Packstravangza

In which I detail everything I will take with me for this two month adventure:

– one Marmot rain jacket, ripped
– one “Freedom Flies” hoody
– one Ibex wool long sleeve shirt, in the off chance it gets cold
– one pair sneakers
– one pair Chacos
– two light nylon pants
– three short sleeve button up shirts
– two long sleeve Mtn Hardware Canyon shirts
– two pair shorts, which double as swim trunks
– one packable duffel bag, for assorted purchases
– one silk sleep sheet, for hostels
– one red checked blanket, for picknicking and sleeping in train stations
– one neck pillow, because I’m a pansy
– one tiny headlamp
– three pair light socks, one pair smartwool
– four pair underwear, one of which is a $25 pair from Ex Officio. It’s the most I’ve ever spent on underwear before, but it claims to last one (mythical) man month. I’ll put that to the test the minute Ruth leaves.
– one Lawrence of Arabia sunhat
– one passport holder with two US passports (seriously)
– one deck playing cards, useful as impromptu emergency cryptosystem
– various electronic stuff
– one Canon S3 camera
– one Qstarz GPS datalogger, for geotagging
– chargers and sundry cables for each
– various toilettries
– one packtowel, one tiny face towel
– one medkit
– seven maps (Paris, Rome, Florence, Venice, Slovenia, Istanbul, Israel)
– two guidebooks
– one generic Let’s Go Eastern Europe from 2002, acquired on the cheap
– one Rick Steves guide to Istanbul, which I actually bought right next to Patrick Smith at my local bookstore

Seems like a lot, yet also very little. I’m trying hard to stick to the rule of “take half as much stuff as you think you need, and twice as much money.” Still more than Ruth is bringing, but she doesn’t have to prepare for the desert heat and cold. That’s my excuse, and I’m sticking to it. I hereby admit defeat in the great Map-Off/Pack-Off to 2008. Ruth, the map of Iraq is yours, even if I will probably go there before you.