T day!
OK, so there are ultralight packing lists out there which I have maximum respect for. But I'm just not sure I can get by for 6 months with a 10kg and 20L pack limit.
My own variation below caters for 0 degrees C to 40 degrees C, and includes some semi-serious camera equipment, laptop, and a couple of small luxuries which anyone can cross-out. The Silk Road covers vast changes in terrain and climate, even in summer as the higher-up regions in China, Tibet, Central Asia can get pretty chilly at night). I'll be backpacking all the way and sleeping in hostels most of the time.
I try to keep everything within a 19kg limit. Adjust according to your own load-bearing capacity. A good test is walking a brisk 5km fully loaded. If you struggle, consider making some sacrifices.
Bags
Osprey Waypoint 80 inc 15L daypack (great front-loading pack with zip-away harness and hipbelt, which offers decent back support for loads of about 15kg - anything more and you should get a proper top-loading hiking pack)
Manfrotto Allegra 30 Messenger (fairly inconspicuous weather-resistant sling bag which can comfortably hold a mirrorless camera or small DSLR and another lens, with a padded pocket for a slim 13 inch laptop. Bonus: it has straps on the bottom for a small tripod!) I stay away from manufacturer bags with massive NIKON, CANON, SONY logos which scream "snatch me". Most of the Lowe Pro, Tenba and Vanguard bags are pretty obviously camera bags too, and don't quite offer the desired low-profile look.
Camera and Laptop
The Fujifilm XT1 has been a mega revelation. I used to lug around DSLRs and the full complement of lenses with untold misery until this baby came along. Combined with a 18-135mm (28-200mm after crop factor), a 10-24mm (15-35mm after crop factor), and a small prime lens (18mm F2.0 (28mm after crop factor) and you've got yourself a pretty versatile go-anywhere, shoot-anything photographic package which weighs 1kg! A DSLR plus lens combo which does exactly the same thing weighs twice as much, not to mention needing a bigger bag and being much more imposing to your subjects on the street.
Highlights for me are the Electronic Viewfinder (EVF), weather-sealing, incredible low-light performance, colour rendition, full manual dials, intuitive layout and overall build quality. And the XF lenses are truly outstanding, deserving of all the hype they've been getting. The 18-135mm is a marvelous example - it isn't exactly small, but it covers all the focal lengths you'd realistically need, and it's weather-sealed too! I was skeptical about its claimed 5-stop image stabilisation, but I'm a convert after shooting handheld at 135mm at 1/5 and nailing the shots 60% of the time.
I carry a small tripod with me, and if you haven't checked out how far the Chinese manufacturers have come in this department, I suggest you give brands like Sirui a serious look. Most of the time I can't appreciate the difference between their stuff and the "high-end" stuff. I can, however, appreciate a 30-50% cost differential.
There are tons of lightweight laptops out there, but the Asus UX305 ultrabook deserves special mention. At USD700, you get 8 hours battery life, a 256GB SSD, the latest Core M chip in an unbelievably svelte package weighing in at 1.2kg. Look no further. Best deal in town.
Clothing and Footwear
4x cotton t-shirts
4x synthetic quick-dry t-shirts (the "high performance fabric" stuff)
1x long sleeve t-shirt
3x shorts
1x swimming trunks
8x underwear
1x zip-off travel pants (Columbia / Northface have some good ones)
1x jeans (a lot of debate out there on jeans for backpacking, but a lightweight pair is versatile without being too heavy. If in doubt, substitute with some khakis.)
1x dress shirt
1x ultralight down jacket (mine's a Microlight Alpine from Rab, toasty down to -5 degrees C and it packs down to half the size of a Happy Meal and weighs just 120g in Medium size. Fleeces are heavier and more bulky, but more durable.)
1x ultralight rain jacket (Don't bother investing in anything expensive - Uniqlo does some pocketable ones which are great)
8x socks
1x Gore-tex waterproof walking boots (wet feet = no fun)
1x ultralight running shoes (as back-up to primary footwear)
1x flip flops
1x light fabric belt
Medical Kit
I choose to be over-prepared. 6 months is a long time and you don't want to be stuck in the middle of the Talamakan desert with an infection and no meds. This medical kit covers most common ailments and light injuries.
