I made my own packing list in Thai in excel file some years ago when I was traveling a few times a year. It is similar to other packing lists that you can find on the internet.
http://kailaibala.blogspot.com/2012/05/general-travel-tips-for-kailash.html
http://www.theintrepidtraveler.net/2010/10/27/the-ultimate-adventure-packing-list/
Below are my must-bring items.
Shoulder scarf
>> Multi-purposes. I used it to cover my face and mouth when it was too cold. I used it in the car as well to block the sunlight by clipping it with the side handrail. In some guesthouses, the blankets were a bit dirty, so I used the scarf to cover the rim of the blanket side that was near my face.
Neck pillow
>> I got the one which has little foam balls inside. I used it when I was sleeping in the car/bus and also as a side pillow to hug when sleeping in bed.
Eye mask and ear plugs
>> I can sleep at anywhere anytime.
Wet tissue
>> In some places where there was no toilet/bathroom, I used wet tissue to clean everything from my face to my shoes.
Folding bucket
>> To make your own warm water to brush your teeth and clean your face/body.
Pocket soap
>> I don't like the feeling of liquid alcohol on my hands. I used this pocket soap instead.
Facial mask
>> If you travel for a long time, facial masks are lifesaver!!!
Sunscreen SPF50 PA++ and hand cream
>> Tibet is very dry and the sunligh is very strong.
Pantyliner
>> Nothing is worse than wearing the same underwear for many days.
Bratop
>> Some days I didn't feel like wearing underwire bras.
Disposable charcoal dust mask
>> For all the dirtroad rides.
Perfume
>> When you couldn't shower for 5 days, perfume was the only resort of freshness.
Body spray
>> Not to be used with your body. I sprayed it on the smelly blanket in some guesthouses.
Zip lock bags
>> I used it to keep my map/documents, snacks, and etc.
Small calculator
>> Very useful when negotiating price with minivan drivers and for cost calculation.
Adapter
>> In some guesthouses, there was only one outlet plug.
Brimmed hat with band
>> For sunny days.
For my next trip, I will buy these useful items which Jeff brought along with him this time.
Water purifier
GPS tracker
External battery USB charger
Liner for sleeping bag
Tang orange juice mix
Showing posts with label Hiking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hiking. Show all posts
Friday, 18 October 2013
Pre-trip: Equipment Preparation
If you personally know me (you probably wouldn't wish that), you will come to know one way or another that when I pack, I pack literally almost everything. This woman is specialized in bringing 50-75kg luggage containing various foods and beauty products from Thailand to China every year (for personal use only, not for commercial), so trust me I do know how to pack things in terms of quantity. So when it came to less quantity, more quality, I literally didn't have a clue.
First, I would need a bigger backpack. The Lululemon backpack that I always used barely had enough space for my previous 2-week trips in Yunnan and Sichuan. Probably, it was about time to buy a real decent backpack. BUT that would mean that I would have to spend around 2,000 RMB for it. I wasn't sure whether I could spare that amount of money at the moment coz I was not sure how much this whole trip would cost me. I desperately hoped that it would not cost me more than 20,000 RMB at most (please T_T). So, buying a new backpack now was out of the question. Then, how could I get a backpack without buying it? Borrowing one, of course. But from whom?
I looked around me. None of my friends and colleagues seemed to be interested in backpacking. There were one colleague that liked hiking though, but I wasn't sure that she would have any huge backpacks for me to borrow. Anyway, I asked her about the backpack, and she said she didn't have one. I asked whether she knew anyone who might have one. I wanted to borrow and perhaps give some money in return (otherwise I would feel guilty borrowing the backpack for free for a long time). She said she didn't know anyone who had it. My hope was shattered. Oh what should I do now?
I came back home and talked about this problem with my Chinese flatmates. Amazingly, my flatmate said that she knew someone who could lend me the backpack that I wanted. My hope was rising high again. Still, she wasn't sure. She had to ask her friend first.
She contacted her friend and told me that her friend had the backpack and agreed to lend it to me (WOOHOO!!!). I was really really happy to hear that. She gave me his number and told me to contact her friend about the backpack. Actually I was hoping that she would help arrange the meetup and things for me as it would be better to contact her friend through her, but she said that she was busy with her pre-MBA-exam tuition class.
I got her friend's number from my pre-MBA flatmate and asked my hiking colleague to help contact the guy. The guy first said that I could go get the backpack from his place on 28 Aug. Then later, he changed the date to 3 Sep as his friend wanted to borrow the backpack from him before that. He also asked whether I needed something else. I asked Jeff whether we needed the tent for our Amnye Machen kora. Jeff said that he would buy a new tent from Taobao for us two, but I probably would have to bring my own sleeping bag and mattress. I asked the guy whether he also had it. He agreed to let me borrow them from him, but he would probably need to ask me to pay some money. I accepted it.
