Disclaimer: I researched (over many months) every item mentioned and purchased each on my own. None of these links are affiliates and I was unfortunately not paid for any items in my packing list. If you are a brand listed below, I’d love to work with you in the future!

Bags

Tortuga Outbreaker 45L — The toughest decision I faced was what backpack to sling on my back for 10 weeks. I knew I wanted a backpack that would hold all of my belongings for 10 weeks and never had to be checked. I also wanted a bag that was comfortable, high quality, 35–45L, a padded/separate laptop section, didn’t look ridiculous, and opened like a suitcase. It came down to 3 bags:

Tortuga Outbreaker 45L

Osprey Farpoint 40

Minaal Carryon 2.0

I decided against the Farpoint because I will be carrying our laptop and I don’t enjoy the laptop sleeve in the front of the backpack (not against my back). I decided against the Minaal because I wanted a bit more structure and 35L was going to be a bit tight with my size 13 shoes.

The reasons I went with the Tortuga were for it’s aesthetics, water-resistant material, superior organizational pocket/laptop compartment, and the most comfortable backpack strapping system. The Outbreaker’s 2 large pockets in the main compartment act as packing cubes and the 4 small pockets are great for socks and smaller items. The notable downsides are the potential weight (it is the heaviest of the 3 without any items inside) and the dimensions on strict European carriers like RyanAir. I’m willing to check the bag on a flight or two if it comes down to it, because of the pros.

I searched Youtube daily for backpack bag reviews. Some were good, most were mediocre, but there were surprisingly few for the newer Tortuga Outbreaker. In the future I may make one of these video reviews, but a huge shout out to Chase Reeves who has the best bag reviews on Youtube and solidified my choice on the Tortuga Outbreaker.

Osprey Ultralight Stuff Pack — I wanted a second bag for walking around, day trips, groceries, and extra storage if needed. My criteria was a bag of negligible weight that would fold into itself and store as small as possible when not in use. This bag has the added lifetime guarantee and quality customer service from Osprey if there are any issues. I intend to carry my jacket, laptop, and Kindle on flights and use this day pack on a daily basis when my Tortuga is stored at our accommodation.

Clothing

The number one place to improve your packing efficiency. I don’t mind wearing the same thing every day, but the list below allows me to change it up and prepare for the environmental change from Iceland’s glaciers to Greece’s beaches.

Shoes

You may be thinking why three pairs of shoes and not two or one? This is something that I went back and forth on many times. I knew that I needed something open toed for warm weather/water and a closed toed shoe for everything else. If I only had to pick one closed toe, it would be the running shoe, but they look touristy in certain situations and I wanted variance. I have some ideas on how to combine these two shoes, but I’ll leave that to my post-mortem write up.

Brooks Ghost 9 Running Shoes — Walking, running, hiking. We’re going to cover a lot of ground on foot, and I need an ultra comfortable shoe with a wider toe box.

— Walking, running, hiking. We’re going to cover a lot of ground on foot, and I need an ultra comfortable shoe with a wider toe box. Allbirds Wool Runners — My new toy, made from merino wool, light weight, and can be thrown in the washing machine. Can be worn with or without socks and feel like walking on clouds.

— My new toy, made from merino wool, light weight, and can be thrown in the washing machine. Can be worn with or without socks and feel like walking on clouds. Chaco Z/1 Cloud Sandals — I’m not a flip flop guy, so these puppies will be for the beach, shower, and hiking. A bit heavier than flip flops, still worth bringing for the warmer climates.

Electronics

I am a certified technophile so I’m proud of the following compact list.

Apple iPhone 6 — Still going strong. Mostly be using Wi-Fi and Google Voice for calls, but will pick up a local SIM card for those times where Wi-Fi is scarce.

— Still going strong. Mostly be using Wi-Fi and Google Voice for calls, but will pick up a local SIM card for those times where Wi-Fi is scarce. Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (6th Generation) 2GB, Wi-Fi — I went on eBay and found the previous generation for the trip. I can’t notice any difference and really DPI is the only one. Great to get these under $65 with an included cover.

— I went on eBay and found the previous generation for the trip. I can’t notice any difference and really DPI is the only one. Great to get these under $65 with an included cover. Apple Macbook Air 13" + charger — We need a laptop for communicating with family back home, storing photos, organizing our plans, booking accommodations and activities, and for a little bit of non-work work. Lightest Macbook we owned, good battery life.

— We need a laptop for communicating with family back home, storing photos, organizing our plans, booking accommodations and activities, and for a little bit of non-work work. Lightest Macbook we owned, good battery life. Olympus Stylus Tough TG‑4 16.0 MP Compact Digital Camera + charger + SD Cards + extra battery — Although it pained me not to bring my fancy DSLR and lenses, space/weight was of the upmost importance. I went with a camera that I purchased for a Grand Canyon rafting trip and my Vancouver bachelor party last year. Ultra-durable, waterproof, and takes fantastic photos. I’m pairing this with a small tripod, a few extra SD cards, and one extra battery incase I run out before I can get to an outlet (which is highly unlikely). Bonus, this camera works great for underwater photography and HD videos!

Everything else

Cable bag

I use a REI Co-op Micro Shower Kit to keep everything organized. This is the same organizer I carry at home in my work bag to keep my electronic accessories and cords together.

Chomecast — Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO streaming on hotel or AirBnb televisions. Make sure you bring a mini-USB cord to power it.

— Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO streaming on hotel or AirBnb televisions. Make sure you bring a mini-USB cord to power it. Bestek International outlet adaptor — Fits all the countries in one device and can plug 2 USB and 1 laptop plug at once.

— Fits all the countries in one device and can plug 2 USB and 1 laptop plug at once. Panasonic ErgoFit In-Ear Earbud Headphones — I went with this cheap pair over my favorite over-the-ear Bose headphones because of space limitation.

— I went with this cheap pair over my favorite over-the-ear Bose headphones because of space limitation. Fritesla Powercore 10000mAh Power Bank — Provides a little juice in case we forget to get a full night of charge on our camera or phones.

Provides a little juice in case we forget to get a full night of charge on our camera or phones. (2) Apple Lightning cords — Because I always lose one…

(2) Mini-usb cords — One to charge Kindle, camera, power bank and one to power the Chromecast.

First Aid Kit

Everything is packed into a standard Ziplock sandwich bag.

Adventure Medical Kits Advanced Clotting Sponge — 25g — Just in case.

Medications (allergy, antiacid, diarrhea, travel Pepto-Bismol, etc)

Assorted Band-aids

Neosporin

Small sewing repair kit

Safety pins & tweezers

SOL Duct Tape — Comes in hand for repairing bags, blisters, and charging coords.

Toiletry bag

I used a quart-sized pouch from the ChicoBag Travel Zip Echo 3 Pack which meets TSA guidelines.