Since I have returned from my trip, I get asked quite often for advice on what to bring on long backpacking excursions. I spent months buying, selling, testing, and returning travel gear in 2009. The process was quite overwhelming at times, but I was extremely satisfied with my choices in the end.

Here is my 2010 travel list, starting with the single most important backpackers item…the backpack.

The Deuter Futura 28 backpack stayed with me the entire 7 month trip. The backpack receives the highest of praise from me. I put this bag through an unbelievable amount of stress with my hectic schedule and it survived unscathed.

The best part about this bag, I carried it on board every flight I took! That’s right, every single item listed below fit in this backpack, all except the gear I was wearing.

The most common question other travelers asked me was, “Where are you from?”. The second, “Is that all you got?!”

Yes, I travel extremely lite. I only recommend the Deuter Futura to travelers who carry with them the most basic of supplies. Thus, I put a premium on the size and weight of my gear.

I must give credit where credit is due and I thank Tynan over at Tynan.net for the recommendations and the guys at Deuter Futura for creating an outstanding product.

Gear on the Outside of the Backpack.

Listed below is the gear I traveled with located on the outside of my bag. Everything else fit neatly inside.

Fenix LD10 Flashlight

Superb, small, powerful flashlight. The velcro strap allows you to place the Fenix LD10 anywhere in or around your backpack. A must to find your way around your room in hostels late at night. Great product!

Kiva Day Backpack

This day pack lasted me about 3 months. I used this backpack quite often at the beginning of my trip, taking day trips to various locations in Western Europe. Super small and efficient the Kiva day pack can fit on a key chain! However, I recommend you keep the weight under 15 pounds for this backpack. I tore a strap and then ripped a hole in mine.

Black Sketchers Dress Shoes

Bendable and flexible, my Sketchers fit perfectly in the netting on the back of my backpack. I found these shoes quite useful when exploring European nightlife. As a backpacker, these shoes maintained a dressy look with a casual feel.

Eagle Creek Pack-It Liquids

I found the bottles quite useful when traveling via plane. Mostly stored contact lens solution as the price of replacing the bottles can be quite expensive.

Klean Kanteen Waterbottle

I mostly used the Klean Kanteen Waterbottle for storage of my contact lenses. Clean water is readily available everywhere I went in Europe and Africa. With that being said, I would highly recommend this water bottle on camping trips or for boiling out bacteria when clean water isn’t avalible.

Electronics

Gadgets and gizmos that enhanced my travel experience.

Eee PC 1005HA Netbook

The gem in my arsenal of gadgets is the Eee PC netbook. The two most important features that I had to have were size and battery life. The Eee PC delivers on both. Weighing in at a scant 2.8lbs with a 10.1″ Back lit LED screen and a battery life of over 7 hours, my netbook made me an extremely happy traveler!

Out of all the tools I had at my disposal, this one helped me save the most money and travel the longest. Durability was an added bonus as replacing this item would be very difficult on the road.

Canon Powershot S90

The 10 MP Canon Powershot S90 is one of the best DSLR travel cameras money can buy. Originally, I purchased a Canon Rebel T1i, but I was paranoid about drawing attention to myself from pick pockets. Now I know my paranoia to be fruitless.

The camera shoots crisp, clear photographs and fits easily into my pocket. Many features to play around with for the digital camera enthusiast. Highly recommend!

European Plug Adapters

Simple, yet effective and useful. I brought two European Plug Adapters for all my electronics. All of Europe uses these except England.

Sprint HTC Touchpro 2

My cell phone, GPS, MP3 player, and travel planner all rolled into one. The HTC Touch Pro 2 has one of the largest keyboards and touch screens in the industry. In addition, the headphone jack is an added bonus.

A great business phone that has the ability to switch from CDMA to GSM bands, I found this HTC phone very easy to use. The only drawback is that this phone comes with Windows Mobile 6.1. The phone runs great on the system, but doesn’t have nearly as many apps as an iphone or droid.

The GPS was useless in Europe, and I was actually glad about that. Call me crazy but I actually enjoyed reading maps. I canceled my phone service a month into my trip due to outrageous roaming charges. Overall, a good smart phone to use in Europe as long as you don’t have to make calls using the Sprint Network.

Sunto Vector XBlack Watch

Sunto makes some of the best watches for outdoors men. The Vector XBlack functions as a mini-wrist top computer that also monitors the altimeter, barometer, and direction.

I mostly used this watch for the most basic of needs, telling time. I highly recommend for camping or skiing trips.

