Below you’ll find a comprehensive list of all the gear we are taking on the trip with us. As our travels progress, we will begin adding reviews to our equipment, after all, right now we have no idea if the stuff we have is any good! Please feel free to email us at nohurrycurry[at]gmail.com if you have any questions.
1) Packs
2) Clothing
3) Sleeping Bags
4) Electronics
5) Toiletries
6) Medical
7) Money
8) Other
9) Stuff We Wish We Had
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1 Osprey Porter 46 (view): Great pack for everyday use (love the fact that you can see everything at once), but not recommended for long treks because there is no air pocket against your back. (9/10)
1 Deuter Futura Zero 40 (view in our Amazon store): Nice, relatively small hiking pack that served us very well in Nepal. Got a hole during one of our long bus rides though. (8/10)
1 Jansport hydration daypack: Too small for most uses – would have preferred to bring something bigger. (5/10)
1 Crumpler 6 Million Dollar Home (view in our Amazon store): Serves well its dual purpose of carrying our big camera and many other little things for plane and bus rides, but would have been better to buy a smaller camera case and put it in a daypack. (7/10)
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Kevin:
1 pair Oakley Flak Jacket XJ sunglasses: Absolutely love the sunglasses, but was disappointed about how difficult it was to get the second pair of lens that I wanted. (10/10)
1 emergency poncho (view in our Amazon store): If you’re going to spend any amount of time in the rain, spend a little more money and buy something else, perhaps Goretex? (3/10)
1 Underarmour short sleeve shirt: Good shirt, just don’t buy it in white. (6/10)
2 REI brand long-sleeve shirts (one blue, one green): Green one has a tendency to fray a bit, but I can wear either for a long time without needing a wash. (8/10)
1 North Face long underwear zip-up top (gray): Excellent long underwear top that doubles as a third long-sleeve shirt if needed. (8/10)
1 Patagonia capilene long underwear (view in our Amazon store): Perfect compliment to my hiking pants for cold weather, also comfortable to sleep in. (9/10)
1 pair gym shorts: They’re gym shorts, what can I say? (9/10)
1 pair REI Sahara convertible pants: Never once used the convertible option, but love them as long pants. Could use deeper hip pockets, as well as some more zippered pockets though. (8/10)
1 pair Columbia pants (view in our Amazon store): These have everything that the REI pants lack (zippered back and hidden pockets), but they lack what the REI pants have (belt here is not good, no zippered cargo pocket). If you put the two pants together they would be a pair of super pants. (8/10)
1 pair swim trunks: Good for swimming in, and good for laying on the beach! (8/10)
1 Marmot Maxima softshell jacket (view in our Amazon store): Great jacket – I wear it in both warmish and very cold weather. Lots of zippered pockets and good in the wind. (10/10)
3 pairs boxers (polyester): For long trips, don’t bring cotton boxers – glad I brought these. (8/10)
2 pairs Smartwool socks (view in our Amazon store): Don’t be a fool, get the ‘Wool! Can wear these socks for ages without the horrible odor. (9/10)
1 pair Thorlo socks (view in our Amazon store): Not a fan of the Thorlo – my sock rotation is down to the two Smartwools. (3/10)
1 pair Chaco flip flops (view in our Amazon store): Never wore actual flip flops before, and Zhou tells me I wear these wrong (my foot’s too far back), but I love them. (9/10)
1 pair Merrell Moab Goretex XCR hiking shoe (view in our Amazon store): Only complaint is that after eight months they stink like the Detroit Lions, but I suppose that a fact of shoes more than a complaint. (9/10)
1 hat-scarf: Never been a scarf fan, but this has come in super handy throughout the trip (although a bit itchy at times). Have your cousin get you one from Peru – thanks Brenda! (7/10)
Zhou:
1 emergency poncho (view in our Amazon store)
1 prescription glasses and case
1 pair sunglasses (cheap ones)
1 Nike tank top
1 short-sleeve Marmot shirt (view in our Amazon store)
1 short-sleeve REI shirt
1 long-sleeve Icebreakers merino wool shirt (view in our Amazon store)
1 long-sleeve Horny Toad micromodal shirt
1 long-sleeve Scrabble hoodie
1 Arc’teryx Velox jacket (view in our Amazon store)
1 North Face light fleece
1 pair running shorts
1 Old Navy jersey skirt
1 pair Patagonia capilene long underwear pants (view in our Amazon store)
1 REI convertible pants
1 North Face stretch pants (view in our Amazon store)
1 light scarf
1 hat-scarf
1 J. Crew bathing suit (halter top, if you must know)
5 pairs of underwear
3 bras (2 regular ones, 1 sports bra)
2 pairs Smartwool socks (view in our Amazon store)
1 pair Thorlo socks (view in our Amazon store)
1 pair Chaco flip flops (view in our Amazon store)
1 pair Keen Targhee II waterproof hiking shoes (view in our Amazon store)
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2 Lafuma Warm ‘n Light 600 down sleeping bags (1 each): Down has been leaking for a while now, but with our liners these kept us pretty warm during some cold nights in Nepal, while not overheating us in the African heat. Plus you can’t beat how small they pack to. (8/10)
