June 5: Getting ready to go; two days and counting
When we first thought about taking this trip it sounded very exciting and adventurous. Then we started talking about how to live on the road for 5 to 6 months, moving from place to place in and out of urban settings.
For years I have planned for the day that I would have time to hike the Appalachian Trail which will take about the same amount of time as this trip. The difference is that we won't be living in the woods. We will be living in cities, towns and villages, traveling on trains, buses and ferries, eating in restaurants, going to museums and shopping in markets. In other words we will be constantly interacting with people. So appearance and personal hygiene will be more important than it would if we were spending months in a more remote isolated setting.
We decided that we would approach the trip in two segments. The first is Australia where it will be winter; we have a three day trek planned south of Perth in the western part of the country. After Australia we are returning to Hong Kong and will be able to modify our pack list to accommodate Japan, Mongolia and the Siberian Express. Holly came up with an idea of shipping a box to the hotel in Moscow so we will have some fresh clothes when we arrive. Part of our concern is growing tired of wearing the same clothes everyday. We have talked to other travelers and this has been a common theme of several of them.
First we decided on the type of clothes. Lightweight nylon and polyester clothes pack small and will dry quickly and are suitable for washings in the bathroom sink. While not super stylish we have been able to find clothes that will allow us to move through societies while not "standing out in the crowd". We each have decided on a minimum amount of clothing i.e. 2 pants, 4 shirts (Ts and collared) socks, underwear, jacket, 1 pair of hiking shoes, 1 pair of sandals, a pair of flip flops and miscellaneous caps, gloves, belts etc.
The next items we looked at were bathroom items. Again, we tried to minimize and take only what we need, carrying a reasonable amount of consumables.
Camera equipment makes up the next heaviest category of what we will carry. With 3 cameras and cases, battery chargers, digital storage wallet and accessories, this continues to be the area that I have an ongoing debate with my self. The problem is that we will go through some of the most scenic areas of the world. We want to make sure that we can capture the memories.
We are also carrying a compact laptop, I Pods, compact binoculars, sunglasses, sunscreen, insect repellent, paperbacks, water filter, first aid kit, walking sticks and a small light weight tarp.
The question was how to carry all of this stuff while using so many modes of travel. We decided on lightweight but large capacity backpacks. We chose "GoLite" Galaxy packs because they weigh 3 lbs 9 oz and have a 70 liter capacity. These packs also have split main compartments with two way access that will make it easier to find what we need.
All this has been done over the last month or so and now as we come down to the last few days before we start the trip we continue to look for last minute items and make last minute decisions on what goes and what gets shipped home or to Moscow. We will have to sort this out in the 2 days as we leave on Wednesday, ready or not.
For years I have planned for the day that I would have time to hike the Appalachian Trail which will take about the same amount of time as this trip. The difference is that we won't be living in the woods. We will be living in cities, towns and villages, traveling on trains, buses and ferries, eating in restaurants, going to museums and shopping in markets. In other words we will be constantly interacting with people. So appearance and personal hygiene will be more important than it would if we were spending months in a more remote isolated setting.
We decided that we would approach the trip in two segments. The first is Australia where it will be winter; we have a three day trek planned south of Perth in the western part of the country. After Australia we are returning to Hong Kong and will be able to modify our pack list to accommodate Japan, Mongolia and the Siberian Express. Holly came up with an idea of shipping a box to the hotel in Moscow so we will have some fresh clothes when we arrive. Part of our concern is growing tired of wearing the same clothes everyday. We have talked to other travelers and this has been a common theme of several of them.
First we decided on the type of clothes. Lightweight nylon and polyester clothes pack small and will dry quickly and are suitable for washings in the bathroom sink. While not super stylish we have been able to find clothes that will allow us to move through societies while not "standing out in the crowd". We each have decided on a minimum amount of clothing i.e. 2 pants, 4 shirts (Ts and collared) socks, underwear, jacket, 1 pair of hiking shoes, 1 pair of sandals, a pair of flip flops and miscellaneous caps, gloves, belts etc.
The next items we looked at were bathroom items. Again, we tried to minimize and take only what we need, carrying a reasonable amount of consumables.
Camera equipment makes up the next heaviest category of what we will carry. With 3 cameras and cases, battery chargers, digital storage wallet and accessories, this continues to be the area that I have an ongoing debate with my self. The problem is that we will go through some of the most scenic areas of the world. We want to make sure that we can capture the memories.
We are also carrying a compact laptop, I Pods, compact binoculars, sunglasses, sunscreen, insect repellent, paperbacks, water filter, first aid kit, walking sticks and a small light weight tarp.
The question was how to carry all of this stuff while using so many modes of travel. We decided on lightweight but large capacity backpacks. We chose "GoLite" Galaxy packs because they weigh 3 lbs 9 oz and have a 70 liter capacity. These packs also have split main compartments with two way access that will make it easier to find what we need.
All this has been done over the last month or so and now as we come down to the last few days before we start the trip we continue to look for last minute items and make last minute decisions on what goes and what gets shipped home or to Moscow. We will have to sort this out in the 2 days as we leave on Wednesday, ready or not.
posted by Gary and Holly Davis @ 6:02 PM
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