Gear for Extended Travelling and Exploration?

Brian Jones

Brian Jones

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Folks, my brother is considering taking a leave of absence from his job and plans to travel for three months. It will involve wilderness, some less-dangerous third world areas, cities, hotels, camping, you name it. U.S. and international, probably south and central america for some legs. He wants to know what gear would appropriate to take with him. One-man tent, etc., etc. Trying to maximize his usage with the least amount of weight and bulk, obviously.

I've certainly given him some pointers and tips, but wanted to throw this out to our oustanding members here. He won't be able to carry a gun or anything in other areas. Mainly looking not for "self-defense" aspects but more "versatile gear to make life on the road as efficient and comfortable as possible."

I humbly throw this out to you for answers. :thumbup:
 
i have thought about this, i am considering doing a longer-term cross country trekking/exploration trip when i graduate...

one thing that has to be considered is mode of travel. is he going to be hiking everywhere? flying, driving, bussing? this will somewhat determine what he can bring.

i would say a couple of changes of clothes, a one man tent or a couple of silnylong poncho-tarps...a really warm sleeping bag and maybe a bivvy bag...mess kit, water containers.

since he will probably be spending alot of time in populated areas, i would say keep any big sharps minimalized...i would probably go with a mora, really good folding saw, and a folding knife or two. if i was doing this and doing alot of flying i wouldn't want to keep checking luggage, so i would leave the knives at home and pick up an old hickory paring knife wherever i arrive and sharpen it up. i'm not sure if planes would allow a folding saw mixed in with camping gear...but probably not. in that case, check out consignment shops or a walmart or something for a fiskars slide saw or similar. before getting on a plane again i would mail them to my house or care of a friend/family member (such as you brian ;) )
 
Thanks sig. He'll be flying, hiking, maybe car rental in some places. Probably no biking.

If he mails sharps to me and I like them, he may have a hard time getting them back. :)

Plus, I have him covered on quality sharps.

He'll go from Alaska to south america and many places in between. not Europe for this trip. He's been there, and the exchange rate just plain sucks right now.
 
I'm sure we'll see a ton of good gear recommendations here shortly, so I will be brief. As a hopeless coffee addict, my "must have" item of gear on any serious outing is a stainless steel coffee press (and, usually, a supply of good coffee). I have learned the hard way that my taste in coffee is borderline snobbish, and the difference between a decent cup of joe and a cup of freeze-dried instant pseudo-coffee can really set the tone for a day of backpacking off the beaten path. Plus, it's a great way to spark up conversation with fellow travellers - you get to be the guy with the good java. This has worked wonders for me in the UK, BC, and Brazil.

Of course, that only applies if your brother is a coffee fiend like me.

Other than that, you can't go wrong with a good multitool.

All the best,

- Mike
 
MOSQUITO NET
SYNTHETIC CLOTHES (that dry fast)
RUNNING SHOES
SOMETHING FOR DIARRHEA
I TAKE PROBIOTICS WHEN I TRAVEL
 
Brian,
Could I suggest he get Jeff Randall's/ Mike Perrin's book "Adventure Travel in the Third World". Covers about all the bases. Gear, travel, you name it, great collection of info.
 
Lots of socks man. Its always nice to geta fresh pair on..... Sunglasses too, I feel naked w/o a pair. Poncho liner for a blankie, and a softshell for cooler days. Small flashlight too. An automatic, or solar watch. A low key one. Lots of foreigners judge you by your watch as a target for ripping you off or robbing you. One of those sere belts to stash money in.
 
harpoon41 said:
Brian,
Could I suggest he get Jeff Randall's/ Mike Perrin's book "Adventure Travel in the Third World". Covers about all the bases. Gear, travel, you name it, great collection of info.
Click to expand...

Yes, I have it -- Jeff sent it as a gift after I helped a friend of his out who was stuck someplace nasty. Best read out there on the subject! :thumbup:
 
Having spent many a long and lonely hour in world travel, let me suggest something folks sometimes forget.

