backpack(er)==> the person, thing, verb, etc.

I think it's time to describe this trip. First of all, "hello." It's time I set aside the Delhi nightmares and the usual cynicism for a moment. And in the spirit of conveying it, as it really is, I'll start with the most basic details, working from there and eventually communicating, in the modern "blog"-fashion, my innermost thoughts and feelings.

In the interest of realism, I'm going to start with a list of things. Real things, important things. The things inside my backpack. This is by no means a comprehensive list of things that should be inside the backpack of someone who wishes to be known as a "backpacker." This is just a comprehensive guide to all the crap I squeezed in my bag before 9 a.m. checkout this morning. If you're worried about what to bring for your "backpacking" (it's a verb too), just put a backpack on your back and think of the things you'll need when you aren't inside your house. You can do it pretty much anywhere, like in the park or anywhere.

A towel (I KNOW you read that one, you nerds. All five of them.)
7 shirts
2 pairs of long pants
10 pairs of boxers
7 pairs of socks
a pair of shoes
a pair of sandals
a belt
a hat
swim trunks
a cloth bag for dirty laundry
a little bag that contains ...
toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, comb, pomade, floss (for sewing), a needle, safety pins, soap in a soap pouch (I've been sewing. More about this later), a bar of laundry soap in a soap pouch, shampoo in a ziploc bag, a tube of sunscreen in a ziploc bag, High-DEET insect repellant, Medium-DEET insect repellant, scissors
A first aid bag with ...
neosporin
band-aids
antiseptic wipes
diarrhea medication
malaria medication
rehydration salts
water purification tablets
antifunghal cream
A secret money pouch that contains ...
money
traveler's checks
credit/debit card
passport
vaccination card
Other stuff like ...
a journal
watercolor pencils
space pen (it's a pen for astronauts. You can use it on any planet.)
small pocket notebooks
cassette/radio (with a built-in speaker)
tapes
CDs with my photos backed up
Maccabee pottery fragments
a goat's horn I found at Petra
a rope
books
travel clock
camera and accessories
minidisc recorder/microphones/accessories (more about this later)
lonely planet
power converter
small bottle for portable sunscreen
small bottle of hand sanitizer
tissues
ten albums on a minidisc that seemed like good albums to bring at the time but now seem to be, for the most part, not the ones I meant to bring ...
Morton Feldman- At Rothko Chapel
Animal Collective- Feels
Neil Young- Live at Massey Hall
Beach Boys- my own mix
King Tubby and Soul Syndicate- Freedom Sounds in Dub (This one sounded good on Mt. Zion. No joke.)
Steve Reich- Music for 18 Musicians
Joanna Newsom- Ys
The Kinks- Village Green Preservation Society
Can- Ege Bamyasi
Phil Spector- Back to Mono (Disc 2) (I heard it was a mistrial?)


Oh yeah, buy most of this stuff wherever you're going, because it'll be cheaper. Unless it's Europe or Japan or something! Happy trails!