500 GB Western Digital laptop HD

A backup hard drive is essential, especially for netbook users. I backed up all my photos and videos as well as stored all music and movies on mine.

Lingo Xplorer 14 Language Translator

An electronic language translator is good in theory to bring along on your trip, however I did not find much use for mine. The pre-programmed phrases were some of the most random, useless phrases I’ve ever heard. I recommend learning key words and phrases from the locals or from a guidebook before using an electronic language translator.

Sony Earphones

Good headphones. I don’t remember the exact model, but they looked like the picture above. Purchased at Best Buy for about $60.

Clothing Gear

Protection from the elements is key to survival. The clothing items listed below help keep me warm from one of the coldest European winters on record. Lightweight and made of the finest materials available, I choose the select few carefully.

Under Armor Beanie

Cool beanie that kept my head warm.

Ice Breaker 150 T-shirt

Great t-shirt that I wore just about every other day. That’s give or take 105 days and this shirt did not fade, shrink, or tear! The odor resistant Ice Breaker 150 insults like wool in the winter and airs you out like a cool spring breeze in the summer.

Thank you to the Kiwis for delivering such a quality product. I will be sure to purchase more Ice Breakers on my next extended adventure.

GoLite Base Layer 1 T-shirt

My other t-shirt that I kept the entire 7 month trip. Stylish, athletic, moisture resistant and odor proof, the 4oz Base Layer 1 performs well in all weather conditions.

However, this shirt began to shrink in size about 5 months into my trip. A good product, but I would recommend my Ice Breaker over this GoLite shirt.

GoLite Base Layer 3 Long Sleeve

My only long sleeve shirt that doubled as a dress shirt at times. I loved this shirt as much as my Ice Breaker and wore it a ton during the winter months. Breathable, cozy, and lite, this fantastic GoLite product excels at absorbing moisture and keeping you dry. Love!

GoLite Badlands Trinity 3-Layer Hardshell Jacket

My love affair with GoLite isn’t quite over! Yet another outstanding product by GoLite! The Badlands Trinity Jacket weighs almost nothing (1 lb.) and repels water like an umbrella. I had no problem storing valuables in this jacket’s various zipper locked pockets.

Breathable, wind-resistant, and waterproof, this is one item from my trip that I will continue to use during the upcoming winter months. In addition, for the environment conscious, GoLite’s Trinity Jacket is made out of pure 100% recycled polyester face.

Arc’teryx Delta SV Fleece Jacket

The heaviest of the two jackets weighs in at a low 1.4 lbs and was used primarily in the coldest of temperatures. As mentioned in the product description, “If you want to know what Chewbacca feels like in cold weather, zip up the Arc’teryx Men’s Delta SV Fleece Jacket!”

Exceptionally warm and breathable, this jacket was a life saver for the first 3 months of my trip. The Arc’teryx Delta SV Jacket is made from a technology called Polartec Thermal Pro High Loft fleece, which basically means your getting a top of the line comfy, warm jacket.

North Face Convertible Pants

I purchased two pairs of these pants, black and khaki versions, with the black North Face Convertible’s doubling as dress pants. During the summer, I unzipped the pant legs to use as shorts. In addition, they made solid swim trunks in the ocean. Very useful, highly recommend.

REI Ski Pants

I planned on doing a bit of skiing in the Swiss Alps but never got around to it. However, I found these pants quite useful in the winter months and during hiking expeditions. Roomy and warm, this is another item I will continue to wear well after my trip is over.

ExOfficio Boxers

Solid boxers that are very odor resistant. Fast drying and comfortable, I used my pair the entire trip without having to replace them. Highly recommend.

SmartWool Merino Wool Liner Socks

Unlike my boxers, I had to replace my socks many times. My black pair of Smart Wool Hiking Socks did, however last the whole trip. The best quality about these socks is their comfort. I will most likely try out a different brand next time around.

Garmont Men’s Eclipse III GTX Hiking Shoe

Love, love, love these shoes! I beat the living day lights out of my GTX Hiking Shoes and they are still as strong and sturdy as ever. 7 months of walking, hiking, mountain climbing through rain, snow and mud could not damage these bad boys.

The most impressive part of the shoes is the stability and durability did not take away from the comfort on the feet. In addition, the GoreTex fabric did an outstanding job of keeping water out during the worst of conditions. I will definitely purchase another pair on my next trip!

Oakley shades

In a rush, I purchased my sun glasses off the internet and paid dearly for it. After spending close to $140, my Oakley’s scratched and were deemed useless very early on in my trip. I don’t remember the brand of Oakley’s, but I plan on doing much more in depth research before making a wild purchase like this again.

