The Packing List - For Him

We decided to travel light - just one bag each. After a lot of blog reading by Fate, we settled on using the Kelty bag (thanks to Rahul and Patrick for buying it from the registry!).

The Backpack

Kelty Redwing 50-Liter Backpack - M/L

Amazon Link

Reasons for choosing:

• Not a top-loader, the zip opens like a suitcase
• Good walking around between airports and train/bus stations
• Got awesome reviews on Amazon, gotta have faith somewhere

Do You Need a Cover?

After reading some forms, turn out checking in bags with airlines can ruin your nice backpack. So we decided to invest in $30 bag covers from REI that fold up nice and small when not in use. Google search "foldable duffel bag".

 

Day Pack

We also wanted a smaller a pack to stuff in things like sunscrean, camera, snacks, etc. while walking around in the daytime. Decided on a day-pack that folds up into a small ball when not being used: Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Day Pack (20-Liter). Amazon Link Thanks Sangeet!

Shoes

Decided on two pairs: one regular running shoes for working out, restaurants, etc. and one hiking sandal for any long hikes, long days walking the city, or water activities. Again, after more blogs research by Fate, we went with the Teva Abbet hiking sandal. Amazon Link (Thanks Zach!)

Clothes

Here's a quick list:

• 1 pair of jeans
• 1 pair of travel pants and zip off into shorts (I know its nerdy, but space constraints! Also gracias Sumaiya and Imran, you will get the first pics of Mohit wearing these ridiculous pants/shorts)
• 2 pair of fake underarmor baselayers
• 1 windbraker
• 1 thick fleece
• 4 quick-dry shirts (half sleeves)
• 4 pairs of underwear
• 4 undershirts (2 with hidden pockets for money, passports, etc.)
• 1 "nice" shirt
• 4 pairs of socks
• Beanie and gloves (after checking the recent NZ temps...)

Electronics

• Bluetooth speakers for chilling at the beach
• Kindle so we get some alone time and don't kill each other (thanks to the Denver crew!)
• Laptop since Wharton needs me to complete some pre-req classes and so we can write this blog!
• Fake GoPro that Mohit's had for the past few years which will be ghetto attached to a GoPro mount - mainly just for snorkeling... it's really a Sony ZX3 Sport HD camcorder
• Universal adapter for all charging needs
• Headphones

Other Miscellaneous Items

• Mug shaving soap - New Zealand's going to be rough
• Bug spray - Southeast Asia in the rainy season...
• Small umbrella
• Stick sunscreen
• Flashlights
• Medicine Kit - Travelers diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, bandaids, antiseptic cream (Thanks Thi!)
• Regular toiletries
• Water bottle
• Travel towel - Always bring a towel and toothbrush when travelling across the galaxy (Hitchhiker's Guide)
• Theraband for quick workouts
• Wireties for closing your bags when they are checked so you know if anyone's been snooping in your bag
• Contact lenses
• Sunglasses
• Hat
• Wine openers cause it's a honeymoon and I need my "Two Buck Chuck" :)

Yep, all of this did fit into our backpacks and one laptop bag that will be useful for carry-on item while flying!

Everything listed above except jacket and second pair of shoes since I'll carry them onto the flight

Everything packed nicely into 2 bags

We'll post a "lessons learned" at the end to see how the list above worked/failed for us.

The Itinerary

We decided to take the approach to seeing a mix of places that:

• Would normally be expensive to fly to (like New Zealand)
• Not touristy enough that we HAD to go in our lifetime (like Slovenia)
• Are "beachy", since this is a honeymoon after all (like Hawaii)

After having the criteria down, we got onto Delta / KLM / Air France's planning website and cranked out a list of cities. Once nailing that down, Mohit spent about an hour on the phone with Delta's Round the World (RTW) desk and came up with the following list, departing and ending from Atlanta, GA:

1. Hawaii*
2. South Korea* (23 hour layover only)
3. New Zealand*
4. Malaysia*
5. Singapore
6. Myanmar
7. Thailand
8. The Netherlands* (20 hour layover only)
9. South Africa*
10. Croatia*
11. Slovenia
12. Hungary
13. Austria
14. Czech Republic
15. France
16. Spain*

Note 1: The first version of this list ended with us in Buenos Aires, Argentina instead of Spain. However, since it would be the winter in Argentina when we arrived and given the sparsity of SPG and Marriott, we decided on changing it to hot, sunny, and cheap-er Spain!

Note 2: The flights stops marked with an * indicate the flight was included in the RTW Ticket. We bought other flights/trains/buses to get to some of these places in the area

Next up, the packing lists!

The Backstory

Friends and Family,

Welcome to Fate and Mohit's World Trip / Honeymoon blog! You've been invited to view it since you have shown interest to see pictures from our trip (if you were faking it, sorry for the spam, feel free to exit this window).

The first few posts will likely be the wordiest ones. Just to set the stage, in case anyone cares. Most likely you're just going to scroll through the pics when you're on the can (yes, this is Mohit's sense of humor, so..... get used to it) 

Where did this come from???

Well, as two travelling consultants, we've been hoarding Delta Skymiles, SPG Points, and Marriott Points since August 2011. Funnily enough, it was our roommate Rahul who told us the news in Fall 2014 that Delta was going to end its "Round the World" program. Knowing we were planning a wedding, quitting our jobs in mid 2015, and heading to business school in Fall 2015, we jumped on the opportunity to cash in these points!

Delta World Trip Ticket Rules

For non-consultant readers, here's what Delta offered up until December 31, 2014:

• 180,000 SkyMiles = 1 Economy Class ticket
• 280,000 SkyMiles = 1 Business Class ticket
• Each ticket allows 6 stops (stops are defines as >24 hours between flights) and up to 16 segments
• Must fly in a single direction, East to West or West to East
• Stops don't have to be continuous (eg. I can land in Thailand and take my next Delta flight from Singapore) but non-continuous stops cost an extra segment

The next post will contain the itinerary!