Those of you who have not travelled around for a while with a backpack may wonder, what exactly did we bring, what did we buy here, what do we wish we had brought and what did we wish we hadn’t brought?

I cannot speak for the professor, but I am happy to provide you with my own list of travel possessions and my thoughts. I keep my stuff in an osprey porter 46, with a small Pacsafe bag as a day purse. I like both a lot.

Clothing

Brought:
1 pair permethrin treated khaki pants
1 permethrin treated long sleeved collared shirt
2 tank tops
1 long sleeve button down silk shirt to wear with tank tops
3 pair socks
3 sets underwear/bras of various types
1 pair flip flops with arch support (Chacos)
1 pair ultralight black sneakers (Inov8 f-lites) with super feet insoles
1 bathing suit plus long sleeved swim and sun top
1 sarong that matches the long sleeved silk shirt and tank tops.
1 light rain shell
1 thin old cashmere sweater with discreet holes
1 pair PJs
1 pair earrings
1 glow in the dark donut on a black cord, functions as necklace and visibility-marker/toy in the dark
1 leather travel wedding band with two spares in case of damage
1 silver ring
1 permethrin treated sun hat
1 pair river shoes
1 pair cheap sunglasses

Bought:
1 t-shirt
1 pair lightweight pants
1 straw cowboy hat
1 pair earrings

There isn’t anything from the above that I wouldn’t have brought/bought, I use them all a lot and have generally been happy with my outfits. The one possible exception is the pants I bought at talat rot fai market in Bangkok, which are very comfortable and are in a gorgeous fabric, but are not very flattering. The best deals on pants are for pants where the circumstances (market) make them difficult to try on properly first… I have yet to find better pants, so they were a good purchase, but ill-fitting clothes do gall occasionally. I also have appear to have come down firmly on the side of “respectful” in my dress, which is good for talking with the locals, but not so great for attracting my hippie tribe fellow travelers. When I feel outgoing, this is of no importance, however.

Diving Things
Brought:
1 snorkel
1 mask
1 dive log
1 pair ear plugs
1 towel

It remains to be seen how much use these get, hopefully a lot! The towel has already been useful in a cheap guesthouse and on our waterfall excursion, and also for keeping warm once. The other things I brought because I wasn’t sure if rental gear in these particulars (mask/mouthpiece) would be small enough for me, and ear things are not rental gear. The dive log is heavy, but I couldn’t find my dive card so I thought I would need it to order another when we get to Ko Tau.

Toiletries/etc.
Brought:
4 bottles oil: castor, jojoba, almond and a blend of the above. I use them to clean my face, moisturize my legs and arms, and condition my hair.
1 toothbrush
1 package floss
2 travel toothpaste tubes
1 ziplock bag of assorted first aid supplies
2 tubes mosquito repellent lotion
1 crystal deodorant, ironically returning to the land of its manufacture, Thailand
Medicine for diarrhea, malaria, headaches, acne, and other conditions. I have a full-trip supply of everything, which takes up a lot of room and was not essential, since you can buy all of it over the counter in Thailand.
1 bag makeup. I don’t use it every day here, except concealer, but when I need a pick me up or we are going out, it’s a godsend. I used it more in Bangkok, where people glam up.
Lip balm
Solid sunscreen and liquid facial sunscreen
Small tube aloe Vera
Contact lenses
2 pairs prescription glasses, one regular and one sun
Retainer for the teeth

Bought:
Q tips
Snake brand powder. This miracle item makes you sweat less and smell less in the tropical heat. I use it every day in the hot weather. Not here, where it is chilly.
1 small bottle shampoo
1 big tube toothpaste
1 better toothbrush
Hand wash laundry detergent
1 bar good soap
1 scrubby turtle
1 washcloth for facial steaming with the oil
Tissues. Indescribably important. Bathrooms are often not provided with toilet paper. There are usually water guns (think kitchen sink hose attachments) with which to clean yourself, but NOT ALWAYS.
Mosquito sting salve. Works pretty well.
Contact lens solution

Wished I had:
Decent tweezers. My eyebrows and other hairs have grown back in since the pre-trip waxing. Funny story: I tried to get waxed before the waterfall trip, but got concerned when saw the lady trying to plug in an electric hot water thermos to heat the wax, which was in little Tupperware containers in the water. The socket kept throwing sparks as she tried to make a good electrical connection. I fled when she brought out the electric skillet(!) to use instead! Needless to say, I am now holding off for the beach, I guess Luang Prabang does not get this type of request often enough to be reliable at it.

et cetera
Brought:
Camera, with connectors and charger.
First gen iPad – the professor brought this, and it’s the perfect travel computer, except that we can’t connect our camera to it.
2 travel guides
1 moleskine calendar and pen, very useful for getting everyone’s contact info who we meet!
1 additional blank book, sort of wishing i had not brought this as I have not used it.
1 pee funnel from REI. Ladies, this one is a godsend at times.
1 headlamp
1 security leg belt for under pants, for the passport, etc.
1 wallet with drivers license and single credit/debit card, stays inside the most secure Pacsafe pocket.
Rope for clothes drying
Mosquito net head thing

Bought:
1 little zip wallet for daily cash, is souvenir, lives in easily accessible pocket.
Work gloves for gibbon experience

I think that’s about it. I should run now, we are about to have Au Revoir breakfast with the Blythe Spirit, who heads to Vang Vieng today.

– The Private Eye