On 3 Sep, my flatmates and I went to his place to get the stuff. It turned out that he had many backpacks, sleeping bags, tents, and mattress. I was amazed at what I saw. Seriously, he could open a shop selling it. The guy himself was also very friendly although he couldn't speak English, but I could feel from the way he spoke to my flatmates. His apartment was also very huge. It could fit 50 people in his living room! I personally had no clue about camping and trekking equipment, so I called Jeff and asked him which one to choose. I chose his warmest sleeping bag (-10 C min), the inflatable mattress and the 50L orange backpack. I paid him 130 RMB for the three items. He showed me how to use each item and even gave us ice creams (WOW!!).
I already got the rest of the required equipments for hiking, so I thought I should be okay.
Jacket with fleece >> I only have the wind-proof one, but not water-proof. Goretex is a lot better.
Hiking stick
Hiking socks
Knee support >> for my left knee
Ankle support >> for my flat feet
Hiking shoes >> all worn out
Hiking pants >> I only have a thin layer one
Gloves
Beanie
Torchlight >> headlight is better if you have
Not a hiking expert myself, I made do of whatever available in my closet.
Oh boy, I would learn an important lesson from this trip.
First, I would need a bigger backpack. The Lululemon backpack that I always used barely had enough space for my previous 2-week trips in Yunnan and Sichuan. Probably, it was about time to buy a real decent backpack. BUT that would mean that I would have to spend around 2,000 RMB for it. I wasn't sure whether I could spare that amount of money at the moment coz I was not sure how much this whole trip would cost me. I desperately hoped that it would not cost me more than 20,000 RMB at most (please T_T). So, buying a new backpack now was out of the question. Then, how could I get a backpack without buying it? Borrowing one, of course. But from whom?
I looked around me. None of my friends and colleagues seemed to be interested in backpacking. There were one colleague that liked hiking though, but I wasn't sure that she would have any huge backpacks for me to borrow. Anyway, I asked her about the backpack, and she said she didn't have one. I asked whether she knew anyone who might have one. I wanted to borrow and perhaps give some money in return (otherwise I would feel guilty borrowing the backpack for free for a long time). She said she didn't know anyone who had it. My hope was shattered. Oh what should I do now?
I came back home and talked about this problem with my Chinese flatmates. Amazingly, my flatmate said that she knew someone who could lend me the backpack that I wanted. My hope was rising high again. Still, she wasn't sure. She had to ask her friend first.
She contacted her friend and told me that her friend had the backpack and agreed to lend it to me (WOOHOO!!!). I was really really happy to hear that. She gave me his number and told me to contact her friend about the backpack. Actually I was hoping that she would help arrange the meetup and things for me as it would be better to contact her friend through her, but she said that she was busy with her pre-MBA-exam tuition class.
I got her friend's number from my pre-MBA flatmate and asked my hiking colleague to help contact the guy. The guy first said that I could go get the backpack from his place on 28 Aug. Then later, he changed the date to 3 Sep as his friend wanted to borrow the backpack from him before that. He also asked whether I needed something else. I asked Jeff whether we needed the tent for our Amnye Machen kora. Jeff said that he would buy a new tent from Taobao for us two, but I probably would have to bring my own sleeping bag and mattress. I asked the guy whether he also had it. He agreed to let me borrow them from him, but he would probably need to ask me to pay some money. I accepted it.
On 3 Sep, my flatmates and I went to his place to get the stuff. It turned out that he had many backpacks, sleeping bags, tents, and mattress. I was amazed at what I saw. Seriously, he could open a shop selling it. The guy himself was also very friendly although he couldn't speak English, but I could feel from the way he spoke to my flatmates. His apartment was also very huge. It could fit 50 people in his living room! I personally had no clue about camping and trekking equipment, so I called Jeff and asked him which one to choose. I chose his warmest sleeping bag (-10 C min), the inflatable mattress and the 50L orange backpack. I paid him 130 RMB for the three items. He showed me how to use each item and even gave us ice creams (WOW!!).
I already got the rest of the required equipments for hiking, so I thought I should be okay.
Jacket with fleece >> I only have the wind-proof one, but not water-proof. Goretex is a lot better.
Hiking stick
Hiking socks
Knee support >> for my left knee
Ankle support >> for my flat feet
Hiking shoes >> all worn out
Hiking pants >> I only have a thin layer one
Gloves
Beanie
Torchlight >> headlight is better if you have
Not a hiking expert myself, I made do of whatever available in my closet.
Oh boy, I would learn an important lesson from this trip.
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