Packing list for a restless mind

After reading countless other blogs and finding them helpful, here’s my packing list.  Whether it’s too much or too little, I guess I’ll find out on the road.

-         - Clothes:  2 pairs of pants (legs can be rolled up into shorts), 2 skirts, 5 shirts, Smartwool base layer and silk long johns for those cold Nepalese nights, sweater, sweatshirt, rain jacket, pjs, long dress, underwear& socks (5), pair of low hiking boots, sturdy sandals, flip flops for those grimy shower stalls, hat, headband, pashmina (use as accessory, towel or blanket), bathing suit, sunglasses, watch, thin gloves

-         - Cosmetics, etc., aside from the usual essentials: hand sanitizer, sunblock, mosquito repellant, wipes, travel towel, eye mask, ear plugs, collapsed toilet paper, SPF chapstick

-         - Gear (term used loosely):  universal sink plug, available in any dollar store, clothesline, pillow cover, silk sleeping liner (great insulation against cold, heat and the buggies), rain cover for backpack, safety pins and a homemade sewing kit, headlamp, mug, spork, collapsible dish, water bottle,  mosquito net, money belt

-          - My first aid/pharmacy: band aids, tweezers, advil, pepto bismol, moleskin, antibiotic and anti-itch creams, Immodium, liquid bandaid, supply of doxycycline for malaria, Z-pac antibiotic, gauze pads, elastic bandage, motion sickness pills, Swiss army knife, matches

-         - Others: lock, ziplock bags, duck tape, rolled a bunch of times around a pen, 2 carabiners, adapters, pens, internal pocket, small notebook, fake wedding ring (helps with the unwanted advances)

-          - Electronic gear: unlocked phone for use with any SIM card, iPod, Kindle, chargers, USB key with data

-          - Documents: passports, debit cards, credit card (Chase’s Sapphire has no foreign transaction fees), copies of all docs (e-mailed them to myself too), copy of travel insurance, addresses and emergency phone numbers, extra passport photos, vaccination book

-          Pawel will also carry some items that we will be sharing, such as a small netbook, camera, and UV filter for water purification.

All of these, along with some personal items, I’ll pack up into my trusty 50L Deuter bagpack and small day bag.

Now, it’s time for some final goodbyes.  We’re excited, readily anticipating the adventure, but also nervous, already restless.  But then it seems we found the cure for that.