This 120lb (9 stone or thereabouts) girl has packed her
pack for her first trip abroad, and is currently weighing
in at 46 lbs. HELP!! Please, there's no need to tell of the
pros of packing light, what I need is feedback...
What items (clothing aside) have you taken with you on
extended (6-7month) trips through Asia that you've not
used? I have taken every piece of advice I've read, and
packed plenty of deet-containing repellant, all my guide
books, chain to secure my pack, duct tape, complete first
aid kit, etc. I've cut out all non-essentials (moisturizer,
rope, sweaters, etc) and I can still barely lift it. Please
don't remind me of how silly I am to overpack, I just need
advice on things I may not need so that I can rectify the
situation! I'm going to be in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos,
Vietnam, Burma, Nepal, Egypt and Turkey.
Thanks!
Angela
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I overpacked and what a pain ... I ultimately mailed stuff
home and gave things away left and right until I got it down
to the barest minimum. Don't bring plenty of anything -
especially the first aid stuff. You'll be able to get
whatever you'd need in that department within a day, so for
the most part, you just need what would get you through an
emergency. My first aid supplies and toiletries really
added weight. You don't need plenty of insect repellant
either ... they sell lots of it there. You'd be amazed at
how long you can get very little bits of shampoo and
toothpaste to last if you really hate extra weight. They
sell shampoo in little one-shot packets which I found
particularly handy because they took up so little room. I
used mostly hotel-sized amounts of toiletries and replaced
as I went along. I found that I threw in a lot of extra
clothes, because they didn't seem to weigh that much anyway
... but together they did. You probably will have a much
lighter load if you didn't bring all your guidebooks.
THey're very easy to come by as you go along and EVERYONE
has one so you can always look at theirs. As you get going
you'll find you rely more on word of mouth recommendations
than the books anyway. I didn't bring a chain or duct tape
and things were fine without them.
Good luck and have a great trip. Remember, anything you
forget you can find there!
Your pack will probably get lighter as you jettison things
along the way (books, etc) or mail them home (e.g.,
photos/film). I would also recommend leaving the duct tape
and chain behind--can't imagine why they would be necessary.
Also, things like jeans are heavy and I never used them in
Asia (soft leggings-type things were fine for flights or
sleeping in cold places). Clothes are usually the big
culprit -- I always take half of what I'm sure I'll use. If
you find you really need more, you can always pick up some
cheap once you're there.
Also, if you're bringing hiking boots, depending on what you
need them for you may want to invest in the lightweight
(e.g. gortex type). Same for waterproof jacket and daypack.
BTW, I'm a very small female and my pack intially weighed 35
pounds at the start of the rtw trip. It wasn't that
bad--you get stronger quite quickly.
Have fun.
Hi,
this isn't meant ironic. When I did my first Asian trip
(Thailand) I found that there wasn't ONE thing that I
couldn't by there. You'll even find all the standard
guidebooks and medication in larger cities (But I have no
clue aboutcontraceptive pills)
T.
Are you sure you can get by without the rope???
angela,
the only things i take with me is, a bit of underwear,
one pair of shorts, one long trousers, tevas, small(!) first
aid kit, minimum of toiletry adn my camera. EVERYTHING ELSE
is chaeper and easier to get along the way. last time i had
just 7Kg (including a bottle of california wine).
Thanks everyone. My main culprit is probably mozzie
repellant (with Deet). Can you find this over there, at a
good Deet percentage? What about LP guide books - I don't
want to risk being caught short... are they available in
Bangkok book stores?
Thanks!
You can buy LP guide books practically anywhere these days
and they will definitely be available in Bangkok.
Many travellers sell their copies en route - just scan the
backpacker noticeboards.
All you really need to take is:
2-3 T-shirts
2 pairs of shorts
1 lightweight pair of trousers (buy in Asia)
1 lighweight sweater for cooler evenings or long sleeved
shirt
Silk sleeping sheet (easily obtained in Asia)
Underwear
Swimming costume
2/3 pairs of socks
Teva's & lightweight boots or trainers.
That's all you need to take to start with (avoid anything
white!). Anything else can easily be obtained out there.
IANS'S LIST WOULD SUFFICE. Most, if not all items for
travel are available en route. These are much cheaper and
are more than 'fit for purpose'.
Take less/half the stuff and more/twice the money, the trip
would be great fun!
Skip the second pair of shorts and bring a lightweight,
comfortable dress.
I photocopy the most relevant pages of my guide books - eg when i know I am going somewhere, and also download stuff from here and other sites. Then I just chuck the bits of paper away as I leave the place.
A sarong can double as a sleeping sheet and a towel and a
skirt if you get desparate. Photocopy what you need and
remember that all is avaiable over there.
When I left for asia with my partner we had two t shirts
each, two bottoms, a thermal top and bottom, a sarong each
minimul toletries, no jewlery or makeup, first aid kit and
our guide book for all south east asia. It all fitted into
one small backpack and when in thailand we brought a
backpack which lasted tilll after Laos and Thailand and then
on our way to Malaysia we brought another. Both good quality
and only $50 Aus
The rule is to pack what you want and then throw out half.
Make sure that each top and each bottom you take
matches everything thus allowing more varity in out fits.
If you're spending any legnth of time travelling through
Laos and Vietnam then pack some laxatives or whilst in
Vietnam find a local store holder that sells dragon fruit.
drop the chain, if you are paranoid get a lock. any first
aid, as well as toiletries, should be bought at one of the
many pharmacys(including contraceptive pills for only 1US
monthly!!), instead of packing stuff around that you
"might" for that broken leg you "might" get. drop the cover
sheet too, sarongs are so much more multi-purpose. you
will buy the clothes over there that you'll end up wearing
the most. stay away from whites. have fun!
a lot everybody, I will be taking your advice!
Angela
Photocopy all your travel documents, id, and credit cards
and write a second list of all your critical telephone
numbers and stuff the copies in the bottom of your pack (or
better - put them in your travel companion's pack if you're
not alone). If you 'lose' something the copies can make it
much easier to secure repacements.