travel
Change of Plan
As you can see, I’ve updated the Bucket pages to include the cheapest prices and stay times for each individual country. Europe is great, and South America isn’t so bad either, but if you take a look at the prices for African Visas, your reaction may be similar to mine!
Shock and uncertainty. If I go according to my current route, I will spend over 1800 USD in Visa fees ALONE. That’s a ton of money! I asked my German friend, Ursula, what she thought about that and she said (In a delightful German accent),
Oh, no no no no, this is too much to pay for traveling visas. Maybe if you have a lot of money, but asking so much for a visa is crazy.
So, depending on how Europe goes, I may fly over the first 5 or 6 African countries. We’ll see how it goes!!
Check the updates page to see website changes =]
Backpacking Checklist 2.0
When traveling, short-term or long-term, it is important to have a list of everything you need before you leave. This reduces your anxiety, stress, and money. If you buy things you need in advance, you can find cheaper options. I made this mistake with my Filter, Pants, and Shirts. I’ve since corrected my them.
In total, the bag on my back will weigh around 12 pounds, not including food or water. All items on my person add up to about 8 pounds. All in all, if I assume my food weighs 5 pounds, my entire weight will come to around 25 pounds.
This here is my Checklist of all the things I think I will need when I am traversing the globe. If you have any suggestions, go ahead and leave me a comment.
| Pack: Osprey Talon 44 (Blk) | Packing | 149.95 | 2 lb | 1 |
| Tent: Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2 | Packing | 303.95 | 2 lb, 4 oz | 1 |
| Therma Rest Neoair Sleep Pad, (Lg) | Packing | 179.95 | 1 lb | 1 |
| Sleeping Bag | Packing | Free | 3 lb, 9 oz | 1 |
| 550 Paracord 50 feet | On Body | 4.39 | 5 oz | 1 |
| Clothing Stuff Sack | Packing | Free | 1 | |
| Compression Stuff Sack (Med.) | Packing | Free | 1 | |
| Rain Pack Cover (Grn) | Packing | 21.99 | 4 oz | 1 |
| TOTAL: | PACKING | $660.23 | 9 lb, 9 oz | 1 |
| _ | _ | _ | _ | 1 |
| Merrel Hiking Shoes (Tan) | On Body | 109.89 | 2 lb, 6 oz | 1 |
| Merino Wool Cushion Socks (Gray, 1) | Clothes | 15.95 | 2 oz | 1 |
| Summer Hiking Socks, Merino (Blu, 1) | On Body | 18.89 | 2 oz | 1 |
| Kuhl Synthetic Polyester Pants (Gray) | On Body | 56.99 | 12 oz | 1 |
| Synthetic T-Shirt (Grn) | On Body | 21.53 | 5 oz | 1 |
| Longsleeve Synthetic Shirt (Blk) | Clothes | 3.95 | 1 lb | 1 |
| Winter Scarf (Red) | Clothes | Free | 7 oz | 1 |
| Ghost Whisperer Jacket (Blk) | Clothes | 142.83 | 7 oz | 1 |
| Padagonia Rain Coat (Blu) | On Body | 1.05 | 8 oz | 1 |
| Patagonia Rain Pants (Blu) | Clothes | Free | 8 oz | 1 |
| Head Lamp Black Diamond (Grn) | On Body | 23.95 | 1 | |
| AAA Batteries (4) | Misc. | Free | 1 | |
| Sun Glasses | Clothes | Free | 1 | |
| ExOfficio Boxer Briefs (2) | On Body | 42.05 | 4 oz | 1 |
| TOTAL: | CLOTHES | $436.81 | 7 lb, 1 oz | 1 |
| _ | _ | _ | _ | 1 |
| Mini-Stove; Wood Fueled (and sack) | Cooking | Free | 10 oz | 1 |
| 600ml Titanium Pot (and sack) | Cooking | 28.5 | 4 oz | 1 |
| Cleaning Sponges | Cooking | Free | 0 oz | 1 |
| Titanium Spoon, Chopsticks (and sack) | Cooking | Free | 0 oz | 1 |
| Bic Lighter | Cooking | Free | 0 oz | 1 |
| Small Matches | Cooking | Free | 0 oz | 1 |
| Homemade Pot Cozy | Cooking | 2.05 | 0 oz | 1 |
