My backpack contents for a year

Here in Africa and Nigeria, especially, a week's travel is often laden with loads of items, and commonly, for our women, their boxes are mostly filled. Perhaps this is just the way our women are wired, but for the men, it's often a simple load, except for the meticulous or overly concerned type. However, on a personal note, having a backpack of items for a year would be difficult, but not impossible.

The basics of life would be the major contents in my backpack if I were to go a year with one, and these are items of good, shelter, and clothing in no particular order.

My clothes for a backpack would be three pairs of clothes (a black pant trouser and maybe two shirts) purposely for variety, but would be a mix of native wear, corporate wear, and a knicker and polo shirt. My life through the year is such that I rotate from casual to corporate and native wear. A black pant trouser and two varieties of shirts would suffice for variety in addition to the native and casual wears. If I'm wearing palm slippers, I'll have a black shoe in my backpack. A black shoe and pant trouser go with almost everything. Two inners would do: boxers and singlets. Naturally, I wash them every day, and getting them washed would not be a problem.

Of course, I can't have a mobile house, but if I could get a mini outdoor waterproof tent or camp tent with a small or moderately thick duvet or blanket, it would be perfect for a shelter anywhere I choose to lay my head for the night. This would just do well for both the cold and hot seasons. In addition to these, a small pocket-sized towel with toiletries would be part of my shelter items. I'll definitely have at least four toothbrushes (I wouldn't want to have toothaches or decay from not changing my brush as prescribed) and a large toothpaste to last me for the year while I intentionally minimize the paste. And I'll prefer to go natural rather than use artificial creams on my body after bathing. Shea butter oil would just be fine for my skin, and if I have a small space for antiseptic liquid, I would not mind its occasional use when the need arises.

Unfortunately, carrying food in my backpack would only add to the weight and may not last beyond a week. Having a credit card with a planned balanced meal would be perfect for me, with more attention to natural fruits. Eating healthy would be paramount for me. I would not want to go malnourished or consume foods that are unhealthy for my system. Having snacks like peanuts that I love would be appreciated, even though this would be a luxury. I would not want hunger hooking me at a point when food is not readily available.

It'll be foolish of me not to have other items aside from those mentioned earlier. If I were to have an Android phone, I'd prefer one with a good battery capacity, something like 6,000 mAmp, and an original power bank that is light to carry and has a high power storage capacity. This would save me from frequently having to charge my phone. I don't expect to be online every time, and the best thing I'll love to do is map out how the year will be. Having a water bottle can be added at the side of the backpack.

Mapping out the year would include the activities I plan to engage in routinely or the places to visit. This would mean having to use my phone less often while enjoying the bliss of navigating new places throughout the year. Getting each day planned ahead would be a great addition, and I could easily use my phone's notepad to make my jottings and diary. Of course, I'll have a mobile bible on my phone and ensure I have access to the majority of things needed, including music and movies for leisure. A little extra cash in my bank with an ATM card would come in handy for essential needs.

As I mentioned earlier, having a backpack of all these to live with may be difficult, but not impossible. It'll be intentional and simplified to soothe the taste with the understanding of staying content and happy even with limited resources.

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Thank you for reading. I would love to have your comments and contributions.