Tripwolf Blog

I’ve been out here for 15 of the past 24 months, this time on a year stretch.  The more people I talk to, the more I feel less like an idiot for having brought things I wouldn’t need.  I’m not the only one who has mailed a big package of stuff home after a few weeks.

Here are a few things that I could not live without:

1) Retractable Cable Lock These run about $10 and can really save you in hostels that don’t have security lockers.  I just lock my pack to the bed.  Also really handy if you need to sleep on dodgy transport – I even locked mine to my belt buckle once because I was sketched out by my busmates.

2) Tupperware A small Tupperware container is one of the things in my pack that I’ve used the most.  Yes, it’s good for leftovers.  Better though, I’ve used it to keep electronics from getting wet in monsoons and usually for transporting potentially leaky items (The Great Olive Oil Spill of 2009 was such an occasion).

3) Seasoning (No Kidding) If you’re traveling in hostels that have kitchens, invest a few bucks in spices that you crave.   Most days I can’t be assed to cook but when I do, I have at least some herbs, curry powder and garlic salt.  From there, I can whip up about ten things for under three bucks.  Transfer anything to plastic baggies, so that the glass container doesn’t weigh you down.  Light and tasty.

4) Extra Computer Battery This is a must for anyone who writes or has an online poker addiction.  It will save you some serious crying, especially when you’ve turned up at an island that only has electricity from 7pm-10pm (Shout Out To Laos!).

5) Headlamp Oh, I know. They do make you look like a luminescent cyclops. I fought it for a long time but I have to say that mine is ridiculously handy, whether it be for reading in bed or walking down a dirt path in a drunken stupor.

6) Battery Powered Electronics Charger There are a million different kinds nowadays.  Mine charges my phone, my Nintendo DS, my camera and my iPod.  It is a lifesaver again and again.

7) Packets Of… Get your hands on whatever you can that comes in little packets, rather than bottles.  Things like bug spray can be found in towellette form.  Kiehls is a killer place to stock up on free samples – although I still haven’t used that Soothing Gel Masque they gave me.  Remember: You only need some things sometimes.  Don’t go crazy carrying 8 ounces of bath oil for a bathtub you’ll never find.

8.) An Unlocked Cell Phone It’s a must if you are moving between many countries.  I’ve spent about $350 over the past ten months on my phone and I use it for everything, from email to internet.  I’d have spent triple that if I was still locked into my program from home.  Local SIM cards are now a reality almost everywhere I’ve been (except America).

9) Travel Sized Toilet Paper Rolls Oh, so embarrassing.  Today I took the bus from Lisbon to Porto.  Halfway through the trip that half-eaten donut went on the offensive.  I bolted from the bus to find a men’s room that looked like something out of Trainspotting, complete with the Sharpie’d phone numbers of men wishing to fornicate.  I considered crying, then reached for this little roll of stuff I had been carrying for a year.  I had almost thrown it away at least three times.  Fourth time’s a Charmin.

The 10th item here is YOURS. Tell us what you can’t live without!