7 Wonders of the World in 13 Days
Credit: Megan Sullivan
This gear list is organized from light to heavy travel and includes both domestic and international travel checklists. Start with Packing Light which we define as packing a bag small enough that it fits under the seat in front of you. If going abroad, add in items from the International Travel Checklist. If you need more space, read Traveling with Just a Carry-On.
This is everything OutdoorGearLab co-founder Chris McNamara took on a trip around the world in 13 day s to visit the 7 Wonders of the World. The bag weighed only six pounds and was plenty as long as you do laundry in your hotel sink every once in a while .
- Backpack Take a pack smaller than 30 liters so it will fit under the seat in front of you. This insures that, if overhead space is taken, you won't have to check in your bag. A top loading pack is ideal because it lets you cram in extra items. We like the Patagonia Arbor because it is simple, lightweight and stylish.
- Camera For most applications, your cell phone will work great and be much easier to share photos from. If you really want great photos, take the Sony RX100 III if you have $800 or the the Canon G16 if you want to spend less than $500. If you want high quality video, take the Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera - likely the best picture in the smallest package currently available.
- Down Jacket This is the key to being warm while still packing light. For most trips, a super light down jacket is ideal like the Mountain Hardwear Hooded Ghost Whisperer. It's plenty warm and compresses down to nothing. Or, our personal favorite for cool and cold weather trips is a down jacket that combines with a rain jacket. Our Top Pick is the Patagonia Tres Down Parka because it provides warmth, rain protection and style. The advantage of a combined jacket also know as a 3-in-1 jacket is that you can combine the two when walking onto the plane and free up carry on space.
- Drivers License Forgetting this or your passport is usually only thing that can keep you from getting on a flight.
- External Battery A must have for long flights and as an emergency backup to get your phone, camera, GoPro, headlamp, or tablet charged when on the move or when you forget your international adapter . On our 7 Wonders of The World trip. We were almost held in India because our smart phone was dying and the Indian officials wouldn't let us leave unless we could prove, on the smart phone on Google, our claim of a recent change to Chinese Visa laws. Or there have been times, when late for a flight, our phone was about to die and take with it our mobile boarding pass. Midway through the security line, the external battery came to the rescue. Perhaps more importantly, an external battery will make sure you don't have a phone or tablet failure mid-flight and mid final season of Breaking Bad. The technology changes so rapidly you should go to our External Battery review to see what is currently the best.
- Fleece Jacket Heavy fleece jackets are so 2015. It's much better to use a lightweight down jacket or synthetic insulated jacket. However, light fleece jackets, a bridge between long underwear and a heavy fleece jacket, are quite versatile. Our favorite is the Patagonia R1 Hoody because it provides a hat and partial glove in a light and functional design.
- Headphone splitter Great for sharing movies whether in the back of an airplane seat or at a table. We currently use the Belkin Rockstar Multi Headphone Splitter .
- Headphones While noise canceling headphones like the Bose QuietComfort 15 are the most deluxe, we find them too bulky for our fast and light style. We prefer the Klipsch X7i because they are tiny, compact, and still cancel some of the noise if you put them in without music.
- Laptop Not mandatory if you have a good smartphone, but we find that many smartphone apps still don't work well with some international travel sites, which can be a pain.
- Pants We steer away from traditional journey or hiking clothing which may be easy to wash in a sink, but makes you stand out like a tourist. We prefer light jeans with some stretch, usually achieved through 3-5% spandex. Our current favorite is the Prana Axiom Jean .
- Phone and Phone charger - Make sure boarding passes and reservation information is available for fast offline viewing consider taking a screen capture and saving it to your photos .
- Rain Jacket As mentioned above, we often take a down jacket and rain jacket 3-in-1 combo. If you are bringing a separate rain jacket, we recommend an ultralight one like the Outdoor Research Helium 2 .
- Shirts We just take what is comfortable, which is usually cotton. Keep in mind thinner shirts dry faster, and synthetic shirts dry the fastest.
- Shoes Like pants, we prefer shoes that are comfortable and stylish than can go on a short hike if needed. We like the Toms Chukka Boot and used them on the 7 Wonders Trip.
- Socks We like a mixture of cozy cotton and synthetic socks medium length and short. In our around the world trip, 4 pairs was just fine. Our favorite are the SmartWool PhD Outdoor Medium Crew Socks .
- Toiletries A drugstore like CVS has a whole section with tiny-sized toothbrush, floss, deodorant. Or for $10 you can get the Handy Solutions Travel Kit .
- TSA PRe / Known traveler number If you fly more than a few times a year, Apply to TSA Pre. It costs $85 and about an hour of your time depending on how far you live from one of the 300 enrollment centers. Not only do you get MUCH shorter security lines, you don't need to remove your belt, shoes, jacket, laptop or 3.4 ounce or less liquid/gel containers.
- Underwear Take synthetic underwear that can easily be washed in a sink like the ExOfficio GiveNGo Boxer Brief. Roll in a towel, step on it, and air dry it for an hour. You have the hotel room laundromat.
Take everything from the previous list Packing Light and add:
- Credit Cards Use a credit card without foreign transaction fees which can add 3% to every purchase. Not sure if you have fees? Call the customer service number on the back of your credit card or just do a google search. If your journey takes you to Europe, it's convenient to have a card with the new chip and pin number like the Amazon Rewards Card .
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