Amy’s Clothes

• Blue REI rain jacket

It will rain during your trip, so this is a must.  This one is similar to the Marmot Precip.  It was significantly less expensive than the ones with Gortex (about $120 compared to upwards of $300), but I wish I had splurged on a Gortex one because it would have lasted after the trip as well.  The ones without Gortex do keep you dry for the most part, but they don’t breathe.  No matter what the temperature is, I am always sweating under this jacket.  Make sure you get one large enough to fit over a fleece for when it gets really cold.

• Black North Face Khumbu fleece

A fleece is essential, because it keeps you warm without weight.  I’ve worn the Khumbu fleece for years.  I got a new one for the trip.  It is super comfy and warm without being too bulky.

• Dark gray North Face lightweight cotton pants

These also roll up to capris.  Because they are a blend, they feel more comfortable than a lot of the technical pants.  They usually dry overnight after washing.  They run pretty small, so I had to size up.

• Medium gray REI touring pants

Although the fabric is polyester, making them in the technical pants category, they don’t feel like overly synthetic.  They have a higher rise than the North Face pants.  I ordered the tall online and had it delivered to the store for free, because most of the technical plants were floods on me (even with flat shoes).  From a performance standpoint, these are great: they dry fast, don’t show dirt, and are lightweight.  Sometimes I feel like a dork wearing them because I would never wear something like this at home.

• Joe’s Jeans Muse, Marissa wash (I think).

At first, we were not going to bring jeans.  But we live in jeans at home.  Although they can’t really be handwashed, they can last longer between washings.  Look for ones that are not too heavy; mine usually dry overnight if I hang them the right way.  Unless you are solely going to really hot climates, I think jeans are a good item to have to look and feel normal.  I got a new pair to bring on the trip and went with my favorite because I knew they would hold up.  Yes, I am probably the only backpacker who had her travelwear specially hemmed at Nordstroms to make sure they were the correct length with trailrunners.  Go ahead and laugh.

• Dark gray cotton JCrew bermuda shorts

All of the technical shorts looked weird on me, so I decided to go with tried and true.  They are cotton and lightweight.  They are more conservative due to their length.  They can get more wrinkled than some of my other clothes, but isn’t that how JCrew shows them in the catalogs anyway?  I liked these so much that when I dropped weight at the beginning of the trip, I had my friend bring me another smaller pair when she visited us in Ireland.

• Light gray JCrew bermuda shorts sent home after 7 months

Same as above, just lighter.  If I can find a skirt I like, I may ditch these at some point because unlike the other ones, I didn’t swap these for the smaller size.

• Black Addias running shorts

I’ve only actually used these twice for exercising.  I now wear these to sleep in.  They are comfortable and fast drying.  If you are someone who likes to wear pajamas to bed, make sure your sleepingwear is lightweight so you can wash it in the morning and have it be dry by night.  Also make sure it is presentable to walk down the hall for when you have a shared bath.

• Gap body cami and shorts pj set sent home after 2 months

The softness suckered me in, and they roll up small.  But in the interest of lightness, I sent them home after two months and now use my running clothes as pajamas.

• Black REI travel dress

I don’t love this dress, but it met my requirements – basic, black, short sleeve, and soft, easy to travel fabric.   It is a little more lowcut than I would have liked, necessitating a scarf at times.

• Athleta two piece royal purple swimsuit

This is the first time I tried Athleta and I am impressed.  This has an underwire top and it is nicely lined.

• Light gray pima cotton AT Loft cardigan sent home after 7 months

I wear lots of cardis at home and I am always cold so I figured one to throw over my dress or sleeveless shirt would be indispensible.  This shirt takes longer to dry than my Icebreaker clothes, but it is not too bad.  The only problem is that it majorly pilled after just a couple of washings.

• Black long sleeve v-neck Icebreaker shirt, 150 weight

Icebreaker costs a fortune, but gets absolute rave reviews for being stylish, easy to pack, moisture wicking, smell repelling, and durable.  I find the first three to be true, but the jury is still out on the second two.  I don’t know that it necessarily is more smell repellant than cotton after wearing it a few times on hot days (a sad requirement of travelling).  More worrisome is that all of the 150 weight shirts I bought have developed a small hole or fraying towards the bottom of the shirts after just about 4 months.  So far, they holes are small enough to not be noticeable, but I would have expected problems this early in the trip.  I do like this shirt a lot because it nicely layers with the short sleeve Icebreaker v-neck shirts I brought.  It also feels a little dressier than cotton.  I live in this shirt when the weather is cooler.

