Hi all. Feedback wanted.
I'm getting readying to head off travelling for a few years and would really value feedback / suggestions on what to pack. I'm going to use a single thread with 2 posts, the 2nd of which contains actual draft.
Everybody's reasons for travelling are different so I would asked you to be mindful of this while also been mindful of the fact that while I will be travelling for a few years I feel that I need to get the basic things (items not always available in 3rd world countries) I am likely to need say 12 months down the line (I'm not planning to return home on vacation). For example I'm likely to be in very remote and 3rd world places.
I've also given some thought to postponing getting 'western' items until I get to Colombia were I could them order them online. However many of the things on my list I feel I'd like to see in person before buying them. But feel free to put a comment beside any such as 'could be postponed till later'.
I'm starting my travels with a 10 silent mediation retreat. So nothing needed for this apart from changes of cloths.
Then going to Houston for 3 days to do the tourist thing. Again nothing needed except cloths.
Then on to Belize for 40 days for a proper holiday.
First 10 days will be doing tourist things so only need sun cloths, etc.
Next 10 days will be spent on a remote paradise Island. Food will be provided. Will stock up on toilet roll, sun creams, etc before going.
Then 10 days in the remote jungle i.e. living with local inhabitants - very basic living. This will include a 5 day trek/sleeping on the jungle floor. So clean water and bug protection will be key.
Then approx 10 days in hostel's seeing other sights, sleeping in caves, jumping into river pools, etc. So nothing excessive needed.
After that I plan to spend 4-6 months learning Spanish in a very modern city in Colombia. So nothing needed here.
After this my travelling proper will start. I will take one of two routes. Either backpack Central and South America OR spend 1/2/3 years in Very remote parts of the Amazon rain forest working with plant medicine. I'm leaning towards the latter.
I can assure you that I am not approaching this lightly. For 2 years now I've been working my way thoroughly threw detailed preparations such as having a FULL medical examination as well as interlocking with some trusted psychologists and psychotherapists re alone ness, been away from family, what if my backpack got lost, etc.
So if your still with me! I'm looking for feedback / help on what to pack. Of course my needs and circumstances will change during this time e.g. I will no longer need stuff e.g. English books, etc.
The only electronic's I will bring are my small USB chargeable mp3 player, a compact USB chargeable camera and a wind up radio/torch which can also be used to charge USB devices. Not bringing phone, laptop, tablet, go-pro, etc. To be honest I can even do with these and after a while I probably will. e.g. replace this will learning guitar while in Colombia, etc.
Please see next post for actual draft.

