InsideOut Travel—Gearing Up for a Long Trip Cont.

<< back << home

The trick is to only bring things you can’t find locally and to bring things that are lighter, smaller, cheaper, or of better quality than what you could find where you are going. As adventure writer Tim Cahill said in an interview in the book, "A Sense of Place," just about everything you need for a destination is going to be available there. “If you’re driving yourself nuts in Denver trying to buy a proper machete—listen, they’re all over Honduras. Just walk into any marketplace and buy one for a tenth of what you would pay in Denver.”

When I went on my third trip around the world, I arrived in Bangkok with an almost empty pack. I knew I could stock up on most everything I needed there, at a fraction of the price I’d pay at home. When I got tired of my clothes a few months later, I bought new outfits in another country for next to nothing.

This doesn’t mean you leap into the great unknown assuming you can find what’s in your local drugstore, however—tampons are notoriously hard to find in much of the world for example. If you need a specific brand of medicine on a regular basis, take a good supply. If you need certain prescription drugs, take a big supply and a new prescription written out with both the brand name and the chemical name.

Here are five rules for getting geared up to go, without breaking your back or your bank account.

1. For gadget purchases before you go, only get what’s truly useful.

If you just need a basic alarm clock, you can buy one at pretty much any street market in the world. If you want a really flat one that syncs up to the atomic clock and has a backlight you can turn on, however, get that before you go. One of those nifty razors that retracts into a small tube is great and it’s only four dollars. I’ve always been very glad I carried one of those bungee rubber clotheslines and a sink stopper for when a quick load of sink laundry was necessary. I also like to bring a belt with a zipper on the underside that holds thinly folded cash.

It’s easy to get carried away buying every cool little gadget you see in a camping or travel catalog, however, so resist the urge to get things you can’t see yourself using regularly. If you’re two weeks into your trip and something is wedged undisturbed at the bottom of your pack, you probably didn’t need to bring it.

2. For performance items, buy high quality.

There are times to be frugal and times when being cheap will cost you later. When you are buying a backpack, don’t skimp. Your backpack will be your constant companion on the road, so get one you really like, with the features you really want. My first Jansport travel pack lasted me three trips around the globe and two trips to Mexico. I finally replaced it, after ten years, with a cool new Eagle Creek one that will probably last me just as long.

The same thing applies to hiking boots and adventure clothing. If you know you are going to be hiking in the misty mountains or blasting down biking trails on a regular basis, get some well-made gear that will hold up. If you don’t have a local store to go to or the prices aren’t competitive, check into an online gear outlet like www.backcountry.com.

3. Make your items work hard for you.

You are going to pack some items that are naturally limited in their function—your toothbrush isn’t much of a multitasker. But many of your other items can go well beyond the call of duty. A Swiss Army knife is the obvious example: most travelers find one of these to be worth its weight in gold. Some people find all kinds of uses for other items in their bag. An inflatable pillow can be a bus seat or back support. A sarong can be a skirt, a beach towel, or a cover-up when entering a temple.

If you really want to save space, get combo items. You can get a MP3 player that is also a USB key drive or a travel alarm clock that is also a calculator. Bring clothes that will allow you to mix and match as needed; don’t bring shorts that only go with a single shirt. Make what you are packing pull its weight!

4. Don’t get enamored with electronics.

Some people set off on a long trip with enough electronics to power a fully functional office. But you’re not working anymore—remember? The reason you go traveling is to immerse yourself in a place, not shut yourself off from it. Keep in mind that most of the best travel writers don’t carry a laptop unless they are updating a guidebook. This is part of the reason their observations and conversations are so much more poignant than those of the person lugging a camcorder, a cell phone and a laptop around. As Paul Theroux once said when talking about electronics, “They break. They get stolen. They are heavy. They are extremely distracting. I do have a little shortwave radio—often stolen.”

It’s hard to mingle with the locals when the gadgets in your hands are worth more than their whole family makes in a year. If you’re a professional photographer or you’re maintaining a website you’re getting paid to continually update, it might make sense to carry a really small and light laptop to work on at night. Otherwise, consider what’s truly important—as a personal music player and camera are for most travelers—and leave the rest in the office or at home.

5. Remember that you can buy and trade books as you go.

Books are some of the heaviest things you will be carrying—assuming you left that laptop at home. Once you get out on the road, you realize you can buy guidebooks, especially Lonely Planet guidebooks, in almost any city in the world. Half the time you can find them used. You can trade books, you can buy used books, and in a country like India, you can buy a new fiction book for less than the price of a beer. Take your favorite guidebook and something to read for pleasure for the first place you are going, then buy as you go from there.

One last thing. If you look at your backpack and think, “I can’t possibly fit what I need into there” consider the words of guidebook writer and PBS host Rick Steves. “I live out of a carry-on sized suitcase for 100 days a year,” he says. “I spend a quarter of my adult life in Europe living out of one suitcase and it’s a beautiful thing.”

