my sister and adventure travel

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PayetteRucker

Joined
Aug 4, 2009
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I have a genius sister that is currently going to school, double majoring in Linguistics and Political Science and minoring in semetic languages. She has a full ride scholarship to spend a summer semester in Oman learning Arabic but I have some issues with it. Although she is a genius when it comes to books, her street smarts IQ is equivelant to that of a toaster. She's also very passive and shy, has a circulatory disease and is allergic to about 10 different common food ingredients. I'm trying to squeeze an adventure travel survival pack she can carry in her purse into a Maxped M5 pouch, just in case she finds herself in a sticky situation in some arab city halfway around the world, and here's a list of what I have so far. (trying to keep things women generally carry in purses out of this particular kit, so thinks like lip balm and sunscreen need not apply) I hope she has enough common sense to use this kit when needed...

RAT survival card
pink izula
Epipen
Benedril
Ibuprophen
bandaids
triple antibiotic ointment
chlorine based water purification tabs
crystal lite electrolyte packs
Gu energy packets/clif bars
small light stick
small bic lighter
25 USD and 25 Euro, when I can get my hands on some, for bribes or other emergencies
golf pencil and scrap paper
10 feet of folded up duct tape
small roll of parachute cord
1000 grit wet and dry, for sharpening the izula
a few strike anywhere matches

if anyone else has any ideas of things I can squeeze into this pouch, I'd be happy to hear them.
 
maybe a list of what she is allergic to, so if she accidentally comes in contact with them and cant speak she can tell EMT's what her allergies are.
 
definitely some Imodium. maybe throw in an extra bandana or something to be used as a head covering in case she needs to fit in with the rest of the women over there. maybe a little something like http://www.findmespot.com/en/ to keep in her bag so you guys know where she is exactly.
 
What about a small multi tool such as the Leatherman Micra. I had one for a while and it comes in real handy. Instead of pliers, it has a small clipper along with a small knife and a couple other tools. It would make for a good backup incase she loses the Izula.
 
I dont see a flashlight listed. I would recommend a Surefire G2L led flashlight or maybe a smaller one. If those are too expensive then consider the Streamlight Microstream LED as mentioned here before. Its a little bigger than a pen but takes one AAA battery. A flashlight can be invaluable in a lot of situations.
 
333rm said:
What about a small multi tool such as the Leatherman Micra. I had one for a while and it comes in real handy. Instead of pliers, it has a small clipper along with a small knife and a couple other tools. It would make for a good backup incase she loses the Izula.
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I'm not sure what your looking to spend on this but for a kit like this I would suggest something out of the Juice series. Their pliers are big enough to do some actual work with plus most of them have scissors. I have the S2 and the Cs4, the S2 is a basic model but is great and should do anything needed. The Cs4 is a great tool but is a bit bigger, not to much to affect anything when carried as part of a kit though, and has a lot of very useful tools on it.

I would also say to get her a flashlight as well, and I would have to say that a REQUIREMENT be that it has either AA or AAA batteries due to their avalibility everywhere. I just got a Fenix LDO1 and I love it, I would also suggest that it be able to tailstand. I have found this feature very useful in urban environments when you need both hands for something you just set it up like a candle. Another great thing about this light is it is very small and it has an SOS feature on it so that the light will flash SOS so if she gets into trouble she can use that, which is pretty common world with I believe. Also put with, whichever flashlight you get, a least one extra set of batteries, it sucks running out of juice when you need your light.

Oh and another thing I would add would be a bandana. I don't even have to list the million possible uses for one of these. I don't think thats something that most girls carry.

And the last suggestion I have is a whistle, if she gets into some serious trouble and needs help it is always good to be able to signal for it. I personally love the Fox 40 Micro. I wear one of these around my neck every day at work.
 
I'd also recommend a small multi-level AA light with extra AA batteries. Something with a simple UI like one of the Fenix or Quark AA lights. I think the G2L would be a bit bigger than needed, and she may be less inclined to actually EDC it.
I'd also suggest a small SAK, I personally like the Huntsman but there are so many models to choose from, and/or a small multi-tool like a Leatherman Squirt P4 with the pliers, or maybe a Juice model.
 
If your sister has allergies already you might consider including something like FOILLE (analgesic/antiseptic). I don't have a lot of allergies but at the age of 39, I am now allergic to triple antibiotic (after 20 years of use). It would stink to be far from home and not have the ability to get a different ointment if needed.
Stacy
www.armoralleather.com
 
gundude73 said:
maybe a list of what she is allergic to, so if she accidentally comes in contact with them and cant speak she can tell EMT's what her allergies are.
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Good Call, but fleshing that out, she should have a laminated card that should inform the reader what is going on, and what she will need (see a medic) because she is having an allergic reaction, and the card should say the same thing in multiple languages, with each different section easily identifiable, so the reader can quickly see whatever language they are familiar with.