| Sawyer Mini Water Filter | Cooking | 24.95 | 2 oz | 1 |
| 50 oz. Water Bottles (2) | Cooking | Free | 0 oz | 1 |
| Fishing System | Cooking | Free | 1 | |
| TOTAL: | COOKING | $55.50 | 1 lb, 5 oz | 1 |
| _ | _ | _ | _ | 1 |
| Toothbrush | Hygiene | 4.26 | 2 oz | 1 |
| Toothpaste | Hygiene | Free | 1 oz | 1 |
| Toilet Paper | Hygiene | Free | 4 oz | 1 |
| TOTAL: | HYGIENE | $4.26 | 7 oz | 1 |
| _ | _ | _ | _ | 1 |
| Nokia Lumia 1020 | Misc. | 120 | 9 0z | 1 |
| Sony Cyber Shot DW800 20 MP Camera | On Body | 82.63 | 4 oz | 1 |
| Passport, 28 Pages | On Body | Free | 2 oz | 1 |
| Solar Powered Charger, Plugs, and Cords | Misc. | 23.95 | 9 oz | 1 |
| Gerber Knife | On Body | Free | 1 | |
| Compass: Flat, Multi Purpose | Misc. | Free | 0 oz | 1 |
| Mountain Climbers Clips | On Body | Free | 1 | |
| Sewing Kit, Zip Ties | Misc. | Free | 0 oz | 1 |
| Harmonica | Misc. | 1 | 1 | |
| Pencil | Misc. | Free | 1 oz | 1 |
| Pencil Sharpener | Misc. | Free | 0 oz | 1 |
| Moleskin Journal 193 Pages | Misc. | 12.95 | 5 oz | 1 |
| TOTAL: | MISC. | $163.48 | 1 lb, 6 oz | 1 |
| _ | _ | _ | _ | 1 |
| Band Aids | First Aid | Free | 0 oz | 1 |
| Pain Relief (10 Tablets) | First Aid | Free | 0 oz | 1 |
| Diarrhea Medicine (12 Tablets) | First Aid | 9.99 | 0 oz | 1 |
| Bandages | First Aid | 10.95 | 1 oz | 1 |
| TOTAL: | FIRST AID | $20.94 | 1 oz | 1 |
| _ | _ | _ | _ | 1 |
| Estimated Worn Weight | On Body | _ | 5 lb, 4 oz | 1 |
| Estimated Bag Weight | Packing | _ | 15 lb, 8 oz | 1 |
| Estimated Consumable Weight | Food | _ | 6 lb | 1 |
| Estimated Total | All Categories | $1,341.22 | 26 lb, 12 oz | 1 |
Trial and Error
Planning. And more planning. And if you aren’t planning and would rather be uber spontaneous, guess what? You’ll end up spending more than you would have if you had thought it through. I am learning this first hand.Take for instance my water filter. I hadn’t thought to much about it and naively purchased the Life Straw.
It’s light, its effective, it’s going to save me from the terrors of the Hershey squirts– Seems like a good choice, yeah? Wrong actually. Turns out that the Life Straw is only good if you have a constant supply of water! And if you bring a bottle, the opening must be long enough to fit the straw through, however bottles like that are often heavy or expensive.
I have since changed my stance and purchased what’s called a Sawyer Mini. It lets me screw on the filter to a variety of multi purpose bottles, or just a plain old plastic thing that you get in water packs. Point being: you should really consider planning your gear way in advance. What if I had already gone to Africa with that other filter? I’d be screwed, that’s what.
With this in mind, I took to the woods with my friend to test my rain gear. True to it’s claims, my rain cover protected my precious cargo on my back, and my lightweight coat and pants shielded my body. It is always a good idea to test your gear before you need it. My own backpacking checklist has changed at least 4 times! I ditch things that I don’t need, I add more on, I weigh and reweigh (new word?) until I am perfectly satisfied. I book my flight in advance, waiting for the cheapest options to save money (So I can travel further), and I can save cash, time, and headaches simply be planning.
Here’s the moral of this story:
Be spontaneous in your travels, but always plan your gear far before you leave.