• Black long sleeve cotton Gap t-shirt sent us home after 7 months

Once we left home, I realized I packed mostly for warmer climates.  Unless I wanted to wear my long sleeve Icebreaker shirt every.single.day in Europe, I decided another shirt is in order.  I picked this up at a Gap in Paris.  It doesn’t dry as fast as the Icebreaker shirt, but it is not too bad.

• Blue short sleeve v-neck Icebreaker t-shirt, 250 weight

This one has a subtle design and it is slightly thicker than the 150 weight.  It still keeps me cool though, and it feels more durable than the 150 weight.  As I mentioned, it layers nicely and looks slightly dressier than cotton.

• Green short sleeve v-neck Icebreaker t-shirt, 150 weight

I wear this shirt or the blue one almost every day, either as the top or base layer.  This one dries super fast.  As I mentioned above, this one developed some fraying on the hem, but so far nothing more.

• Black short sleeve organic cotton scoop neck Athleta t-shirt

Between the black color and the detailing at the neck, this shirt is cute, slightly dressy, and feels like a normal shirt I would wear at home.  and the organic nature of the cotton.  It’s a cute shirt and I figured I might want to wear a “normal” shirt from time to time.

• Aqua cotton-poly blend Addias short sleeve t-shirt

Originally, I brought this for exercising, but it is now my pajama shirt.  It feels like real cotton, despite it being moisture wicking.  It pilled like crazy early on, so I don’t know if a shirt like this would work for a regular shirt.

• 7 pairs underwear

I mostly brought ones I would typically wear at home, but decided to also try out some fancy travel ones from Patagonia to see if they are worth their price tag.  I like the Patagonia ones the best.  They dry quickly and are holding up well.  No matter what, you will end up handwashing underwear every couple of days.  You could get by with less, but you will be handwashing more often.

• 2 underwire bras

I’ve heard some people say they mostly wore sports bras, but I can’t imagine doing that for a year.  The one I am not wearing doesn’t get too squished in a packing cube.

• 1 sports bra sent home after 7 months
• 5 pairs gray Smartwool socks

Sean and I have differing opinions.  Like the Icebreaker shirts, these get rave reviews.  So far, I’m in love.  They are like little sweaters for your feet, and I think your feet don’t get overheated in them.  They provide some extra cushioning and make my shoes more comfortable.  At $10-$15 a pair, they are not cheap, though.

• Gray Vasque Blur-GX trail runners

Finding a good travel shoe is difficult.  I wanted something lightweight, waterproof, and aesthetically pleasing.  I wanted the ability to hike, run, and walk around in the shoes.  These seemed to fit the bill.  So far, they are comfortable, but the firm sole takes some getting used to.  I think they are good for walking or hiking, but I don’t like them for running.  But then again, I don’t like running.

• Black Olu Kai flip flops

Many people rave about the Chaco sandals, or sometimes Tevas.  Their reviews always have an asterisk about how atrocious they are.  Try as I might, I could not bring myself to wear Chacos or Tevas.  I’ve always hated those sandals.  So I decided if I was going to get flip flops, I had to find supportive ones.  After an initial breaking in period, they are very comfortable and more supportive than your average flip flop.  These Olu Kais can be dressed up or down, so they will work with my pants, shorts, and dress.  Since they are waterproof, I also wear them to the beach and in the shower when necessary.

• Tan/purple Keen weird shoes/Wonders leather sandals

I wanted an alternative to my trail runners other than flip flops for heavy walking days.  The Keens are kinda like a dog who is so ugly that it is cute.  I bought them for comfort, but decided after a month that they didn’t fit my feet correctly.  I sent them home (pointless, because someone stole them out of the package sometime between Spain and the US) and bought Wonders sandals, a Spanish brand, while we were in Spain.  The Wonders sandals are cute, with blue leather straps and a rubber footbed.  They are comfortable, but I still prefer my trail runners if we are doing a lot of walking.

• Eyeglasses
• Contacts

Unfortunately, I am blind as a bat and have very sensitive eyes.  I wear daily disposable contacts, which means we are lugging around a lot of extra weight.  I took a 6 month supply, and got a hand delivery of the rest from our friends when they visited us in Ireland.

