What will you spend today? 02/06/06

ms_london

craigo wrote:

ms_london - when, and where abouts are you planning on camping? If its somewhere further north than Perth / sydney, my guess is you wont need anything too warm. Also depends when though.

Bear in mind, that all hostels, (well - everyone i used) will provide sheets, blankets, and pillows free of charge. Many will even ban you from bringing your own sleeping bag. You may have to leave it in reception. They do this to try to cut the risk of spreading bedbugs.... (backpacking myth, your just as likely to find them in the Savoy. I never had probs with them).

My point is: Make it small and cheap, 'cos i think you might get fed up lugging it around if you dont need to. Dont forget, pack light - Last thing you want is to have to pay for 2 bus tickets cos your luggage takes up an extra seat!

PS - Is that you in your avatar?

The one I got is a Karrimor 900 - so a 2 season & very small!! I had heard that hostels wont let you use it incase of bedbugs, but I just figured it will come in handy - even when I stay with my friend I can use it & if I move into a flat I can use it if there is no bed linen..

I am leaving Sydney at the start of Sep & going to Alice Springs which is where my trip will start & then end in Darwin. I know that the "outback" gets colder at night, but not sure hold cold - its not going to be freezing, but I wasnt sure....

I need that to be me in my aviator, but unfortunately not, no!! I wish!! I must get down the gym :eek: !!

Where did you go travelling? xx

ms_london

Imelda wrote:

ms_london wrote:

Just spent £1.35 on a diet coke & flapjack (always a good combination!!).

Bought my sleeping bag, travel towel (in giant!!), hiking boots & socks last night - spent about £150!!:eek: Btw - does anyone know which season sleeping bag I'll need for Oz? I'm camping for about 10 days, but the rest of the time will be in a hostel - I got a 2 Season...?

mmmm flapjack, I may have to make some tonight...

Sleeping bag- do you really need one? I found it cumbersome to carry around, instead I bought a sleeping bag liner and hired a sleeping bag/ bed linen from the hostels I stayed in (the liner on it's own was perfect for when it's hot) for not very much (and I'm sure some wouldnt let you use your own anyway- bed bugs). Is the camping part of an organised trip? they might be able to hire you a sleeping bag. Up to you though as some of the sleeping bags were manky (and when you see some of the swampy travelling types that may have slept in them previously.....). It depends when you'll be camping, I did all mine in December/ January and it was nice and warm (wore long sleeves to bed anyway to stop the mozzies biting).

Thanks too for your advice Imelda...

I bought hiking boots too & although I wont be needing them for ALL of my trip, I will need them. If I get there & it turns out that I dont need either, I can always sell them on. I am a bit worried, what with the sleeping bag & boots that I am running out of space in my backpack. Obviously I will be taking essentials and not going overboard on the clothes front. Where did you go & what did you take? I'll soon find out what are essentials and not when it comes to packing my backpack. I can see myself leaving a lot of stuff out at the last minute!!

Also my tour, they limit your luggage to 15kg - how much is this??!! The weight of a backpack or a smaller bag? xx

Zabl

ms_london wrote:

The one I got is a Karrimor 900 - so a 2 season & very small!! I had heard that hostels wont let you use it incase of bedbugs, but I just figured it will come in handy - even when I stay with my friend I can use it & if I move into a flat I can use it if there is no bed linen..

I am leaving Sydney at the start of Sep & going to Alice Springs which is where my trip will start & then end in Darwin. I know that the "outback" gets colder at night, but not sure hold cold - its not going to be freezing, but I wasnt sure....

I need that to be me in my aviator, but unfortunately not, no!! I wish!! I must get down the gym :eek: !!

Where did you go travelling? xx

Ms_london sounds like your sleeping bag will do you just fine....if your trip is with a tour company, you usually get a thick type sleeping bag called a Swag for sleeping in the outback, you just pop your own sleeping bag inside this and you'll be grand. In ayers rock i slept outside mine it was so warm!! Some hostels will let you use sleeping bags and some provide bed linen and you have to pay a small deposit which u get back at end....

Oooh and ps. am going on a cheapo to Spain, but doing a bit of travelling in between cities, once you've done your RTW trip you are ruined and package hols just won't cut it! You have been warned :rotfl:

ms_london

Zabl wrote:

Ms_london sounds like your sleeping bag will do you just fine....if your trip is with a tour company, you usually get a thick type sleeping bag called a Swag for sleeping in the outback, you just pop your own sleeping bag inside this and you'll be grand. In ayers rock i slept outside mine it was so warm!! Some hostels will let you use sleeping bags and some provide bed linen and you have to pay a small deposit which u get back at end....

Oooh and ps. am going on a cheapo to Spain, but doing a bit of travelling in between cities, once you've done your RTW trip you are ruined and package hols just won't cut it! You have been warned :rotfl:

Thanks Zabl... Wow, a lot of you have been travelling!! Might have to come back with more questions!! Infact Zabl - did you buy hiking/walking boots or would trainers do? I've bought them now & should just stick with them, at least I know they'll be comfy & I dont have any decent trainers anyway!!

