MoxieLifestyle.net

In a previous post I wrote about the events that led up to making the trip to Panama and Costa Rica happen. This post covers what I am packing in my single piece of luggage, a small backpack.

Knowing that I have a 14 hour bus ride from Panama to Costa Rica ahead of me, I bought a PSP with some games. I returned it a little later before I opened it, figuring I could spend the money a little more wisely.

I already bought two pairs of Rainbow hemp sandals, one pair in black and the other in brown. And I already own Smartwool Adrenaline LT socks. What else did I need?

I pretty much consider the Life Nomadic Gear to be the be all end all of information on what I should bring along with me on my trip. Unfortunately for me, a lot of the stuff is pricey. I figured I would shop around and buy a few of the things that suited me best.

The main thing I was interested in was the Deuter Futura 28 Backpack.

According to LN…

“The pack uses a compact lightweight spring steel suspension to keep it off your back so that you can carry it around and not get all sweaty. It also makes it so that the weight rests at your hips, where it should rest. Fully laden it’s not a big deal to carry this pack around everywhere you go.

The pack has an integrated rainfly that unzips from the bottom. Last year we got stuck in the rain in Japan and EVERYTHING got soaked. A lot of our purchases, as you’ll notice, were influenced by that experience. We’re now totally rainproof.”

I was sold. I went looking around but the price was a little out of my range at $99, luckily I found one on Amazon for only $64 with free shipping. Score! Just be careful with Amazon though, the Storm/Silver isn’t actually Black and Silver but the same Blue and Silver as the other one shown on the site.

As far as clothes go, I am pretty much set. One thing I did splurge on is the Icebreaker Tech T Lite Superfine140 Shirt.

It cost me a pretty penny on Amazon and is officially the most expensive shirt I own. The way LN describes it though, it should be worth every penny… “It’s 100% merino wool, which sounds hot and scratchy, but isn’t at all. It wicks sweat when I’m warm, insulates when I’m cold and… NEVER SMELLS AT ALL.”

For pants/shorts I purchased the Cloudveil Cool Convertible Pants.

As of this writing this is one of the items I got already. Zappos upgraded me to overnight shipping at no charge which was very cool of them. The fit on these is really nice, my only issue with them is the legs are really long. I mostly attribute this to me being so short. The bottoms have adjustable elastic drawcords though so I just tighten them up around my ankle.

They are made of synthetic fibers that result in a lightweight, compressible, and durable quick-dry fabric. I didn’t believe the statements about how quick they dry until I actually saw it in action, I can run them under the faucet and they will be dry almost instantly. They also zip off right above the knee and to be worn as shorts!

To go with my shirt and pants I bought two pairs of ExOfficio Give-N-Go Boxers.

They came highly recommended from a variety of travel sources, though most places recommended the briefs. However, I hate briefs with a passion so I went for the boxers. They wick away moisture to keep you dry and when wet they dry quickly so you can wash one pair in a sink and it will dry within an hour or two

To start off my accessories I bought a couple Aloksak Dry Bags on recommendation from Tynan of Life Nomadic.

On my cruise I brought a bunch of ziplocs to put my wallet and cash in so I could keep them dry and with me in my velcro side pocket on my bathing suit. I shouldn’t have even bothered, they didn’t last more than a couple minutes. These bags are waterproof, air proof and dust proof. They are used by Navy Seals.

I got three of the 4.5×7 bags. One for my toiletries, one for my small electronics and one to wrap my wallet up when I go in the water. I also got two 16×24 packs for my clothes. I tried mine out today and they work just as described. I over estimated the size of the 16×24s (didn’t bother to actually measure, doh!) I probably would have been fine with the 12×12s for my clothes but I’ll just fill it halfway and fold it in half.

For hygiene’s sake, I picked up two 2oz bottles of Dr. Bronner’s Tea Tree Miracle Soap.

This stuff was a pain in the ass to find, but should totally be worth it. According to LN, it works for shampoo as well as soap, and does a great job washing clothes.

Thanks to the TSA I couldn’t pick up one 4oz bottle to combine with the free shipping of my other Amazon purchases. Instead I had to eat a pretty rough shipping cost and get two separate 2oz bottles.

For washing my clothes I bought small travel packs of woolite and a Flexoline clothesline. It is made of high quality rubber surgical tubing so you don’t need clothespins.

I picked up the APC INPA Travel Converter as well.

I don’t even think I need it in Panama/Costa Rica. However, when I researched Jamaica, it said I wouldn’t need it there. Unfortunately I was stuck at my hotel with nothing to charge my iPod or camera. Regardless, I know I will need it if I go to Europe later this year. It’s super compact and works in every country.

The last accessory I bought was a Kiva Key Chain Convertible Pack..

This small key chain pack can be attached to your belt loop or backpack and then instantly unzipped to create a pack of its own. Great for when you run out of room in your main bag for souvenirs!

One thing I am considering buying, but I don’t think my budget will allow, is a Fenix L1D CE flashlight.

It has a long-lasting LED bulb in it that is super bright and runs off one AA battery, easily found in many foreign countries. It has two output modes which produce a total of six levels of output. These modes not only allow you to select the best compromise between brightness and runtime for any given task, but they also help to aid in an emergency. And in case you drop it in a puddle or something, it’s waterproof to the IPX-8 Standard, which means that it is waterproof 1 meter deep for at least 30 minutes.

Expect more updates related to my trip soon!