Packing for a three-week sail can be a challenge. Crew member Karine Therrien shares how she decided what to take with her for the eXXpedition North Pacific voyage:
“I started by buying a big (75L) waterproof duffle bag to be sure everything fit. I was looking to pack as light as possible, but at the same time I felt I needed to bring a lot of things, just in case.
Just in case ….. of cold whether at night, of a lot of rain.
A 3-week trip is a long one to prepare for, especially as it will involve being outside day and night. Better to bring warm clothes; thinking multiple layers. My dear sailors friends also suggested specific pieces of gear, like 2 pairs of gloves. Boat shoes will also be a good addition. A small duvet could be very useful as well.
Knowing that I am sensitive to seasickness, I bought Gravol, Transderm patches. As I couldn’t find Bonine in Ontario, Canada, once in Hawaii, I bought Bonine, which is known to make one less sleepy. On top of that, I packed wrist bands. Best to be prepared!
I also packed…
a head lamp flashlight with a red filter. carabiners to hang my stuff, like a water bottle, around my berth, and on deck as well.
In terms of documenting the journey, I packed my GoPro and a couple of accessories, like a laptop to transfer pictures from my phone and GoPro. A dry bag to store the laptop. A small hard drive in case I need more storage. Keeping in mind that the whole crew might be sharing videos and pictures. A selfie stick could also be handy the 2 days I’ll be by myself in Honolulu, pre-departure, and for group pics while on boat. And of course making sure that I have chargers for all!
As having my phone on-hand at all times will be great to capture every valuable moment, I decided to pack a small pocket pouch (like the one that I use when I’m running), to attach to my hips (as my phone is too big to fit safetly in the pocket of my shorts).
I also packed pencils and notebooks to write down new knowledge, and new ideas that the crew will be sharing, And also maybe to write down some reflections and some emotions during the journey. (I like tracking my feelings, emotions and thoughts when I travel).
I also brought an e-reader in case of free time, or while on the plane.
About the clothing:
- 4 shorts (some that can dry fast)
- 4 t-shirts
- A warm hat
- 3 pairs of wool socks (wool keep warm even when wet)
- 3 pants (1 light, 1 warm, 1 that can dry quickly)
- Rain jacket
- Bathing suits and rash guard
- Towel (one that dries quickly)
While there will be cold and rainy weather to consider, I most importantly needed to focus on bringing sun protection. I packed a hat (Tilley) and 2 caps (in case one is lost). Better to bring more sunscreen rather than not enough. Light, long sleeve shirts for sun protection. I also bought polarized sunglasses.
With all that, the challenge is to organize everything to fit in the duffle bag, and the day pack that I will bring with me the plane. The day pack will aslo be used to carry my belongings for the first 24 hours, as we will be doing a beach clean-up and camping out the day before departure. I have been able to fit a sleeping bag in along with all of my gear.
The process of packing has been quite challenging in that I had more and more questions about what our coming days would bring. Best to be prepared for everything.”
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