All Packed Up and Ready to Go

I'm finally on my way to traveling around the world. It's been a crazy rush of finishing up work and finding time to see friends.

Before I get into the mundane packing details, I just want to thank everyone who managed to come out to see me during my going away party (thanks little sister), the Rotaract going away party (thanks Christa, and Christa's Mom), and our ancient celebration of Karaoke (thanks Alicia for getting me to sing some pretty awful songs). It was a blast, and shows that I have some pretty great friends. Not to mention that every party coincided with a snow storm. One could take that as a bad omen. Me? I take that as natures way of saying "get ready for Norway."

I did a bunch of research before I left, trying to figure out what are the best means of traveling for a marathon travel excursion. The things I kept coming across were "travel light," "you always pack more than what you need," and "travel with small bags."

I ended up buying the Osprey Porter 46, which is the largest bag they make that can still fit as a carry-on. They have a great little add-on system that allows a 15 litre backpack (called the Daylite) to attach to the bag. I did without the large rucksacks mostly because they are huge and they would need to be checked. When you are carrying your life for the next 5 months, I decided I didn't want to trust it with the airport baggage handlers.

For those who are wondering what fits in 60 total litres, here is a list:

Clothes
- 1 pair of long underwear
- 7 pairs of synthetic fiber (quick drying) underwear
- 7 pairs of synthetic and merino wool socks
- 3 athletic fit synthetic fiber shirts
- 1 merino wool mid-layer
- 1 outer-layer fleece
- 1 rain/wind proof shell
- 1 button up oxford
- 2 merino wool sweaters
- 1 scarf
- 1 cap
- 2 pairs of chinos
- 1 pair of sandals
- 1 pair of chukkas

I chose merino and synthetics for quick drying and breath-ability, which will be pretty important when I wash my clothes the day before and need them dry the next morning.

As for the rest of the items packed:

- 1 waterproof watch
- 1 tablet
- 1 keyboard
- a 1500 mah backup battery
- backup flip phone
- camera
- paper notebook
- scratchpad
- drawing/writing utensils
- small shaver that takes AA batteries
- toiletries
- Nylon cord
- Flashlight
- First aid kit
- Back up of important documents (licence, passport, insurance card, proof of residence)

I half expect to get rid of some of the clothing as I move into warmer temperatures. I'll let everyone know how it all fares by the end. Of course, even after I made a checklist and packed up, I still managed to forget a toothbrush.

It looks like I'll need to see a dentist by the time I get back.