Gear

It took a lot of time and research to gather all of the gear listed below. I sifted through a ton of other long-term travelers’ lists to cherry pick what I thought would work well for me. I also plan to make some awesome videos while on the road so I had to figure out how to get quality camera equipment that wasn’t too bulky or heavy. I tried out and returned a lot of clothes and upgraded my pack kind of late in the game. I’m happy with what I ended up with, even though it’s still early on. We’ll see if I have a shortage or surplus of something. I’ll keep things updated.

GENERAL

This is what I’m lugging around on my back.

  1. My Main Pack – Osprey Farpoint 55
  2. Camera Bag – Altura Photo Wanderer Backpack
  3. Sleeping Bag – Marmot Men’s Trestles Elite 30

Initially I had a 38L pack and upgraded because I needed the space. The Osprey Farpoint 55 is nice because not only does it have a lot of room, but it also zips open from the side like a suitcase. The fact that it’s not top-load only makes it a lot more convenient to get into and find what I need. It also has a small detachable day pack which is great for carrying around my laptop, some camera equipment, or a change of clothes in case I find an epic waterfall pool I want to swim in.

The sleeping bag also straps onto the pack at the bottom. It’s lightweight, has a compression bag to shrink down it’s size, and is synthetically insulated so it’s soft and will keep me warm in temps as low as 28ºF. I didn’t do a ton of research on bags, but this seemed to have the right mix of performance and affordability.

INSIDE THE MAIN PACK

  1. Eagle Creek Pack It Cube – Tshirts inside
  2. Eagle Creek Pack It Sac (Large) – Long sleeve shirts + head wear inside
  3. Eagle Creek Pack It Sac 3pc Set (Small) – Electronics inside
  4. LifeStraw Water Bottle
  5. Marmot Men’s Minimalist Rain Jacket – Got on eBay
  6. PackTowl Ultralight Towel
  7. Large of the 3pc Eagle Creek Set – Pants and shorts inside
  8. Scarpa Rapid Hiking Shoes
  9. Olukai ‘Ohanna Sandals – Gifted
  10. WGWJM Casual Canvas Shoes
  11. Eagle Creek Pack It Sac (Medium) – Socks and underwear inside
  12. Patagonia Men’s Nano Puff Jacket

*Not pictured are two unused Pack It Sacs (Medium & Small) for dirty clothes/misc and another small one for medicines and random non-daily toiletries. I also have a hard plastic container for extra contacts and a tiny first aid kit. On top of that, I’m using these Sure Lock Luggage Locks to secure my bags in transit and when staying at hostels etc.

As you’ll see below, there are a ton of components that fit into those sacs. Great way to keep things organized. All of the clothes are rolled and I have a few cinch bags to cables and such.

CLOTHING

  1. Eagle Creek Pack It Sac (Large)
  2. prAna Bronson Pant
  3. Jeans – Already in my wardobe; from Target if I had to guess
  4. Backpacker Expedition Travel Shirt – Will be good for working outside
  5. Backpacker Wrinkle Free Rip Stop Shirt – Heavier for colder temps
  6. Random Lightweight Hoodie – From Old Navy I think
  7. prAna Stretch Zion – Flexible and durable
  8. Second pair of prAnas
  9. OLIVERS Board/Running Shorts
  10. Shemagh – Versatile scarf that can be used in a ton of different ways
  11. Bandanas – Had to rep Ardent, my favorite RVA brewery
  12. Eagle Creek Pack It Sac (Large)

My goal was to get clothing that could be used for working on a farm, hiking, and general wandering. I think the two long sleeve shirts can be dressed up a little bit to seem presentable if I go out at night. Hoping that one pair of board/running shorts will be enough but I may have a friend bring me out another option if needed.