According to Wikipedia...

"Although Arabic is Oman's official language, there are native speakers of different dialects, as well as Balochi (the language of the Baloch from western-Pakistan, eastern Iran), and southern Afghanistan or offshoots of Southern Arabian, a Semitic language only distantly related to Arabic, but closely related to Semitic languages in Eritrea and Ethiopia. Swahili and French are also widely spoken in the country due to the historical relations between Oman and Zanzibar the two languages have been linked historically. The dominant indigenous language is a dialect of Arabic and the country has also adopted English as a second language. Almost all signs and writings appear in both Arabic and English. A significant number also speak Hindi, due to the influx of Indian migrants during the late 1980s and the 1990s."

So, the card should be in English, Arabic, Balochi, Swahili, French, and Hindi...

Without this, in many places, I have heard they will assume that you are a drug addict, having some sort of deserved trouble.

My two cents.

Marion
 
also remeber this has to go threw air port security of many nations and customs....

flash light , ..... like it way better then the glow stick
a couple zip ties
bug repelent wipes etc
sun screen wipes
small bandana/hankie

haha some of the things i dont think would go over great....
mace
knives

the knives thing i will have to think over a few dozen times still. the izula i would drop infavor for a multi tool.... they normal can skate under the radar.... the other idea is what i used to do ... i had a supplyer for scalpe blades and i would tuck em into a first aid kit... never had a problem that way...

this is a real thinker....

if she wasnt so great at languages ... then i would say some visual translators
visual trans
 
Make that 2 epipens. Frequently the first is not enough. My 6 yr old needed the second on route to the E-Room. My 12 yr old daughter was able to give him the second shot while my wife was driving.

Considering all of your sister's allergies, I would also go with the Benadryl "Perfect Measures". These are pre-measured doses that enter the system more rapidly. Made a big difference this past weekend when my nephew had an allergic reaction to shell fish at a restaurant.

Chris
 
thanks everyone, this is some great input. A pen light would be alot more efficient in the long run than a glow stick, I was thinking more budget oriented with the keychain LED on the list but a real flashlight will definately go farther in the long run. bug repellant is also a good idea... as is a small multitool. I have a Gerber Clutch that I don't use much, I'll throw that in too.
 
I'd throw in a bar or two of soap. I hate not being able to clean up. :)
I second the whistle idea, and suggest a small round mirror for signaling, looking around corners, etc.
 
texastonydobbs said:
Blood Type and general info on a card.....

and a plane ticket back to the US ( IMO)
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you know, she's been Mommy's little girl her entire life and I'm actually surprised she's handling college 150 miles away from home so well, but I'm pretty sure I agree with the second part. I want her to have a good time and experience new things, but I'm not sure she's mentally strong enough to do something like this.
 
I would for sure throw in there a small AA or AAA LED flashlight. ITP makes a great AAA flashlight, the A3 EOS Advanced version it's easy on the wallet for what you get around $22.00. It has 3 levels of light for battery saving and the highest level puts out over 80 lumens, which is really bright for such a small light running on a AAA. It's small, compact, comes in a few different colors and will easily fit inside that Maxpedition pouch you got for her. A good place to get them is kniveshipfree.com, great pricing and free shipping. A bandana would also be a good addition with many uses. A good signaling whistle like the Fox 40 Micro would come in handy in case of needing to signal someone, get help in an emergency, or any other uses. Also a small prybar like the ones they sell at www.countycomm.com, they have 3 sizes and could come in handy when needed and are only a few bucks. A laminated medical sheet with all known allergies and any other medical issues would be a good thing for her to keep on hand in case of an emergency so they know what things to look for and what not to give her printed in arabic. Also a quick translation card for helping to communicate in an emergency or where no one else speaks english which can be few and far between over there. A second epi-pen might really be a good idea since the first one isn't always enough. Good luck to your sister and I hope she stays safe!!!
 
PayetteRucker said:
you know, she's been Mommy's little girl her entire life and I'm actually surprised she's handling college 150 miles away from home so well, but I'm pretty sure I agree with the second part. I want her to have a good time and experience new things, but I'm not sure she's mentally strong enough to do something like this.
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Its kinda like a knife .... you cant tease out a temper with out putting it to a little fire. good or bad it will be good for her.
 
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