specialized items in your kit

Most travelers have at least one item that few others carry. It might be a teddy bear from childhood, or a knife that's especially designed to remove warts, or a flat stan even


Me, back in the 80's, I was geting too old to squat, but the rise of the western loo was still in its infancy. I used to carry a plastic toilet seat with aluminum legs, which fit perfectly into my pack, amd weighed next to nothing. I don't carry it anymore, though- no need!

What's yours?

I think that I've probably mentioned all the odd items from my pack -- but what is it about all the stuffed toys I saw last winter? Not just girls, some guys even had 'em poking out of their packs or parked on restaurant chairs???? lonely?

Oh, maybe I haven't mentioned this one. I carry one of those little inflatable neck pillows. You know the horseshoe-shaped jobs -- they are great for keeping your neck unkinked on a plane, or just as an emergency pillow. A couple of bucks and hardly any space or weight when deflated.

Every where I go I have to carry with me a notebook or something where I can write my experience, what happened a particular day, stick a postcard, a good address ......

One item that's going in my kit is a small digital voice recorder. Very handy for short notes to ones self and the occasional audio snap-shot. The one I have is by Olympus and is tiny enough to conceal in your hand. Might be FUN to record bargaining sessions or dealing with touts...... Surreptitiously of course.
The Olympus seems to be built tough enough to take a fair bit of abuse. Have had mine 3 years and it still works after being dropped many times and once through the wash.
Unlike a paper notebook the recorder works while walking or bouncing along in a bus. Using the higher quality setting gives about 45 minutes of recording time. Each message is stored as a seperate file and can be replayed or deleated at will.

Wanderer22

Either a head lamp or booklight so I can read in the dark.

An exercise book and pen to write in, several books, a cassette walkman (must be a cassette walkman as I have a deep relaxation tape in cassette form), an little electric element to boil water, some music cassettes, cheap little speakers to go with the cassette walkman (why have an ipod when you can have a cassette walkman?), stuff to make coffee (coffee, sugar...), and a big pack of nicorette cartridge and inhalers just in case I want to smoke (I have up smoking end of last year and found that the nicorette inhaler plus catridges are a great substitute plus they don't affect your health as it's only nicotine) and a flask of neat whiskey, plus candles, matches, and incense, a little stuffed toy...

I'm sure I can think of more stuff when I have more time.

Nothing particular in the kit for me, but a pen and a spiral notepad in the shirt pocket are a MUST, for any travel.

incense
slingshot
mini stapler
magnetic insoles
cobra stone
absorbine Jr.

Those individual moist towelettes in sachets you get from takeaway places!

I collect up as many of those as I can before I travel, as they're just so useful when you're on the train or bus or wherever and are dusty or sticky and just need a quick refresh. And it's so easy just to keep a few in your pocket at all times.

I suppose you can buy the individual ones like that: I've never actually looked for them as I just collect up the free ones I get given at KFC and the like. I wouldn't bother lugging around a big plastic tub of them, tho.

my must haves...

mints
sketchpad
pedicure kit (nail file, nailcutter, polish remover etc... nice to redo your nails on that long 24 hr train ride) plus nailpolish of the month. Entertains the little kids as they want to polish the nails too!
my sarong/lungi
fuchsia flavored hand sanitizer (plain is so boring)

for my first trip my mother made a green cap for me..
ever since, I take this cap with me as a talisman for good look
and it never failed

What's interesting is the things that folks have carried and left behind. The sweeper at one of my hotels showed me a huge package of some sort of dairy creamer -- little individual tubs with scenes of Italy on the tops.... probably 50 of those little tubs.

I always have a notebook (usually those brocade-covered Chinese bound books) and a deck of cards, glue sticks (for pasting souvenirs in the notebook) and a black marker pen for addressing parcels.

I also print out my postcard list onto labels, so I don't have to spend time looking up and writing addresses.

a pound of assorted pens.

Some spray-on plastic skin!! Just like a plaster only it comes out of a can. Seals the cut so you can go on the beach swim etc!!
The locals love this stuff.
For the kids Balloons and a few little "magic tricks" I picked up in Mussoorie I love their wide little eyes!
Oh yeah flea collars!!!!!!

tiger balm!!!

great for sore muscles , fabulous for taking the itch out of mosquito bites!

add some to hot water and inahle it to get rid of a stuffy nose. rub it on your temples when you have headache......

and i could not go anywhere without a bottle of tea tree oil!

cut and scrapes, pimples, foot baths, cold sores, canker sores, broken legs......(ok not the last one....) but i use it for everything.