Paracetamol / Tylenol / Ibuprofen
Celebrex (highly effective NSAID when the usual painkillers don't cut it)
Ciprofloxacin (broad spectrum antibiotic for almost any bacterial infection)
Azithromycin (also broad spectrum antibiotic as back-up for bugs which are resistant to Cipro)
Antihistamine with pseudoephedrine (for mild allergic reactions, hayfever, sinus congestion etc)
Motion sickness pills
Gaviscon (or any heartburn/gastric relief tablets)
Imodium / Dhamotil (for diarrhea)
Charcoal tablets
Hydrocortisone topical cream for bites, stings and rashes
Antiseptic ointment
Antiseptic solution
Eye drops
Hand sanitizer
Band aids
Roll bandage
Small pair of surgical scissors
Tweezers
Safety pins
Small suture kit
Yes, this seems like a lot to carry, but it all fits into a 8x6x2 inch travelling first aid kit weighing about 700g. Small price for peace of mind.
Miscellaneous
Toothbrush and toothpaste
Floss
Shaver
Hairgel
Nail clipper
Shampoo and soap
Small bottle of concentrated laundry detergent
Sunblock
Slim 4m clothesline
Microfibre towel
Small face towel
Sleeping bag liner (much lighter than a sleeping bag and offers some comfort with dodgier hostels)
Inflatable 1.5x1.0 ft pillow (weighs next to nothing but makes long bus/train rides more bearable)
Tissue paper and wet wipes (don't expect toilets to be fully equipped on the Silk Road)
Travel adapter
Retractable wired luggage lock (e.g. this one from Pacsafe) - very handy when you need to leave your bags unattended briefly to buy tickets, go to the toilet etc
Sunglasses
Earphones
Money belt
Notebook
Hat or cap
Cheap back-up phone
Torchlight / head torch
Plastic bags / zip-lock bags
Packing cubes (don't leave home without them)
Colour photocopies of passport and all pre-arranged visas
5 copies of letter of employment (required for visa applications on-the-go)
Surprisingly, everything fits nicely into the Osprey Waypoint 80 with room to spare, and yes, 19kg combined weight.
We shall see how much of the above I retain after 6 months on the road.
OK, so there are ultralight packing lists out there which I have maximum respect for. But I'm just not sure I can get by for 6 months with a 10kg and 20L pack limit.
My own variation below caters for 0 degrees C to 40 degrees C, and includes some semi-serious camera equipment, laptop, and a couple of small luxuries which anyone can cross-out. The Silk Road covers vast changes in terrain and climate, even in summer as the higher-up regions in China, Tibet, Central Asia can get pretty chilly at night). I'll be backpacking all the way and sleeping in hostels most of the time.
I try to keep everything within a 19kg limit. Adjust according to your own load-bearing capacity. A good test is walking a brisk 5km fully loaded. If you struggle, consider making some sacrifices.
Bags
Osprey Waypoint 80 inc 15L daypack (great front-loading pack with zip-away harness and hipbelt, which offers decent back support for loads of about 15kg - anything more and you should get a proper top-loading hiking pack)
Manfrotto Allegra 30 Messenger (fairly inconspicuous weather-resistant sling bag which can comfortably hold a mirrorless camera or small DSLR and another lens, with a padded pocket for a slim 13 inch laptop. Bonus: it has straps on the bottom for a small tripod!) I stay away from manufacturer bags with massive NIKON, CANON, SONY logos which scream "snatch me". Most of the Lowe Pro, Tenba and Vanguard bags are pretty obviously camera bags too, and don't quite offer the desired low-profile look.
Camera and Laptop
The Fujifilm XT1 has been a mega revelation. I used to lug around DSLRs and the full complement of lenses with untold misery until this baby came along. Combined with a 18-135mm (28-200mm after crop factor), a 10-24mm (15-35mm after crop factor), and a small prime lens (18mm F2.0 (28mm after crop factor) and you've got yourself a pretty versatile go-anywhere, shoot-anything photographic package which weighs 1kg! A DSLR plus lens combo which does exactly the same thing weighs twice as much, not to mention needing a bigger bag and being much more imposing to your subjects on the street.