Ghana: From a Local
Well, looking into Africa is slightly intimidating. Watching news reports from the media, it’s all crazed gunfire, rapes, murders, and theft. I never hear anything good about them- until I speak with locals.
I hitched a ride from an army officer today on my way to work, and we got talking. Turns out, he was born and raised in Ghana, an African country on the west coast, one that is on my route. Coincidentally, his name was Samuel. I asked about advice and he says,
My people in Ghana are so very kind. They will try to help you as much as they can. Of course, there are bad people too, but mostly from northern Nigeria who are using Ghana to transport drugs and different things. But the people of Ghana are good people. You don’t have to worry about that place.
This eased several of my fears, for which I am grateful. He mentioned some cultural differences such as bargaining and accepting help as a white man:
Never pay the price that they first ask of you. You must always bargain. For example, if they say, “This is 10 dollars,” you must ask to pay two instead. Many white people who come pay the full price because all the people of Ghana think that they are rich. All white people are rich, this is what they think. And if someone offers to help you, since you are white, they will expect some sort of compensation. But they will not be upset, or rage, if you do not pay them. So, if what we are doing now, taking you someplace, in Ghana the person driving will expect you to give him a gift. But it is okay if you do not, they won’t get angry.
Thank you Samuel, for explaining some of Ghana’s cultural aspects and for easing some of my fears. Speaking with him made me feel a little more confident in making my way to South Africa.
Ticket Purchased
Yesterday, I bought a One-Way flight to Ireland. Total cost: $408.00.
There’s no going back now,the departure date has changed to August 3rd. This simple change has saved me about $200.00 dollars in ticket costs, so I’d say it was a good idea.
Vaccinations, Pre-Travel
- The majority of persons infected with yellow fever virus have no illness or only mild illness.
- In persons who develop symptoms, the incubation period (time from infection until illness) is typically 3–6 days.
- The initial symptoms include sudden onset of fever, chills, severe headache, back pain, general body aches, nausea, and vomiting, fatigue, and weakness. Most persons improve after the initial presentation.
- After a brief remission of hours to a day, roughly 15% of cases progress to develop a more severe form of the disease. The severe form is characterized by high fever, jaundice, bleeding of the eyes, and eventually shock and failure of multiple organs.
Definitely time for shots!!
I don’t plan on purchasing travelers insurance, so I need to be prepared for the worst. Some countries in Africa actually require you to be vaccinated against certain diseases such as Yellow Fever.
I was given some vaccinations for MMR and Polio when I was a child, so I won’t be needing any of those. Well, here we go, time to make appointments. CVS looks like they have the MMR vaccines, along with some others, however I don’t see one for Yellow Fever.
After some digging around, I found an apothecary that charges 341.99 for the inoculation. This does not include a 79.99 fee for seeing the doctor. WOMP! That’s a lot of money. Luckily, Walgreens has the exact same vaccine, but they only charged me 159.99 with no additional fees. Yay! So, I went on in and got shot in my left arm. Later that day I felt sore, and a little bit nauseated, but it has since been five days and I am feeling quite fine =]
Time for more research =]
Backpacking Checklist
When traveling, short-term or long-term, it is important to have a list of everything you need before you leave. This reduces your anxiety, stress, and money. If you buy things you need in advance, you can find cheaper options.
This here is my Checklist of all the things I think I will need when I am traversing the globe. If you have any suggestions, go ahead and leave me a comment.
