Comments on: Draft Europe Packing List

By: Ant

Ant — Tue, 08 Jul 2003 14:39:51 +0000

Man… you guys rock! Thank for all the in-depth replies. I started to comment, but my comment got so long I thought it merited being its own post in the “packing list saga”. Here’s the link to it:

http://www.eurailblog.com/archives/000710.shtml

By: Chris Albon

Chris Albon — Mon, 07 Jul 2003 21:20:05 +0000

Swiss Army knife
Good idea

ball of string (clothesline)
I have found that Floss works better AND can be used not only as a clothlines but also as waterproof thread

Tevas
Excellent choice..

Zula (the AlphaSmart)
Again, excellent

fleece
Good…

hiking boots
How much REAL hiking are you going to do to justify BOOTs? Personallly I want to only bring Tevas when I go, but if thats not for you then go with tennis shoes, Boots are WAY too big and bulk.

Benchmade folding knife? (check knife laws in European countries)
Use your swiss army knife! Sheesh

5 pair socks
Go with 4 pairs.. 3 if you intend to wear TEvas alot… socks are very easy to wash/dry in any sick… especially on a train

5 pair underwear
Good idea… silk is smooth

backpack with daypack
Excellent

Palm m125
HORRIBLE! 1. Recharging it is annoying 2. If you forget to recharge it you have NO ability to take info off of it… use a pad.. or even better write in the margins of your reading matterial

digital camera
Do you have suffient memory cards to handle all the pictures you will take? OR do you have a way to upload them off the camera? Perhaps a internet cafe?

BootsnAll cap
Nice

skully or tooq?
I would get a ultralight backpacking towel (sort of like a fleece rag) and use that as one.

3 pair trousers (2 convertible, 1 not)
Why bring the non-convertible ones?

silver and black tie
I dont know where you are going, but I know you:
1. Dont need 2 colors of tie…
2. Can wear a nice shirt and black convertible pants and still look nice
Drop to ties

black button-down shirt
Ooo…. ladies man

swim trunks?
Of course!!! Communal showers… great lakes! WHY EVEN QUESTION!

rain jacket?
A Must!

1-2 long-sleeve t-shirts
Good
2 t-shirts
Good

BootsnAll polo
Nice!

Dreamsack (sleep sheet)
Nice

Eurail and Britrail maps
Who needs stinkin maps

universal sink plug
HA! Instead of that… use a jar openner gripper thingie… that works much better and is much lighter

Tao Te Ching
nice

money belt
good

SnacPac
good

washrag
Get a ultralight backpacking towell.. use it as a Towel/Washrag/Tooq (although some brands dont work so well as a skully)

towel? (read msg board post)
Leave it home

sari
What are youy doing with a sari?

plastic plate
Use a frisbe! Fun toy AND plate!

water bottle
Disposible, Disposbile, Disposible

baggies
given…

alarm clock
good

battery shaver
good..well… why use a a special battery shaver when you will need to charge your palm just as often?

toiletries
Get them as you go…

pajama pants
Will wearing special soft pants around the hostel be worth carrying these everywhere? I dont think so

1 thermal undershirt
??? layer layer layer

deck of cards
Good if you play cards alot… i dont..

lighter
excellent

cigarettes
Even if you dont smoke.. bring cigarettes… very good at breaking the nice

fruit, bread, wine, cheese (for the train)
ok.. but I dont see why uou need tot include this on your packing list… you can walk a km with a shopping bag filled with these items to the train station very easily

corkscrew – because I got my Swiss Army knife when I was 12 and didn’t know the direction my life would take
Fine…

sewing kit
drop it! use a needle and the floss (also your clothes line for a sewing kit

hardbound mead journal
good… use this to replace your pams

mini CD player, radio?
battery powered mp3 player is better

CD case & discs
way too heavy… better powered mp3 player is better

pictures and love letters from my fiancé
I have a fiance too… dont take anything with you that you cannot afford to use

watch
good

copies of tickets, passes, passport
good

nail clippers
good

flashlight
I use this (http://www.shippingonly.com/product_info.php?products_id=47&osCsid=3a11e5eed5eaf8fd76467efeddaf96f2) Its very light and has like 300 hours of light on it.. whatever you do.. MAKE SURE ITS LED LIGHT

envelopes
ok

sunglasses
ok

duct tape
good..

