What did I take for two months in South America?
Click here to read what I had originally thought I was going to take. Keep reading this post to find out what actually came with me!
And here she is, in all her glory, all packed and ready to head to JFK!
Deuter 60L +10 rucksack
Eddie Bauer foldable daypack
What’s inside you ask?
Here goes…
To make digging through my pack easier:
Eagle Creek Packing cube (1 quarter cube)
Eagle Creek Packing sac (4)
Eagle Creek Compression sack (1)
Mesh bag (for underwear, bras, socks and bathing suit)
Clothes:
Tank tops (3)
Short sleeves (3)
Long sleeves (1)
Sundresses (2)
Shorts (1)
Convertible pants (1)
Yoga pants (1)
Pajamas – tee shirt and bottoms (1)
Socks (3 pairs of Old Navy ankle socks)
Underwear (10)
Bras (2 regular, 1 sport)
Jeans (1)
Fleece (1)
Scarf
Bathing suit (1 top, 1 bottom)
Shoes:
Keen Voyageur trail shoes
Reef flip flops
Toiletries:
Liquids 30z or less (as seen in Ziploc photo above)
Shampoo (1 travel size)
Conditioner (1 travel size)
Toothpaste
Face wash (Kiehl’s samples)
Body wash (1 travel size)
Hand/body lotion (1 travel size)
Toner (small container)
Moisturizer
Eye makeup remover
Hair stuff (1 travel size)
Chapstick (1)
Non-liquids:
Razors (2)
Biore Facial Cleansing Cloths
Cotton balls
Q-tips (1 travel pack)
Deodorant
Toothbrush
Floss
Concealer
Eyelash curler
Mascara
Eye care:
Contact lenses (4 pairs each eye)
Contact solution (2 travel size)
Contact case (4 cases)
Dry-eye drops (2 travel size)
Glasses (1 pair)
First Aid Kit:
Chewable Tylenol
Chewable Pepto Bismol
Neosporin
Band Aids
Ayr gel
Bio Freeze (sample sizes)
Girly stuff
Sunscreen SPF 30+ (1 travel size)
Mosquito repellant DEET 30%+
Prescription medicine and notes from the doctors saying that I take it
Zithromax
Cipro
Malaria pills
Chewable Immodium
Pill crusher
Travel powder packets; Go Greens Veggies and Benefiber
Electronics (anything with a battery):
Netbook, case and charger
Camera, battery and charger
iPod, charger and earplugs
Petzl Tikka Plus 2 Headlamp
Alarm clock
Watch
Stationery:
Lonely Planet’s South America on a Shoestring
Vagabonding by Rolf Potts
Notebook
Pens
Moo cards
Important Documents:
Passport and copies of passport
Passport photos
Yellow card
Credit cards (2)
Debit cards (2)
Travel insurance cards and information
Miscellaneous:
Travel bath towel
Silk sleep sack
Travel clothesline
Sunglasses (2)
Money belt (1; just big enough for my passport)
Money belt (bigger one when I would need to put more stuff in it)
Waterproof money holder for pool/beach
Decoy wallet
Hand sanitizer (1 travel size)
Wet Ones hand wipes
Gloves (1 pair)
Whistle
Electronic door stop
Locks (2; 1 retractable PacSafe cable lock and 1 REI combination lock)
Hair ties
Shoelaces
Packets of Tide one load detergent
Packet of tissues
Plastic bags
Cheap earrings; wear in my ears
Travel toilet paper (2)
Duct tape; wrapped around a pencil
Carabiners (2)
Sleep eye mask
Ear plugs
I also mailed the following to A, so she could restock me when we meet in Chile.
One more travel contact solution
30 more Biore Facial Cleansing Cloths
Another travel size tube of suntan lotion
Go Greens Veggies and Benefiber powder packets
In retrospect:
Did I pack light? Yes.
Could I have done with less? Absolutely.
Did I use everything? Almost. If you are wondering why some of these things made the list, it will make sense as you keep reading along…
simply three cents 
June 18th, 2012 at 1:30 pm
I guess the big question is, what did you take that you should have left home?
June 19th, 2012 at 6:44 pm
Ayngelina — you were right. I laugh when I look at what I should have left home. I would have skipped:
Hand/body lotion — I used suntan lotion as my daily lotion!
Eyelash curler, mascara, makeup remover — hahaha
I took too many of the veggie packets
I did not hand out one Moo card
Travel clothesline — there are hooks everywhere
Waterproof money holder — totally unnecessary
Electronic door stop — caused me more problems than not, like the time in the Punta del Este bus station when I left my pack in left luggage for the afternoon and as I was walking towards the beach the man behind the counter came running after me because something was making noise in my bag. And then I removed the batteries for the rest of the trip.
REI combination lock — served its purpose but was difficult to navigate on some lockers and then I had to pull out the PacSafe lock to reach both sides of the lock
Shoelaces — what was I thinking??
Packets of Tide one load detergent – I used this once and then went to lavanderias and never looked back
I would have brought an extra contact case — buying one in La Paz, Bolivia at ten pm was not an adventure I would like to replicate.
Also, best items I brought — silk sleep sack and headlamp.
June 19th, 2012 at 6:45 pm
Even though these items are all little, it could have made for a little less weight on my back!
March 18th, 2013 at 3:17 am
Wow. I am so impressed by your minimal packing!
March 31st, 2013 at 2:37 pm
Thanks so much! And it was still TOO MUCH!!