My Top 6 Travel Purchases

1. Locking Karabiners
These little things are great for attaching things to the outside of backpacks. I specifically went for ones that 'lock' to ensure that things are more secure and hopefully things won't accidentally undo and fall off. These were pretty cheap and I actually bought them in the sales.

2. Universal sink plug
Another cheap and easy to obtain item. Vital if you want to wash anything in a sink abroad, as they don't always come with a plug. Also useful if you want a bath or to leave something to soak. The universal ones should fit into a plug hole of any size and be pretty leak proof.

3. Travel electric toothbrush
This is something I have never seen before. It operates off a AAA battery. I'm not sure how long a single battery lasts but it claims to be pretty powerful. It is much smaller and cheaper than a standard electric toothbrush and comes with its battery and 2 heads.

4. Cable lock
This is retractable and claims to fit through most styles of lock. I am taking another padlock too, but this will help if the lock s smaller than my other padlock. It is a retractable cable, allowing you to use it to lock your bag or any number of things to something else. It is quite a cute looking lock to. Hopefully it will come in as useful as it promises.

5. Thermos water bottle

I have purchased a 1.1L thermos bottle that comes in an insulated holder, complete with a long strap. It should keep my cold water colder for longer, encouraging me to keep drinking filtered/bottled water that I can fill it up with in the morning and should last me a good little while. It looks a bit big and bulky but a smaller one will obviously mean less cold water in a very hot place.

6. Microfiber towel

I have an extra large microfiber travel towel to use for showers. Having tested it at home, it works very well. It is lighter than regular towels but I found it to almost be more absorbent, whilst being similar in size. Quick drying and light weight is a bonus. Although I might still take a regular towel to be prepared in the event of hitting a beach/pool whilst away, in order to keep sandy towels and showering towels separate. 

The packing chaos commences

With 2 weeks to go I have been for my final shop to buy things in preparation for Asia, mostly built up of insect repellent sun cream, antiseptic wipes and other important toiletry type things. This is actually what is going to take up the major portion of what I am taking, as I am not actually planning on taking all that much in the way of clothes. However, we shall see in time how many clothes find their way into my bag... 

Apart from the soft toys all of this (plus clothing and shoes which aren't shown)

 will have to fit into this bag:

I am looking forward to finding out if the travel roll storage bags (roll up to get the air out - no vacuum cleaner required) are as good as they promise to be. The t-shirt and hoodie you can see are both UPF 50 which should be good nearer the equator. I will also have to fit in my walking shoes and a pair of plastic flip flops (for questionable shower facilities).

Anyone with expert packing skills - feel free to head my way to lend a hand. :D

The cholera-juice update

I have taken the first dose of the cholera juice. It certainly smelt like raspberry but the thing that made it hard to drink was not the taste, but the fizziness. Anyway dose 1 of 2 is done so  the end is in sight. The second dose remains in the fridge - hidden amongst the tasty food. I am due to take it at the end of the week which  I am clearly really looking forward to. I am not a great fan of fizzy water at the best of times, so the cholera vaccine infusion hasn't made it any better. If only it was a vaccine that went on a sugar lump and swallowed that way. When taking cholera juice you have to not eat for an hour before or an hour after, so you truly get to savour the lack of taste in the super fizzy mix. Luckily the travel nurse told me to make it in a big glass (with 150ml of water) because sometimes it fizzes over. I am not going to miss the vaccination process, but I wouldn't travel without having had them. So there is your cholera vaccine update, as promised in an earlier blog.

The Travellers New Clothes

My Oyster Worldwide T-shirt and luggage tag have arrived, making a rather dismal January day so much more exciting. I am looking forward to using them both for my travels. One of the hardest decisions I had to make was early on and was what colour T-shirt I chose. I think I chose well.

I am one vaccination away from being vaccinated against everything that can possibly be vaccinated against. I will have had 6 weeks interspersed with injections, so I am glad the end is in sight. The cholera-juice is still in the fridge - I am yet to brave the taste test of this raspberry flavour substance but plan on taking dose 1 in a few days time.

