Preparing for a Trip: Part II

So you’re going on a big trip. You’ve setup a wiki to organize your travels and research. What should you do next? Start thinking about packing. If you’re like me, you’ll want to take as little as possible. You’ll also want to travel low key and not stand out like those taking the beaten path through Europe from capital to capital. Maybe you’ve been to the third world, maybe you haven’t. Here’s where to start.

Backpack

The very first question is what kind of backpack to take. Many people will recommend going to some travel store and buying a fancy climbing or camping backpack. These cost more than the average monthly income of people where you’re going. You’ll stand out and most importantly, you’ll be wasting your money. You’re best bet is to head to a military surplus store. Remember, you don’t want something that looks military, but a simple color black or olive bag is preferable to a modern North Face one. It will also be much cheaper. I chose a German Gebirgsjäger pack which is olive. It cost me ten Euros. Next comes size. This isn’t a trip from one holiday inn to another, it’s also a trip through poor areas. Thus, there’s no reason to bring much. In many places, slightly worn clothing will actually make you fit in better. You’ll want a pack that holds between 40 and 65 liters. It may look small, but it won’t be if you pack right. Also, leave your pack plain, do not put stickers or patches on it (that goes especially for Canadians!).

It’s probably better not to bring a daypack. If your backpack is small enough, you’ll be able to carry it around easily unlike the bigger ones. But if you want to stash it in your room, carry plastic bags received when buying things. Walking around with one of those will go a long way to helping you fit in.

What to bring

It’s important to remember that what you bring depends on where you’re going and when. The first rule of thumb is to try to bring as many multi functional things as you can. You’ll want to bring two pairs of pants, one of which should be jeans. Don’t bring shorts to Muslim countries, even if it’ll be hot. You’ll be fingered as a foreigner immediately. You don’t need much because you’ll wash them all regularly in sinks and bathtubs. I won’t go into numbers of each item because again, it depends on the where and when. You’ll also want to get pockets sewn inside your pants before you go. Take them to a tailor and get a few ones in different places to hold cash, credit cards and your passport. NEVER bring a money belt, you deserve to get robbed if you do.

Perhaps the most important thing is to have a solid medical kit. Having a fair number of family and friends in the medical profession, I’m always overprepared. Vitamins are essential and should be taken daily. In addition, bring antibiotics like Cipro, first aid cream, hand sanitizer, nasal decongestant, antihistamines, ibuprofin, Loperamide, Metoclopramide and activated charcoal. Above all remember that you can buy almost everything at pharmacies in other countries, however it helps greatly to know the active ingredients of the drugs, not brand names hence the ones used above.

In terms of non-medical items, one should bring a swiss army knife, small alarm clock, laundry line, small brush, laundry detergent, bug spray (if necessary), compass, flashlight and monocular. I also recommend carabiners for easily attaching things to your pack. In addition a money clip can be useful to store those wads of worthless third world bills and keep you from always pulling out your wallet. Also bring a tiny quick dry towel and flipflops for those nasty showers. Speaking of which, antifungal cream or spray is a must.

Ziploc bags are also supremely helpful for organizing your pack and squeezing air out of things for maximum storage space. They are also good for wet things and dirty clothes. Lastly, if you’re going to cold places, try to bring layers like a long sleeved shirt, fleece and thin windbreaker. It’s far more adaptable to changing conditions and easier to pack than a gigantic jacket.

Technology

Backing with a tech twist, or flashpacking, is becoming increasingly common. But what should you bring? Curzon highly recommends laptop travel but I’m too worried about my new laptop to risk it. The one must bring item is clearly a digital camera including its usb cable. Photos can be copied to cd and/or uploaded along the way at internet cafes to minimize the risk of losing them all because of theft or damage. The proliferation of tiny mp3 players coupled with falling prices also makes it incredibly easy to bring your favorite music with you which costs little if lost or stolen. A potential compromise on the laptop issue is a PDA. Many now include wireless cards and with an extra keyboard, one could easily surf occasionally as well as keep a good log of the trip while saving considerable space and weight. But whatever you bring, make sure you’re willing to part with it and make backups as necessary. I usually sleep with my digital camera for example or at the very least the memory card and battery.

Finally

The last thing you should do is do a few dry runs before your trip. Pack your bag and take it out with you for a walk. Make sure its comfortable and not too heavy. See if you can run with it on. Are the straps even? Join me for another installment of trip preparation tomorrow.