Travelling as much as possible on foot is central to the idea of Slow Motion Projects. This means that the weight we will carry on our backs should be absolutely minimised. In the last couple of weeks we have been asking ourselves: what do we REALLY need? What could we do without?
Here is a breakdown of what will follow us from the bitter cold of the Siberian taiga to the tropical heat of the Yunnan summer. We hope the list will prove useful to other Slow Motion travellers!
For each of us
- large (70-90L), waterproof rucksack
- set of ultralight packing sacks to store and separate stuff in the rucksack
- small foldable bag to use as daypack
- 1 pair of trail running/hiking shoes
- 1 pair of sandals
- 4 pairs of underwear
- 4 pairs of socks: 2 light cotton, 2 heavier wool
- 1 pair of thermal underwear/yoga tights
- 4 light short-sleeve T-shirts in synthetic fabric/Merino wool
- 2 long-sleeve T-shirts in stretchable/breathable fabric
- 1 pair of breathable, fast drying shorts
- 1 pair of convertible pants/shorts
- 1 pair of mountaineering/waterproof pants
- stretchable belt
- waterproof hardshell jacket (3-layer Gore-Tex)
- down jacket
- thin gloves
- warm down mittens/gloves
- multifunctional headwear (scarf/hat/balaclava)
- warm woolen hat
- set of toe and hand warmers
- warm but lightweight synthetic down sleeping bag
- compression sack for the sleeping bag
- inflatable pillow
- silk sleeping bag liner (+5°C to your sleeping bag, replaces it in warm climate)
- inflatable sleeping mat
- indestructible sunglasses
- camping cookware set (pot, fork/spoon, plastic cup)
- foldable plastic bowl
- aluminium or Nalgene water bottle
- handheld water filter (LifeStraw)
- USB-rechargeable headlamp
- microfibre towel (about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have)
- three-segment collapsible walking poles
- the "Point it" traveller's language kit book
- toiletry/healthcare set (too much in there to detail here, maybe for a separate post)
Shared between us
- roomy tent with a separate compartment for our gear and smelly fellow canine travellers
- portable yoga/floor mat
- multi-fuel camping stove (burns white gas, unleaded fuel or even kerosene)
- first aid/survival kit (too much in there to detail here, maybe for a separate post)
- the (indispensable!) SAS Survival Handbook
- water filter with a hand pump
- 3-litre hydration bag
- multifunction knife
- waterproof fire starters
- waterproof solid fuel tablets
- length of thin rope
- biodegradable soap/(dish)washing liquid
- solar charging kit with USB output
- LED camp lantern
- thin USB-rechargeable laptop
- USB power pack
- waterproof action cam
- compact camera
- e-reader
- dry sack for the electronic stuff
Oh and all the dog thingies of course... We're working on finding a way to share the load with our hairy teammate. Stay tuned for more on that!
Spotted anything we missed? Interested in the specifics of this or that piece of gear? Let us know in the comments, or contact us directly!