2 silk sleeping bag liners (view in our Amazon store): Kevin kicked a hole in his right off the bat, but we haven’t had any problems since. Zhou has enjoyed hers in all types of settings. (7/10)
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1 Asus EEE 1005 HA netbook (view in our Amazon store): Don’t know how we’d travel without it. Great for everything a travel computer should be (compact, long battery life, big hard drive, easy to type on), but probably won’t use it as much at home given the slow processing speed. (9/10)
1 Belkin mini surge protector (view in our Amazon store
1 Kensington universal adapter (view in our Amazon store): Has worked in every country we’ve need it thus far, and is remarkably small and easy to use. (9/10)
1 Olympus Evolt E-520 DSLR (view in our Amazon store): The digital screen broke as soon as Zhou got it (we should have sent it in under warranty), and the dust shaker thing stopped working a while back, but it still takes great pictures and is relatively easy to use. Good value for money though. (7/10)
1 14-42mm lens, 1 40-150 mm lens: Great for zooming in on the far-away animals in the Serengeti, but haven’t used it in too many other places. Glad we bought it though. (8/10)
2 Hoya filters, one UV, one polarizing: Work as advertised. (8/10)
1 battery charger (for Evolt): The battery life on the camera is incredible, so we rarely have to use this. When we do though, the batteries do take a while to charge. (7/10)
1 Canon SD600 digital camera (view in our Amazon store): Have used it so much that the button pictures have faded. Great little point-and-shoot for people who don’t want to learn to use the camera features. (9/10)
4 SD cards (for Canon): Have only used one because we back up the pictures on the computer all the time. Haven’t had any problems with the one though. (10/10)
2 Canon camera batteries: Started with three, but one broke and didn’t work all that well anyway. The other two work great and last a long time. (8/10)
1 16GB iPod Touch: Another gadget we couldn’t do without on the trip. Since we don’t carry guidebooks, we always pull up maps and information on this before we go places. Plus we use it to listen to all our favorite podcasts. (10/10)
1 80GB iPod: I didn’t unlock it so I could update it on the road, but the battery life is great and the music I have on it is unbeatable. (9/10)
1 Belkin earphone splitter (view in our Amazon store): If you’re traveling with another person, get this! (10/10)
2 iPod USB connectors: We don’t really need to review these. (10/10)
2 Garrity headlamps (view in our Amazon store): Both headlamps broke, and they weren’t all that powerful when we had them (I couldn’t see my light if someone with a better headlamp was standing next to me). Super cheap though if you need something for a short time. (4/10)
1 Konika Minolta binoculars: Used them in Africa then sent them home. Just ok. (5/10)
1 Joby Gorillapod (view in our Amazon store): Small and light and great for taking pictures of the two of us when no one else is around. Could be a bit sturdier in windy conditions, but still highly recommended! (9/10)
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3 Lush solid shampoos (Karma Komba, Reincarnate, Jumping Juniper): Great because they don’t take up space in our liquids bags on planes. Sometimes it’s hard to open the container though, and the shampoo sticks to the side. (7/10)
1 Lush Jungle conditioner (view in our Amazon store): Turned to mush right away and then became really hard to use. Had to switch the liquid conditioner. (3/10)
2 Zest bar soaps: You’re not fully clean unless you’re Zestfully clean! (9/10)
1 3-oz Neutrogena face wash: No bad breakouts, so it seems to be working. (8/10)
1 3-oz Philosphy facial cleanser: Leaks a lot even in two different containers – we’re not sure why. (6/10)
2 3-oz Neutrogena Ultra Sheer sunblock (SPF 45): Good, but got used up quickly. (8/10)
1 1.7-oz Neutrogena facial moisturizer (SPF 45): Zhou loves it and uses it every day with sun. (9/10)
1 2-oz Hope in a Jar: Zhou couldn’t live without it, and that’s not an exaggeration. (10/10)
1 2-oz Target brand hand sanitizer: A must when traveling since most places don’t have soap. (9/10)
1 1-oz Refresh liquid tears: Very useful in dry conditions, which there are a lot of in the world. (9/10)
1 2-oz Renu contact solution: If your contacts have a problem, this is the solution. (9/10)
3 2.7-oz Crest toothpastes: Decent toothpaste, but travel-sized toothpaste isn’t good for long trips. We always buy bigger tubes when we’re going a long time between flights. (7/10)
10 .25-oz packages Woolite: Seemed to get the clothes clean in Africa, but haven’t needed them since because there are almost always laundry services available if you wait a couple weeks. (8/10)
1 .33-oz Opti-Free rewetting drops: Not going to rate this or the rest of the toiletries, because you probably don’t care. Email us if you have any questions.