Rucksack (non top opening) / 1 small day bag ospreyeurope.com/ie_en/view-...
Does not come with a built in rain cover - ospreyeurope.com/gb_en/view-...
Money pocket inside rucksack or in pocket on the wast belt ?
Rucksack locks / 'bike' lock to lock rucksack to something e.g. if going away for the day.
compression bags or slim cubes ebags.com/search?term=cube&a... or shop.eaglecreek.com/packing_...
Cloths:
Wear clothes that complement your tan. If you have no tan, wear dark greens, blues, and purples. If you have a moderate tan, wear black or white to accent your tan. If you are exactly where you want to be, and really tan, wear any color you want.
zip off trousers * 2 (with plastic seal-able inner pocket) + (very tight stitching for mosquitoes) Do the main hand pockets close ? e.g. with a zip, button or a Velcro ?
1 pair loose running shorts
2 money belts (put money + photo copy of passport in small zip lock freezer bag)
tough fabric long sleeved shirts * 2
pair swimming shorts
pair of very tight swimming shorts
4 t-shirts that dry quickly.
1 long sleeve thin but warm top
4 pair light socks
1 pair hiking socks
Warm fleece top (NOT bulky but must be windproof with hood e.g. ocean breeze at night, sleeping on hard timber floors)
Light Rain & Wind proof jacket snarkynomad.com/5-of-the-bes... froggtoggs.com/mens/mens-jac...
Rain bottoms
5 pair boxer
Shemagh Scarf
hat or cap ???
Footwear:
hiking shoes
sandals.
zip up kayak rubber boots/shoes
Wear on plane: hiking shoes, 1 pair socks, 1 pair trousers, 1 money belt, 1 pair boxers, 1 t-shirt, 1 long sleeved shirt, light but warm fleece/hoodie (I get cold on planes) , wallet, watch.
Bring onto plane: Entry and Exit tickets, passport, hotel reservation, bank account statement, Seal-able document holder/folder suggestion needed) bottle of water - buy in airport, 2 cereal bars, book, MP3 player + earphones, small carrier bag, camera, wallet (1 card + US $'s).
Self care and toiletries.
silk sleep liner e.g. instead of light sleeping bag.
Lip balm with SPF + Blitize for cracked lips
2/3 Factor 30 sunscreen 4+ star rating - Aldi
3 bottles of After Sun. OR Organic Aloe Vera gel OR a mixture of both
What for mouth ulcers. from people not washing dishes correctly ??????????
Baby oil - Sandfly protection
Sun glasses with UV protection - prefer actual glass as opposed to plastic, e.g. the flexible folding ones.
2 Large ultra light Travel towels
hair brush
ear plugs
eye mask - piece of dense/heavy dark silk ??
small bottle of hand sanitizer.
toilet roll in DAY pack
toilet roll in Rucksack
1 or 2 small packets of tissues
Toiletries:
tooth brush + paste
razor + blades + small bottle of shaving gel
Little mirror for shaving e.g. in the jungle ??? but would it really bother me if I didn't shave e.g. if not many people were around ?????
nose hair scissors
cotton buds (a few)
small shower gel
nail clippers.
Mosquitoes:
fold away mosquito Hat ???
Net
Repellent
First aid:
Sames as last time. stuff for itching (cream and tablets), poo'ing, vomiting, sore throat, plasters, sudo cream + other bits and pieces.
Emergency 'food':
1 tube of vitamin C dissoluble tablets, 3-6 cupa soups.
Utensils:
Water proof liner e.g if ruck sack fell off boat into a river or if out in rain
Watch with alarm + new battery!
very thin small package shopping bag. snugpak.com/outdoor/silk-lin...
Water bottle and holder that fits on belt.
Buy expertvagabond.com/clearly-f... even if it doesn't fit the holder. good to have one of these around even if I don't bring it.
Water purification tablets - 1 or 2 packets as they don't take up much space.
Swiss army knife
spoon
Camping hammock ?????? maybe not.
medium / large piece of fine meshed muslin cloth in case I need to 'filter' river water. The cloth shop.
Sewing needles and thin but strong thread e.g. for sewing loose cloth ends, etc.
own lock for room
a few tie wraps
Head torch + batteries
swimming goggles
document holder/folder
few *5 large zip lock freezer bags.
small foam mat for sitting on - packs onto side of rucksack.
Electronics:
Wind up Torch / raido
Ear phones WITH microphone for making Skype calls.
bose.com/controller?url=/sho...
bose.co.uk/GB/en/home-and-pe...
camera + CHARGED batteries + CHARGER + SD CARD
small tripod e.g. for recording video diaries.
USB keys *2 (attachable to Key Rings) with some music and photos from home.
travel power adapter - check if also converter! European to US
Money:
Local and US currency.
2/3 cards
Bank card readers for which accounts ?
Inform banks in writing and seek confirmation of update to my account details.
false wallet (only cash for that day)
buy bum bag in local country
Spanish Language:
spanish learning book in English - grammar book ???, small homemade phrase notebook + pens
Book/s:
How about these ??
The War of Art, Don't stop the carnival, The Pocket Doctor: A Passport to Healthy Travel Paperback
Plant medicine dictionary / reference / symbol dictionary book. Picture / reference book tend to be either heavy or large.
Documents:
Seal-able document holder/folder suggestion needed
Print off custom psychological questions and answers for reference i.e. 10 A 4 pages.
Printed photo's of daughters, 1 or 2 photos of home (fishing, lake, place, people) - in water proof plastic.
actual and copies of passport *1/2
tickets, passport
health insurance
travel insurance
actual and copies of driving licence + international driving licence.
actual and copy of Vaccination record
actual and copy of Yellow fever certificate
Copy of Bank Account Statement show sufficient funds entering a country
Journal / Day Diary - can buy when there but need to allow space e.g. laptop pocket in rucksack.

Please note that this is not a travel forum. It's about "backpacking" in the American sense, which is wilderness trekking. While many of us have traveled, much of our travel experience is not recent. I suggest you consult a budget travel forum, of which there are several. For one thing, I suspect you are underestimating what you can find "in country"--you don't have to take everything with you!

For what it's worth, you're taking far more clothing and gear than I did for traveling for three months at a time. I took one change of clothes (plus what I was wearing), including underwear, except two changes of socks. Everything was of quick drying fabric so I could rinse items out at night (often in the shower) and they'd easily be dry by morning even in damp weather. You might want to weigh what you intend to pack and see if you can even hoist it off the ground!

I agree with OregonMouse that our friend from Ireland, new_beginnin, is taking rather more clothes than necessary.

The ideal goal, in my opinion, is to reduce your pack to a size and weight that when you have no secure place to leave it you can bring it with you everywhere, every minute, and not feel your pack is a burden to you. About 7 kilos seems right.

It is a mistake to try to anticipate all your needs and attempt to bring every item you might want. A better approach is to take what seems absolutely essential to get you started, and then as you discover gaps and holes in your kit, fill them as you go. You plan to be living in Latin America for years, so you'll have to learn how to locate what need there eventually. The sooner you learn the ropes, the more quickly you'll adapt.

Yes, bring a water purification method, but leave behind the specialized reference and plant books. Instead have someone send them to you later, in a parcel rather than carry them for months and months while you won't be wanting them.

If you bring everything you've listed, you will eventually regret their presence and it will become problem of what to do with them to unburden yourself. At least get your kit down to one set of clothes to wear and two spare sets to carry.

Rucksack locks / 'bike' lock to lock rucksack to something e.g. if going away for the day.

This seems likely to be wholly ineffective to safeguard anything.

would it really bother me if I didn't shave

I won't tell anyone if you leave off shaving. If you miss it, there will be local options to get you back on track.

2 Large ultra light Travel towels

Two? Really?

Baby oil - Sandfly protection

Stop reading the travel literature so much and trust that you will be smart enough to find solutions to problems as they arise. If the locals need baby oil, it will be there. If they don't need it, maybe you won't either.

Anyway, good luck to you, new_beginnin. I hope your adventure fulfills your desires for it.

Thanks all for taking me back to reality! The list was my first draft so I wrote down everything I thought I might need. Starting to cut away now.

Good effort on the list though. Sounds like it'll be a fun trek.