• Sunglasses

Score – $20.00 Cole Haan sunglasses at Marshalls.  Then I left them on the table on a restaurant in Lisbon the same day our camera got stolen.  I bought another pair in Spain.  The new ones are polarized, which is nice, but still relatively inexpensive in case I lose them again.

• Swatch watch

I haven’t worn a watch in forever, but I needed a way to tell time without a cell phone, especially when Sean and I separate.  Water resistant and plastic, a Swatch was a fun travel friendly option.

• Silver braided leather JCrew belt

Because it is braided, it folds up small.  A belt is a must with varying weight loss and gain.

• Two sterling silver rings

Both purchased from Etsy for about $50 total, including a “fake” wedding ring.  I normally wear my engagement ring and wedding band when I travel, but I did not want to worry about scratching or losing my real rings on this trip.  I ended up ditching the plain band I bought and got a fun twisted silver ring in Spain at an arts festival.

• Two sterling silver necklaces

One is my favorite necklace that I wear all of the time, and the other has a little “Freebird” charm (a going away present from some of my old co-workers).

• Varying colorful pieces of jewelery

I highly recommend bringing or buying some fun, colorful jewelry to add spice and variety to what would otherwise be a small, pathetic rotation of clothes.  The right jewelry really dresses up a travel outfit.  Jewelry is a fun, inexpensive memento to buy in different countries.  Sean grumbles about weight every time I buy a new piece, but I can usually appease him by sending home some with other things we’ve shipped home.

• A good-luck charm

Before I left, Katie, one of my best and oldest friends gave me a handkerchief her father carried with him during the Vietnam War.  When he died a couple of year ago, he gave it to her and told her it always kept him safe.  She entrusted it to me to carry with me this year to in turn keep me safe.  So far, it is working.

Gear

• Deuter 70+10 travel backpack with detachable day bag (Sean)

If he had to do it over, Sean would have brought the Deuter hiking backpack compared to the travel backpack.  The hiking pack is 2 pounds lighter, slightly smaller and cheaper.  We didn’t bring the detachable daybag and hardly ever use the front panel.  But even the travel backpack is a nice bag.  It is slim, simple and comfortable.  Our gear does not fill it all of the way, so a slightly smaller pack might fill the bag better for more even weight distribution.  It is nice to have the option to open it by the top or the front panel.

• Gregory Deva 60+10L bag (Amy)

Since this is a hiking backpack, it is really comfortable, but all the padding does add extra weight.  I bought the Deva because it had front access, and this feature is nice, but not necessary.  With packing cubes, the front access versus top loading access doesn’t matter that much.  This bag is a little bulkier than I would have liked, but I like having the pockets for even more organization.  If I was doing it over, I would consider bringing a more streamlined, lighter bag – even if it had less padding – but overall I really like this bag.  I didn’t care for the so-called travel backpacks – the ones I tried felt like I was carrying a rolling suitcase on my back.

• Backpack duffels

Sean’s duffel came with his backpack, and I bought my Sea to Summit duffel separately.  We use these to streamline our packs during air and bus travel, as well as anytime we want to lock everything up.  Because of all of the access points, you can’t lock the backpacks, so this contains everything.  They also can be used to cover the packs during rain.  It gets old taking them on and off every time we travel, but it is worth it.

• Pacsafe 25L Venture Safe daypack

This pack is very secure, with internal mesh, hidden attached zippers, and slashproof straps.  We use it to hold carry-on items when flying; to lock up valuables in the main compartment when we don’t have a safe in the room; and only occasionally to cart stuff around town.  It unzippers wide, and this, combined with its tall, narrow profile, makes it a bit awkward to use.

• Crumpler camera bag

We like this bag so much we replaced it with a similar bag when it got stolen along with our camera in Lisbon.  Our original bag was the 4 Million Dollar model, which was enough for our SLR with zoom lens attached and some extra items, such as filters or sunglasses.  We replaced it in Prague with the Muffin Top 3000, a European model roughly equivalent to the 4 Million Dollar bag.  We didn’t replace the filters after they were stolen, so I am able to fit our SLR with zoom lens attached, a small wallet, chapstick, hand sanitizer, tissues, a small pouch of medications, an extra camera battery, a lens cleaning wipe, and gum.  This bag is usually what I carry during the day and sometimes at night if I bring my SLR.  I learned early on it is important to streamline the stuff you carry on a daily basis so you don’t forget anything anywhere.  I don’t like carrying the day bag because I feel like I bump into people, it is extra obvious we are tourists, and I like having my camera at the ready.I like this bag because it is not obvious it is a camera bag.  I also like its compact size and durability, but wish I had something to fit my sunglasses and/or a bottle of water as well.  You can’t have everything.

