Before I left on my trip I basically sold everything I owned and beyond being extremely cathartic, it helped me to simplify my life and begin my life on the road as a minimalist.

When you backpack around-the-world, you have to carry everything you own with you which makes you prioritize what you really need. Below is a list of more or less, everything I’m carrying. It’s total weight is 18 kg (roughly 38 lbs). I personally think its too much—but more than half of it is the equipment I use to make this blog and do photography and filmmaking along the way, so its sort of a necessary evil.

I was really worried when I first set out that if I didn’t take certain things with me, it would be impossible for me to find outside of the developed world. This has proven to be pretty much not true, as the only things I’ve found hard to find while traveling through under-developed and developing countries is contact lens solution and tampons (and I’m only told its hard to find tampons).

A majority of my clothing and travel equipment was outfitted by the fine people at Active Endeavors in Iowa City, Iowa. I can not recommend another store with a more informed, helpful and friendly staff for your travel needs (in the name of full disclosure they did provide me a small discount on my mass purchase of equipment and a free t-shirt, though that plays no part in my highly recommending them to others.)

Here’s everything I am carrying with me. Click the pictures below to see interactive pictures with a roll-over key on Flickr.

Clothing (left to right, top to bottom)

click the photo photo for an interactive picture on Flickr.

1x Nikko sun glasses (black)
3x pairs of Bridgedale hiking socks
1x quick dry travel town (green in plastic bag)
1x small hand towel (yellow)
1x Active Endeavors Cotton T-shirt (white)
3x Patagonia boxer shorts
1x collared polo shirt (blue)
3x quick drying short sleeve shirts (Patagonia, Nike, Pearl Izumi)
1 long sleeve button shirt with collar DISCARDED IN CHINA
2x Columbia nylon hiking pants (covertable to shorts)( grey/khaki)
1x Garmont hiking boots (brown)
1x Marmont rain jacket/wind breaker (black)
1x Chalco hiking sandals (black)
1x nylon shorts/swimming shorts
1x flip flops DISCARDED IN INDIA
1x Patagonia R.5 Long Sleeve Fleece (not pictured) STOLEN IN TANZANIA
1x Smart Wool Long sleeve light fleece (not pictured) STOLEN IN TANZANIA
TRAVEL GEAR AND EQUIPMENT (left to right, top to bottom)

click the photo for an interactive picture on Flickr

1x stuffed cow
1x clear document holder
1x toiletry bag
1x PakSafe wire mesh bag (to lock up my equipment)
1x roll toilet paper
1 mesh laundry bag
1 x Nalgene water bottle
1x some sort of snack food
1x journal
1x book to read
1x small first aid kit
1x silk sleeping bag and pillow cover
1x large ziplock bag full of odds and ends
1x Iowa Hawkeyes flag and Iowa pins
1x travel documents holder
1x money belt

Photography/Video/Travelogue Production Equipment
(left to right, top to bottom)

click the photo photo for an interactive picture on Flickr.

3x cases for cameras and lenses
1x Canon Rebel XT Digital SLR Camera
1x Canon HV20 Digital VIdeocamera
1x Apple Macbook & power adaptor with padded case
1x Rode Shotgun mic for the HV20
1x 55mm Canon EF Fixed Lens
1x 17-40mm Canon EF Zoom Lenx
1x Lens Baby Lens
1x 72mm Circular Polarizing filter
1x Velbon Ultra Maxi F Tripod w/ bag
2x portable external hard drives
1x laptop locking cable
1x International Electrical Adaptor kit
1x iPod Photo
1x USB photo importer for the iPod
2x battery chargers
3x 1GB Compact Flash cards
1x Compact Flash card reader
1x 2GB MiniCompact Flash card
1x Motorola L6 mobile phone (unlocked)
4x Canon digital batteries for cameras
1x headphones with mic
1x WiFi Hotspot finder
Blank Tapes, DVD’s, and miscellaneous wires, batteries, and adaptors

—–

All of my equipment is carried in an Eagle Creek Ultimate Explorer backpack that has had the detachable daypack removed (and left at home). I also carry a Proaston messenger bag that I had modified by a woman in Hong Kong (for $5) to attach some old backpack straps so that the bag—which I use as a daypack—can either be carried on my back or as a messenger bag slung over my shoulder.

Total weight: Backpack = 15kg/33lbs; Daypack 5 kg/22 lbs=20kg/44lbs Total weight.