Containers

•1 Infinity Sports "Tallaroo 65" convertible travel backpack with zipoff daypack
•2 Eagle Creek "Pack-It" Cubes
•1 Eagle Creek "Quick Trip" toiletry bag
•1 North Face water bottle holder accessory
•2 mesh stuff bags

Clothing

•1 pair blue jeans
•1 pair walking shorts
•1 pair colorful orange walking/swimming shorts
•1 pair Ex Officio convertible shorts/pants
•2 long-sleeve t-shirts
•3 short-sleeve t-shirts
•5 pairs underwear
•3 pairs socks
•1 mid-weight fleece jacket
•1 thin nylon wind/rain jacket
•1 small-brim cotton oilskin hat
•1 pair Meindl Barbados walking/hiking shoes
•1 pair Teva sandals

Toiletries

•1 toothbrush with travel cap
•1 small tube toothpaste
•1 Gilette Mach 3 razor with 4 extra blades
•1 small can of shaving cream
•1 small tube Aloe Gator SPF 40 sunblock
•1 stick deodorant
•1 small bottle Pepto-Bismol pills
•1 stick SPF 30 lip balm
•1 small bottle mixed pills (acetametaphin & ibuprofen)
•1 set nail clippers
•1 small bar of soap in a zip-lock bag
•1 small Nalgene bottle of my favorite shampoo
•1 bottle of malaria pills (hydroxychloroquin)
•1 bottle of antibiotic pills (ciprofloxacin)
•10 medium-size adhesive bandages of indeterminate age
•2 larger adhesive bandages
•1 small roll of fabric tape
•1 small tube of Neosporin antibiotic cream
•2 pieces of moleskin
•3 blister relief patches
•10 single use packets of Purell instant hand sanitizer

Papers

•1 plane ticket & itinerary
•1 Canadian passport
•1 fold-up map of Mexico
•1 photocopy of passport
•1 photcopied page of surfing/airplane/traveler's stretches
•1 immunization record

Books

• Lonely Planet Mexico, Sep/2000 edition
• The People's Guide to Mexico (Carl Franz, et al)
• Spanish in 10 minutes a day workbook (partially used)
• Collins Gem Mini Spanish Dictionary
• Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Love in the Time of Cholera
•Spiral-bound journal
•Leather-bound journal/sketchbook

Miscellaneous

•1 swiss army knife
•1 mini roll of duct tape
•1 pair sunglasses
•1 Pentax 928M point-and-shoot camera
•1 extra camera battery
•1 mini tripod
•17 rolls print film, mostly Kodak Royal Gold ISO 400
•1 small maglite flashlight
•1 around-the-waist, under-the-clothes money belt
•1 flat rubber sink stopper
•1 twisted rubber bungee clothesline
•5 small packages of Woolite laundry detergent
•1 small bottle 30% DEET insect repellent
•1 small can permethrin insect repellent spray for clothing
•40 traveller's cards (with name/address/email)
•1 medium-sized pack towel
•1 small pack-towel rag/washcloth
•1 cotton sleep sack
•4 small packs of tissues
•8 Uniball pens, various colours
•2 just-in-case ziplock bags
•1 small sewing kit (borrowed from The Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas)
•2 small luggage locks
•1 combination lock with retractable security wire

Update -- November 6, 2000 -- Oaxaca, Mexico

• Today I bought one beige short-sleeve button shirt -- something for those yet to-be-encountered formal occasions, but more immediately: something to wear while my other shirts are being washed.
• I finished (and passed along) The People's Guide to Mexico.
• Somewhere along the line I've misplaced my mini tripod. I'll probably buy a new one if I see one I like.
• I bought a big needle and a spool of black thread to permanently attach my water bottle holder to my daypack. The result is much more manageable then the former pendulous arrangement.
• Although the hotels usually provide at least one small bar of soap, they forgot to do so last night and I had to use the small bar I was carrying. Now I'm out of soap, but I'll probably buy some more later today or tomorrow.
• I purchased a small Zapotec carving from a vendor at the ruins of Monte Alban which, if I'm lucky, is 1000 years old.
• Ana bought me a great little drawing that I was admiring in the market, of a skeleton riding a deer. I just hope it makes it back to Vancouver uncreased...

Update -- November 17, 2000 -- Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico

• I'm now carrying around a bunch of recipes and an official carved wooden mexican chocolate frothing device, courtesy of the cooking school.
• I managed to lose my long-sleeved white shirt, somewhere...
• I bought a new little mini tripod, but haven't used it yet.
• I bought a new bottle of sunscreen -- not because I used up the old one, but because the lid came off while I was in the ocean and it all emptied inside my pocket.

Update -- December 5, 2000 -- Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico

• The contents of my pack appear to have settled down. Books come and go, of course, and you can check out my book reviews page to see what I've been reading.
• I've replaced a bottle of shampoo (forgot my old one in a shower somewhere) and a stick of antiperspirant (used up the old one).
• My girlfriend mailed me a package for my birthday, so now I'm also carrying around a fresh bar of soap and a mini traveller's book of spells.

Update -- December 31, 2000 -- Surrey, British Columbia, Canada

Now that I'm back home, I've got a good idea of what I should and should not have brought:

• A pair of flip-flops or Flongs would have helped me to tackle some of the grungier showers.
• More socks and underwear, especially more non-synthetic-material socks and underwear, would have been nice.
• The ex-officio pants were great and I'm replacing the walking shorts with a second pair of convertible pants for my next trip.
• The Meindl walking shoes, despite being wonderfully comfortable, proved to be extremely evil: I rolled an ankle at least once every single day, occasionally leading to nasty sprains. I'm now in the middle of the rather painful process of breaking in some brown leather Doc Martin boots. They're dressier than the Meindls, and have better support, and should work just as well (if not better) when hiking, but aren't nearly as comfortable.