• Over the shoulder long strap purse sent home after 7 months

I was on the fence about whether to bring a purse before we left, and early into our trip, I picked up a cute blue leather handbag in Spain.  I used it a lot in the beginning, but since I usually carry the SLR, I don’t really need this.  I may send it home.  But it was a good excuse to buy a fun European purse!

• 2 Silk Sea to Summit sleep sacks

I am glad Sean talked me into buying the most compact ones possible.  They are nice to have for when the sheets are not up to snuff, but we haven’t had to use them that often.

• 2 Microfiber travel towels

Like the sleep sacks, they are nice to have, but I am glad we got compact ones since we don’t use them that often.  We mostly use them to dry our handwashed laundry, but  we’ve had to use them several times when towels were not provided.  They work fine, even though they feel like you are drying off with a chamois.

• 1 headlamp

Comes in handy for the couple of places we’ve stayed without electricity (like for going to the bathroom in the desert).  Now that I lost part of my Kindle light, I might have to look like a big dork and wear it to read at night.

• Eagle Creek packing cubes and zipper bags

With the bags and cubes, our stuff stays super organized.  These are a must with backpacks!  They are also very durable.  It was hard to decide how much to take.  We bought a bunch at REI, did a test run, and returned what we didn’t need.  I personally think you can’t have too many.

Cubes

Amy: one large half-zip for pants and shorts; two medium half-zip for shirts and swimsuit; one medium half-zip for bras, underwear and socks; one medium double sided for contacts.

Sean: one large half-zip for pants and shorts; one medium half-zip for shirts; one tube for socks and underwear.

Joint: one medium double-zip for misc. toiletries; one medium half-zip for electronic accessories.

Zipper bags

Amy: one medium for jewelery (including a small padded pouch to protect jewelery), hair bands and scarves; one medium for daily prescriptions; one small for make-up.

Sean: one small for electric razor.

Joint: one large for glasses and cases; one large for travelling pharmacy; one small for multi-tool, scissors, nail clippers, etc.

• Medium compression sack

Some people swear by the compression sacks, but space is not an issue for us – weight is.  I picked up one just to use to segregate dirty laundry from the rest of our stuff.

• Swiss Army Victorinox Cabinet Hanging Toiletry Bag

This is the mother of all toiletry bags.  It is expensive, but worth it, as you will use your toiletry bag every day.  It fits all of our toiletries, except for extras like bug spray and sunscreen.  It is nice to keep everything contained together.  It is lined, which is nice in the event of spills, and durable.

• Security wallets/regular wallets

We both stopped wearing our security wallets in public within days after leaving.  They are cumbersome to fiddle around with every time you need money and may attract more attention to yourself.  We preferred just to be on guard and make sure we didn’t carry too much money at one time and that are wallets are secure.  Sean’s was made by Pacsafe and was more substantial than mine, so we use it to hold our passports and misc. papers in our backpacks.  We both picked up small wallets in Spain.  Sean usually carries his in his front pocket for more security (instead of his back like he would at home) and I carry mine in my camera bag.

• Duct tape

We would some duct tape around a pen and cut off the excess.  We’ve used it a few times for misc. repairs.

• REI laundry line

This is helpful, because whether you handwash or machine wash, a dryer is not often available.  We hook this to bars, chairs, doorknobs, etc. in our room and stretch it out to fit a good portion of our laundry.

• Ziplock bags

It is helpful to toss a few quart size and large size ziplocks into your bag.  You never know what you will need them for.  We’ve used them for leaking liquids, to transport food, for wet swimsuits, and to carry-on liquids onto a plane.

• Document holder

You will need something, separate from where you keep your passports, to keep copies of your passports and other important documents.  We just used the bag the Ex Officio underwear came in.  We keep it in Sean’s bag, away from our passports, which we keep in our small bag.

• Small notebook and pens

Although we use the notebook less since we bought an Ipod Touch, this comes in handy for notes and planning.

• Earplugs

We ditched all but two sets because we just don’t use them.  When things are loud, we prefer to drown out the noise with our Ipods and noise cancelling headphones.

