Sunday, August 28, 2011

I made a page about stuff I'm taking

If you are a red blooded American and like to buy stuff, or want to know why I don't make fun of other people for buying clothes, or are wondering how I'm going to fit a year's worth of gear in a 10 13 lb*, 28 L pack, have a look!

*My goal was 10 lbs. The juggling balls push it over.

3 comments:

  1. Some comments:

    First off, a coat that you can't get wet? Like ever? What happens if you get caught in a rain storm? I think you'll want at least one garment in your belongings that is waterproof.

    Secondly, talk to Rob about shoes. He wanted to go the barefoot-type route and found that he could he could have done with more support with all the walking he did.

    The water bottle sounds too good to be true and I have some trouble trusting it... I was going to say that bacteria and viruses aren't your only worry and that lead is a major issue in a lot of Asian water supplies, but I went to the website and the filter claims to remove trace metals as well. So I don't know. Despite that knowledge, I took the risk and boiled my water in China because that's what the locals did and I'm a fan of the when in Rome policy. I also ate street stand food and didn't die, so perhaps I'm just lucky.

    Plug adapter - Rather than country by country adapters, you can get universal adapter sets at places like Brookstone. They're really compact and I haven't met a country yet that my adapter hasn't been compatible with.

    Also, are you bringing a small bag to carry things with you if you leave you pack in a hotel? It might be helpful to have a small bag that can hold a water bottle and any other things that don't fit in your pockets.

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  2. Thanks!
    Coat: I guess the idea is, if I wear the down coat, I just wear the shell over it. Or do you mean, what if it's a downpour and the shell soaks through? Well, yes, I suppose that would be a problem. It's not the end of the world if it does get wet, it just won't be warm and it's not the kind of thing you should let happen often.

    As for shoes: I know, sounds like Rob's experience wasn't amazing. This one, unfortunately, is a bit late to change now; I don't have any other shoes that I'd feel as comfortable taking, and if I bought some new ones, I'd want to wear them for a couple weeks to make sure they fit right. On the other hand, sounds like his experience wasn't terrible either. My feet always hurt a little bit after long days walking, so no worries there. (he says, trying to rationalize the decision he's already made)

    Water bottle: what makes it any less trustworthy than a Steripen or any other filter? It's always just the company's word. Googling for reviews, they generally seem positive.

    Plug adapter: the last universal adapter set I saw was my dad's big clunky one. I didn't know they had gotten smaller since then. I'll check it out at a Brookstone. You know, when I go to the airport, where there will inevitably be one.

    Small bag might be a good idea, like just a tiny drawstring bag. I have big pockets, though. Well, I can always ditch the bag, and no big loss.

    At any rate, thanks for your thoughts!

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  3. This is very useful to me. I was actually about to ask you to post this list. Thanks!

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