Backpack, Backpack

Packing. Easily one of my least favorite words. While preparing for this trip I have read so many times, "pack what you think you need to take, cut it in half, and then cut it in half again." That is not the easiest thing to tell a girl who loves clothes and shoes. However, in my past travels I have found that I take way too much of the unnecessary. In the end, I always revert back to travelling with a backpack on excursions and leaving most of what I brought sitting in a pile untouched.

This time the packing does not seem that easy. How am I supposed to prepare for a 14 day hike with drastically different ecosystems, 6 weeks of teaching, and the proper personal hygiene care all in one duffle bag? 

Well, after a lot of shopping for the proper covering clothing and trekking gear it seems that I have everything that I need. It could possibly end up being too much but it seems better to be a little over prepared considering I am going to an undeveloped country. Here it is:

I have carefully packed:

Clothing & Such

1 Pair trekking shoes

4 Pair wool trekking socks

6 Pair workout socks

1 Pair long socks

1 Ski hat

1 Headband (made by Kat Kissell)

1 Pair Under Amour sandals

1 White fancy sandals

2 North Face rain coats

1 Patagonia Fleece

4 Long Skirts

2 Long dresses

4 Patterned short sleeve tops

5 Quick Dry T-Shirt (nike and under armour)

2 T-Shirts (Yough and Kappa Delta)

4 Pairs of shorts

2 Long Under Armour tops

2 Long Under Armour Pants

1 Bathing Suit

Bras & Underwear

Hygiene, Media, & Other

1 Sunglasses

1 Glasses

1 Contact Case and solution

1 DSLR Camera (extra battery and 4 memory cards)

1 Video Camera

1 Ipad

1 Media to Ipad Cord

1 Toothbrush & Paste

1 Mosquito Net

1 Bug Spray

1 Face & Body 70 spf sunscreen

1 Altitude Medication

1 First Aid Kit

Malaria Pills

1 package Kleenex

2 Package Trekking toilet wipes

1 Package face wipes

1 Package wet wipes

1 Bottle foot powder

2 Water Bottles

1 Towel

& Other random medication the travel doctor gave to me!

Travel Documents

Passport

6 Photo ID pictures

1 Nepal 90-day Visa

Pages added into Passport

Background Check documents

Travel booklet provided by Travel Doctor

Plane Tickets

Airport Pick-up info 

Abu Dhabi & Dubai Hotel info

When I list everything it seems like a lot, and maybe it is, but I feel a little nervous that everything I will need for the next 9 weeks is packed into one bag. While I am gone I will be travelling though temperatures as high as 110 and as low at 20 and altitudes of 1,000 ft all the way up to 18,000 ft. In the end however, I managed to pack it all into one little duffel bag.