Using hiking ideas (or gear) for travel?

[blackdog]

I have a trip to plan that involves my wife (a non-hiker), a transatlantic flight and a month abroad in hot climate. Limits on weight on flights and other things circles my head... Stuff like:

Would it be possible to use something like a backpack instead of a bag or should i take a daypack plus a big bag? (...or a gearskin with the bag, perhaps?) Would the bag/pack need to be lockable or would a unlocked heavy duty pack (for airport abuse) do? Would it be wise to use something like a pertex anorak for wind and rain protection? Should I pack a hammock?

You get the idea, right? Both the little lady and myself are DIYers, so hiking materials could combine with formal looks, if necessary. The challenge is getting as far below the maximum weight limit as possible with our luggage and yet have gear inside for both casual and formal situations.

What hiking ideas (or gear) have saved your travels? What do you suggest us to pack?

(Both male and female perspectives are appreciated.)

[SGT Rock]

I prefer something like the Army duffle bag for check in baggage. Tough, lockable, and it looks so cheap no one would want to steal it or think it contains valuables for the most part. It also has shoulder straps that can make carrying the heavier of your loads easier. I think making something like a duffle would be cool, but I would add a zipper to run the length of the bag that is heavy dudty and can take the strain. I would also think about adding external compression straps.

The carry on bag needs to meet the size limitations of carry on luggage. I think you could do this with a gearskin, but it has also been my experience that operating in the close quarters of an airliner with luggage, a lot of straps may be a liability.

[SGT Rock]

Oh, and thanks again for the cool buttons. :D

[txulrich]

What hiking ideas (or gear) have saved your travels? What do you suggest us to pack?

(Both male and female perspectives are appreciated.)

I have taken a hint from my hiking clothing. While traveling (especially when on the plane) wear comfortable clothing. Hiking pants with cargo pockets are great and my very breathable hiking shirt with the roll up sleeves works well.

I also pack a small flashlight that I put on the night stand when I go to bed. Usually a small maglight.

Peace,
Joe

[JAK]

A good space and weight saver is to buy some stuff when you get over there and maybe sell it or give it away before you come back. This depends a lot one where your going.

If I was going to Peru, for example, I would not take any wool socks, mitts, hats, or sweaters with me. If I was going to India I would buy a bike over there and sell or give it away before coming back.

Europe is tougher because things can be more expensive over there and why should we give those b@stards anything (really just kidding). Still, it is nice to buy stuff away. Sweaters and Bags in particular are a nice thing to buy, so don't bring one unless you wish to trade or something. Fisherman sweaters are particularly cool, like a Jersey or a Geurnsey, or an Alderney sweater from the Channel Islands. The problem is more that you will have to much stuff for the trip home. You could ship stuff back.

As a minimalist at heart, it would be nice to go to Europe or around the world never carrying any more than you can carry comfortably on your back.

But minimalists aren't married.

[CanoeBlue]

I think that the best thing that an understanding of hiking brings to travel is simply - take less stuff - if you don't need it - leave it at home. I often look at the mound of junk that people pack for a short vacation and wonder if they are just travelling or whether they are moving there.

I, my wife and my son recently spent a month in Thailand - and we limited our baggage to carry-on ONLY. Best move that we could have made. We weren't burdened by excess luggage so we travelled by motorcycle taxi, tuk-tuk, long-tailed boat, song tow, train and rickshaw - and we walked. We had a great time and a lot of that fast and easy travel around the country wouldn't have been possible if we had to look after a lot of unneccessary stuff. Bought some cheap knock-off luggage at one of the markets shortly before we came home and loaded it up with silks etc. for the trip back.

[SGT Rock]

I tend to agree with the take less stuff, and I also like the suggestion of not carrying an item if you are going to a place where you might plan on buying something anyway. I can't think of something off the top of my head that applies to, but it makse sense. When I travel, I tend to think of taking some of the same type of clothing that I wear hiking, like instead of a heavy jacket and a rain jacket, take a rain jacket and a fleece top that can be worn as regular clothing too. Something else I like to do is keep a butt pack of esentials for a hike just in case I am going to a location and find some cool place to go on a day hike. If you are traveling by air and already plan to have a carry on backpack, then that saves needing the extra butt pack, but I think you get the idea.

