Bolivia/Peru expedition gear....

R

Rhys MacArthur

Joined
Nov 23, 2004
Messages
37
You are going to South America, no wait a minute, I am going to SA! I want you to tell me what gear you would reccomend for an extended (month long) adventure in the wilds of La Paz and possibly some parts of Peru?
Here is what I am thinking.

Backpack- Big enough for all gear, I am thinking a Dana Designs Astralplane, as I can get one for about half price, 7200 ci.

Clothes- Assorted, khakis, shorts, polos for everyday, nice shirts for going out.

Wallet- Some kind of hidden wallet for passport, money, etc....

Light- SOme manner of small reliable flashlight.

Knife- My spyderco, maybe that Al Mar I saw the other day!

Footwear- Asolo tps 520 boots, Naout sandals.

Watch- My Seiko dive watch or the Casio g-shock?

Camera- I think a Minolta G-500.

Self Defense- Pepper foam/ASP baton/Drop $20 and run!

SO what am I missing?
 
Back pack....I would go with one of the hydration packs in a size you find appropriate.
Clothes....anything with pockets.
Wallet....check out www.eaglecreek.com
Knife....Victorinox SAK
Light....Inova X5T is a good, solid general purpose light with good battery life. Don't forget extra batteries for anything that requires them.
You seem to have your other categories covered pretty well.

What are you forgetting? A small portable radio. Great for news and music. Check out www.ccrane.com

Paul
 
Take half the clothes and twice the money!

Seriously, depending on your itinerary, I would consider water purification. If you're going to be in towns, maybe just tablets. If you're off into the wilds, I would highly recommend a filtration device. Diarrhoea/dysentery will really cramp your style.

Insect repellent! DEET is the one to go for.

An LED torch using AA batteries. Look at headlamps by Petzl.

Self-defense devices? Forget it. They're probably illegal, certainly extra weight that you don't need and of dubious efficiency. Avoid dangerous areas.

An appropriate hat. I like Tilley.

An SAK with appropriate mix of tools.

Multivitamin with multimineral tablets in the original bottle. (SA + police + tablets = fast talking)

Consider taking hypodermic needles etc. They are reused in many primitive countries.

Take fewer clothes. Select lightweight poly-cotton items. Some are now available with insect repellent qualities. Use the layering system for cooler areas. Try Gore-Tex XCR.

A mosquito net!

Aluminium hiking poles such as those made by Leki. Rucksack + mountainous terrain = knackered knees.

A good first aid kit.

Lightweight binoculars or a monocular. I have the Zeiss MiniQuick.

A good quality notebook for scraps, postcards, reflections etc.

A military-style dog tag with your name, contact telephone numbers, passport number etc.

A personal survival kit (PSK) including a whistle, compass, fire starting kit, fish hooks, survival blanket etc. etc. A very useful one can be put up in an Altoids tin.

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Contents: Swiss Army knife, micro torch, whistle,
BIC lighter, 50’ of 50lb kite line, 12” of 2mm tube
3 scalpel blades, 3 x 75mm nails, Brufen 4 x 400mg
P38 can opener, 4 Puritabs, 180 x 200 mm plastic bag
3 x 20p coins, pencil, writing paper, 2 safety pins,
2 paper clips, 2 Elastoplast, 2 antiseptic wipes,
1 colloid dressing, 1 elastic band, needle & thread,
3 No.8 fishhooks, micro safety pin, survival tips, ID

(Strapped to the outside with sections of bicycle inner tube are a Pocketwrench and a Starflash signalling mirror)

Maps.

Have fun, stay switched on!

maximus otter
 
>
>Backpack- Big enough for all gear, I am thinking a Dana Designs Astralplane, as I can get >one for about half price, 7200 ci.
>

sounds good. you might also take a look @ the Maxpedition Fatboy, since there's a chance you wont always need the Astralplane.


>
>Clothes- Assorted, khakis, shorts, polos for everyday, nice shirts for going out.
>

definitely look into breezy clothes. a nice wicking hat with a good sun protection rating will serve you well too. look @ Tilley's LTM6 Airflo hat - Tilly LTM6 Airflo.
going out? there are places to go out in Bolivia? LOL


>
>Wallet- Some kind of hidden wallet for passport, money, etc....
>

http://www.countycomm.com/thewallet.htm or http://www.countycomm.com/thecheckbook.htm


>
>Light- SOme manner of small reliable flashlight.
>

Underwater Kinetics 4AA eLED
Peak LED Solutions Hi-Power Kilimanjaro with HA3 and snow color LED's
if you'll actually be hiking thru the night tho, i would reccomend you get a headlamp like the Princeton Tec Corona or the Princeton Tec EOS, also available from Brightguy.com where i linked you a second ago. they're long running with multiple power levels.


>
>Knife- My spyderco, maybe that Al Mar I saw the other day!
>

i'd take something stainless and a cheap machette.


>
>Footwear- Asolo tps 520 boots, Naout sandals.
>

i personally wouldn't bother with boots. i'd wear some waterproof Merrell's with waterproof wicking socks. probly my Merrell Rough Riders. i've got tough feet tho from years of walking acrossed hot coals. good call with the sandals tho.


>
>Watch- My Seiko dive watch or the Casio g-shock?
>

my vote would go to the G-Shock.


>
>Camera- I think a Minolta G-500.
>

how is its weather resistance? it can get extremely humid down there. well, you probly can't go out and buy a new camera just for a trip anyways, so how about a brief report when you get home? personally i've had excellent results in foul weather with my father's Minolta Z1. so maybe that's a good sign for you.


>
>Self Defense- Pepper foam/ASP baton/Drop $20 and run!
>

i would definitely take the baton. or even better, a Cold Steel 6 foot wax wood staff (tho most would find that too large of a walking aid for lengthy hikes). if any confrontations take place i doubt it will be a 1 on 1 situation. from my shakey knowledge of that region thugs tend to travel in packs. so pepper spray/foam could have limited effectiveness. i wouldn't feel completely safe in many parts of Bolivia with anything less than something like a Himalayan Imports katana, since a gun is probly out of the question. a gun would be my first choice.

Edit:
sorry i just realized i didn't have much to add. :(
 
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