Tim Leffel is a value travel expert and author of "The World's Cheapest Destinations: 21 Countries Where Your Dollars are Worth a Fortune." For more information visit www.worldscheapestdestinations.com

<< home

<< back

<< discuss article >>

	CONTINUED JUST THE FACTS: GEAR TO GO
	Gearing Up for a Long Trip
	<< back << home The trick is to only bring things you can’t find locally and to bring things that are lighter, smaller, cheaper, or of better quality than what you could find where you are going. As adventure writer Tim Cahill said in an interview in the book, "A Sense of Place," just about everything you need for a destination is going to be available there. “If you’re driving yourself nuts in Denver trying to buy a proper machete—listen, they’re all over Honduras. Just walk into any marketplace and buy one for a tenth of what you would pay in Denver.” When I went on my third trip around the world, I arrived in Bangkok with an almost empty pack. I knew I could stock up on most everything I needed there, at a fraction of the price I’d pay at home. When I got tired of my clothes a few months later, I bought new outfits in another country for next to nothing. This doesn’t mean you leap into the great unknown assuming you can find what’s in your local drugstore, however—tampons are notoriously hard to find in much of the world for example. If you need a specific brand of medicine on a regular basis, take a good supply. If you need certain prescription drugs, take a big supply and a new prescription written out with both the brand name and the chemical name. Here are five rules for getting geared up to go, without breaking your back or your bank account. 1. For gadget purchases before you go, only get what’s truly useful. If you just need a basic alarm clock, you can buy one at pretty much any street market in the world. If you want a really flat one that syncs up to the atomic clock and has a backlight you can turn on, however, get that before you go. One of those nifty razors that retracts into a small tube is great and it’s only four dollars. I’ve always been very glad I carried one of those bungee rubber clotheslines and a sink stopper for when a quick load of sink laundry was necessary. I also like to bring a belt with a zipper on the underside that holds thinly folded cash. It’s easy to get carried away buying every cool little gadget you see in a camping or travel catalog, however, so resist the urge to get things you can’t see yourself using regularly. If you’re two weeks into your trip and something is wedged undisturbed at the bottom of your pack, you probably didn’t need to bring it. 2. For performance items, buy high quality. There are times to be frugal and times when being cheap will cost you later. When you are buying a backpack, don’t skimp. Your backpack will be your constant companion on the road, so get one you really like, with the features you really want. My first Jansport travel pack lasted me three trips around the globe and two trips to Mexico. I finally replaced it, after ten years, with a cool new Eagle Creek one that will probably last me just as long. The same thing applies to hiking boots and adventure clothing. If you know you are going to be hiking in the misty mountains or blasting down biking trails on a regular basis, get some well-made gear that will hold up. If you don’t have a local store to go to or the prices aren’t competitive, check into an online gear outlet like www.backcountry.com. 3. Make your items work hard for you. You are going to pack some items that are naturally limited in their function—your toothbrush isn’t much of a multitasker. But many of your other items can go well beyond the call of duty. A Swiss Army knife is the obvious example: most travelers find one of these to be worth its weight in gold. Some people find all kinds of uses for other items in their bag. An inflatable pillow can be a bus seat or back support. A sarong can be a skirt, a beach towel, or a cover-up when entering a temple. If you really want to save space, get combo items. You can get a MP3 player that is also a USB key drive or a travel alarm clock that is also a calculator. Bring clothes that will allow you to mix and match as needed; don’t bring shorts that only go with a single shirt. Make what you are packing pull its weight! 4. Don’t get enamored with electronics. Some people set off on a long trip with enough electronics to power a fully functional office. But you’re not working anymore—remember? The reason you go traveling is to immerse yourself in a place, not shut yourself off from it. Keep in mind that most of the best travel writers don’t carry a laptop unless they are updating a guidebook. This is part of the reason their observations and conversations are so much more poignant than those of the person lugging a camcorder, a cell phone and a laptop around. As Paul Theroux once said when talking about electronics, “They break. They get stolen. They are heavy. They are extremely distracting. I do have a little shortwave radio—often stolen.” It’s hard to mingle with the locals when the gadgets in your hands are worth more than their whole family makes in a year. If you’re a professional photographer or you’re maintaining a website you’re getting paid to continually update, it might make sense to carry a really small and light laptop to work on at night. Otherwise, consider what’s truly important—as a personal music player and camera are for most travelers—and leave the rest in the office or at home. 5. Remember that you can buy and trade books as you go. Books are some of the heaviest things you will be carrying—assuming you left that laptop at home. Once you get out on the road, you realize you can buy guidebooks, especially Lonely Planet guidebooks, in almost any city in the world. Half the time you can find them used. You can trade books, you can buy used books, and in a country like India, you can buy a new fiction book for less than the price of a beer. Take your favorite guidebook and something to read for pleasure for the first place you are going, then buy as you go from there. One last thing. If you look at your backpack and think, “I can’t possibly fit what I need into there” consider the words of guidebook writer and PBS host Rick Steves. “I live out of a carry-on sized suitcase for 100 days a year,” he says. “I spend a quarter of my adult life in Europe living out of one suitcase and it’s a beautiful thing.” Tim Leffel is a value travel expert and author of "The World's Cheapest Destinations: 21 Countries Where Your Dollars are Worth a Fortune." For more information visit www.worldscheapestdestinations.com << home << back << discuss article >>
	Copyright 2003-2005 InsideOut Travel Magazine << disclaimer

CONTINUED JUST THE FACTS: GEAR TO GO

<< back << home