[Sgathak]

Generally, the various "adventure travel" packing lists work great.

Im heading to Bali next year (assuming Jammah Islamiah doesnt start up another ruckus) and need to get some of the basics for me and the future "Mrs".

We will both be taking Mountainsmith Ramble 3500 packs (sized for carry on, hidable shoulder and hip straps, hand grip and detachable shoulder strap, doesnt look military, still very functional for hiking). Carry a few UnderArmour "loose gear" t-shirts (look and feel like cotton but dry quickly), some Supplex convertable pants (Royal Robbins makes some of the best, and they make a convertable skirt for women - though alot of people claim excellent luck with "peasant skirts" since they need almost no care at all), a supplex button front shirt (for guys), a pertex jacket, and smartwool ultralight socks. Bring some decent walking shoes that double well enough for "dress shoes", and some Tevas like sandles for general around town, in the shower, at the beach, and so on. Bring a simple tie that matches your outfit (all of your clothes should be only 2 or 3 colors so that everything mixes and matches). Women can usually do very well with just a scarf and a few tricks on how to tie it.... hats are always nice to have, and may be required in some areas (women are often required to cover their heads in many places, not just in Islamic nations)

All of these are light, multifunctional, and dry quickly! Everything you need for a week is all you need for a month or even a year - if you dont ned it when you arrive, but will before you leave (like, say, a coat) buy it locally. Youll help the eonomy and if you choose right, youll look more like the natives... it helps show respect and if you wear what they are wearing, its usually the best choice for the climate anyway) As far as clothing goes, if it wont dry overnight hanging over the tub - you dont want it. You should be able to wear it a few days, then wash it in the sink, and toss it over a travel clothes line and be good to go in the morning.

bring a silk sheet/hostel bag for sleeping in... some places require you use them. Unless your going to be sleeping outside alot, theres not alot of need for a hammock.. but if thats what makes you feel pretty, Exped has a nice simple one... Hennessys might be a bit over the top and mark you as overly soft (not to mention a "rich American")... always strive to be the "gray man" when abroad.

carry a first Aid Kit, color copies of all your ID (including your passport), some travel soap and a twisty cloths line, and you should be good to go. for security, a Pacsafe works good... but you cant travel with it on anymore if you check baggage (another good reason for carry on).

You might want to bring a VERY light day pack, Rick Steves sells a very light and cheap one, for going around town. Dont keep your valuables there though... too easy to "slash and dash"... this light pack is mostly for your jacket, a fresh t-shirt, and that little souvanier thingy you just couldnt live without! Keep your valuables in a neck wallet or in a hidden waist wallet. In many places it may be adventatgeous to ship souvaniers back rather than carry them home... less to worry about during the flight, and if your there for an extended period, you dont have to worry about something being stolen from your room if its already on its way home

[blackdog]

SGT Rock:
"Duffle...it looks so cheap no one would want to steal it..."

Didn't think about that. ...and I already own a swedish navy duffle... hmm...


txUlrich:
"While traveling (especially when on the plane) wear comfortable clothing. Hiking pants with cargo pockets are great and my very breathable hiking shirt with the roll up sleeves works well."
"I also pack a small flashlight that I put on the night stand when I go to bed."

I'm going to wear a necklace inspired by ranger Rick's survival one, but with some modifications, of course. One item now included in the specs is a led-light. My wife doesn't want a necklace to tangle her other ones, so she's designing something best described as a combined hip pack / airplane pillow.


JAK:
"If I was going to Peru, for example, I would not take any wool..."
"As a minimalist at heart, it would be nice to go to Europe or around the world never carrying any more than you can carry comfortably on your back."

South America it is, but not Peru. Minimalists aren't married? Some are and they always marry collectors... ;) As for the walk around Europe, why not try Lapland first?


CanoeBlue:
"take less stuff - if you don't need it - leave it at home."
"...we limited our baggage to carry-on ONLY. Best move that we could have made.

The carry-on-only idea is good. It's a challenge that would work well with my wife's luggage size needs... Me with one bag an her with three. ;) But she doesn't like carrying stuff more than I do, so let's hope for a miracle, OK?