• Sleep mask

I’ve only used this a few times, and we ditched our other one because Sean never uses it.

• Safety pins

We only used one – and I can’t even remember what for – but I suppose you never know.

• Multi-purpose tool

We’ve used this a few times, but it is rather heavy.  We bought a generic one; perhaps the Leatherman would be lighter.

• Crazy glue

I’ve only used it once to try to glue my razor handle and it didn’t work.  So much for that…

• Mini sewing kit

Never used.  I don’t even know how to sew…

• Magellan folding pill case

This case is about the size of a letter-size envelope and folds up thin.  It has little pockets for organizing pills.  It comes in handy to bring a small sampling of various OTC medications, and larger supplies of ones we use most often (Advil; Pepcid; Immodium).

• Sunglasses and glasses cases

• Water bottles and filters

I hate buying bottled water all of the time, but we drink tons of water and I don’t think these can filter fast enough for us!  We sent these home in our first purge because the filters are heavy.  I promise I will go back to using my Kleen Kanteen at home, but while we are on the road, it is bottled for us when we can’t drink the water.

• Snacks

We usually are carrying something to tide us over.  I look for granola bars when I can, but they are not popular outside the U.S.  I get migraines when I don’t eat regularly, which is difficult to monitor on the road when you don’t know what to expect.

• Guidebook

We don’t always buy one for every country, but often we carry a guidebook for the next or current country.  They are heavy, so we’ve tried buying them on the Kindle, but it is difficult to navigate around and maps are useless.

Sean’s Clothes

• Gray LLBean rain jacket

At first, Sean found the pockets to be awkward because they are up high.  The pockets double as the ventaliation, so the ventaliation is not as good as those jackets that unzip in the armpit.  However, the added benefit of the awkward pockets is that they are usable when you have your backpack on.  He gets somewhat hot in the jacket, but it keeps him dry.

• Black Reebok fleece

The fleece was cheap and nice and lightweight.  Five months in, it is holding up well.  It would be nice to have zipper pockets, but that is what you get with a $30 fleece.

• Gray LLBean Cotton/Coolmax cargo  pants
• Khaki LLBean Cotton/Coolmax cargo pants

These are a blend but feel more like cotton.  Other than the pockets being too shallow for safe storage, these pants work well.  They dry fast, don’t wrinkle much, and are a good cross between dressy and casual.

• Dark jeans sent home after 7 months

See my note on jeans – same idea applies, minus the custom tailoring!

• Gray Columbia technical shorts

Sean already owned these, and brought them because they dry super fast and are lightweight.  They also double as his swim trunks (because you know how heavy a separate pair of swim trunks are – eyeroll).

• Khaki Kuhl shorts/Cotton khaki cargo shorts

The Kuhl shorts would have been great.  They are a blend but feel soft like cotton.  Sean only wore these a few times became too big when he lost weight.  After an unsuccessful attempt to find shorts in the midst of the European man capris, he  found a cotton pair for $18 at Pick’n’Play (picture a South African Wal-Mart).  They don’t dry super fast, but they will do.

• Blue long sleeve Icebreaker t-shirt – 150 weight sent home after 7 months

Sean only wore this once and then decided he didn’t like the way it fit.  The shirts are very slim fitting on men.  I commandeered this shirt to wear to bed once we got to Ireland and South Africa.

• Red REI Sahara short-sleeve t-shirt
• Gray REI Sahara short-sleeve t-shirt

These polyester shirts almost feel like cotton, and are lightweight, moisture wicking, and very fast-drying.  They are holding up very well after six months.

• Blue LLBean short-sleeve polo shirt

The fabric feels more synthetic than the REI t-shirts, but still looks somewhat normal.  This shirt dries fast and fits loose, which is good for the warmer climates.  Having the collar makes it slightly dressier for going out to eat at night.  However, it started developing snags on the shirt after one or two washes, even though it was just handwashes.

• Green short-sleeve Icebreaker polo shirt

This shirt feels the dressiest of all and performs well.

• Orange plaid Ex Officio long sleeve technical button down shirt

This shirt is very lightweight and very fast drying with a super cool back vent.  Since Sean doesn’t like his long-sleeve Icebreaker shirt, this effectively has become his only long-sleeve shirt.  Unfortunately, the sleeves shrunk, so he usually has to roll up the sleeves anyway.  If it is cold, he usually just wears his fleece.

