| Item Description |
Info |
| Karrimor Panther 65L rucksack. |
- A carefully chosen, well made backpack was one of you biggest &
most important investments I made.
- Don't buy a cheap one that might fall apart half-way through
your travels. Spend time & money getting a good one, and talk
to knowledgeable staff at shops like Cotswolds and Blacks.
|
| Rucksack Liner. |
- This is a waterproof bag that you place inside your rucksack to help
keep the contents dry in the case of a rainstorm/water-fight/sinking.
- Although I probably could have survived without it, it
was nice to know that my stuff had an extra layer of protection from the inevitable
rainstorms and water fights.
- These are cheap and easy to find, so you might as well take one.
|
| Rucksack Shower Cover |
- This is like a rain jacket that fits over your
rucksack. Yet another layer of protection to stop your
things getting wet.
- Very useful, also note that a rucksack liner won't
protect any pockets on your rucksack, but this will.
- As the pockets are covered, it's also a good way to
deter pickpockets from trying to get into them.
|
| Rucksack Flight Bag |
- This is a bag that you can fit your rucksack into.
"Why would you want to do that?" I hear you asking. (1)
A single padlock (on the flight bag) seals your whole
rucksack & all it's pockets; (2) All the straps on the
rucksack are safely packed away. It's very common for
rucksack straps to get caught on something & tear off
while it's being moved around by the baggage handlers.
- Whenever your rucksack is stowed on a
bus/boat/plane/cart then put in the flight bag, lock it,
and you can be at ease.
- They also fold up to a very small size for easy
storage.
|
| A 1-2 Season Aztec Lite Sleeping Bag.
|
- It's one of 'those' items that you feel obliged to take because
it's just what backpackers have.
- However, it only came in handy a couple of times and as I didn't use
it in Asia at all, it became a bit of a waste of space and
weight.
- If you're going to Asia, you probably won't
need one. But if you want to take one 'just in case' then
a good tip is to buy a light one that packs up really small,
so if you don't use it, it's not too much of a problem.
|
| Cotton Sleeping Bag Liner. |
- Basically two sheets sewn together to make a thin, light sleeping bag.
- Essential for use in hostels because many don't provide bedclothes and
you need to provide your own. Plus, it's
nice to have something you know is clean and bug free.
- This item effectively takes the role of a sleeping bag in hot climates. I only took a
cotton one, but you can buy a nicer, but much more expensive, silk one.
|
| Thermorest Self-Inflating Camping Mat. |
- As I thought we'd be doing a fair bit of camping, I though I'd
invest in a good camping mat. The Thermorest ones are supposed
to be good because they are durable and they self-inflate.
- This was a waste of money. For a quarter of the price we
could have bought one that was manually inflated. Which
is what we had to do with the Thermorest anyway. It took about an hour to
self-inflate, and that was only to a half-limp state, and
then have to manually top it up.
- Buy an inflatable one because
they're much more comfortable, but don't worry about
'self-inflating'.
|
| A four person dome tent. |
- Again, as we intended to do a fair
bit of camping, we obviously needed a tent. Usually these are
very expensive, but we were lucky enough to be lent one
(thanks Jim!).
- Be careful about choosing a tent, they're usually
heavy and take up a lot of space. Do you really need one?
It's useful to save money in the Western countries, but
unless staying in National Parks, you won't need it in
Asia.
|
| Double Bed Mosquito Net. |
- Obviously to keep mosquitos and other biting insects from
getting to our juicy blood.
- Not needed in Western countries, but essential in
Asia. Mosquito bites can be more than annoying. You could
get Malaria or a number of other horrible tropical
diseases.
- Although many places provide nets, they're usually
more hole than net. Remember, one large hole renders a net
useless. So it's could to have one of your own to rely on.
- The double bed size is the most versatile. Even when
travelling on your own, most single rooms in Asia have a
double bed.
|
| Travel Towel. |
- Great towels that are compact, light and quick drying.
- Although they feel a little strange at first, they do
work well.
- Let it dry before packing it away. If you pack it away
while it is wet, it will end up smelling like strong
cheese. You have been warned!
- Buy the largest size. I was stingy and bought the
second largest, which turned out to be too small to wrap
around my waist. D'oh!
|
| Beach Towel. |
- As great as travel towels are, they're useless on the
beach. They're too small and thin to lie on comfortably on
the beach.
- I bought a nice one in Byron Bay and it folded to a
reasonable size. A towel just as long as you are tall
should suffice.
|
