What to take
Whoever you travel with is likely to provide you with a long list of recommended items so we wont repeat that list. But the following should provide you details for those things which may not stand out at first but are practical, or simply a nudge to make sure you do pack it.
Generally speaking the companies will provide you with the necessary camping equipment. The quality may vary but it should all be in working order. So you really shouldn’t need to take anything on that front.
One of the most important things you will bring is a good sleeping bag and a thermarest. These make a big difference, and it is advisable to purchase the items before you leave home. Do some research as everything depends on the places you are visiting.
You’ve probably heard it before but pack your bag and then halve it and that is probably sufficient. This can be very difficult particularly when you are travelling to a variety of climates, just try your best: it is better to put more layers on rather to carry heavy and space consuming jumpers.
Many trips are not 100% camping and you do end up staying in hotels or major cities. Therefore you should have clothing appropriate for towns or cities, jeans tend to be a universal fashion. This will mean you wont stand out as a tourist which should help prevent unwanted attention.
Useful Items
Mobile phones are useful not only for the obvious of making calls but as an alarm clock, light, calendar and contacts list. Of course you can use them for making emergency calls or receiving texts, but be carefull otherwise your phone bill will be astronomical. The phone you can use is limited to its type and network coverage. However, local sims cards can bring down costs and it is very surprising where you can get coverage.
An LED head torch lasts much longer than conventional bulb torches. They are extremely useful around a camp site but there is no need to go overboard as some cost close to 100 USD or around 40 GBP. Shop around and try fishing tackle shops as camping gear shops such as North Face are expensive. Remember AA batteries are still by far the most common battery you can purchase world wide !
Normal towel or travel towel ? unfortunately it is the travel towel, they dry quickly, stay fresh for longer and keep your luggage compact. But they tend to move water rather than soak it up like conventional towels so by the end of your trip you’ll be happy to throw it away.
Your luggage has to be soft shell. Not necessarily a rucksack, but take something which you can move easily and comfortably. Although the truck carries your luggage it is you who needs to move it back and forth from the truck to your tent or hotel room. (varies on company trucks)
A watertight bag generally tends to a useful, large enough to carry clothes or items for maybe an overnight trip.
Swiss army knife can be useful.
Lip balm especially in cold or high altitude climates or areas.
Depending on the length of trip and the type you should consider acquiring a Youth hostel card / Hosteling Internation card. This is particular useful before and after your trip. It is amazing the money you can save. If you are travelling South America then have a look at getting a SAE membership (South American explorer). They have some great discounts in most of the major cities.
Travel Books
This is one of the most important things you will carry around. Even though you may be on an organised tour, it is unlikely you will be given sufficient local information and this is where your book is vital. Before and after your tour starts and ends you?ll likely want to stay in that country to explore on your own.
Of course what you choose will depend on the length of time you travel.
The trucks usually have a library available however you shouldn?t expect the latest version of travel book to be there. And people find it useful to bring a reading book with them to exchange on route for those long sometimes endless drives. Of course your mp3 player is also a good way of carrying an endless supply, so it is worth taking.
Money Matters
Overland companies usually ask for a “kitty” in addition to the initial payment. It varies form company to company but mainly it is used for local expenses and has to be handed over in cash to the trip leader at the start of the trip. Most companies would like the cash payment in US Dollars - this means either carrying the money from your home country or withdrawing it in your first port of call.
If you are travelling to Africa you should read this post regarding USD in Africa.
Even though travellers checks have been the traditional means of carrying money and are generally recommended when travelling as being the safest option, be prepared to pay a heavy commission when cashing in and in many cases, very long queues.
Carrying debit and/or credit cards is becoming the easier option and you will be surprised where you will find ATMs. This does vary on where you are; for example in South America ATMs are very convenient and in some countries will dispense both local currency and US dollars, whilst Africa may be problematic.
