Life Before the trip

A few things taken to Burton Island in 2017. Not all of it our stuff :) A couple of weeks ago, I bought my backpack, and I knew I'd get a reaction to the size of it. After much debate, Charo and I decided to go for larger packs so we can lighten the load for the kids. A family member, Vero and a friend, Kathy, have both expressed to me that we should be going for the minimalist approach. Charo's sister can't believe we are going to fit our life in a bag that small for a year. Seventy litres is quite a bit of space, and I know the more I fill, the more I have to carry. I want to assure everyone that we are going to pack light(ish). So here it is, the clothing I'll be packing for our trip: 5 Short-Sleeve t-shirts2 pairs of shorts2 Long sleeve shirts (Charo wants 3)2 pairs of pants5 Pairs of socks5 Underwear1 Light fleece1 Rain jacket1 Long underwear2 swimsuits1 hat1 Pair of hiking shoes1 Pair of sandals1 Flip flops The kids' list will be identical to this, and Charo's list will just be adding a few bras. We are debating on a jacket as a few parts of South America will be dropping to single digits at night time. There are other things we will have in the pack, like toiletries, technology, and a couple of games for the kids. I still feel like we're overpacking. What should we cut down on? Thanks for reading and Happy Adventuring!

My Backpack We did it! We purchased one of the essential items we will have on our trip. We bought our backpacks! Over the past couple of months, Charo and I have been trying to figure out what type of backpacks we were going to purchase and found that there are many different sizes and styles. Each pack is as individual as it's owner, and the right one for you might not be the right one for me. We decided the feature we were going to focus on was pack capacity. Our thinking: Do we carry only our stuff, so everyone gets to bring a pack? Do we buy two bags and take all the kids' stuff as well as our own? Already a decision that is pretty important for the rest of our journey. We decided to buy two larger packs, as well as three smaller carry on bags for the kids. This way, we can carry the bulk of what we have while giving the kids the experience of carrying their things. We want them involved in the experience without being overburdened. What did we get?Charo's Backpack: the Gregory Diva 70 Litre Charo, being the go-getter that she is, got her pack first. She found her bag on Kijiji. Charo purchased the Gregory Deva 70L Goal zero backpack, which has 70 Liters of capacity to fill up. What's impressive about this pack is the goal zero part. It has a solar panel you can attach to charge electronics as you're moving around.  Joe's backpack: Osprey Waypoint 70 L I purchased the Osprey Waypoint 70L. I found mine on Facebook Marketplace. My bag comes with a detachable daypack, so I [...]