

[stevejames]

pretty much everything has been said in this forum. Carry the smallest backpack you can (60L is good)

I've just bought a 40l for my next long-term trip - really pleased with it. I still think that is the dream size to aim for, especially if you are taking flights, as it allows you to carry on your stuff; no waiting for checked luggage and no risk that your undercrackers are on their way to Los Angeles whilst you're in Berlin...

I second the travel towel and the gadgets! The chammy can feel a bit odd at first, but it can't be beaten for space-saving and quick-drying.

On the subject of undercrackers again, I believe it's worth splashing out extra for the dry-flo quick drying underwear - in fact if your whole wardrobe is quick-drying it will save you grief in the longrun.

[wakingdream]

I've just bought a 40l for my next long-term trip - really pleased with it. I still think that is the dream size to aim for

I'm still aiming for that. Problem is my last back is so great I still use it regulary but it's a 45L with a flip-out 5L extra capacity. Can't giver her up yet.

On the subject of undercrackers again, I believe it's worth splashing out extra for the dry-flo quick drying underwear

The lacy kind of girlie "undercrakers" ( ) are quick drying and breathable. That's my travel secret.

[fuzzyhatjon]

[quote name='stevejames' date='Aug 13 2007, 02:39 PM' post='31904']
[quote]
On the subject of undercrackers again, I believe it's worth splashing out extra for the dry-flo quick drying underwear - in fact if your whole wardrobe is quick-drying it will save you grief in the longrun.
[/quote]

Hmm, I try not to get my "undercrackers" soggy. Perhaps some big-boy diapers? Or you could fold up a travel towel into a pair of washables. Environmentally friendly! haha

I am a big fan of the "microfiber" towels as well. Uber light, and I actually kinda like the feel. They're soo soft. Perhaps I will use a small one as a sort of "undercracker" sarong.

[medic51]

A Visa debit card and a change of clothes

Or these new MasterCard debits work very well. Although the best packing item that I ever had was a Palm which I took to the Galapagos Islands... IT was really useful and fulfilling. They even told me to bring it as a packing suggestion. At www.galapagos-inc.com they were a great company al around and highly recommendable.

George of Santa Cruz.

[3beansabroad]

Peanut butter. I travel with my kids and always encourage them to eat what the locals eat, but they are kids. As long as we have peanut butter, I can usually find some sort of bread or crackers or fruit to put it on and we can make it through until something more palatable comes along.

[suily]

Actually I always travel with a lava lava...its a brightly coloured large rectangle of light cotton...some people call it a sarong or pareo - depends which part of the world you're in...anyway...male or female, you can wear it around your waist. Or around your chest as a dress, as a shawl, sleep under it, roll it up and use it as a back roll, wind it round and round your head - a la African style (actually surprisingly cooling). You can also wrap things up in it and carry stuff around. Easy to wash and quick drying!

[wakingdream]

Actually I always travel with a lava lava...its a brightly coloured large rectangle of light cotton...some people call it a sarong or pareo - depends which part of the world you're in...anyway...male or female, you can wear it around your waist. Or around your chest as a dress, as a shawl, sleep under it, roll it up and use it as a back roll, wind it round and round your head - a la African style (actually surprisingly cooling). You can also wrap things up in it and carry stuff around. Easy to wash and quick drying!

I never leave home without one! Well, when I'm traveling anyway! They are so versatile and useful. And inexpensive. Very easy to wash and dry quickly. I use it as a towel as well as I dislike those shammy-type quick-dryers.

[ScottWoz]

Love the undercracker shammy idea. Definitely recommend the travel towel, even if it's as a backup. They can be a godsend..

[triciamccraney]

take a couple of paperbacks and trade with other travelers when you need something new to read.

[salemk]

I'm a big fan of bring clothes instead of buying them. I always buy clothes when I'm traveling but at home you can find great travel clothes.
1) Paratrooper pants have lots of pockets w/zippers & buttons, are good for busses & trains & helps prevent pick pockets.
2) Under armer or other types of sports ware, makes great ultra light, breathable, quick drying clothes.
3) Your favorite underpants or undercrackers might not be available overseas. Like the comfort waste or non ride up boxer briefs.
4) A quality lightweight rain proof jacket that can pack small might prove hard to find. It took me a good month to find one in my country (USA) that wasn't too expensive.

Your favorite medicines might be hard to find in other countries. I couldn't find an over the counter allergy medicine (Benadryl) in China so went to a doctor which had me taking loads of different things, so much I needed a pill organizer. lol There was plenty to choose from in Australia but none that I knew or was used to. So I had to try lots until I found something I liked.
I'm not a big fan of medication except for some simple ones like upset stomach & allergy, so can you imagine someone that takes it everyday for the simples reasons.

[msprague]

items i've found to be indispensable. a bandana, duct tape, nylon cord (parachute cord), needle and thread, a small multi-tool, sunglasses, sanitary wet wipes, a good first aid kit, a AA powered LED flashlight, and a willingness to make a complete fool out of yourself. oh, and depending on which part of the world you're traveling, plenty of toilet tissue!

Kleenex sells a flat pack of tissues that I've found indespensible when travelling. You can pack a few of these in with your gear, carry a couple in your daypack/messenger bag, carry one in your pocket. They're easier to carry than a roll of paper and since its 45 sheets in each pack you only have one open at a time thus keeping the rest dry and ready for later. Oh, and they're soft on the bum.

[wisconsin_fan81]

You know what? Funny story...my Mother and her partner travel all over the world, many times a year. On every trip my mother packs a plastic bag of laundry detergent...dry, powder detergent. Let me bring this into clearer picture: a large ziploc bag filled an anonymous white powder. I've expressed what a bad idea this is to my mother, who did not understand why this "might" be an issue...she is so care-free and spacy sometimes that she is exactly the kind of person who would not get stopped, but the rest of us would be screwed, and would be enjoying a nice long cavity search compliments of TSA!

[salemk]

You know what? Funny story...my Mother and her partner travel all over the world, many times a year. On every trip my mother packs a plastic bag of laundry detergent...dry, powder detergent. Let me bring this into clearer picture: a large ziploc bag filled an anonymous white powder. I've expressed what a bad idea this is to my mother, who did not understand why this "might" be an issue...she is so care-free and spacy sometimes that she is exactly the kind of person who would not get stopped, but the rest of us would be screwed, and would be enjoying a nice long cavity search compliments of TSA!

Never going to happen. the TSA not that stupid. There are tons of white power products out there.

[rosemarywolfe]

The only thing I recommend for girls is to bring tampons. Most countries don't have them.

If your going to a country where they don't have tampons or very clean/handy utilities I suggest that women just take the birth control pill with continuous use. No period! Its great and safe my gyno told me it was okay even to go a year like that

[wakingdream]

The only thing I recommend for girls is to bring tampons. Most countries don't have them.

If your going to a country where they don't have tampons or very clean/handy utilities I suggest that women just take the birth control pill with continuous use. No period! Its great and safe my gyno told me it was okay even to go a year like that

Sorry, but we menstruate for a reason. The long-term affects of that are unknown as of yet. We don't know what the risks are. There are no conclusive studies. Just take along some tampons or whatever you use. They don't take up that much room.