After over five months on the road packing becomes methodical. Now, for me at least, there are two primary types of packing: short term and full unpacked. I just completed the full unpack, meaning: I stayed here, in Utila, Honduras, to justify completely unpacking my bag. This may be the most mundane update I have ever cared to describe, but I’ll take you through the process:

1)  Put on music (a must; currently the new Dawes album)

2)    Scour room and place everything in a designated spot (best located near a wireless connection if there is one, a bed is an excellent option) tossing items into groups helping you to determine what you still have

3)    Unpack any items still clinging to a spot inside the bag and place them into the pile as well

4)    Look around room one more time, sift through piles trying to take a mental inventory- take note of anything missing and hope to find it later

5)    Sort (it’s more a constant job that I can’t help but do all the time). Try to find the items you use the least.

6)    Place all items into bag. Here’s how that shapes up for me in my currently:

1. All weather pants folded in half across the waist and in thirds. Place at bottom of bag flat
2. Slide sleeping bag in lengthwise so that it reaches the pants without getting caught on the inner zippers of the backpack. Rotate 90-degrees and cram down as much as possible.
3. Individually roll, and, in order, pack between the sleeping bag and back of bag the following: multicolored Bolivian cloth pants, secondary long-sleeve shirt, and rain gear.
4. Fold blue fuzzy Patagonia Synchilla zip-up jacket, and place flat on top of sleeping bag. Tuck edges of jacket around everything beneath it.
5. Roll shirts, shorts, and underwear as small as possible, pack against each other on top of jeans.
6. Jam in socks
7. Squeeze in belt somewhere
8. Fold collared shirt neatly and place on top of pile
9. Check to see what is remaining. Begin placing things where they belong in the backpack. Two head-lamps in the camping pouch? Check. Power cables? Check. Zip off pant legs? 2? Check.
10. Place toiletries on top of pile inside of bag
11. Flatten shoes and put them next to toiletries
12. Close up the bag attaching all straps
13. Final check of room
14. Attach pink bandana to outside zippers as a moderate deterrent to bag entry
15. Cover bag with rainfly

Going through the process you notice what you’re missing, and how desperately low you are on things (floss, non-fluoride toothpaste, shampoo, underwear, socks, eye drops, bandaids, Tiger Balm, sunscreen) and debate how long you can go with what you have. You still have your day bag to prepare, and need to get up at 5:30am to make a day-long journey onward.