Here is What I am Packing--May 2014

If you check back to my 2012 blog report, you can read what I packed for my Brazil trip. This is what I am now packing for my train trip through Russia, Mongolia, China, and Vietnam.

 In my Brazil trip, my backpack held 9.3 pounds, and for this trip, I am carrying just 8.2 pounds. For Brazil, I wore 9.1 pounds and for this trip, I am wearing just 8.1 pounds. The weight savings is mostly because the guide books are on my iPad instead of carrying hard copies. The only hardcopy guidebook I am carrying is the "Trans-Siberian Handbook" by Bryn Thomas. With this book, I have cut out the portions that I am not traveling to like Petersburg, Trans-Manchurian, the BAM or Baikal Amur Mainline, and the Tran-Siberian route to Vladivostok to save some more weight.

So now am I able to carry less weight in both my pack and what I am wearing. Here are the details.
The six little cards shown here are the cheat sheet money cards I use that provides simple comparisons of what dollar values equal a specific exchange in the six countries I will be visiting.

You can get these cheatsheets at onanada.com.

The backpack items this time include 8.2 pounds which include:

• Golite pack at 13.625 oz.
• Video charger and SD cards at 11.875 oz.
• Black net bag with plugs, wash rag, spoon, flashlight, iPad earphones, lock, razors, sewing kit, bandana, pen, pencil, file, mirror, bandaids, earplugs, buds at 18 oz.
  
• Red bag with deodorant, razor, Rx, floss, toothbrush, and paste, wash rag, chapstick at 11 oz.
• soap, hair gel, and sunscreen at 11 oz.
• Green designer bag with camera charger, SD cards, iPad connectors at 11 oz.
• Vitamin supplements at 8.8 oz.
• Plastic 1-liter bottle at 2 oz.
• Steripen and charger at 6.25 oz.
• 2 shirts and PJs at 20 oz.
• OR rain Jacket at 6.8 oz.
• 1 pair of socks and shorts at 4 oz.
• Mosquito head net at 2 oz.
• Metal cup and bowl at 4 oz.

The items I am wearing weigh 8.1 pounds and include:

• Red travel folder with all travel documents and maps at 10 oz,
• shoes and socks at 34.5 oz.
• passport and calendar at 5 oz.
• 2 shirts at 14 oz.
• REI pants, shorts, and belt at 19.5 oz.
• Money belt at 2 oz.
• Watch at 3 oz.
• Pedometer and fob at 1 oz.
• Sunglasses and case at 4 oz.
• Wallet at 3.5 oz.
• handi wipes at 3.5 oz.
• Sapa bag, mini iPad with a keyboard at 18 oz.
• Panasonic video camera and bag at 12 oz.

If in my travels, I need more clothing all I need to do is to buy it. I find it so much easier to travel with fewer things than to burden myself with lots of things. For this to work, I need to continually wash out my clothing at night or if I am staying for a few days, have the hostel wash my stuff quickly. Too many travelers carry huge packs with several changes of clothing and trinkets which burden them down and make their travels from one place to another a real chore. I usually hold off buying trinkets until right before I am leaving so I am not schleppiing them around.

Just about 10 days before departure and my daughter Jessica, still has not given birth to Atticus Wyatt Beckham. She is about 2 weeks overdue and they now have Friday, the 16th scheduled for an induced delivery. Hope all goes well, Jessica and Joshua are now more than ready!