  1. Eagle Creek Pack It Cube – Tshirts inside
  2. Under Armor Tech Shirt
  3. Under Armor Tech V-Neck
  4. Under Armor Tech V-Neck
  5. Under Armor Sportstyle V-Neck
  6. Under Armor 1/4 Zip Tech
  7. SmartWool Ultralight Run Socks (x2)
  8. ExOfficio Give-n-Go Briefs (x2)
  9. A random pair of Jockey underwear
  10. Under Armor Original 6 Briefs (x2)
  11. Pure Compression Walking Socks (x3)
  12. Eagle Creek Pack It Sac (Medium)

Apparently I should be sponsored by Under Armor. It’s the wicking, I guess? They fit well, they’re comfortable and (hopefully) long-lasting. Time will tell.

ELECTRONICS

  1. Eagle Creek Pack It Sac 3pc Set (Small)
  2. Small cinch sack for charging cables and whatnot
  3. Sony Portable Bluetooth Speaker
  4. 1TB USB External Drive (x2) – For storing pictures and video
  5. TP-Link Wireless Range Extender – To get deece WiFi in the cafes
  6. USB 3.0 to USB-C Adapters (x3)
  7. Black Diamond Revolt Headlamp – Gonna be caving like, all the time
  8. Tripshell International Plug Adapter
  9. Upwade Portable Power Strip – It’s got a few outlets and 4 USB ports
  10. Glasses Repair Kit – Gifted
  11. Card Reader/HDMI Adapter

So I can simultaneously listen to music while backing up an old video project, importing new photos, fixing my glasses with help from a headlamp light and charging everything I own.

INSIDE THE DAY PACK

  1. RVA Stickers (Thanks Venture Richmond!) to give to my host families
  2. 6′ Charging cable for my phone
  3. Headphones
  4. Zhiyun Smooth 4 iPhone/GoPro Gimbal
  5. Glasses and Sunglasses Cases
  6. 15″ MacBook Pro w/ Charger
  7. Eagle Creek Toiletry Organizer – With all of my bathroom crap in it
  8. Blackweb Portable Battery – Can probably recharge a phone 4 times
  9. Travel Documents – Passport, Immunization record, etc

* Not pictured is a pair of foldable wayfarer sunglasses.

This is what goes into the day pack when I’m in transit. I could’ve crammed some more stuff in but there’s no need. Plus it’s pretty easy to empty out when I need it for a single day trek around some city.

CAMERA EQUIPMENT

My main unit is a Panasonic LUMIX GH-4 (got used on eBay). The lens attached is a LUMIX Vario 12-35mm f/2.8. It’s what I took all of these Gear pics with.

Here’s my camera bag (mostly) packed up. That empty spot is where the camera will sit. Also not pictured is a 72″ Polaroid Monopod. Below are the elements laid out. Brace yourself — it’s kind of intense.

  1. GoPro Suction Mount (with some others)
  2. GoPro Head and Wrist Straps
  3. GoPro Floating Handle
  4. DJI Mavic Pro Gold-Tip Propellars
  5. Panasonic Battery Charger
  6. Charging Cables
  7. Zhiyun Smooth 4 Charging Cable
  8. Gimbal Adapter for GoPro
  9. ComKix Memory Card Storage
  10. DJI Mavic Pro Drone – Got used on eBay
  11. Wasabi Batteries for GH4 (x3)
  12. Wasabi Dual-Battery Charger
  13. Miscellaneous GoPro Mounts
  14. GoPro Hero5
  15. 58mm Variable ND Filter
  16.  GoPro Charging Cable and extra  Battery
  17. Panasonic 20mm Prime Lens
  18. DJI Intelligent Flight Batteries (x2)
  19.  Wasabi Battery Cable
  20. Mini Extendable Monopod
  21. DJI Mavic Pro Controller
  22. Rode VideoMic Go Microphone
  23. Joby GorillaPod (Up to 6.6lbs)
  24. Lens Bag
  25. DJI Battery Charger

Soooooooo…this is probably more than enough equipment. Thankfully it’s not too heavy when all put together. Ideally I’ll be able to capture some great images and weave them into quality content. See for yourself on the Gallery or Video pages.