What do you wish you had taken???????

alison74

jambojen wrote:

will i need waterproofs? am i to expect tropical storms do u think?

Also i am taking a digital camera out there and was hoping to be able to upload my photos as i go along. onto CD i mean, i have been told that these facilities are available in most places these days. is that right?
and i will need to charge is daily too.

Can you tell i have never been out of europe before!!!!!!???

No you won't need waterproofs, just get wet and dry off when it stops, it will still be hot. Or you can buy a waterproof poncho etc for pennies.

As for CD burning................. available EVERYWHERE

alison74

biglass wrote:

Hi,just a wee bit of info/advice re immodium type medication that I was told by a doc-diarrhoea is the body's way of getting rid of a dangerous bug and to take something to stop that process will allow the bacteria to multiply to often fatal levels inside the body.Sorry to talk about such things at this time of morning!:rotfl: Better to take rehydration sachets instead!
Enjoy your trip-it's something I regretted not doing when I had the chance! xx

Yes, I totally agree with you, but immodium has it's uses when you embark on an 8 hour bus journey, feel your stomach going and you don't speak the language to tell the bus driver to stop

Sarahsaver

Just been to India and I wish I had taken less toiletries - they were provided in every hotel.
Less shoes (sandals were enough)
More wipes - had some garnier facial wipes I got cheap but they were useful for lots of things
More sanitary protection. Needed it sooner that I thought and they are SO coy about 'those things'

I had delhi belly for a day but you just have to let it RUN through your system! Can't understand those folk who only ate western food, after all the food was all prepared in the same kitchen and I think the tummy upsets are more to do with the water and air con. systems.
I wish I had learnt more Hindi! But at least I knew enough to thank the chef for the lovely spicy breakfast!
Wish I hadn't had the packed breakfast fromt he hotel for the last train - the food and drink sellers on the train were constantly up and down with all manner of yummies. If in doubt, try it I say! Next time I would like to be as far away as possible from english people who don't or won't try 'foreign food'

Jay-Jay_4

Instead of a torch get a headtorch. You can get cheaper ones at camping shops, I have a Petzle which has had the same (Duracell) batteries for a year. Once you've tried a headtorch you won't go back to a hand torch and they are much smaller too.

Take a length of strong string or cheap washing line, double it over, twist it and use two clothes/bulldog clips to attach it to two places. You slide your clothes inside the twists to keep them hanging.

Foodbags and baby wipes .... wonderful for washing ermm.... 'intimate areas' and storing the wipes until you find a bin. If you're on the train for a long time you can get inside your sleeping bag, strip off, baby wipe your bod and get dressed again without showing a scrap of flesh

I echo the advice about swiss army knives, handy! I took a folding stanley knife and some needle nose pliers which came in very handy.

If you have something like a trekking pole, wrap some Duck Tape around the handle because you never know when you'll need to make a quick repair on something and Duck Tape is wonderful stuff.

Needle and thread.

If you take your pill for 6 months you may have breakthrough bleeding (and breast pain) be prepared. What about a Mooncup?

A pen

A flannel (for washing in train station sinks)

Earplugs (for sleeping on trains)

black-saturn

jambojen wrote:

will i need waterproofs? am i to expect tropical storms do u think?

Also i am taking a digital camera out there and was hoping to be able to upload my photos as i go along. onto CD i mean, i have been told that these facilities are available in most places these days. is that right?
and i will need to charge is daily too.

Can you tell i have never been out of europe before!!!!!!???

You won't need waterproofs, the rain will be a relief to you from all the heat and you'll want to get soaked to cool down, then you'll dry off again in about 10 minutes. I used to wet all my clothes before I went out every day. I can't stress enough how hot it's going to be there.

I didn't see anywhere where they did photos onto a CD but maybe if you are going to places like Bangkok, Hanoi and Saigon they will. I wasn't looking for them so I'm not sure.

Presuming the places you stay have electric you will be able to charge it by using a universal travel adaptor which they have 2 for £1 at the moment in Poundland.

I hadn't been out of europe either before I went there. In fact I'd only been out of the UK once. But it gave me the travel bug and now I've been all over the place and going to Cairo soon.

jambojen_2

Wonder how hot it is gonna be , are we talking 40 degrees???

baby wipes is an excellent idea! and loving the idea of wiping my self down while in my sleeping bag! lol!!! worth a try i suspose.
read on a website the other day.....
"you know you have been travelling when u have to ask yourself if farts should have lumps"

loved it!!!
lol.

black-saturn

You won't need a sleeping bag, it will be too hot!! It's hotter at night there than it is on the hottest summer day here!! The beach was so hot it burnt the bottoms of my feet. When I went it was more like 47 degrees in the shade.

pboae

I tend to come back from travelling with a long list of things I wished I hadn't botherered taking. Things I really love are travel towels, get one with a mesh style bag so you can pack it wet if you need to. They are also great if you are doing hand washing, you can put your clothes in them and then wring it out, and the clothes come out almost dry. I have a bath towel sized one and a smaller one which I use for hands/hair.

I don't take Immodium anymore, a friend of mine got really really ill on it, for the reasons biglass stated. I take rehydration salts instead, and always allow a couple of days in the schedule in case we need to stop longer somewhere while someone (usually me!) recovers. I've had to stop a bus once and jumping up and down with crossed legs looking slightly green was enough for the driver to understand the problem. <blush>

If you need DEET insect repellent, buy the 100% stuff online and get a small cheap plastic sprayer, places like Boots, Superdrug, Bodyshop, sell them. Then you can just mix your own concentrations up as you go, it's more flexible and a less bulk to carry.

I'd also second what people have said about contraceptive, a dodgy tum will stop it working, and you can't rely on it for another 7 days *after* you are fully better. Plus most malaria tablets interfere with it as well. Have you considered having an implant? For most women they stop periods or make them ultra light, and they aren't affected by tummy upsets or antibiotics. Oh, and if you have a look on the green/ethical board there is a long thread about 'mooncups'. It's a lot easier to carry than a suitcase full of sanitary towels. (Even if you take the pill right through, if it is compromised because you are ill you a likely to get breakthrough bleeding).

I'm trying to think what else, a small compass and torch, that will clip onto your backpack out of the way. One more thing, I've not taken them myself, but you can buy packets of bleach tablets now in supermarkets. I wish I'd had something like that before. If there are a few of you and one goes down with something nasty, it's really hard to stop passing it back and forth. To be able to bleach the sink and toilet would have been a godsend.

jambojen_2

Right quick update, thanks to all your help on this thread i have now bought......

Travel towel (giant size) was £26, but fluttered my lashes at the millets guy and he knocked it down to half price so £13.
A travel washing line £2.99
A Travel Universal sink Plug £3.99
Backpack 30 litre, £50!!!
Lock £11.99 (its a good one!!)
First aid Kit £5
a small hanging door thing to put my cosmetics in £free as mum got me it.
Torch £10.
a small CD case to put my burned pics into £3.50

the list is still growing, i have yet to get a door wedge and some other items on the posts above including hydrating tablet things, compass, and bleach tablets.......

yorkshirepud_2

Just got back from Jamaica today, things i wish i'd taken are tea light candles cos we had a couple of power cuts, you could always use them anyway. A cushtie which is a beanbag pillow cos we were delayed nearly eight hours. They cost a tenner and are available at some airports.

Happy hols