• 5 Ex-Officio boxer briefs

Expensive but worth it, I’m told.  You can usually find them a little cheaper on the Internet.

• Lightweight running shorts

Like me, Sean wears these for sleeping and lounging more than running.  They are so lightweight that they practically are dry once you wring them out.

• 5 gray smart wool short socks

Unlike me, Sean just thinks they are just okay and would have preferred to have brought socks that were a cotton or a blend.

• Gray gortex Vasque trail runners

They are not as comfortable as running shoes because they are more rigid.  But the Gortex feature is really nice for when it rains and they have held up well.

• Clarks leather strap sandals

After an initial breaking in period, they are very comfortable for walking.  They are holding up well after 6 months, except the footbed doesn’t seem to breathe properly.

• Baseball hat

Never worn so sent home early on.

• Prescription glasses
• Prescription sunglasses
• Black leather belt
• Titanium travel wedding ring

We bought this for under $20 off of etsy.com.

• G-shock watch

Electronic gear

• Canon xsi/450D SLR camera

Some people question whether to bring an expensive camera along.  I say, if you have any interest in photography, don’t hesitate to do it.  I am by no means a professional, or have any idea what I’m doing, really – I still shoot on automatic most of the time – but there are many fascinating things to take pictures of in this world.  It is a pain in the butt lugging this camera around all of the time – with the lens, it is heavy – but for me, it is worth it for the great photos and creative touches I can employ.  Some people worry about having attention drawn to yourself.  While it is true that it makes you more conspicuous, most of the time it is obvious that you are a tourist anyway.  It is true that I am constantly worried about making sure that it doesn’t get broken or stolen.  Truth be told, both of those things happened to us.  Our camera was stolen from a trolley in Lisbon, and I shattered the lens filter and dented the lens case when my camera bag fell off a hook in the bathroom of the Dublin airport.  But our renter’s insurance at home covered virtually our entire loss, and a camera shop in Dublin repaired the camera for me for free.  For me, the benefits of developing a hobby of photography far outweigh the cons.  This camera – the xsi in the States  – takes good photos, is intuitive to use, and is not huge.  I liked it so much that I replaced it with the European equivalent 450D model in Spain after it was stolen.

• (2) SLR batteries

We always carry an extra battery to always make sure one is charged.

• SLR charger

• 18-200 SLR lens

I would love to carry my prime lens for food photos and close-ups, a wide angle lens for landscapes, and an even bigger zoom, but that would be heavy and cumbersome.  As a compromise, I carry this one that has a relatively wide range at the one end and close zoom at the other.  The zoom is nice to get unsuspecting paparazzi photos from afar, and worked out decently on our safari.  It takes in much more of the landscape than our point and shoot.  It is not ideal, but it is a good lens.  The lens alone weighs a good 21 ounces though!

• Lens hood

We picked this up in Spain because we constantly are shooting in less than ideal bright light.  This cuts down on sun spots.

• UV filter

Absolutely, positively, get a filter to protect your lens.  The repairman at the camera shop in Dublin who fixed my lens when I dropped it said he wishes he had a video of all the mangled cameras he sees, like mine, that are spared major damage from using a filter.  He said he would show it to all of the people who are too cheap to spend $35 or so on a filter to protect their lens, which are worth hundreds of dollars.

• SLR case

See the Crumpler description under gear.

• point & shoot camera  threw away after it stopped working when I dropped it in the sand and didn’t replace

I have a little tiny Canon Power Shot that Sean bought for me when digital cameras came on the scene.  It is good as a back-up for the SLR.  I use it primarily at night or when I want to be more inconspicuous.  It is a good, light, convenient camera to carry, but the pictures don’t compare to the SLR.

• (2) point & shoot batteries

• point & shoot charger

• point & shoot case

• Gateway Netbook laptop

This computer is tiny.  At home, next to our big monitor and keyboard, we thought we would never get used to the small screen and tiny keyboard, but it is second nature now.  This computer is super light and was only $220.  The battery life is great – it lasts up to 6 hours.  It occasionally has trouble picking up wireless signals, but mostly has been good.  We use it to process photos, call home, research and plans, mindless internet surfing, keeping in touch, writing the blog, and watching TV shows we’ve downloaded.  It is an indispensable item.  The computer lags when using heavy applications like Skype or Picassa.  It probably would have been worth investing a little more to find something that can carry the load a little better, but at least it lightens our load.

