In addition to being a professional surfer, YETI Ambassador John John Florence is a man of many interests. As such, his surfboard collection is broad, and he always travels prepared for a few side missions. John admittedly doesn’t hold back when it comes to packing, so here’s how he packs it all.
When my brothers and I were pretty young, my Mom started taking us on trips to surf new waves around the world where we could stay with friends. We didn't pack light, so we always had to figure out how to make it work with our own luggage, boardbags, skateboards, cameras, and everything else we’d want for months on the road. That shaped the way I pack today, which is still not light.
These days on tour I like the challenge of getting it all organized in a functional way, and making sure everything has a purpose. Here’s a look into my packing strategy.
MY MULTI-MISSION PACK LIST
BOARD BAGS: MAXED OUT
I bring two Veia board bags to most of the events, usually maxed out with 6-7 boards and as much extra gear as we can fit. The idea is to be resourceful with space, while adding more protection for the boards. So we pad the bags with wetsuits, sweatshirts, shoes, etc. — the stuff that would take up precious space in luggage, but can instead work harder in the board bags while freeing up space.
Packing these bags always requires the most time to make sure they’re well-packed and the boards are protected.
For my carry-on, I use a Crossroads® 27L Backpack. I make sure to throw in a few Crossroads® Packing Cubes with camera cards, cables, and chargers that I keep in my backpack, and another with a backup set of fins, fin keys, wax, and leash strings that I also bring in my carry-on in case bags are lost.
LUGGAGE: LOADED UP
Most trips we basically surf, film, and recover. For clothes and personal stuff, I use the Crossroads® 60L Duffel and the Crossroads® 35L Wheeled Luggage. I throw in some Florence boardshorts, a hooded rashguard, and a couple UPF tops, and go from there.
My recovery kit includes a Therabody massager, a foam roller, and a few other smaller items, like supplements.
I also bring my Yonder™ Water Bottle, Coffee Mug, and French Press, knowing those are a few things that I'm going to use every single day. Making our coffee with the French Press is definitely going to up our coffee game on tour.
DRY BAGS: FOR THE DOWN DAYS
Having time to get creative between contest days also really helps bring my energy levels back up, so I like to bring a personal camera on every trip. If there's room and we have downtime somewhere interesting, I'll bring my (RED) Komodo X to film as well. For anything we will bring out on the water with us, I pack it in a Panga® Backpack and I know that we’ll be good if we’re on a boat, or ski, or run into some weather. Any other loose items, like water bottles, towels, and sunscreen go in the Camino® Carryall. With those bags, I know that we’ll be covered.
Altogether it’s not a light package, but everything has a purpose and will get used.
John John Florence is a professional surfer and YETI Ambassador, a two-time World Champion, an Olympian, an accomplished sailor, and filmmaker. He’s an insatiable adventurer, a filmmaker, and entrepreneur. When he’s not chasing swells around the globe, he lives and surfs on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii.