Sgathak:
"...the various "adventure travel" packing lists work great."
"All of these are light, multifunctional, and dry quickly!"

After some googling, there was indeed some good packing lists to get ideas from, but your practical suggestions (like colour-coordinating clothes and packing clothes that dry quickly) were better than all of the lists i found. You should write a packing list, and I'm serious about that.


Apparently we need to prepare for both hot and cool climate during our journey because of the mountains. High up means colder. But that's what we're used to (except for the altitudes), so the challenge just got easier to grasp with our heads and harder because of the added stuff to pack.

There are other things to solve as well. Like how to get the images from the digital camera to one of my servers at home. Do I have to bring a laptop or is it possible to rent or borrow a computer for an hour or so to do it? This is an important trip for us and it needs to be very well documented. For this purpose I'm already modifying my old and trusty filijox (DIY Filofax) with a new cover, some new types of pages (like the "31ers" monthly planners that a friend thought up for me) and x-hi-res maps.

BTW, packing a hammock when going to the south Americas is like bringing wool socks to Peru, apparently. Another item not worth packing is a baby sling, according to the helpful mothers of the babywearing group at Yahoo.

We'll appreciate more tips and suggestions, and thank you very much for the ones we already got.

[cldphoto]

There are other things to solve as well. Like how to get the images from the digital camera to one of my servers at home. Do I have to bring a laptop or is it possible to rent or borrow a computer for an hour or so to do it? This is an important trip for us and it needs to be very well documented.

Most cities around the world have Internet cafes, even Timbuktu, the only problem is, how do you get the images from the camera to the computer without having to install software every time? Top (SGT Rock) managed some aspects of this website from Iraq, so maybe he has some tips.

If you don't end up loading images onto a server all the time, the other option is taking more memory with you. One option would be taking a lot of CF cards. Another would be taking a larger portable memory device. I looked at these a while back; there are several models that have 40 GB hard drives, some with LED screens for image browsing.

You might want to pose this question on the digital camera forum on http://www.photo.net -- I've found that site to be an invaluable source of photographic knowledge.

[SGT Rock]

Most computers have USB ports, so I had a camera that connects to USB. The computer recognized it as just another hard drive when connected after running the drivers. To carry the drivers, a Datastick, thumbdrive, whatever you want to call it was my install disk. I also ran Foxmail which was set up to download my e-mail from a pop3 server so even when I couldn't get a connection but had a computer, I could respond to e-mails and do stuff so that I could send it later or receive mail so I could read it later.

[blackdog]

cldphoto:
"...the other option is taking more memory with you. One option would be taking a lot of CF cards. Another would be taking a larger portable memory device."

Our Canon A80 uses CF memory modules and as you said it's one option well worth considering.


SGT Rock:
"Most computers have USB ports, so I had a camera that connects to USB. The computer recognized it as just another hard drive when connected after running the drivers. To carry the drivers, a Datastick, thumbdrive, whatever you want to call it was my install disk."

I though of burning a cd with the drivers, but using a USB memory would be easier. (The CD is still on the list, though.) The necklace would be a good place for mine and my better half will also have to pack one somewhere. I handle my own mail server but adding webmail would be a good idea.


Meanwhile I'm testing if a laptop might be added to the list of things to bring. I might have to bring one anyway for working while I'm abroad. A friend is bringing his 1.4kg of 600MHz power over to see if it's too heavy. Keep your fingers crossed.

One thing you should check out is one of the linuxCDs out there, like MandrakeMove or Knoppix. I prefer using linux and with these single cd linux versions I can run my favourite desktop without bringing a computer. ...or use if the laptop (if i bring it) decides to die during the journey. MandrakeMove saves user data (like modem pool numbers and e-mail settings) on a USB memory, so it comes up exactly the same the next time you can get your hands on a computer.

Geez... I'm much too much of a nerd for my own good...

[Sgathak]

After some googling, there was indeed some good packing lists to get ideas from, but your practical suggestions (like colour-coordinating clothes and packing clothes that dry quickly) were better than all of the lists i found. You should write a packing list, and I'm serious about that.

thanks for the complement, Ill keep your recommendation under consideration ;)

Re: installing webmail, I run squirrelmail and have had excellent luck with it.