Toiletries

Most of your toiletries will be replaced quite often when traveling. My bathroom gear filled the most basic of needs.

REI Bath Towel

Good multi-purpose towel used mostly in the bathroom and at the beach. The loop is a good feature for easy hanging. No complaints here.

Fuchs Travel Toothbrush

Solid toothbrush that cost me a hefty $2.00. I used this toothbrush almost everyday and the bristles still remain straight and firm. The Fuchs Travel Toothbrush is actually two pieces. The brush snaps easily into the handle to prevent dirt and grime from entering. Awesome invention.

Various Travel Toiletries

Shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, small comb, toothpaste, body wash, shaving cream, soap in under 3.4 oz. containers. I did bring a travel razor but discarded at beginning of the trip.

Security

Supplies to help secure valuables while on the go.

Eagle Creek TSA Locks

Simple 3 digit combo to lock up my backpack zippers. The locks did their job, but I lost both of mine 2 months into the trip. Never once had issues with thieves trying to open my bag.

Master Lock

A combination lock used mainly to lock up gear in hostel or hotel lockers. Again, no issues with thieves. The lock did its job. Purchase any any hardware store.

Opsak Bags

The Opsak Bags feature odor proof technology, liquid/air tight protection, and a strong seal. Although intended for food, the various Opsak sizes work perfectly for travel.

The Opsaks are the single reason why I was able to pack so lightly. However, due to heavy stress, the seal did rip and tear after a few months. My only regret is not bringing enough of these wonderful bags.

Other Travel Gear

Additional travel gear that I used throughout my trip.

REI Ear Plugs

Foam ear plugs to get through the nosiest of nights. They did a good job of blocking out the vuvuzelas in South Africa during the World Cup.

Sea to Summit Silk Travel Liner

The Sea to Summit Travel Liner kept me warm on cold nights and was easy to pack. I did not use as much as I thought I would. Reccomend for outdoors sleeping.

Clothes Line

I did not use my clothes line one time on my trip. Will not be bringing one next time.

The Golden Book

Last and certainly not least, the Golden Book. I found this exceptional journal from a seller on Ebay living in Korea. Haven’t been able to find a similar one since.

The Golden Book tracked my life for 7 months and captured all of my golden memories. The one item in my backpack that is truly priceless.

Finally

The 2010 Packing List is complete!

Tomorrow I´ll be leaving Lisbon to Madrid, which means I have to pack up my backpack again. I decided to drop my Merkur Travel Razor. The reason I brought this razor with me was because it was the only TSA approved hand-held razor I could find on the market.

Normally I wouldn´t post something that involves throwing away an item that took maybe .001% of my backpack but there´s a real interesting story behind it. I actually recieved this razor plus shaving cream FREE. A $60+ value.

(I´ll let the company save face and call them Company X)

I ordered the travel razor for $40 from Company X´s online website. What they sent me was something completely different, a razor I had never seen before and one I knew I wouldn´t be able to take on a plane with me. That is unless I wanted a long chat with U.S Customs.

Here is the exact razor I recieved.

Again, this resembled more knife then razor. I called Company X furiously and demanded they immediantly send me what I ordered and to take back their junk. The salesman asked me to describe the item I recieved. Soon I began to hear tonality of his voice immediantly change. Orginally they reccomended I buy a new Merkur Travel Razor and once they recieved the item that they had sent me, I was to recieve a refund for the new purchase.

However, he then offered to overnight me a new razor along with the best shaving cream avalible in exchange for the item they had mistakenly sent me. Oh ya, the travel razor and shaving cream would be 100% free!

After a bit of research, I was shocked to find that what they had sent me was the most expensive item on their website, valued at over $500! OOPS! The handle was made out of the bones of a wolly mammoth and the frame was plastered in gold. I persoanlly would never use any razor like this because it looked like something my grandpa would use. Even if I sold this razor for half the value I´d still come out way ahead.

I ultimately decided to return the item. Someone really must have recieved a tounge lashing for this mistake. I still came out ahead as I recieved my orginal order plus shaving cream free.

So after all that mess, I was able to recieve a free travel razor, free shaving cream, and a good story for my last speech in toastmasters. All in all, a very good haul for a razor I didn´t even want!

Now I´ve dropped the Merkur Travel Razor from my backpacking adventure.  Its too bad, but I had to let this razor go because the blade was tearing up my face and I wasn´t getting the closeness of shave I´d get from a more traditional hand held razor. I replaced the Merkur Razor with a collection of throw aways.

Thanks for the memories!