Now that we've been back in the States for a few months, we are going to be doing a few posts about our reflections and some of the lessons learned from our amazing trip around the world!

One question we always got when telling people we were traveling for so long was "How on earth did you pack for that??"

Packing for a Round the World trip takes a lot of preparation, time, and many come-to-Jesus moments. I'd scoured other packing lists online for months, and none of them really had everything that I was looking for. It was important that all of my clothes were functional, but I wanted to look like myself as much as I could and not stick out like an ugly American tourist!

On top of clothing, there were gadgets and gizmos galore that we brought to make our lives a little easier. And we can't forget about toiletries, medications and documentation!

For all of the ladies getting ready to embark on a long adventure that want to look cute and have an outfit for every occasion, this list is for you!

The Containers

- Backpack and Daypack: Osprey Farpoint 55 in Charcoal (REI.com). This pack was great and held up really well for 7 months. It consists of a 40L side-loading pack, with a 15L daypack that zips off. I highly recommend a side-loading pack so you can open your bag like a duffel. Both the large and small packs have waist and chest straps for back support. The zippers are super strong, and the pack can easily be carried on most long-distance flights. I did find 15L to be extremely small for a daypack - it was usually stuffed to the brim on long day hikes. As I never really zipped the daypack onto the larger backpack, you may consider bringing along a slightly larger daypack and leaving the 15L at home.

- Purse: The Mini Transport Crossbody (Madewell.com). I do not do nylon purses or fanny packs. This bag was perfect when exploring a city during the day, and dressed up easily for a night out. A cross-body strap allowed me to be handsfree whether I was chowing down on street food, snapping photos, dancing at a bar, or climbing 1000-year-old ruins.

- Toiletry Case: Sea to Summit Hanging Toiletry Bag (REI.com). We ended up in quite a few bathrooms with wet/gross countertops, or no counter space in general. It really helped to have a bag that I could hang anywhere. Also, there are 5 compartments in this bag, so it's easy to separate all of your items.

- Compression Sacks and Packing Cubes (Sacks) and (Cubes). These items are no brainers. I was able to fit way more clothing than I could have without these lifesavers; plus, it allowed me to separate pants from shirts from undergarments. I'm not sure I will ever travel without these!

The Clothing

- Goretex Rain Jacket, Blue - Patagonia

- Warm Jacket - Patagonia Nano Puff Hoodie in Black (Patagonia.com)

My lightweight Patagonia Nano Puff hoodie jacket kept me warm in Iceland.

- Fleece hoodie sweatshirt in grey

- 2 long sleeve shirts (1 merino wool in black, 1 GapFit Breathe in grey)

Merino wool black long sleeve for windy days.

- 3 t-shirts (1 performance in dark grey, 2 cotton - navy v-neck and white crew neck)

- 5 tank tops (2 GapFit performance tanks in dark grey and dark blue, 2 cotton tanks from Rag & Bone, 1 white "going out" tank top from Express)

Simple white tank for nights when you meet Muay Thai boxing winners, minus the wrinkles!

- 2 button downs (1 white from the Gap, 1 black from Express for nicer occasions)

- 1 light cardigan similar to this

Lightweight cardigan to cover up and to block the harsh Indian sun.

- 2 dresses (1 maxi, 1 mini)

- PrAna hiking pants that rolled to capris (REI.com)

PrAna hiking pants.  Hiking pants just aren't stylish to begin with, but these were the best ones I found. — PrAna hiking pants. Hiking pants just aren't stylish to begin with, but these were the best ones I found.

- Jeans - don't think, just bring your favorite pair.

- 3 pairs of leggings (2 performance, 1 cotton)

- Jean shorts - I brought 2 pairs because I can't live without them.

- One funkier dressier pair of pants (totally not crucial)!

Silk patterned pants of dressier nights.  They took up so little space! — Silk patterned pants of dressier nights. They took up so little space!

- Sleep pants and shorts like these and these. Perfect for long flights and train rides, hot nights or just lounging around.

- Having a multi-purpose scarf like this one from Shopbop was invaluable. I used my scarf as a beach blanket, to cover my head in a holy place, as a skirt for dinner, or to keep me warm on plane rides. I also brought along an old school bandana to use as a headband or sweat rag. I took a black Buff as well, but hardly ever used it.

- Couldn't have made it through the trip without a few bikinis! I personally stuck to solids (J Crew has great solid options) and/or reversible bathing suits.

You don't want to end up braless like this lady right here.

- Bras - 2 sports bras and 3 regular bras. I loved these black sports bras with a little stash pocket! And these bras with a hook to take you from regular to racerback were amazing!

- Underwear - I brought 8 pairs of these Patagonia quick dry briefs in nude and black. Not super sexy, but they were incredibly comfortable and were so easy to hand wash in the shower. Always dry by morning!

- Socks - 3 pairs of running socks and 2 pairs of hiking socks were more than enough to get me through our trip.

The Shoes

- Sneakers / Trail Shoes - while not the most stylish, these shoes were extremely comfortable and versatile. I wore them on the Routeburn Track in New Zealand as well as to the gym in Bangkok. If you're looking for something with more ankle support, I highly recommend these boots which I took to climb Kili.

- Sometimes you just don't want to be practical. And taking my white Converse around the world was not a practical decision. They are not the most comfortable or supportive walking shoes, but I felt more like a local wherever I wore them.

