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Home » Trip Diary: 3 Weeks in Washington (Day 1)

Trip Diary: 3 Weeks in Washington (Day 1)

“I could have sworn I had nicer clothes than this… this is 80% old gym stuff!”

Packing for a 3-week trip that evenly splits city adventures and backpacking is no easy feat. 

I learned that first-hand when trying to pack for a 19-day Washington excursion that took us everywhere we could think to go. 

I loaded up my messenger bag, carry-on, and my main piece of luggage – my Gregory Baltoro 75.

My Backpack: the Gregory Baltoro 75L

I bought this pack at REI, knowing absolutely nothing about backpacking. I’m a larger person, which means I have clothes that weigh more and take up more space than the average person – which is why I need a big pack no matter how long my trip is.

Inisde, I packed all my gear for backpacking, as many outfits as I could fit, and my Columbia hiking boots.

gregory backpack for hiking and backpacking

Backpacking Gear List: The Basics

Here’s a very basic rundown of what I packed for the backpacking portions of the trip:

camping supplies arranged on a floor
All the essentials (food not included) for my trip to North Cascades National Park!

Other Important Gear

Because this was going to be a work/vacation combo trip, I needed reliable power and wifi the entire time. This was especially important considering the first three days would be aboard the Amtrak Empire Builder.

Here was my setup:

  1. Alcatel Linkspot Portable Hotspot
  2. T-Mobile Hotspot Plan (30 GB)
  3. DJROLL 36,000 MaH Power Bank

The total cost of the setup was about $115 (including the data plan), which isn’t bad, all things considered.

Next Up: Traveling to Cincinnati Union Station!

Stay tuned for more on my 3-week adventure to Washington!

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