Sue's Clown-Car Backpack!

HOLLA @ Sue Muenks for lending me her backpack for my trip.  In honor of Sue, I've named the backpack Peggy Sue.   Ironically, Peggy Sue has already been to Costa Rica once before, so at least one of us is familiar with the area, once we arrive.  Do I sound like a total weirdo yet, referring to the backpack like she was a person?  Are backpacks girls?  Like ships?  In any case, I think this one is - although we may never know. . .  

Back to business, I spent 2 days laying out everything for my trip, thinking/rethinking each item very carefully (although I'm certain I have forgotten something), but when it came time to load up, Peggy Sue was a champ! 

 

Here's Peggy Sue and I pre-pack.

 

Here's what I'm taking

 

Clothes:

5 pairs of shorts

12 t-shirts/tanks/workout tops

3 workout bottoms

2 bathing suits

1 pair of surf shorts

2 long sleeve shirts

2 pairs of pants

1 rain coat

1 light zip-up jacket

1 light sweater

6 pairs of socks

necessary under garments

trail shoes, sneakers, flip flops, slip-ons

1 hat

5+/- (cheap, in case I lose them) items of jewelry

 

Other stuff:

1 big towel, 1 little towel

ipad (with keyboard case)

camera, SD cards, ipad adaptor

1 mini spray mace (safety first)

1 door stop (another safety item)

1 travel clothesline

1,000,000 WetOnes

1 adventure first aid kit

1 tide pen

20 woolite single detergent packs

toiletries (the usual)

1 can of bug spray

2 bottles of sunscreen

1 nalgene bottle

1 (very mini) hair dryer and 1 regular hair straightener (don't judge!)

1 silk sleep sack

1 small and 1 medium purse

1 tote bag

school supplies: 2 little notebooks, 1 folder, 4 pens

8 texas key chains (gifts for special peeps I  may meet during my travels)

5 (or more) other things I'm forgetting to list

 

I rolled all of my clothes and sealed them in GIANT (10 gallon) zip-locs. 

Super handy: air tight so I could shrink everything a little more, water tight, and doubles as future  dirty laundry bags.

 

Ta-da! 

In a former life, I'm pretty sure Peggy Sue was a member of the circus, because this backpack was more like a clown car than a travel bag.  I was SUPER impressed with what fit (and I still have room to spare!). 

 

 

All set!

Off we go!

See you next time from Costa Rica.