One of them clings to my back while the other holds my hand as I walk.  My bags will be right with me for the next two years and I have to protect them.  But unlike kids, I get to choose them and control what they are filled up with.  Here’s what I chose and what I chose to put in them:

My bags are split in two to avoid a problem I had in Africa.  I had some expensive important stuff in my big backpack that I was unwilling to throw on a roof or leave out of my sight.  So this time I went with two medium sized bags, one for my camera, laptop, kindle and other valuables which I wear on my back and carry on my lap.  The other is a rolling bag which can transform into a backpack when needed.  My clothes and anything I can afford to lose and am unlikely to need quickly go in there.

Camera Backpack: Crumpler Customary Barge
Travel Backpack:    Osprey Sojourn 22

For clothes, I needed a small amount to stay light, but I needed to cover all circumstances from hiking in the Himalayas to the clubs in Mumbai to the beach in Goa to the hundred degree heat in Kerala:

Shirts:

• Black Under Armour wicking t-shirt
• Red cotton Stanford t-shirt (gotta represent!)
• Merino Wool Icebreaker 190 t-shirt
• Merino Wool Icebreaker 190 long sleeve
• Dark red polo shirt
• White button up shirt

Pants:

• thin jeans
• North Face convertible hiking pants
• linen pants
• khaki shorts
• board shorts

Socks:

• 2 pair REI merino wool socks
• 2 pair light white running socks
• 1 pair black cotton socks
• 1 pair white cotton socks

Boxers:

• 3 pairs normal cotton boxers
• 2 pair athletic quick dry boxers

Shoes:

• Adida Sambas
• My old hiking boots (temporary)
• Flip flops

Fleece/Jacket: Scott E-vest fleece (temporary)

Accessories:

• Racing hat with brim (like bicyclists wear)
• Winter hat
• Winter gloves

Gear:

• Compression sacks for compressing the clothes for packing
• Sleeping bag (temporary)
• Pack locks and bike cable (for locking up my bags.)
• Mini-umbrella
• Nikon D90 Camera with lens and monopod + 2x 16GB memory card and 1 8 GB memory card + 16 GB usb drive + GPS device
• Macbook air laptop with 500 GB external HD.  Pimsleur and Rosetta Stone Mandarin courses installed.
• Amazon Kindle DX e-book reader with e-books.
• Iphone cell phone/mp3 player/gps/there’s an app for that machine + Shure headphones with adapter to act as a phone headset
• 2 small moleskine notebooks with pens
• Money belt with cash, travelers checks, passport and credit/debit cards.  Worn tucked into my pants at all times.
• Electronics bag with cables adapters and electronic doodads.
• Petzl E47 Head lamp/flashlisght
• Optimus Titanium fork knife and spoon
• Coccoon silk sleeping sack
• Steripen water purifier
• Belkin universal electric adapter with USB charger
• Resistance bands for exercise
• Sunglasses
• Photocopies of important papers

• BIG travel towel (I had the little one in Africa.  I’ll sacrifice space and weight for a full sized towel especially on the beach.)
• Ear plugs
• sleeping mask
• travel pillow
• elastic travel washing line.
• Hand sanitizer
• lip balm
• Toilet paper

Toiletries:

• comb, soap, mini shampoo, mini conditioner, razor, shaving cream, contacts, contact solution, toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, deodorant, toiletries bag with plastic bottles

Medicine:

• Medical kit
• sunscreen
• mosquito repellant
• extra stomach medicine (Delhi Belly Ho!)