condoms
oooo… nice… wiat a minute… dont you have a fiance? >:(

sweater
drop this.. sucks if it gets wet… way to haevy… layer layer layer

lightweight overcoat
umm… layer layer layer

sleeping bag
good

money (US $50′s)
20s are better.. make sure to put them in 3 spots on your body… if youj get mugs the thiefs ALWAYS look for your moneybelt… so make sure you have some in your shoe or something

credit card
good

debit card
good

traveler’s cheques ($100)
cash in shoe/pocket (only a little in the pocket) Cheques in moneybelt

plastic bags
use these instead of the baggies!

deodorant
good

hair goo
good.. but make sure you dont bring too much!

shampoo & conditioner
dont bring too much

soap & soapbox
good

toothbrush & toothpaste
dont bring too much

earplugs
good

anti-shite drugs
good

driver’s license
good

phone numbers and addresses
why bring your palm if you have this?

scan passport and plane ticket, email it to myself
GREAT IDEA!

squeeze bottle of liquid soap for clothes
What? I just use regular soap.. but if you do.. MAKE SURE IT CANT SPILL!!!

cleaning tissues and lens cleaner for digital camera
Fuck what they say.. you can use a regular tissue for your lense

friends, family, home: family photos, postcards of Portland
Dont take too many!

pillowcase
good

safety pins
good

pens, pencils, erasers, paper
good

clothes pegs
use safety pins or duct tape hooks

toilet paper
umm… use tissues or nothing

Hope it helps!

By: Claudia

Claudia — Mon, 07 Jul 2003 15:23:10 +0000

Oh yeah, ditch the sweater too. Fleece will do.

By: Claudia

Claudia — Mon, 07 Jul 2003 15:20:00 +0000

Hey. Things to axe IMHO:

Swiss Army knife: you have the Benchmade and the SAK doesn’t have the almighty corkscrew anyway. SAK or Benchmade should be sufficient. I know the knife slut in you will pick the Benchmade anyway.

Palm m125: you have the Alphasmart which is prit near attached to your hip anyway. Just one more gadget to loose…

Water bottle: how often will you really be using this? You’ll be picking up a drink here or there, and although filling up a bottle with water is nice, it seems to take up precious pack space. I personally wouldn’t use it to store socks or anything…

Sleeping bag: you will be crashing in hostels anyway right?

Pillowcase: ditto

Toilet paper: too bulky. Get a lil pack of wet wipes instead or a small thing of tissues.

Clothes pegs?

Coat: you have your rain gear and a fleece. Layer them up to make a coat. This is too bulky.

Thermal undershirt: you have many shirts, layer layer layer.

Instead of a towel a small shamee perhaps? Smaller, dries quick.

Toddles!

By: Ant

Ant — Mon, 07 Jul 2003 14:07:03 +0000

Totally too much – this is more the “everything but the kitchen sink” list”. Way, way more than I could ever need, want or use. So now that we know what I *might* take, I’m going to start paring this down. Suggestions on what to kill?

By: Sean

Sean — Thu, 03 Jul 2003 15:45:17 +0000

This list looks like overkill to me. Way too much stuff in my opinion. But then again, maybe you like carrying a lot of stuff.

By: Claudia

Claudia — Thu, 03 Jul 2003 14:14:35 +0000

I think he meant sarong, not sari. Just a guess though.

By: aoife

aoife — Thu, 03 Jul 2003 12:59:45 +0000

don’t take anything you can’t afford to loose, like love letters or something (btw aren’t the condoms a bit incongruous?)

DO take something you can record sound on. Can your mini disc do that?

Liquid anything is BAD – minimise what you take.

Bring a travel towel the size of a dishcloth if you bring it at all. Generally better to use a sarong (or equil)

better to put the soap in a ziplock bag than soapbox.

Baby wipes/wet ones are TOO USEFUL not to have.

swim trunks – yes
either rain jacket OR light overcoat.

What are you doing with a Sari? And bring some envelopes for me (so i can apply for the green card lottery next year), you wouldn’t believe how hard it is to find US sized ones over here…