| Pack: Osprey Talon 44 (Blk) | Packing | 149.95 | 2 lb | 1 |
| Tent: Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2 | Packing | 303.95 | 2 lb, 4 oz | 1 |
| Therma Rest Neoair Sleep Pad, (Lg) | Packing | 179.95 | 1 lb | 1 |
| Sleeping Bag | Packing | Free | 3 lb, 9 oz | 1 |
| Guyline Cord 10 feet | Packing | 4.39 | 5 oz | 1 |
| Compression Stuff Sack (Med.) | Packing | 30.95 (Free) | ? | 1 |
| _ | 1 | |||
| Adidas Terrex Swift R GTX Hiking Shoes (Blk) | Clothes | 109.89 | 2 lb | 1 |
| Merino Wool Cushion Hiking Socks (2) | Clothes | 32.09 | 4 oz | 1 |
| Moosejaw Sahara Quick Drying Pants (Orng) | Clothes | 89.99 | 1 lb | 1 |
| Money Belt | Clothes | 11.59 | 5 oz | 1 |
| Moisture Wicking Pocket Polo (Blk) | Clothes | 21.53 | 1 lb | 1 |
| Longsleeve Synthetic Shirt (Blk) | Clothes | 3.95 | 1 lb | 1 |
| Down Puffy Coat | Clothes | 200.95? | ? | ? |
| Padagonia Rain Coat and Pants (Blu) | Clothes | 1.05 | 1 lb | 1 |
| Head Lamp Black Diamond (GRN) | Clothes | 23.95 | ? | 1 |
| Sun Glasses | Clothes | Free | 1 oz | 1 |
| ExOfficio Boxer Briefs (2) | Clothes | 42.05 | 4 oz | 1 |
| _ | 1 | |||
| Mini-Stove; Wood Fueled | Cooking | Free | 10 oz | 1 |
| 600ml Titanium Pot | Cooking | 28.5 | 3.8 oz | 1 |
| Chop Sticks | Cooking | Free | .5 oz | 1 |
| Titanium Spoon | Cooking | 9.05 (Free) | .05 oz | 1 |
| Bic Lighter | Cooking | Free | .5 oz | 1 |
| Small Matches | Cooking | Free | .5 oz | 1 |
| Homemade Pot Cozy | Cooking | 2.05 | .5 oz | 1 |
| Regular Plastic Water Bottle | Cooking | Free | .5 oz | 1 |
| Life Straw Water Filter | Cooking | 19.95 | 2 oz | 1 |
| Fishing Line and Hooks | Cooking | Free | ? | 1 |
| Misc. Carried Food and Water | Cooking | Varies | Varies | 1 |
| _ | 1 | |||
| Toothbrush | Hygiene | 4.26 | 2 oz | 1 |
| Sunscreen | Hygiene | 4.99 | 2 oz | 1 |
| Dental Floss | Hygiene | Free | .25 oz | 1 |
| Toothpaste | Hygiene | Free | 1 oz | 1 |
| Toilet Paper | Hygiene | Free | 4 oz | 1 |
| Microfiber Towel (Med) | Hygiene | ? | ? | Christmas |
| Deodorant | Hygiene | Free | 2 oz | 1 |
| Shampoo | Hygiene | Free | 2 oz | 1 |
| Hairties | Hygiene | Free | .25 oz | 1 |
| _ | 1 | |||
| Nokia Lumia 1020 (Cell) | Misc. | 127.05 | 8 oz | 1 |
| Microsoft Band? | Misc. | 159.95 | ? | Online |
| Solar Powered Charger | Misc. | 23.95 | ? | 1 |
| Knife | Misc. | ? | ? | ? |
| Rubber Bands | Misc. | Free | .5 oz | 1 |
| Flat, Multi Purpose Compass | Misc. | Free | .5 oz | 1 |
| Pocket Monkey Utility Tool | Misc. | 12 | 1 oz | 1 |
| Sewing Kit | Misc. | Free | .5 oz | 1 |
| Journal and Pen | Misc. | ? | ? | Christmas |
| Bear Spray | Misc. | 34.95 | 7.5 oz | ? |
| _ | 1 | |||
| Band Aids | First Aid | Free | 0.25 oz | 1 |
| Neosporin 1 oz | First Aid | Free | 1 oz | 1 |
| Pain Relief (10 Tablets) | First Aid | Free | 0.25 oz | 1 |
| Diarrhea Medicine (12 Tablets) | First Aid | 9.99 | 0.25 oz | 1 |
| Bandages | First Aid | 10.95 | 1 oz | 1 |
| _ | 1 | |||
| _ | 1 | |||
| Estimated Base Weight | All Categories | NA | 17 lb, 8 oz | 1 |
| Estimated Bag Weight | All Categories | NA | 13 lb, 7 oz | 1 |
| Estimated Food Weight | Cooking | NA | 4 lb | 1 |
| Estimated Body Weight | Clothes | NA | 4 lb, 10 oz | 1 |
| Estimated Total | All Categories | $1,170.27 | 21 lb, 7 oz | 1 |
- ← Previous
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- Next →
Minimalist Packer 