Kit porn
By Dave • January 31st, 2008
I used to think my inner geek got a pretty good airing. I spent every month dibbling about with new cameras, phones and laptops at work, and every now and then my wife would brand me a nerd when I arrived home with enough cables to provide a Conservative MP with all the S&M they could eat.
It turns out, though, that if you want to really express that little part of you that loves the minutiae, you need to go on a world trip. Not only do you want to buy the latest and greatest gear, you have to buy it. Mongolia spends most of its winter at around the -30 degree mark, so as fabulous as I’m sure a puffer jacket from Top Shop would be, we spent our recent trip to the States making sure the employees of The North Face had a very happy Christmas indeed. Giant coats, thermal underwear, rain coats, trousers with more compartments than the engine room of the Titanic, the lot. We have sporks made from plastic and bowls made from silicone.
We drew the line at a pair of underwear with the tag line “six weeks, nine countries, one pair of underwear,†on the grounds that it was disgusting.
And then there’s the lovely technology. Chargers, cables, lenses, straps, batteries. The insurance nightmare isn’t worth thinking about.
We’ve tried out our mosquito nets too, which, in a semi-detached in the New Forest felt like nothing so much as setting up an indoors tree-house.
We made signs and everything.
The bad news, of course, is that it adds up horribly. By the time I’m in my boots and clicked into my bag, the whole ensemble weighs a shade over 20kg (about 40lbs for our American friends). There aren’t any twenty-mile hikes in the itinerary, but given the current fun and games in Guangzhou at the moment, you never know how long we might be wearing everything. Given that wearing the whole lot for ten minutes feels a lot more like twenty, it’s quite possible we’ll be auctioning off our things by Moscow.
Kit Links
FCO Travel advice The government gets hands-on with what to take.
www.nomadtravel.co.uk One of the UK’s best chains of travel gear sellers.
www.thenorthface.com Makers of fine, but expensive, outdoors gear. I’m not sure they sell anything that doesn’t stuff into itself, which means it’s not only great outdoors stuff, but it’s also metaphysical.
www.columbia.com More good outdoors stuff.
Dave has a bad back already. I have, however, got all seven Harry Potter books on my iPod, so I’m ready to recuperate on the trans-Siberian express. If you’ve been backpacking, for as little as a weekend or as long as a decade, I want to know what you carried. What did you use all the time, and what did you pack but never use? What did you wish you’d taken? Leave a comment below.
Tags: cables, cameras, geek, nerd
Didn’t use the first aid kit - hurray.
Hope that you manage longer between arriving at the airport and the plane leaving on all the rest of your flights
It wouldn’t be a trip abroad if there wasn’t some lovely sprinting.
i have enjoyed the pic’s and the cute commentary’s. keep them coming makes us feel like we are on the journey with you…. love you both mom
You are a bad, bad geek. Harry Potter?
I know. What’s worse is that I sometimes close my eyes and imagine the characters from the film.
Of course, on the trans-Siberian express, this still makes me one of the most normal people about.
By the time I made it to Oz after about 9 months away, I was down to two t-shirts, two pairs of pants and a pair of zip-off trousers. Oh, and some sandals. And that was pretty much it.
You will learn to hate packing everything back up every day. As a result you will learn to shed excess stuff back to Blighty via the gift of extremely expensive and slow overland parcel-post.
And finally, you will learn to hate the sound of numpties rustling plastic bags in hostel dorms at 3 in the morning.
Fact.
I’ve got T-shirts left, but they’re getting on a bit. Read: I can’t be arsed with the laundry. I keep telling myself I’ll do it in China.
And I’m some distance ahead of you on the hating numpty noises. How hard is it to organise things the night before, anyway?
Tks…
I really need it,thank you very much!!!…
Hey {this is a|this can be a|it is a} {real|actual} cool {website|web site}…
Hey I discovered this website to be really fascinating! Bookmarked!…
Take a look at this….
[...]take a look at our friends at[...]…
Awesome Site!…
… Our daily blog post of the day! Check it out and feel free to comment….
The best website……
[...]here are some links to sites that we link to because we think they are worth visiting[...]……
Great Site!…
[...] Check this site out!! [...]…
I enjoy all the comments here…….
[...]i’m pondering about beginning my own blog. i’m asking yourself if it is hard to operate your own blog. I certainly enjoy commenting. many thanks Bloggers…[...]…
Great Site!…
[...] Kind of warm for sweaters now but check out this blog post! [...]…
Great Site!…
[...] Friends: Check out this post, It was my read of the day! [...]…
As You Like It…
blog here! Additionally your site rather a lot up very fast! What web host are you the use of? Can I am getting your affiliate link to your host? I want my web site loaded up as quickly as yours lol…
Great Site!……
[...]Kind of warm for sweaters now but check out this blog post![...]…
Great Post…
I saw this really good post today….
