Whats in the backpack, son?

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Last summer I went for 3 months to SE Asia, I searched a lot on what to bring. The advice was as numerous as the people offering it.

Each of us is different with different needs. Mine are simple. Travel as light as possible. Theres something about getting off a train or bus with a fully loaded 60+ L backpack that just scares me. Especially if I don't have a room reserved. Lugging that thing around from hostel to hostel? no thank you!

Last summer I decided to go with a 45L backpack and had a little room to spare in it.

What I took for my 3 month trip to SE Asia;

1. 2 pairs of cargo shorts. Cargo shorts are more than just a backpacker fashion statement they are also very handy. The ones I took were a heavier weight than what I needed for the area. I've bought new ones for the next trip and they are a lighter weight material.

2. 1 pair of cargo pants, convertible. I used these one time in my entire trip, at the Grand Palace in Bangkok. I never really used the shorts either, but since long pants might be needed sometime, they will be back again this round.

3. 1 pair of sandals and 1 pair of sneakers. I used the sneakers one time, at the Grand Palace in Bangkok. This next trip I've bought new sandals, one pair of Teva Zilch and I pair of Keen, fisherman style. I'll leave the sneakers at home.

4. 3 t-shirts (not shown). Light-weight. Blue, red and grey. T-shirts are plentiful and cheap. You can easily take only one and buy what you need along the way. Still thinking about what I'm taking this time.

5. 3 pairs of socks and 3 pairs of underwear, boxers. I'll take one pair of socks, mainly in case the bus is cold, which happens a lot. Boxers I clean when I shower, so 3 will still be fine.

6. 1 long sleeve shirt. I used it as a blanket a couple times on the bus. I'll take it along in case its needed.

7. Baseball caps and Bandanas. Baseball caps are a must have for me. I'll be taking 2 this trip. I might leave the bandanas at home. Never used them. But they are small and don't take up much space

8. Flashlight. Never used it. But this summer I am going to Burma and I understand its a must have there.

9. Sunglasses. For a sunny region, I was surprised how little sunglasses were worn. I took 2 pair. But I have a thing for losing or breaking sunglasses. I broke these the first month. Ended up going through 6 pairs all together. I'm sure about getting true UV protection, so I will likely take at least 4 pair this trip.

10. Toiletries. Only packed what I needed for a couple days. You can buy everything you need along the way. No need to take big bottles. Just takes up space and weight.

11. Computer. I survived 3 months with only an ipod and internet cafe. This time I am taking an iphone and international sim card, and a tablet (Asus eee pad transformer). I like to be able to edit my photos were ever I am, like a bar or cafe and not be tied down to an internet cafe. I can take the pictures on my camera, take out the SD card, pop it in the tablet, do my editing and upload with wi-fi.

12. Camera. I'm taking 2 point and shot cameras. The main thing I can say is take spare batteries. You can buy them cheaply on ebay and they are a life saver. I was at a couple places and my battery died. I had no spare or place to recharge. Take a couple with you.

13. Other. I took a pair of swimming trunks I never wore. I'm not a beach person. I took a lock which is a must have.

14. Cords. oh' lord there are so many cords. iphone, tablet, cameras, headphones, audio splitter (get yourself one of these, it comes in handy if you are sitting next to someone on a bus or train).

15. SD cards. I took 5. It was barely enough. I'll add a couple more, 16gb size.

16. Guidebooks and papers. I took Lonely Planet SE Asia on a shoestring. I was out dated big time on the prices and I found it pretty much useless for Sumatra Indonesia, but it got me to my hostel and gave me a few ideas. The information is sparce compared to the country guides, so I printed (there were A LOT of pages) out those chapter for greater detail, like Borneo and Java from the Indonesia country guide (LP sells individual chapters of their guide books if you didn't know). This time I'll put the pdfs on my tablet instead of printing them.

When I weighed my backpack it came in under 8kg (17 pounds). Not bad but this year I'm hoping to do better.

I'll let you know!

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Photos

Travelin' light
Everything I took for 3 months