• netbook charger

• netbook case

• Thumbdrive

This is a handy item to have.  We’ve used it a few times to transfer information to print our boarding passes and the like.

• external hardrive

This is what we use to back up our pictures.  Whatever kind you get, make sure it is rugged.

• external hardrive cable

• Ipod Touch

We picked this up in Spain.  It is a handy item to have.  Sean uses it to listen to music, of course, but we also use it as a calculator, calendar, for web surfing when the other one is on the computer or on the go, to track our budget, to keep notes, and lots of other uses.

• Amy’s old school video Ipod

• Ipod cable

• Sean’s and Amy’s headphones

We both invested in clear sounding noise cancelling headphones, which come in handy on noisy planes or buses.

• Extra ear buds for our headphones

• headphone splitter

We mostly use this to watch television shows together that we’ve downloaded.  It is handy.

• Airplane headphone adapters

We have one that minimizes the loudness from announcements when the pilot unexpectedly interrupts your movie in flight, but this hasn’t been an issue on any other airline since our first JetBlue flight to New York.  We recently picked up two adapters that adapt your own one prong headphone connector to the two prong connectors used by airlines.  It is great to use our own noise cancelling headphones instead of the airline ones, which never fit right.

• Kindle

I love, love, love my Kindle.  I have rediscovered my love of reading on this trip, and the Kindle gives me access to a steady stream of good books in one lightweight item.  The only downside is the expense.  I read very fast – sometimes reading a book cover to cover on a travel day – and most books are in the $10 range.  To avoid the $1.99 upcharge to download books wirelessly abroad, I download them to our computer and transfer them to the Kindle using the cable.  One thing I didn’t realize about the Kindle before I got it was that it has very primitive 3G internet capabilities.   As of right now, they don’t charge you to use it internationally.  It is not great, but it works to check our email or read the newspaper in a pinch.  I have the second edition, and I believe they have improved the wireless feature on the new Kindles.

• M-Edge green leather kindle cover

I fell in love with this cover when I saw it on The Road Forks’ packing list.  It is made of gorgeous, soft leather and looks like you are carrying a journal instead of an expensive electronic device.  I was worried it wouldn’t provide enough protection, but so far it, and the Kindle, have held up quite well.

• e-Luminator2 Kindle Booklight

This light is made to fit neatly into the m-Edge Prodigy cover, and flip up when in use.  I loved this booklight, but sadly, it is no longer of use to me.  The bottom part that connects the battery came off, and even though Sean and I both picked up the piece in our hostel in South Africa and said, hmm, what is this?, neither of us made the connection that it was a vital part of the booklight until after we changed rooms and the staff threw it away.

• International plug converters

Invest in a sturdy set, because this is an item you will use everyday.  We bought some from REI, and the European one became loose after a lot of use.  We bought a new one in South Africa that converts any country to any other country, because we bought a South African cell phone that would need to be converted to Asian and Australian plugs in the future.  Our new one also allowed us to ditch our American 3 prong to 2 prong adapter we previously needed for our computer plug.

• ethernet cable

This probably is not needed.  On the few occasions that we have had a hard connection instead of wireless, a cable is usually provided.

• earphone buds
• cell phone

We went without one for over four months.  While it was nice to detach a bit, there were many times when we got frustrated and said we wished we had one.  It is nice to have one when you are walking or driving around, trying to find accommodations.  When we have internet, we can make local calls on Skype for a fee, but often it is bad connection.  Pay phones can get complicated because you often need a calling card to make a call.  We managed to get by and just found free phones, borrowed cell phones, called from our room, or used Skype, but it is nice to carry a cell phone.  It is not a necessity, especially since calls are few and far between, but in the end, we picked up a $30 phone in South Africa.  We will buy new sim cards in new countries and put a couple of dollars on them.

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Cape Point: the Animal Edition

Cape Point was our first experience with South African animals. We saw animals we had never seen in the wild before.  We saw penguins waddling around in Simon’s Town, who, by the way, are the most super cutest things ever.

We pulled over to photograph wild baboons on the side of the road playing under a sign warning us of their danger. We later learned that baboons are the nemesis of South Africans – they often break into people’s houses, eat their food, and wreck their house – but the baby baboons looked so playful and harmless.

On our way out of the Cape of Good Hope National Park, we saw an ostrich family walking along the road, doing what ostriches do: sticking their heads in the ground.