Settling on the small amount of gear we brought with us was no small task. We wanted clothes that would keep us warm when it’s cold and cool when it’s sweltering, dry quickly and still leave us looking like human beings, not tourists who fell off of a safari tour in 1978. Also, since we are backpacking it, the pieces we chose had to be as lightweight and multi-purpose as possible. Sure, it’s a long list of requirements, but one backpack’s worth of clothes for an entire year? That’s commitment. And who doesn’t have high expectations when you’re going to be making a long-term commitment?
At the time of this writing, we’ve been on the road about 2.5 months. I’m happy to report that we’re pretty happy with our gear choices, and I’ve included comments in the list below about how each piece held up.
Meg’s Clothes
- One pair Ex Officio ExO Dri™ G3 Pants, black. I chose these because they were quick drying, lightweight, and comfortable. They’re also versatile enough to be dressed up a little bit for going out. The only drawback has been that they stretch out a fair amount, so they’re a little baggier than I would like them to be.
- One pair Contourwear Quick Dry Trouser, black. These were altered before we left by my extremely talented mother. I can now roll them up to capri length and shorts length, which makes them wonderfully versatile. They have a little bit of stretch to them and are cut beautifully. I love these pants. Although they’re not sold with my mom’s alterations (unfortunate for everyone who doesn’t have my mom!), I would absolutely recommend these pants. They have held up really well.
- One Ex Officio ExO Dri™ G3 Skort, black. This is made of the same material as the first pants listed. It’s comfy and cute (despite being called a skort, it just looks like a wrap skirt, but gives me the freedom to hike or bike), and now that we’re finally in hot weather, I’m getting a lot of use out of it. It languished in my bag for much of the first two months of the trip while we were in cold climates, so I can’t speak its durability, but it doesn’t seem to stretch as much as the pants, despite being made of the same material. One thing to keep in mind: for anyone who is going to be handwashing and airdrying clothes (oh, the life of a backpacker!), this skirt takes a long time to dry.
- One Patagonia Duway Skirt, khaki. This is the only piece of clothing that I actually owned prior to planning this trip. I have had this skirt for four years, and despite being a regular in my summertime rotation, it is not showing any signs of wear. The zippers on the side allow you to adjust how much freedom movement you have, so you can unzip them for an impromptu hike or bike ride and not have to worry.
- One Ex Officio Long Sleeve Shirt, white. I added this at the last minute as a layering piece, and I’m so glad I did. It is pretty much the only shirt I have that I can wear out that doesn’t look like an athletic shirt. I can wear it over a tank top like a jacket or alone for a different look. The pattern on the fabric is delicate without being frilly and the fabric is light enough to be comfortable even on a hot summer day. Love this one.
- One ExO Dri™ Pointelle Long-Sleeve Hoody, green. Adam has dubbed this my “uni”–that’s how often I wear it (and yes, he did have to explain that’s sports lingo for uniform. I’m so not athletic.) I don’t understand how, but this shirt is almost always comfortable, no matter the temperature. It’s very lightweight, so I can even wear it on really hot days if I need to keep the sun off my skin, but somehow it manages to keep me warm too when it gets chilly.
- One prAna Kari Tank Top, light green. This shirt has a nice neckline and a built-in shelf bra. It’s comfy and holding up pretty well. The cotton knit fabric is pretty thick though, so it can be a little warm on really hot days.
- North Face Vaporwick Tank Top. This one also has a built-in shelf bra. It is a nice wicking material, so is cooler than my other tank top, but for some reason, when it is machine washed, it is an absolute fuzz magnet. Otherwise, it’s working out well.
- Three T-shirts: (1) One Icebreaker Superfine Merino wool tee shirt, blue. Merino wool is great–this very lightweight wool is wicking so is pretty cool on hot days and is a great layering piece to keep me warm. (2) One North Face lightweight white cotton tee shirt. This is to wear on the occasions we have to sleep in dorms and I need pajamas, or simply as a layering piece. (3) One basic wicking tee. I brought this mainly to have an extra shirt for hiking and sporty activities. I overdid the tee shirts–I would rather have another tank top than a third tee shirt.
- One pair Vasque Breeze Low Hiking Boots. These are the first pair of hiking boots I’ve ever had that don’t give me blisters. I love these shoes. I would like if they came in a gray color rather than just brown, but I can deal with nearly any color for shoes that can get me through long hikes blister-free.
- One pair Merrell Plaza Bandeau slip-ons. These shoes suck. I bought them shortly before we left because I wanted something a little more stylish that would still be comfortable. They give blisters within ten minutes of putting them on, every time. My fault for waiting until the last minute to buy new shoes for the trip. Not recommended.
- One pair chaco flip-flops. Good shoes. I wish I had just gone with the regular chacos so I could wear them for light hiking, but these work fine for just wearing around.
How We Carry it All
I (Meg) carry a Deuter Futura Pro 42. It is a small backpack by most standards and has worked out wonderfully for me. We decided early on that we wanted to go with the smallest bags we could manage–in all of our research, we never heard anyone say “I sure wish my bag were bulkier!” In addition to my clothes and shoes, I also carry the toiletries, the plate/sporks, the gorillapod and my teeny tiny makeup case.
Hi, I’m planning my own trip (not quite RTW) in the next year and would be really interested in how you found travelling on a “small” pack of 42L. I’m looking at something between 35 and 55L depending on what I can find here in Australia but everyone keeps insisting that I’ll need at least 75-90L. Would love to hear from someone who’s travelled on less that that!
Hope you have a fantastic trip, will look forward to reading about it!