Take along ... a very complete set of vaccinations.

Figure out roughly where you're going and then visit your doc. You'll need to get a few sticks and a few pills ... and it will be totally worth all of it.

You don't want to go visiting such places without protection. Believe me. :eek:;)

Oh! Take nothing you cannot afford to lose. Nothing.

[Seriously. I've probably already been there. No ... I didn't get the T-shirt.]
 
I have traveled Mexico and a lot of CONUS on my BMW Dakar so I've never had to deal with customs. I have always used:

Money belt (stash money in several places)
GI poncho and Rain Gear (needed because I'm on a bike)
Fishing pole with reel (very modest one)
Wool blanket
Very non script common clothing
A multi tool
folding saw
several mora's (make excellent trade item in Mexico)
A decent folder (I carry a spyderco delica small non script and inexpensive also effective)
pup tent (the cheapest and smallest I can find)
light sleeping bag (I use a jungle bag, the lower profile the better)
cooking pot stainless and cheap
stove that runs on diesel and mogas
Liquor
cofee
bisquick
beans and rice
sugar
salt
inexpensive watch (timex baby)
PSK
First aid kit with a good general antibiotic

here are some of my basics probably not rocket science. A lot of times in mexico I buy a machete and keep it with me. It's really common so it doesn't attract attention. U must have good vaccinations, speak as much of the local language as possible and TRY even though you may look stupid, it isn't a bad idea to make contact with someone who knows the area and can offer good advice. Trust me there are some area's in mexico and south america that make harlem look comfy.

CONUS I carry a Glock 27 but wouldn't ever try it in Mexico
my .02
 
REI makes a WELL INSULATED stianless thermos mug with a fulter screen and no press. Much easier to carry around than the ones with the press. We use them for tea and coffee.

thin black hanes cotton socks for liners and midweight merino wool socks over those. I can survive anywhere - any temp from 120 down to mid 30s comfortably in those and my Vasques. Liners mean you can, if needed, get through with 4 pairs liners and 2 pairs wool and a sink for laundry.

I recommend iodine and Emergen-C. Iodine can be used for water purification, EmergenC fixes the aftertaste. Iodine also goes on cuts. EmergenC also goes well with the immune system.

Every Ebook he can "find" and an old 8MB palmIII that runs on AAA batteries.

Lots of tiny zipties and ways to use them to keep bvags and pockets closed. I've also used copper wire for this, and very obviously pissed off a few 'entrepenuers' in Rome and Sevilla.

no matter what else, one small light, non tactical, non foo foo knapsack. My most used two through 6 years of europe and the middle east were a standard leather bottom jansport and a khaki colored similar one put out by winchester back in 93 or so. (How I wish I could find one just like that again). No fancy stuff. Useful for shopping, toting books and whatnot. Doesn't look like gringo-de-REI con mucho dinero.
 
Money belt is handy particularly when staying at hostels. You can also get those combo-lock carbiners that are good to lock your pack, sealed closed, to your bed. Kind of silly but again a good little hostel trick.

Paracord - great for replacing shoe laces and other stuff.

One of those little spray bottle eyeglasses cleaner and microcloth if he has glasses or even sunglasses.

Handsanitizer.

A little bottle of foot powder, perhaps some shoe in-soles like Dr. Scholes, mole skin.

A pair of gloves for hand protection.

A really good hat - full brim, not a baseball cap. Tilleys have a little hide-away pouch in the inside top that you can stash spare i.d. and cash.

Photocopies of his passport stashed in different bags and clothing items.

Ziplock bags in different sizes. Handy for everything when travelling.

Your own bar of soap stored in a ziplock bag.

Advil, immodium, antihistamines, gravol, rolaides, tube of topical antibiotic cream, bandaides

Toilet paper roll in a ziplock

Quick dry and anti-wrinkle clothing - easy to wash by hand in your hotel room

Hankies

Small but very functional sewing kit, including some buttons

Tooth floss - nothing worse then having corn-on-the-cob in your teeth and no relief!
 
