My Gear

I researched the heck out of the best gear for backpacking Southeast Asia and Vietnam specifically. I research the heck out of everything, so it wasn’t surprising I went overboard for my lifelong-dream trip!

This page is meant to be a potential resource for anyone backpacking Vietnam who happens to stumble on it.  I can’t express how grateful I was, as I was doing my massive amounts of research, to the many backpacking and travel bloggers who blogged about their gear and their clothes, so I’m just trying to pay it forward. This is just a page based on my experience and what I used.

Backpack: Osprey Farpoint 70 Travel Backpack

This being my first backpacking trip, this was the item I put the most research into. There are different styles of backpacks, and those that are great for hiking (generally top-loading) are not all that great for urban travel (where a back-loader is preferred). Osprey backpacks came highly recommended by a lot of blogging urban backpackers and people who’d left reviews at store sites. They’re of really good quality and thoughtfully designed. After continually reading a lot of good reviews about them and seeing how wonderfully organized they are, I was sold. And reading the company’s history, vision, and promise just solidified everything for me.

Most people recommended 50L to 65L, but I went with 70L because I know myself. 🙂 And it’s still smaller than the pack I carried a lot farther when I was in the Navy (yes, I was a lot younger then, but still…). Since I planned to check it no matter what, I was less worried about the bigger size. (Some airplanes can accommodate it as a carry-on and some can’t, so it would’ve been a gamble.) It is really two backpacks, a main 55L pack and a 15L daypack (which was perfect for side adventures).

I had made up my mind and then waited to get a good deal.  It only took about 2 weeks before Amazon dropped the price by half, and I snatched it up. It was on backorder, so waiting for that backpack to *finally* arrive was the longest week of my life! 🙂 I was absolutely beside myself the day UPS dropped it off.

It is an absolutely fantastic pack, and I’ve since used it for domestic U.S. travel and travel to the Middle East, and I love it now as much as I did the day it arrived.

Note: I got my Farpoint before Osprey started making gender-specific versions of this bag. The female version of this bag is called the Fairview.

Also, a waterproof backpack cover is a necessity. I went with Sea to Summit brand for mine because it was cheaper than Osprey but still highly rated. It kept my backpack completely dry on the back of a motorbike in a monsoon. It also protects it if you are checking it, acting like a duffel bag with all of your straps and zippers safely tucked away inside.

Backpack organization: eBags Slim Packing Cubes

I’ve been using eBags regular packing cubes and shoe bags for years and years now. I have many sets and have not taken one trip in the last two decades without at least two of them in my suitcase or duffel bag. Sometimes, I just use the large size as a duffel itself for an informal overnight trip. Also, it’s awesome when I’m spending more than one night at a hotel to throw the unzipped cubes in the drawer. When it’s time to leave, I just zip them up again and throw them in my suitcase. It’s like unpacking without having to unpack, and it makes you feel less like you’re literally living out of a suitcase. Then there’s the time I was moving my dad into a fifth-floor vacation condo with a non-working elevator. Instead of having to haul my suitcase up five flights, I just grabbed the packing cubes I needed and voila!

Anyway, my long-winded point is that I love these things. Besides my iPhone with my TripIt app, these are the only things that I absolutely *always* must have with me when I travel. So, when I was researching backpacking organization and a backpacking blogger absolutely raved about how she cannot live without the eBags slim packing cubes (which I had not been aware of) for backpacking, I was sold.  Again, I waited for a good deal on Amazon, and when the price dropped, I pulled the trigger.

Clothing: Mostly ExOfficio with some Calvin Klein Performance and Calvin Klein Jeans pieces thrown in

Once again, I stalked backpacker blogs, especially those who’d blogged about Southeast Asia and Vietnam, to find out what I should wear. I wanted to take into effect the Vietnamese culture and weather as well as the best fabrics for backpacking travel. Backpacking is different than a lot of travel because you have less room to pack and you’re usually gone for a longer time, so that means doing laundry at least a few times is a given. I needed to know what was out there that was wrinkle resistant, quick drying, cool to wear in August in Vietnam, and yet still (pretty) fashionable. Another concern is that the beginning and end of my trip (Hanoi and Saigon) were during the hot, rainy season, whereas the middle of the country was in its excruciatingly hot, dry season, so I needed to plan for both.