Highlights for me are the Electronic Viewfinder (EVF), weather-sealing, incredible low-light performance, colour rendition, full manual dials, intuitive layout and overall build quality. And the XF lenses are truly outstanding, deserving of all the hype they've been getting. The 18-135mm is a marvelous example - it isn't exactly small, but it covers all the focal lengths you'd realistically need, and it's weather-sealed too! I was skeptical about its claimed 5-stop image stabilisation, but I'm a convert after shooting handheld at 135mm at 1/5 and nailing the shots 60% of the time.
I carry a small tripod with me, and if you haven't checked out how far the Chinese manufacturers have come in this department, I suggest you give brands like Sirui a serious look. Most of the time I can't appreciate the difference between their stuff and the "high-end" stuff. I can, however, appreciate a 30-50% cost differential.
There are tons of lightweight laptops out there, but the Asus UX305 ultrabook deserves special mention. At USD700, you get 8 hours battery life, a 256GB SSD, the latest Core M chip in an unbelievably svelte package weighing in at 1.2kg. Look no further. Best deal in town.
Clothing and Footwear
4x cotton t-shirts
4x synthetic quick-dry t-shirts (the "high performance fabric" stuff)
1x long sleeve t-shirt
3x shorts
1x swimming trunks
8x underwear
1x zip-off travel pants (Columbia / Northface have some good ones)
1x jeans (a lot of debate out there on jeans for backpacking, but a lightweight pair is versatile without being too heavy. If in doubt, substitute with some khakis.)
1x dress shirt
1x ultralight down jacket (mine's a Microlight Alpine from Rab, toasty down to -5 degrees C and it packs down to half the size of a Happy Meal and weighs just 120g in Medium size. Fleeces are heavier and more bulky, but more durable.)
1x ultralight rain jacket (Don't bother investing in anything expensive - Uniqlo does some pocketable ones which are great)
8x socks
1x Gore-tex waterproof walking boots (wet feet = no fun)
1x ultralight running shoes (as back-up to primary footwear)
1x flip flops
1x light fabric belt
Medical Kit
I choose to be over-prepared. 6 months is a long time and you don't want to be stuck in the middle of the Talamakan desert with an infection and no meds. This medical kit covers most common ailments and light injuries.
Paracetamol / Tylenol / Ibuprofen
Celebrex (highly effective NSAID when the usual painkillers don't cut it)
Ciprofloxacin (broad spectrum antibiotic for almost any bacterial infection)
Azithromycin (also broad spectrum antibiotic as back-up for bugs which are resistant to Cipro)
Antihistamine with pseudoephedrine (for mild allergic reactions, hayfever, sinus congestion etc)
Motion sickness pills
Gaviscon (or any heartburn/gastric relief tablets)
Imodium / Dhamotil (for diarrhea)
Charcoal tablets
Hydrocortisone topical cream for bites, stings and rashes
Antiseptic ointment
Antiseptic solution
Eye drops
Hand sanitizer
Band aids
Roll bandage
Small pair of surgical scissors
Tweezers
Safety pins
Small suture kit
Yes, this seems like a lot to carry, but it all fits into a 8x6x2 inch travelling first aid kit weighing about 700g. Small price for peace of mind.
Miscellaneous
Toothbrush and toothpaste
Floss
Shaver
Hairgel
Nail clipper
Shampoo and soap
Small bottle of concentrated laundry detergent
Sunblock
Slim 4m clothesline
Microfibre towel
Small face towel
Sleeping bag liner (much lighter than a sleeping bag and offers some comfort with dodgier hostels)
Inflatable 1.5x1.0 ft pillow (weighs next to nothing but makes long bus/train rides more bearable)
Tissue paper and wet wipes (don't expect toilets to be fully equipped on the Silk Road)
Travel adapter
Retractable wired luggage lock (e.g. this one from Pacsafe) - very handy when you need to leave your bags unattended briefly to buy tickets, go to the toilet etc
Sunglasses
Earphones
Money belt
Notebook
Hat or cap
Cheap back-up phone
Torchlight / head torch
Plastic bags / zip-lock bags
Packing cubes (don't leave home without them)
Colour photocopies of passport and all pre-arranged visas
5 copies of letter of employment (required for visa applications on-the-go)
Surprisingly, everything fits nicely into the Osprey Waypoint 80 with room to spare, and yes, 19kg combined weight.
We shall see how much of the above I retain after 6 months on the road.