There is a box full of random stuff to possibly take with me travelling, but I am sure packing will take a few attempts. I have bought a set of roll up vacuum bags in hope of reducing the volume of the contents of my packing when it happens. I have a microfiber towel and lockable carabiners so things don't accidentally fall of my bag if requiring outside attachment. I have a pair of double zip walking trousers that can be shorts, 3/4 lengths or full length trousers as the need arises - all in one piece of clothing and therefore saving space. I plan on buying a thermos bottle to keep bottled water colder for longer when out and about as I don't like drinking warm water.

I am taking things that are flexible; one item that can do many things, like my walking trousers. I don't want to over-pack and take things I don't need or won't use. I have an awareness that I will most likely buy things to bring home which will require space in my bag and am trying to allow for this to happen pre-departure, rather than have a crisis of space whilst far away from home.

The Things We Do For Travel

In the back of my fridge, hidden away amongst the food is a box. It contains 2 doses of the Cholera oral vaccine to take at my lesiure at least a week apart. We do quirky things in the name of travel and I have to say I wasn't quite expecting this. Apparently it is rasperry flavour - I will let you know in due course if it actually does taste of taste of raspberry or not.

Casual box of oral vaccination in the fridge

The curse of the travel websites

So you want to book a hotel

You go online and pull up your travel website of choice

You pick a hotel - you look at its cost, location, facilities. All good right!?

Then you read the reviews

Suddenly you question your choice. You want to take a tent and stay in a field.
Everything seems grim and gloomy
The hotel suddenly seems like the end of the word.
You look at other hotels
But they are all the same.

Reviews by people who have clearly never been abroad
Reviews by people who claim to travel
Bad reviews with a splash of positive ones.

Don't believe everything you read, but what to believe.

I have just had this problem. A hotel was suggested to me and I was sent its basic information. It's website looked ok. Then I went onto the travel sites to read some reviews. Suddenly I am scared about having to book a hotel in the city I am going to. Suddenly I worry if I made the right choice by having a stopover. Maybe I should just stay at the airport terminal for 2 nights.

Or, maybe I should take the risk, book the hotel and see what happens for myself. It's for 2 nights - if I hate it I am not there long, if it's good then no problem.

Next time I need to book a hotel, maybe I won't read the reviews. I will look at location, cost and facilities and use that to make an informed decision, rather than trusting other people in a virtual land

Shop around and save £

Shopping for travel insurance is much like purchasing travel vaccines or luggage. This post will discuss these interchangeably, but the concept is the same regardless of what you are spending your money on. Travelling and volunteering is really expensive, so it is really important to try and save as much as you can in costs in the run up to your departure.

You can get very similar products for very different prices. Each gap year company recommends there own insurance but if you look around some general companies provide backpacker travel insurance.

If you are trying to save money, so you have more available while you are away shopping around for vaccines, insurance and items for travel is important.

Consider:

Quality - what are you getting for what you pay? Sometimes the brand makes something more expensive than it needs to be and you can get a good quality less popular brand for a cheaper price. Be aware that sometimes cheap insurance policies might not give you great cover, but there are some affordable ones with similar policies to the more expensive ones suggested by travel companies.

Cost - can you afford it? There is no point blowing all your money on something just because it is branded. Be realistic as to what it is worth, and how you would feel if it did get damaged. Insurance is important but do you need to buy the most expensive policy for the sake of it and assume it gives you all the cover you need. Research is key.

Use - will you use it? Travel insurance is important as you never know when you will need it. Buying items to take travelling is fine, but if it is something you are unlikely to use then remember, not only does it waste money, you will have to carry it around for weeks on end. Take things that are functional and that will be useful for you.

Need - Do you need it. Similar concept my point above. Think about what you need while you are away and only buy/take things you need - things you want but won't use can stay at home. You can take things you like as long as there is a need to take them with you.

Just remember that all the little costs will all add up to a very expensive trip. Be considerate of how you spend your money before you go and you will have more money to take away with you. Compare products/insurance/companies to see if you can get the same or very similar at a lower price. Then all those relatively small savings will add up and you will save more than you realise