There’s nothing worse than going on holiday and realising that you forgot something really important. The following list comprises of the ten best items I choose to bring. I haven’t included obvious items such as my passport or camera (funnily both these items will return home badly damaged); rather I’ve chosen the ten items that I may have overlooked during the tedious packing process. In no particular order.
No. 1. Toilet Paper
You’d be surprised how many public toilets, backpacker lodges and petrol station rest stops there are that do not have toilet paper provided. Hence it’s always wise to carry along a big roll wherever you go. Sometimes carrying around toilet paper can be a little inconvenient, however I can assure you this: the consequences of not having any far outweigh the annoyances of carrying around a little extra weight in your bag. I know from experience.
No. 2. Tic Tacs
It’s true; nothing refreshes quite like a tic tac. In just one calorie, your breath is fresh and you have a lovely mint flavor in your mouth. My box of 100 tic tacs lasted me more than 3 months and was a handy replacement for toothpaste when I was on the go. What? That’s unhealthy? Get out of here!
No. 3. Pillow
Technically this shouldn’t make the list as I didn’t actually bring a pillow but I managed to ‘steal’ one from South Africa Airways on my flight to Jo’burg. Really I don’t think it’s stealing considering that I paid a few thousand for my flight, but that’s beside the point. Having a pillow was incredibly handy, especially during my 45 day camping trip because, as a general rule, sleeping bags and sleeping mats are not comfortable on the head, while backpacker pillows are always either too soft or too hard. SAA, meanwhile, make a mean pillow.
No. 4. Football
I am of course referring to an Australian Rules Football and not a stupid European thing. While I may have only used my footy less than a dozen times it proved to be a more-than-handy bargaining tool when it came to teaching. Most of my students probably still have no idea how to kick/hand-pass one (they still think it’s a rugby ball) but the point is that the loved playing with it, and that’s all that counts.
No. 5. A list of exchange rates
The stock market is a complex system that changes on a daily basis. However rates more or less remain pretty much the same, give or take a few cents. Hence it is essential to have a rough idea of rates during border crossings otherwise you could easily find yourself ripped off. In my travels, I crossed land borders ten times, and at most of these crossings I had to exchange money on the black market. In one exchange I lost more than $40AUD after I was offered the rate of 0.85 instead of 0.58. From then on I was a little wiser; in fact at one border I managed to obtain a significantly larger sum of money than I was supposed to.
No. 6. Jumper / Warm jacket
Now this item may seem like an obvious one but, believe it or not, I was close to not bringing any warm clothes. I was heading to Africa, after all, and as everybody knows Africa is dry, hot and sunny all day, every day. WRONG! Africa can be freezing, windy and stormy and can offer some of the biggest torrential downpours. Even during summer.
No.7. iPod
Again, you’re probably saying ‘Well that’s obvious’ but those that know me well will know that my iPod is the oldest model of iPod shuffle, with only enough space for 120 songs. They will also know that I inherited a 20gig iRiver from my brother. When I forgot to bring my iRiver charger I feared that I may have made the worst mistake of my life, but thankfully I still had my shuffle handy – filled with my party playlist from April.
No.8. Simba toy
Those familiar with my Simba gallery on Facebook will understand the importance of this item. Over the last 8 months I have carried around this little toy and photographed it everywhere, from Victoria Falls to Table Mountain to a packet of Simba chips. And the gallery isn’t over just yet…
No.9. Maps
As inaccurate as Lonely Planet may be their maps are always better than nothing. Losing yourself in an African capital city can be deadly, hence having a map in hand can often bring great relief. On a larger scale (literally) maps are incredibly helpful for orientation; it’s always great being the expert on a bus trip when you’re the only person who knows where on earth you are.
No.10. ?????
CANNOT BE REVEALED JUST YET…
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