Follow Blog Readers:…
Check out this post! It is worth reading!…
Evergreen…
Wow, marvelous blog layout! How long have you ever been running a blog for? you made blogging glance easy. The full glance of your website is excellent, as smartly the content material!…
The best website……
[...]here are some links to sites that we link to because we think they are worth visiting[...]……
Lazy Affiliate Riches Bonus…
[...]we’ve found the content on these sites to be of pertinent value so[...]…
Evergreen…
Wow, marvelous weblog structure! How long have you ever been blogging for? you make running a blog look easy. The total look of your web site is excellent, let alone the content material!…
Sober House…
All of my relationships are better now that I’m healthy again…
Looking forward to this fall’s lineup…
It wasn’t until I noticed a few key points from this site that I realized how this was going to affect the industry…
Cooling down the Summer…
[...]This webpage knows what I reference [...]……
Follow Blog Readers:…
Check out this post! It is worth reading!…
As You Like It…
weblog here! Additionally your website so much up fast! What web host are you using? Can I get your affiliate link to your host? I desire my site loaded up as quickly as yours lol…
Evergreen…
Wow, awesome blog format! How lengthy have you been blogging for? you made blogging glance easy. The overall look of your site is great, well the content material!…
Its Never What We Think…
Found this interesting:…
Hi,…
An interesting discussion is worth comment. I feel that it’s best to write more on this subject, it may not be a taboo topic but typically persons are not enough to speak on such topics. To the next. Cheers…
Check this out:…
Check out this great posting!…
Very cool and edgy…
[...]this is the kind of thing that spreading wass made for[...]…
Hi,…
This site is really a stroll-by means of for all the information you wished about this and didn’t know who to ask. Glimpse right here, and also you’ll definitely discover it.There may be noticeably a bundle to find out about this. I assume you made…
Great Site……
[...]check this out as this contains important information about[...]…
Great Site……
[...]check this out as this contains important information about[...]…
Trackback Link…
[…] … great article that everyone should read […] …
Its Never What We Think…
Found this interesting:…
Check this out:…
Check out this amazing posting!…
Great Site……
[...]check this out as this contains important information about[...]…
Nice Site…
[…] … great article that everyone should read […] …
Great Post Here:…
This is worth reading!…
Hi,…
Good post. I study something tougher on totally different blogs everyday. It is going to at all times be stimulating to learn content material from other writers and follow a bit of something from their store. I’d favor to use some with the content o…
Trackback Link…
[…] … great article that everyone should read […] …
Check out this good read…
Bloggers: Check this out…
Hi,…
An fascinating dialogue is worth comment. I believe that you need to write extra on this topic, it won’t be a taboo subject however usually persons are not enough to speak on such topics. To the next. Cheers…
Shoopers:…
Go here for a great post…
Hi,…
Youre so cool! I dont suppose Ive learn something like this before. So nice to find any individual with some unique ideas on this subject. realy thanks for starting this up. this website is one thing that is wanted on the net, somebody with just a litt…
make money online…
Great post and overall a good website that trys to provide worthwhile content that I can provide to my visitors….
low cost hotels in benidorm…
This seems to be a great website and provides exactly what I have been looking for to pass on to my readers …
Hi,…
I’m impressed, I have to say. Actually hardly ever do I encounter a blog that’s both educative and entertaining, and let me inform you, you’ve gotten hit the nail on the head. Your thought is outstanding; the issue is one thing that not enough peo…
travel discounts online…
I have been looking for a website to provide quality content on a range of subjects, this website seems to fit the bill so I will be including it in my reviews…
Great Link!…
This site is worth visiting, It has Lots of informations that you may find useful….
how to make money with article marketing…
This is just what I have been looking for to refer my readers to on this sometimes complex issue…
Useful link…
Hello Guys I just came across this very useful page, you may want to visit it sometime….
Great Fathers Day…
Fathers Day Is Coming Soon…
cheap holidays…
Just what I have been looking for, a great looking site with worthwhile content I can recomend to my readers…
Great site…
[...]… Check this site out as this site contains a lot of information that you may find useful.[...]… …
Links for the day!…
Good morning everyone. I Just Discovered this great site i would like to share it with you guys….
Great site…
Hi, Great blog you got here,Check this site out as well, this site contains a lot of information that you may find useful….
Hi,…
Oh my goodness! an amazing article dude. Thank you However I’m experiencing issue with ur rss . Don’t know why Unable to subscribe to it. Is there anyone getting equivalent rss downside? Anyone who is aware of kindly respond. Thnkx…
Sources Trackback Link…
[...]check below, are some totally unrelated websites to ours, however, they are most trustworthy sources that we use[...]……
Hi,…
This actually answered my problem, thanks!…
Related…Trackback…
[...]just beneath, are numerous totally not related sites to ours, however, they are surely worth going over[...]……
Nighttime post…
Read before bed!…
Happy Sautrday…
Check out this posting from our good friends…
Our Trackback……
[...]very few websites that happen to be detailed below, from our point of view are undoubtedly well worth checking out[...]………
Check this great posting out…..
…Really good read!…
Hi,…
Youre so cool! I dont suppose Ive read anything like this before. So good to seek out any individual with some authentic thoughts on this subject. realy thank you for beginning this up. this web site is something that is needed on the web, somebody wit…
Sunday Posting Of Day:…
..Great read to start Sunday off…