SETH WRITES “The attached packing list photo is from a brief trip I took to Cambodia from South Korea in October. I spent a six days in Siam Reap, visiting the temples, eating amok (fish curry), and getting my feet wet. The main streets were flooded from the same storms that slammed the Philippines only days before. I gave myself a headache converting from Korean won to Khmer riel to USD and back again.”

Seth also put up a sweet visual packing list with notes here.

Here’s a transcription of the list:

-malarone (the script above says ‘Malaria’ in Hangul/Korean writing)
-advil
-toothbrush/paste
-antacid tables
-razor
-deodorant
-DEET
-toilet paper
-anti-diarrhea medicine (the Hangul at the bottom right is the Korean word for diarrhea. Got some laughs from the pharmacist for that).
-[to buy] hand sanitizer
-[to buy] oral rehydration salts

-camera, memory cards, charger, mini-tripod
-ipod, adapter
-Korean cell phone
-travel alarm clock
-electrical plug adapter
-headlamp

Clothing
-1 jeans
-1 shorts
-1 buttoned shirt, long-sleeved
-3 t-shirts
-5 underwear, socks
-hat
-short sleeve shirt

-ziploc bags
-day pack (didn’t take)
-this black book
-pens
-yellow pad
-reading material (Graham Greene novel)
-travel guide
-passport copy
-umbrella
-money belt-
-$700 USD (only took $300)

Community Connection

Do you make packing lists before you go? What’s the strangest one you’ve ever put together? Tell us about it in the comments. Or if you have a pic or scan (or can take one), please send to david at matadornetworkdotcom.

Bigups to Seth Baker for sending this in, and if you’re looking for more on Cambodia, please check out our resources here.

Packing list from armigeress. Bookmark?

I HAVE A WEEK to pack for Patagonia. My family and I are heading there ‘indefinitely’. This means we need to bring paperwork. Tax records. Birth certificates. All that very important shite.

But I know this will be the last thing I pack. Good gear is hard to find / expensive in South America, and as I start packing, I find my real concerns are:

*If it costs extra to bring the snowboard bag anyway, how much extra gear can I stuff in there? [We'll see.]
*Is it worth taking paddling gear down there? [I'm thinking not yet.]
*Should I pack the kids’ size snowshoes for Layla? [I'm thinking yes.]
*Do I buy a spare headlamp? [Shit, there's no REI or any real gear stores down here in Florida.]
*Should I have tried to get North Face to send me a replacement parka after this one ripped? [Too late.]
*Do we have room for both hammocks? [No.]
*Do I go into more debt to buy one of those mini-laptops in case our Mac goes down and we’re screwed? [I think we have to.]

All this being said, I wondered this morning about packing lists. Like notes or journal entries, they seem really transparent windows into your travel style, into your personal style, and they even say something about the place you’re going.

Earlier this year we called for scans or pictures of people’s unedited journal pages
[this submission call is still open, btw], now we’re calling for your packing lists. Please send either a picture or scan of an unedited, actual packing list from an actual trip. The photo or scan should be sized to 930 pixels wide. Please include as well a typed description of what’s on the list, along with any notes describing the trip, itinerary, or anything else we should know.

Please send your packing lists to david at matadornetwork dot com. If interested, we’ll let you know further details. Looking forward to seeing your submissions.