Aside from just being a chronic over-packer here are my challenges:

1. Packing for different climates and cultures. Tokyo in April will be quite different from Madrid in July. And what I can get away with wearing in Madrid will likely not fly in Abu Dhabi. 

2. Packing 5 months of toiletries. Yes, I know that they sell plenty of shampoo and conditioner in every corner of the world, but I don’t know that they sell MY shampoo and conditioner.  Caring for black hair is never easy and if I have any chance of not looking like a hot mess on this trip, it will require me to pack gallons of hair products. Plus I have to stock up on makeup as not all countries sell shades for darker skin tones.

3. I’ll be traveling on regional airlines that have stricter regulations on luggage size and weight. I may be able to get my giant size luggage past a major international carrier, but for a discount regional flight, I may see charges of $50, $75 or $100 to get my bag checked.

4. And the mother of all challenges… It is written in my genetic code…I simply pack a lot. I have tried multiple times to cut back on what I carry, but I am rarely successful. 

Aside from just size of my bag, I also have to consider what image I am going for. Is it the carefree backpacker? Or the wannabe luxury traveler? Carrying a backpack means you can throw everything on your back and avoid issues with rough terrain or flights of stairs. But a traditional rolling suitcase can be a little more “sophisticated” so I will feel more at home in nicer hotels where the manager is sure to upgrade me to the penthouse suite based on my selection of luggage alone.

When I did my last Round the World trip, I bought an Eagle Creek backpack to lug all my clothes and gear.  One big pack on my back and a small day pack across my chest so I took on the appearance of a turtle walking on it’s hind legs.  For that trip I spent a lot of time in youth hostels and in the back roads of Africa and South East Asia, so the backpack made a lot of sense.

Photo Credit:Mat Honen through a Creative Commons Attribution License

For this journey, I’ve decided to take it up a notch. After staring at the rows of bags at REI, I opted for a rolling duffle bag. A bit more sophisticated than my 10 year old backpack, but still rugged and casual enough to survive less than ideal travel conditions.  Although it cost more money than my other options, I decided to go with the Eagle Creek OVRSuper Trunk 36. It is basically the largest damn bag I could find in the store.  This is of course dangerous because given the extra room, I will use it. Seeing those extra few inches of space, I’ll convince myself I can and should  fit in two extra pairs of boots and an evening gown.

Chloe gives the bag a once over

But its not all about the size of the bag. The Eagle Creek version has features that set it apart from similar options.

* An internal divider to create separate compartments in the bag
* Extra sturdy zippers so when my bag is bursting at the seams…it won’t really burst at the seams
* Rugged wheels for rolling over rough sufaces
* Extra protection on the edges of the bag that get damaged most quickly

My goal is to have enough space left over in the Super Trunk 36 so I can return it to the store for the next size down, saving myself the extra money and the extra weight. But realistically, I’ll probably be on the phone with Eagle Creek customer service the night before I leave begging them to create a super-sized version of their Super Trunk.   Some things never change, but I keep trying.