I'd add for trade if desired (or cheap gifts when those cool families invite you over for dinner) several of the more inexpensive wind up flashlights.
 
A decent water filter!!! I second good synthetic clothes that dry fast. I've been wearing Chaco sandles recently and love them...some of the most robust sandles I've worn in a long time.

Decent IFAK with antibiotic cream.

Foot powder (for S.A.)

Make sure he picks up a decent Paca-wool pullover down there...worth their weight in gold!

ROCK6
 
- exofficio underwear (was originally designed for travel)
- anti-diarrhea meds
- benadryl
- pain relievers
- SAK
- silk sleeping bag liner
- Adventure Medical Kit's Emergency Bivy
- Drum liner
- 8 x 5 sil nylon poncho
- bandanas
- 2% tincture of iodine
- Gold Bond Medicated Powder
and all the other stuff mentioned
 
second the zip ties, also, no military surplus, camo or od green backpacks- some countries do not allow them, and you might get slowed down some. If you can, put everything in a carry on. Knives you can get when you get there. Pills and powder over liquid medicines. Many places do not sell thick socks, so bring good Synthetic socks, as cotton socks can mildew quickly.

Also, check the flight rules for the countries you are going to, as they may have weight limits much lighter than domestic flights here.

If you are large, obese, fat, big footed or oddly sized, you may not be able to find your size in many areas. No matter what your size, carry a conversion chart with all the different sizes U.S., Euro, metric, whatever. Shoes, shirts, pants, belts,hats, etc.

American condoms in some places, are very desirable, not only for your own protection, but I have traded them for beer in Brazil. Foreign condoms can be uncomfortable and unreliable.

Buy fabrics that can be easily washed and quickly dried. Do not leave wet clothes in your laundry bag for more than 24 hours. Wash clothes in the shower when you take one.

Buy cheap flip flops, from the area you are going to.

Many products we buy in America that are made in other countries are manufactured for export only. Do not assume just because something is made where you are going that you will be able to purchase anything like it there.

Bring a few Photon type mini flashlights with you as gifts. Another forumite suggested this to me and it worked really well, they are great tokens for people who go out of their way to help you, or for other thank yous you might wish to bestow on someone. Leatherman Micras are as good, but won't work if you go straight carry on.

To save weight, an ultra light backpack, or rucksack gives you a little edge in how much you can carry on. Most places, you can buy a piece of foam for a pad when you get there. In fact, anything you know for sure you can get there, wait until you get there.

Do a little research on the kinds of critters that you might run into.

Write down the names of things you might need or want in the language of the place you are going to. Common things like hydrogen peroxide are hard to interpret. Do not assume everything is going to be in the dictionary.

Speaking of dictionaries, a pictionary is much better.
 
I,m suprised with all the hammock talk around here lately, it was not recommended. Certainly packs lighter than a tent. I could see carrying the tent for Alaska and some of the colder places, but I would think a hammock would be preffered for S & Central America to get off the ground out of the way of the creepy crawlies. I am sure it would be easy enough to sell off the tent somewhere in between and pick up a hammock.
 
i go for cotton socks because synthetics will rot my feet in equiatorial lowlands. I think that's not a normal trait, though. (In fact, I can't wear synthetics against my skin in general).

if you can get away with getting the stuff in country, aside from the flashlights I'd suggest finding a pile of LM squirt S4 and/or victorinox compact models. Knvies are well nigh universal, but i've found scissors can be harder to come by, and POCKET scissors are occasionally an unheard of miracle.

for specific meds i would ask a doctor and get some scrips or a gamma or something, but iodine is always handy :D As is a basic first aid kot, of course.

I generally prefer to get out when i am getting out into the world, so I leave a lot of stuff that would normally be on me going through my day. If I build a perfect American travel box, I might as well stay home.

As long as I can figure out food and water and have at least 48 hours of solid reading material, I can happily get through any delay or boredom. (try a 37 hour layoever in Philly International, or an unplanned 17 hours in Jerez)
 
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