Over and over again, I kept seeing recommendations for ExOfficio clothes, a brand I wasn’t that familiar with. ExOfficio fabrics are wrinkle resistant, dry super quickly, and some of them even include cooling technology with UPF 50 sun protection or bug protection. Pretty perfect! Also, most of the pieces I invested in have secret security pockets. Add to the fact that many of their pieces are reversible and/or serve more than one function (a skirt and a dress all in one), and I was, again, sold. ExOfficio underwear are particularly highly recommended.

Now, I already had some pieces that I love from Calvin Klein, so I decided to bring those, too. They’re not as quick drying, but they are wrinkle resistant, comfortable, and perfect for what I’ve read will be appropriate In Country.

One thing about Vietnam is that the Vietnamese are very modest and yet very nonjudgemental.  They may never wear shorts in public, but they’re never going to judge a tourist who does. I, however, want to respect the culture, so I am going to dress as modestly as possible—while trying to keep cool.  Not an easy task.  Here’s what I finally decided to pack/wear on the flight over, and most of it served me well:

Two pairs of pants (wearing one on the plane): Calvin Klein Performance cargo crop pants in black and chicory (khaki), which I wear everywhere every summer and love because they are comfy and adjustable to two lengths with the little tabs on the side. (Note: 2025 me would go with one pair of Athleta black pants that are quick drying.)
One pair of shorts (for more casual locations, like the beach): Calvin Klein Performance cargo crop skimmers in black, which I love because they’re comfortable, cute on me, and can be worn knee-length or rolled for a shorter length.
One skirt: ExOfficio Wanderlux convertible skirt in black: wicking, quick-drying, UPF, convertible. I did wear it as a skirt but never as the convertible dress. I would skip this next time.
One casual dress: ExOfficio Sol Cool dress in black: perfect for more casual, beachy places and the cooling technology was fantastic in 110 degree weather!
One hoodie: ExOfficio Sol Cool hooded zippy in dusk blue: UPF 50 protection and cooling technology. It was the perfect “jacket” type clothing.
Two tees: Hanes cool DRI tee in black and fuchsia. Quick-drying and wicking. Awesome. These were the workhorses of my trip.
One long-sleeve top: Calvin Klein roll-sleeve top in fuchsia, which is lightweight, flowy, modest, has adjustable sleeve lengths. Perfect for the flight over, but next time I would wear one of my tees and the hoodie on the flight over to save packing space.
One sleeveless top: ExOfficio lazuli convertible sleeveless top in black. Four tops in one! It seemed like a great idea at the time, to have four different tops in one, but I didn’t really need that functionality. The cooling, wicking, quick-drying shirts were much better. I’d leave this at home next time to save room for more elephant pants or a cute Vietnamese top! One of my favorites is one I got in Hue in Dong Ba Market.
One tank top: ExOfficio micria top in fuchsia. Great tank for more casual trips, but I’d skip it next time for the same reason as I would skip the sleeveless top above.
Swim skirt: I prefer swim skirts to bikini bottoms anyway, and my black one will be perfect for Vietnam.
Sun hat: Aqua Design SunGuard reversible bucket hat in fuchsia. So cute and practical!
Underwear: Two ExOfficio bras, two each ExOfficio and Adea panties (Adea was another highly recommended, quick-drying brand of underwear), ExOfficio men’s boxers (to sleep in), an Adea camisole, and an ExOfficio tank. Next time I would skip the camisole and tank. The quick-drying bras were more than enough.
One rain poncho: I decided against investing in a rain coat and instead ordered a $5 Totes unisex rain poncho. That cheap rain poncho (which I still have and use almost a decade later) was the star of my packing! It monsooned quite a bit in several locations on my trip, and the poncho was perfect.

