The Things I Carry

I have left Hanoi, Vietnam and arrived in Bangkok, Thailand. My time in Vietnam with Ida and Brenda was terrific. While I had two books for the country, The Things They Carried and Matterhorn, in the end I only read the former. I got through the first chapters of the latter only to decide that I had had enough of the Vietnam War. The Things They Carried was nonetheless an excellent choice for the country. As a member of a generation focused on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, it was eye-opening to read a first hand account of the war that, in some ways, laid the foundation for how Americans currently view our presence abroad. It was also fascinating reading about how American soldiers viewed Vietnam as I pleasantly traveled around what they would have called North Vietnam. It also made me think about the things that I carry. The things that I packed for my four months of travel around the world.

Pictures and more about my time in Vietnam will follow. For now, The Things I Carry or an international travel packing list.

I carry:

• One 55 L travel backpack with an un-zippable 15 L daypack, which even zipped together I can take on planes without checking it
• Travel pillow
• Sunglasses in case
• Glasses with case and cleaning cloth
• Journal
• Pencil case with pens and pencils
• Sharpie with duct tape
• Kindle with case
• Laptop
• Small bluetooth mouse
• iPod touch
• Headphones
• Cellphone
• DSLR Camera with kit lens and telephoto lens
• Charger for kindle, phone, iPod, camera, and laptop
• Plug adapters
• External hardrive for photos and movies
• Folder for e-visa applications, visa photos, and other important documents
• One small travel towel
• Watch
• Water bottle
• Clothes line
• Two pastic bags
• Snacks
• Clothing, including:
• Four button-up shirts
• Five t-shirts
• Two sweaters
• Two pairs of jeans
• Two pairs of shorts
• One swim suit
• Nine pairs of socks
• Ten pairs of boxers
• One raincoat that can fold into itself
• One belt
• One pair of hiking shoes
• One pair of sandals
• Two packing bags that help keep it all organized
• One toiletries bag with:
• Shampoo
• Lotion
• Face wash
• Sun tan lotion
• Four pairs of contacts (for swimming)
• Contact solution and case
• Comb
• Toothpaste, toothbrush, and floss
• Electric razor
• Deodorant
• Hand sanitizer
• Sewing kit
• Tide to-go pen
• Super glue

All in all, quite a load to fit into my small pack. That said, I think I will use all of it. Of everything I packed, I believe that I probably have more shirts than are necessary. The water bottle may also be unnecessary, especially considering how much space it takes up. The one thing I would like to add is a small bag for dirty laundry. We will see how I feel about all of this as the travel continues.