- Sandals - these Reefs were comfortable, had arch support, and went with everything.

- I'd also recommend foldable Yosi Samra flats as well as a pair of non-thong sandals for dressier nights, if you can fit them in your bag of course!

The Accessories

- Eye Mask - Stephen and I both loved the 40 Blinks eye mask. Very cushy!

- Headlamp - We always had our hands-free flashlights for long hiking days, camping, and finding our way in the dark.

- Travel towel - Sea To Summit makes great travel towels. My towel never smelled and dried super-fast. I'd recommend a L or XL. I also had a quick-dry washcloth for sweaty hikes.

- Water Bottle - Any 20oz bottle you like will work! We also brought along a Platypus for long hikes, but luckily Stephen carried that!

- Sunglasses - my trusty Ray Bans. Shocked I didn't break them!

- Pillow - I packed an inflatable travel pillow for camping trips and long flights. This wasn't crucial (Stephen used piles of clothing) but nice to have.

- Bug Spray with DEET - I liked Ben's brand

- Pack rain cover - We brought along a cover like this. A garbage bag could also work :)

- Baseball hat

- Beanie - a warm fleece one for cold nights and climbing Kili, if you're into that sort of thing

- Earplugs

- Utensils - We didn't use these all the time, but when we did, we were glad we had them. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, anyone?

- Whistle - Stephen thought I was crazy to have my whistle, but I think better safe than sorry!

The Gadgets

- Camera - We debated for months about whether to bring a DSLR camera or a smaller point and shoot. But once we were on the road, we never once regretted the decision to buy and schelp this DSLR. I highly recommend this messenger-style strap if you are not a fan of around-the-neck straps. We also brought along extra batteries and plenty of extra memory cards!

dslr-camera-round-the-world-packing-list

- Camera Case - This case with its hard protective bottom was a lifesaver!

- Computer - Maybe Stephen and I are crazy, but we both carried our MacBook Air laptops. We just had too much writing, blogging, photo editing, FaceTiming, and of course, trip researching to do! Thankfully, Stephen carried one bulky charger for both of us!

- SteriPEN - couldn't have made it through India and Africa without it! In 90 seconds, you can drink almost any water, anywhere. I would highly recommend the rechargable pen. I credit this gadget with me never getting sick in India!

- iPhone 6 - I would have brought my phone regardless because it is my jukebox. However, T Mobile's international coverage is tough to beat. With free data and texts, and calls from most countries at $0.20 per minute, switching over for 7 months was a no-brainer. The other popular option is, if you have an unlocked phone, to purchase a SIM card in each country, which is pretty cheap. However, we did not want to spend the first few hours in a new country dealing with getting our phone up and running. With T Mobile's plan, we could grab our bags and go! (I swear they did not pay me to write this)

- Kindle - Loved having my kindle along for the trip. The battery lasts forever, and I could read in the sun without worrying about glare. I recommend an e-reader versus carrying physical books on a trip like this for 2 reasons: 1) Space saving, and 2) you will come across cultures and topics that pique your interest on the road. Having a Kindle allowed me to instantaneously download a book on any subject that I was into. It was awesome! Also, this case was helpful for when I wanted to read at night.

- Headphones

Side note: Stephen carried our adapter, GoPro, and USB cords and chargers, which saved a lot of bulk for me. Two bags are better than one!

The Toiletries / Makeup

I basically brought everything that I use often at home - some of which I just squeezed into 3 oz bottles. My theory is "stick to what you love." And I did. I did bring along some new items, and I'll list those I came to love below:

- Shampoo: I grew to love solid shampoo. This one by Lush was amazing and made my hair super voluminous. Only drawback is that you have to make sure it is dry before putting it back in its container because it gets stuck easily!

- Face Lotion: This lotion was amazing. Extremely weightless, refreshing and effective. It's now the only lotion I use at night!

- Eye Cream: This slim bottle of eye cream with retinol is now my go-to.

- Eye Makeup Remover: This little bottle of eye makeup remover from MAC was perfect for this trip!

For makeup, I brought along a powder foundation, cover up, a few Laura Mercier caviar eye sticks, eye liner and cheek tint.

And don't forget tweezers, nail clippers, and mini scissors (but make sure they are not too sharp - had too many airport-confiscation mishaps to count!).

The Meds

- Sleep aid (get a clue) - for long flights

- Contraceptives

- Malarone

- Ibuprofin

- Sudafed

- Fluconazole

- Azithromycin

- Bactrim and Pyridium

- Vaccines: Yellow Fever, Typhoid, Hep A, T-Dap, Japanese Encephalitis

Miscellaneous

- Passport - duh! with important visas. Visas we got in advance were India (give yourself MONTHS to get this, and get the longest visa possible!), Australia and Vietnam. Check the current rules for each and every country you are going to in advance!

- License / ID and International Drivers License for if you decide to rent any cars abroad!

- Lots of extra passport photos for visas on arrival along the way

- Crisp USD

- Moleskine Journal and pen

- Prescription copies

- All travel confirmations in a folder

- Wallet with Schwab debit card and various credit cards with no international fees

If you're planning a long-term backpacking trip like mine, I hope this list is helpful. I for sure overpacked, but couldn't live without anything of course! Happy shopping!

- Michelle