Credit cards are useful when paying for extra “excursions” not included in the tour package and it is advisable carrying one, especially for emergencies. If you are a UK citizen then consider a Nationwide credit card - commission free when used abroad. Others may consider a pre paid cards from Visa.
When you change money just as you enter a country at the land border be very careful: know exactly how much money you have on you, negotiate the rate before you show any money, calculate the money you are due yourself - carry a calculator - and count the money again in front of the person you exchanged from. Sometimes, you can get a better rate if you have a larger amount to exchange. Check with your co-travellers and maybe put an equal amount in to get those extra few cents!
I would highly recommend setting up a skype account if you are travelling for a long period of time it is a very cheap way of making calls and internet cafes are generally easy to find.
Sleeping
A good sleeping bag: this varies greatly on where you are travelling to and what time of year. You have the option of either a synthetic or nature filled bag. The naturally filled bags tend to be warmer, thicker and therefore more bulky. Synthetic are easier to dry and are more compact but possibly less comfortable.
A silk liner is very useful no matter where you are travelling. Hot or cold, it is a very useful item.
If travelling at high altitude then it is going to get cold all year round - be prepared with at least thermo hat and gloves.
A good therma-rest makes a big difference when you qre out camping, so invest wisely.
It is possible to take your own tent if you dont want to share with others: just make sure it is small and appropriate for the locations you will be staying.
Blogs and Websites
Many people when travelling for a long time find creating a blog or website a great way of staying in touch with everyone and it eliminates the need for mass email lists. It also provides a great way of keeping a diary.
Ok, it can be a little bit more involved but with the number of companies offering sites for free it is probably worth setting one up. There are a few things you need to check when using a free service,
If you are looking to upload photos make sure that the image is resized before it is uploaded, try it at home before you leave and check that it doesn’t upload MB in file size, because when you are on the road upload speeds are very very slow - no matter where you are.
Check that you maintain copyright to your photos and your copy, important if you are a budding photographer or writer.
Remember you are unlikely to have your own URL using a free service so that can be a drawback.
The alternative to using a free service is to set one up yourself. If you are comfortable dabbling in web programming then it does pay to purchase your own URL and run your own website. Again it is not as complicated as it sounds. A US site provider will do most of the hard work and provide you with the necessary services for about 90USD a year.
Here are a few examples.
Freeblog
Typepad a more upmarket site.
Travellerpoint a well known site.
Travelpod
Photos
Even if you are not a keen photographer when on your travels you are bound to want to take the odd snap or two.
Nowadays a digital camera is ideal, nearly all Internet caf?s will be able to burn you a copy of your photos onto a CD. However I would invest in 1GB cards nothing bigger at the moment and use up the 700MB to copy onto CD. Although with 8GB SD memory cards available now you will have to make a judgement based on the time you are travelling. Another alternative is to carry a mini hard drive, but you are putting all your eggs into one basket. Burning onto DVD will take more time and is not available everywhere.
Carry a USB link for your camera as you are more likely to find a USB port rather than the multitude of cards formats. Generally speaking USB2.0 is widely available so speed is not really an issue between your camera and the PC.
If you want to take snaps outdoors in all weather consider the Pentax Optio WP. I managed to take shots in extreme weather conditions, white water rafting, and it survived a torrent of water in Foz do Iguazu. Great all round camera, but don’t expect to take great shots of wildlife if it is at a distance. For this you will need a camera with a higher zoom than 3X optical.
No matter what camera you use, make sure you have a spare battery whether it be a rechargeable or traditional battery. However, consider the environmental impact of a traditional battery especially if you are travelling to areas which do not a well developed recycling industry.
Remember when your uploading onto websites you have to be able to resize your photo on the desktop before uploading. Upload links are generally 128KB and this is shared between everyone using the link. So trying to upload your 2MB photo is going to take a long time or will fail midway.
If you are using a blog service or another website content provider make sure you have have full copyrights to your photos. When you return home creating a photo album using a service like Bob’s books is great.
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