1 Arrid deoderant
1 Speedstick deoderant
2 Reach floss
2 sticks Blistex
1 Venus Gilette Breeze
6 pairs Mack’s pillow-soft ear plugs
3 travel-sized Kleenex packs
1 gum go-between floss
1 comb
1 package hair bands
1 nail file
6 pairs Acuvue Oasys contacts
1 plastic bag of toilet paper
1 electric razor
2 toothbrushes and holders
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1 REI Adventure Medical Kit: We’ve had a few bumps and bruises and cuts and headaches, and this always has the answer. Wish it had more Neosporin-type stuff though. (9/10)
1 Target brand multivitamins: Kevin doesn’t always eat right, but he always takes his vitamins.
1 World Nomads health insurance policy certificate: Only complaint is since we cut our trip a month short, wish we could get reimbursed for that month of policy.
3 bottles Doxycycline: We don’t have malaria, so I’d call these a success. (10/10)
1 bottle Cipro: Never used, but I’m sure they’d come in handy especially for travelers heading to India.
1 bottle expired Meijer brand allergy medicine: Allergy medicine never expires.
1 potable aqua water purification tablets: Made the water in Nepal drinkable as they were supposed to do, but turned it a weird red color and gave it quite a funny taste. (6/10)
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2 wallets: Both hold money well, although Kevin only uses his as a fake for theives.
1 Victorinox money belt (view in our Amazon store): Doesn’t really hide under Kevin’s regular clothes all that well, but has room for all our extra cash and cards and is quite useful while wearing a jacket to conceal it. (6/10)
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1 travel Scrabble: Wish we wouldn’t have lost the ‘E’ on the first day. Great board, except it’s a bit hard to make it flat and the left-most tile on each rack always seems to pop out. (8/10)
1 Platypus (view in our Amazon store): Great, once we found out that it is correctly used with the screw-on top at the bottom. (9/10)
1 sink stopper: Never used it.
1 clothlesline: Wish it were longer and perhaps a little less elastic. It’s just as easy to take a long string or wire. (5/10)
2 MSR Packtowls (view in our Amazon store): Dry very quickly, but sometimes get smelly. Buy the large size – even though Zhou’s small, it still would have been better for her to get the bigger towel like Kevin. (8/10)
2 REI waterproof pack covers: One got a tiny rip in it, but it hasn’t rained on us since that happened. Kept the packs dry before that, and always acts as a good extra layer of protection even when it’s not raining. (8/10)
2 International Youth Cards: Don’t get these – they’re a waste, because hardly anyone accepts them! Get the ISIC cards if you can. (2/10)
4 gallon-sized plastic bags: We collect a lot of plastic bags, but definitely need the Zip-locks for certain things. (10/10)
3 small blank Moleskines (view in our Amazon store): Great for taking daily notes on – Kevin’s almost filled his up already. Perhaps not worth the extra money vs. a cheap notepad though. (6/10)
1 big blank Moleskine (view in our Amazon store): Perfect diary – will probably fill it up though a couple weeks before the trip ends. (8/10)
2 Pilot G-2 extra fine black pens (view in our Amazon store): We’re very loyal to these pens and bought ink refills for them in Taiwan. (9/10)
2 Victorinox locks (view in our Amazon store): Small and keeps our stuff safe. Great not having to worry about losing a key. (9/10)
2 Master locks (view in our Amazon store): Bartered one in Malawi and haven’t used the other because it’s too big for everything we’ve seen. Not necessary if you have the smaller Victorinox locks. (6/10)
1 6-foot cable lock (view in our Amazon store): Got confiscated in the Beijing airport. Before that it was probably too heavy to be worth carrying. Don’t be stupid with your stuff on buses, and book safe hostels and you should be fine. (5/10)
1 Sharpie with duct tape wrapped around it: A must have! No need to bring a whole roll of duct tape, and we often use the Sharpie to label our food in communal fridges. (10/10)
1 mini screwdriver: Haven’t used, but seemed useful pre-trip.
4 extra visa photos each: Bring even more than four – we went through these all right away and had to buy more in Nepal.
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Surprisingly, can’t think of anything at the moment – will get back to you if we do!
I’m totally disappointed in the lack of a review for “1 comb”. Please elaborate!