All my gear from the start of my trip in 2007
When people set out on an adventure, one thing which consumes a lot of their time is the creation of a packing list. What to bring is an important consideration and that is why people spend so much time worrying about it.
Over time, I’ve worried less and less about what is in my bag. Now I can go pretty much anywhere in the world, throw stuff in a bag and be confident of my choices.
This is mostly due to experience and whittling away everything which is not essential. If something has been in my bag for more than 3 months without me using it, I usually get rid of it.
Clothing
The Fleece 5.0 is my #1 piece of travel gear. I wear it almost every day. I always wear it when I go through an airport. I have set pockets for certain things. My passport always goes in my upper left breast pocket. My iPad is always in my internal left pocket. Receipts and used boarding passes go in my upper right breast pocket. I’ve worn this in freezing climates (with other layers beneath) and reasonably warm ones (with the sleeves off). I even put my camera lenses in the pockets so I don’t have to carry my camera bag.
The Q-Zip is my long sleeve t-shirt of choice. I always carry at least one with me everywhere I go. If I know I’ll be somewhere colder (like Antarctica or winter in the Northern Hemisphere) I will carry 1-2 more. I used to just pack a simple long sleeve t-shirt. What I like about the Q-Zip is that the zippered neck lets you adjust how warm you want to be without taking it off. Zipped down is cooler than a regular t-shirt and zipped up is warmer because of the length of the neck.
The Scottevest cotton t-shirt is my daily shirt. When I first started traveling I eschewed cotton everything. The theory being that quick drying clothes would work better on the road. I still don’t carry jeans with me, but I do wear cotton shirts now. I don’t often use the zippered pocket on these, but I have on occasion when I go to the beach or places where I don’t have a place to put anything. I can put money in the shirt pocket and no one is the wiser.
The Revolution Jacket isn’t something I always pack because it is designed for cold weather, and cold weather is something I usually avoid. That being said, when do go to a cold weather location, this is what I wear. It has a plethora of pockets like the Fleece 5.0 (see above) but has more insulation. This is the jacket I took with me to Antarctica in 2012.
Footwear
I’ve been wearing Chaco Sandals since I started traveling, save for a period where I had to wear Tevas when my strap broke. I didn’t like the Tevas just because of the velcro straps. I try to wear sandals whenever I can because it cuts down on the amount of socks I have to carry and do laundry for. I’ve worn sandals at the Arctic circle and in close to freezing temperatures. I also try to wear sandals whenever I fly.
