Honduras – The Pursuit Of Travel

I can’t believe it’s already 2025!! I am off to Central America for 3 months. I plan to explore all 7 countries in the region (Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Belie & Guatemala).

Of course I am using my 35L Tortuga Setout backpack 🙂 They don’t sell the exact backpack I have anymore, but here is their latest & greatest! Can’t recommend their bags more. I have used a Tortuga backpack on each of my longterm trips!

Overall tips:

Use packing cubes! I love that my Tortuga packing cubes perfectly fit the dimensions of my bag, but Amazon should have plenty of options!
Think through how the clothes will feel in heat. Linen & lightweight materials will be best.
Make sure that every top works with every bottom and works with every shoes. Use a capsule wardrobe as inspiration.
Less is more! Even though I have done this full time for over 36 consecutive months (holy moly), I still inevitably pack 1-2 items that I never end up reaching for. Think through if you actually will where it or if it’s just an aspirational item.

PACKING LIST FOR CENTRAL AMERICA:

CLOTHES

2 pairs of Lululemon Fast & Free Crop’s – I’m trying to make it easy to workout while on the road this time around.
1 pair of Lululemon Align pants – can be used for working out/walking around town or I can dress it up.
1 Romper
2 Jumpsuits (Madewell) – I’m obsessed with this jumpsuit – it’s great for hot weather but still provides mosquito coverage. I love it so much that I had a copy made while I was in Hoi An, Vietnam. I picked a fun orange print & added cap sleeves.
1 Cute shirt (I’m only taking one as I think I’ll be in my rompers and jumpsuits most days)
3 sports bras
4 athletic shirts (for running + sleeping in). Three are from Lululemon.
Booty shorts (to sleep in)
5 pairs of underwear
6 pairs of socks
1 black bralette
Running shoes
Waterproof sandals- I just bought Teva dupes (will act as my water shoe as well as my cute shoes- I never said the backpacker lifestyle was glamorous haha)
Light Patagonia puffer – good for chilly planes/busses & for when I visit countries that are a little cooler, even in the summer. It also smushes down fairly small so it’s a great backpacker jacket. I’ve also used it as a pillow in a pinch.
1 Swimsuit (feel free to bring 2-3 if that’s your thing)
Sunglasses (Warby Parker)
Rain coat (Patagonia; you can pack it up into it’s pocket so I can easily attach it to the outside of my bag via a carabiner)
Tortuga Daypack (they don’t sell the one I have anymore sadly). This acts as my personal item for flights and I can use it for adventures during the day.
Sling crossbody bag (I put it into my daypack on travel days). I use this out and about on a daily basis.

ELECTRONICS

Computer + Charger
iPad
iPhone + Charger (I get a 6 ft cord so I can always reach the plug from my hostel dorm bed!)
AirPod Pro’s
Fujifilm x100vi – YOU GUYS I BOUGHT A CAMERA!!! I’m so excited to try it out this trip!!
Headphones (Bose; noise-cancelling for travel days)
Plug adapter (I use this one)
Portable charger (like this one)
AirTag (This is a no brainer these days; provides peace of mind incase I am forced to check my bag or when it’s below me in a bus. Always nice to confirm it’s still with me!)
Extra sim cards for my new camera
Extra battery for my new camera

TOILETRIES (I USE A BUNCH OF LITTLE TOILETRY BAGS TO KEEP THESE ALL ORGANIZED)

Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Flosser
Any medication you take
Retainer
Deodorant
Tiny roller perfume
Makeup
Makeup Remover (I’ve become obsessed with cleansing balm for this because it isn’t a liquid, & it’s highly effective at getting makeup off at the end of the day!
Razor
Conditioner + Shampoo (Get containers to put your products into & refill on the road!!)
Face wash
Moisturizer
Brush
Pocket Hand Sanitizer– I keep one in my backpack and one in my sling/purse. Great in general, but also for when inevitably there is no soap at a random bus stop bathroom 🙂
Sunscreen (I love Sun Bum or Goop)
Tiger balm (I picked this up in Southeast Asia and it’s now a staple in my bag. Great for mosquito bites and just feeling a little sick. It’s kinda like Vick’s vapor rub).
Chapstick (Don’t forget to get one with SPF)
Ibuprofen
Hair ties and bobby pins
Moleskin
Bandaids
Electrolytes (these are a must for traveling, but especially in hotter climates)
A few protein bars for emergency snacks! You never know when you’ll be stuck on a bus in the middle of nowhere & get hungry.
Cough drops
Topical steroid cream for bed bug bites or regular bug bites to help with itchiness

MISCELLANEOUS

Passport – no explanation necessary 🙂
ID (I bring my driver’s license)
Travel Credit Card- I bring 2-3 cards with me in case I lose one it gets stolen or it gets hacked. Important to get ones with no foreign transaction fee; I have the Chase Sapphire Reserve (hello lounge access!) + Capital One Venture Card.
Debit Card (Charles Schwab has the best one because it reimburses ATM fees from any ATM in the world 🙂)
US Dollars – I always bring 1-2 Hundred dollar bills as an emergency source of cash (luckily most places in the world would take USD if it was truly an emergency & you needed some cash to get you out of a situation), however, in the case of Central America, I’ve taken more! USD are used in some countries here (like El Salvador), but also some businesses will give you a better rate when paying in USD. Take some smaller bills as they are helpful for border exit/entrance fees.
Record of your plans (I make folders within my email inbox to keep track of everything or you could print out a copy of your itinerary)
Extra Passport photos
Thumb drive with all documentation if desired
Quick dry towel – From REI
Sarong for a beach cover up or for lying on.
Water Bottle – Camelbak
Ear Plugs
Eye Mask (you can either go the classic eye mask route or get one like this that almost acts like your eye mask + ear plug since you can play white noise through the built in bluetooth speaker- pretty cool!)
Lock (for staying in hostels or locking my bag.) Get the combo lock so you don’t have to worry about tiny keys. I take three to be able to lock two different compartments in my bag AND so I can keep my computer/passport/iPad compartment still locked when I use the other one to lock a locker within a hostel (+ one for backup!).
3 carabiners – I just attach them to my backpack and over the course of the trip they will hold everything from my water bottle, shoes, rain jacket and more. You will not regret having a few on hand.
Pack of playing cards (My sister got my a custom deck with some of my favorite photos from my travels – such a thoughtful gift)
Monopoly Deal – a fabulous compact game for the backpacking trail!
Face mask (I’ve used this while feeling sick as well as on a dusty motorcycle ride)
2 pens for writing postcards
Ziplock bags of various sizes. I inevitably need to put dirty shoes, wet bathing suit, leftover pizza, or dirty socks somewhere and I am always incredibly relieved to have some ziplocks at the ready. Plus they take up no space/weight so there’s no downside to bringing them.