I cant wait to see as much of the world as I can, even when I get home I want to do a summer travelling around Europe, but I wont wish the next few years of my life away like I have done the last 3, its time to start enjoying it!!

xx

craigo_2

"No worries" Imelda...!

Sounds like we have the same advice to give anyway!

ms_london - I ended up taking about 8kg, including the clothes I was wearing. Dont forget approx 1k will be hand luggage (documents, camera, money, drink, change of clothes etc). So if you take 16k with you, youve packed too much! I think you might need at least a 75l bag to make it weigh > 15kg. Mine was only about 50l.

I didnt take a sleeping bag - but Malaysia airlines provide a thick sheet thing that folded up really small, which I 'acquired', and it was really handy. The towel can be useful too. I went with the theory that its a civilised place, and anything I would need, I could buy there. The clothes are quite cheap too. eg Billabong. I only took one pair of shoes, and that was the ones I was standing in, sorta hiking boot / trainer things. They were ideal. I ended up buying a pair of "thongs" (flipflops) over there for a couple of quid. I know you have them now - but a sleeping bag and hiking boots would be things I would consider leavign until you are, and perhaps buying second hand or new from a travel shop there. But, it sounds like the one you have will be fine.

I took about 5 tshirts, 1 jumper, NO coat, 1 pair of shorts, 5 sets of underwear, 2 pairs of jeans, and a shirt - Including the clothes I was stood up in. I went to perth, adelaide, melbourne, canberra, sydney, brisbon, cairns, darwin, and all the smaller places in between (much more fun than the large cities). Started in april, left in july, so was in their winter. Coldest place i went was Sydney, where I had to put the jumper back on. Sounds like you'l have nothing to worry about weatherwise... I didnt go to "uluru" or alice springs, but from what ive heard it's ok.

In July I went to SE Asia, where I threw almost everything away, well... gave to charity, and bought some new clothes from markets (about £2 for a pair of jeans, £1.20 for fake designer tops, still wearing them now).

Blimey, that turned into a bit of an essay!

BTW - The worst part of my entire trip was probably the london underground from Kings Cross to Heathrow...:rolleyes:

Imelda

Hi ms_london,

it's difficult to tell really, I went away with a group of friends so I had an extended wardrobe! What was old to them was very new to me! You will get fed up with your clothes! I went to Oz and NZ, from November- May. As well as your backpack I would take a small rucksack (a day pack) to fit your toiletries, a change of clothes, your towel for the tours. Most tours will limit your baggage but provide lockers to store your backpack. Also maybe one of those cloth reusable shopping bags (like the M&S ones) to carry your food (for cooking in the hostels). 15 kg is quite a lot so your backpack maybe ok (if it's a long tour) and then just put things you definitely won't need in the day pack for storage. Also a little bag for your valuables (passport, money, tickets) to keep with you at ALL times (I had my passport stolen while I slept and it's a pain to sort out when you're in the outback!).
I know what you mean Zabl about never going on a package trip again, staying in one place for a week justfeels like a waste!)

Mrs(no)money

Imelda wrote:

However, tonight the OH and his friends are going to a bar near my office for a few drinks and has invited me. The trouble is it is v v expensive (£12 per drink- ridiculous I know).

WOW - thank goodness i am staying in!! Makes my bottle of wine on a Saturday night look like a real bargain (which it usually is!!)

Anyway, my spend today is a grand total of 98p - bananas:T

Have fun tonight imelda:D

kate1976

Hopefully today will be a no spend day for me although I do need bread and milk again (growing 11 year old boy in the house :rolleyes: )

ms_london

Wow. Thanks for your help - thats fab advice!! Given me more to think about!!

Imelda - I cant believe you had your passport stolen when you were sleeping, thats terrible!!

Thats the thing. I am staying with friends for the first month in Sydney so dont really need the boots or anything like that, however, I know what I am like and if I dont pack in the UK with these bulky items in my backpack I will probably take more crap with me, clothes I dont need etc... I've got a 70 litre backpack, but figure I dont need to fill it (although again, I probably will), but since I am going for 12 months in Oz and 12 months in NZ, I need a few more bits (?) - thats my logic anyway!!

I suppose you dont know until you get there, I am sure it will be fine!!

xx

craigo_2

Yeah, you'l be fine. I decided to pack as if i was going on a 5/6 day short break, and worry about the rest when the time came. Worked out pretty well, but I was lucky enough to be staying with a relative in Perth, after a 4 day stop over in Kuala Lumpur.

Just try to leave a little space in that bag for rummaging / acquisitions.

If you find you have too much, its quite cheap to send stuff back to the UK by ecomony sea mail. Takes about 3 months, but it gets there. My didgeridoo and box of random souvenirs did anyway!

Good luck & have a great time!