Shoes: Cole Haan and Clark’s Privos

I cannot say enough about Cole Haan shoes and boots! When researching what to wear to be fashionable but comfortable for a ton of walking on Paris’ cobblestone streets, everyone recommended Cole Haan ballet flats. That was in 2011, and I have to say that I wear those shoes on all of my urban trips, and they’re insanely comfortable and still going strong.  Those were the Cole Haan Air Tali Mary Jane Ballet Flats with Nike Air technology. Sadly discontinued. They were my gateway drug to a few more pairs of Cole Haan ballet flats and three pairs of suede boots with four-inch wedge heels that, because of the Nike Air technology, are insanely comfortable despite the height. When I’m traveling in winter, they are what I wear exclusively to sprint through airports because they are that comfortable, fashionable, and warm. I own them in black, brown, and grey because they are that awesome.

So, when it came time to look for shoes for Vietnam, I knew I had to look to Cole Haan.  The pairs I had were more appropriate for Europe than Vietnam. Cole Haan no longer uses Nike Air technology (I cry daily over this fact), but the replacement Zero Grand technology is nearly as comfortable. I found the Zero Grand Mary Jane Sneaker (in black neoprene/mesh). They’re comfortable, easy to clean, perfect for my Vietnam itinerary, and reasonably cute (which is much less important to me in Vietnam than when I’m in Europe). They were also perfect for the flight over.

Another favorite shoe brand of mine is Clark’s Privos. A cute pair of beige/white Privos strappy sandals that I had for years were perfect for beachy, urban activities, and a pair of brown Privo hiking sandals worked well for the more active aspects of the itinerary. Privos are insanely supportive and comfortable.

Security items: Hip Hugger security band, Vaultpro purse, and infinity scarf with secret zippered pocket

Vietnam is a relatively safe place to travel in terms of violent crimes, but petty theft is rampant. I wore a security band under my clothes to carry important documents and spare money, but I was lucky to never experience any theft. I’d skip the infinity scarf next time. It ended up being a pain in the butt.

I had the occasion to purchase a travel purse in 2011, and I intentionally chose one that was slashproof because I knew that someday I’d be going to Vietnam (where purse slashing is relatively common). The Vaultpro line includes “cut-proof stainless steel mesh embedded in the fabric” and a “lightweight steel cable in the shoulder strap to prevent slash-and-grab theft.” It wasn’t big enough to carry a water bottle, which was what soon came to be my number one accessory in all of the heat! Next time, I will probably just use my daypack instead of a purse.

Learning the language: Pimsleur Comprehensive Vietnamese

I can’t tell you how much I endorse the Pimsleur Method. I’ve used it for crash courses in French, Spanish, Catalan, Italian, Czech, Arabic, and more, and it’s worked beautifully.  The first time I visited France, I was able to converse adequately (but very simply, mind you) in French 75% of the time for the week I was there. And this after only using Pimsleur’s most very basic, cheapest French course for less than a month before my trip.  It’s amazing how the method throws you into the language and forces you to learn it. And there’s no books! It’s 100 percent audio. Books can’t teach you pronunciation, so you learn to imitate the natural ebb and flow of words, which means you have less of an accent and are more easily understood. The method is quick fire, so you’re forced to start thinking rapidly in the language you’re learning. And the retention is really good, too.  When I’ve since returned to France, I only needed the most basic of refreshers, even after several years away from the language between each visit.

Vietnamese is a daunting language. There are completely different words for things whether you’re talking to a male younger than you, a female younger than you, a male your age, a female your age, a male older than you, a female older than you, an elder male, or an elder female.  And getting them wrong is not an option if you don’t want to be insulting. Not to mention that it’s a tonal language, so a simple two-letter, one-syllable word can have anywhere from six to eight completely different meanings depending just on your specific tone when you say it!

Miscellaneous stuff: Small things that are useful backpacker or in Vietnam/Southeast Asia

Travel clock with permanent backlight
DoohicKey
Carabiner micro lights
Conair TSA colored locks
Retractable cable lock
Triple security cable lock
4-foot coiling cable lock
Mini bungee cords
Carabiners