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Randy Johnson's "Footloose and Fancy-Free in the Third World"
All text Copyright © 1992-2010, Randy R. Johnson.
Flashlight (torch) -- Take at least one reliable flashlight. It should be small enough that you can easily carry it in your pocket, so you will always have it when you need it. Carry it whenever you go out at night; you never know where you may be or when the power will go out! Leave it in a regular place beside the bed (in a shoe) or under the pillow every night. Nice sturdy little plastic ones generally take two 'AA' batteries. Get one that takes standard flashlight bulbs which you can buy in any city, but take a spare bulb along too, and protect it from corrosion.
If your flashlight doesn't have a wrist strap, bore a hole through the bottom and install a lightweight cord or heavy thread just big enough to slip your hand through. You can just 'wear' the light on your wrist, using it when necessary; then you can use both hands and still have the flashlight immediately "at hand". It can also be useful if you are able to hold it in your mouth for two-handed cooking and other chores. You should wash the flashlight and your hands before trying this trick, (but you won't).
You must prevent the light from turning itself on when packed in your rucksack. Taping the switch doesn't always work well, so just reverse one of the batteries before storing it in your pack. The long, narrow flashlights that you switch on by twisting the top don't have this problem. They are also slimmer to pack, and are a little heavier, but get one that can use a regular flashlight bulb, even if it starts out with a similar-sized "halogen" lamp.
I once tried out a flashlight that had a detachable headlamp which plugged into the main light like an earphone jack. I didn't use the headlamp for reading as often as I thought, and it required four batteries. If your light is lost or broken, you will usually find only low quality cylindrical metal ones in the Third World. Don't expect to buy decent batteries outside of cities. Keep a spare set of good alkaline batteries at all times.
Water Container (Canteen) -- This is pretty much essential gear. Even if you don't camp out, or even go on long hikes, you will need a water bottle in your hotel room to purify and keep drinking water. You can't just go out for a soda every time you get thirsty, and some nights you will get very thirsty indeed.
The problem with canteens and water bottles is that they take up so much room, and are usually packed empty. If you look around hard enough at home, you should be able to find a soft but sturdy water bag that collapses down to a reasonably small size when empty. Look in camping stores and catalogs. MSR now makes sturdy 2 and 4-liter bags that are small to pack and weigh 4 and 6 oz (115 and 165 g) with a carry strap; they make another one that holds 10 liters(!), enough for any camping couple. One liter (quart) is a minimal size for one person. Two liters is better, but don't buy a rigid two liter canteen -- it is just too bulky to carry. If you will be camping out, it can be very useful to have a bag that holds four liters or more for camp use. You can purify a large quantity of water and use it for cooking and washing too.
Another good-sized water container is the four or five liter plastic or foil bags that "boxed" wine comes in. These are now common in the US and Australasia, and can be found in Europe. Unfortunately, they are difficult to use by themselves. But you can buy a very similar plastic water bag with a carryable nylon cover sack in camping stores, quite cheaply, or make a cover yourself. I have rigged one up with longer straps and pack fasteners so I can hang it from a roof beam, or even strap it around my waist. It holds over four liters, weighs 5.5 oz (155 g) empty and the whole thing fits inside my cup when empty. I don't often fill it completely full, but two or three liters of water can go pretty quickly in the tropics. I haven't lost a bag yet, but they could be punctured easily, so I carry a spare one on long trips; it doubles as a pillow when camping out. I finally found a plastic cap which just fits over the nozzle to protect it from insects and keep it from opening itself if it is packed when full.
I don't consider carryability a crucial factor for a water container. You don't need to carry your water bottle on your hip like a soldier or camper; just toss it in the bag you have with you for the day. You can buy plastic water bottles in many places in the Third World. Unfortunately, very few of them are water tight! It seems to be extremely difficult to manufacture a water bottle that keeps the water inside! Check out any bottle or bag thoroughly; close the top and squeeze very hard -- if any air comes out, so will the water, probably all over your camera. If you get stuck with a canteen or bottle with a leaky top, take a thin plastic bag and put it over the top before screwing on the lid; this will help considerably, but not often completely, and you will have to change the plastic "sealer" every few days. You may have to put the whole bottle in a plastic bag for carrying.
Some years ago, my favorite soft canteen finally sprang so many leaks that even tire patches were not enough. I buried it with ceremony and picked up a 2-liter plastic soft drink bottle. It had a hard plastic bottom and looked tough, so I filled it with water and literally kicked it around my hotel room, very hard, for awhile. It held the water, and with a plastic bag under the screw cap, leaked almost not at all. It passed the test! Fortunately, I had the space to lay it at the top of my rucksack, and I carried it around for several months as my regular water bottle.
Lastly, you can now buy bottled water in many places tourists frequent. The bottles are not very strong and the caps seldom screw on, so you must carry them upright. But, if you lay in a supply every day, you can almost do without a canteen. The cost of this water can be the same as the equivalent amount of Coke, or it might be fairly reasonable. But you will still have many times when you need water and cannot buy it, unless you stay exclusively in cities and resorts.
Umbrella -- What? An umbrella? Yes, I often take an umbrella. The Japanese folding umbrellas that I carry (I only carry one at a time) are only 8 1/2 inches (22 cm) long (one third the open size) and weigh 230 grams (8 oz). They fit into my waist pack and I wouldn't bother with anything larger. Although I've carried them for over 10 years, they are still mostly unavailable outside of Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong, but you may find something almost as small in a travel shop. In tropical areas, a rain coat is just much too hot. An umbrella is completely useless in a high wind or the back of a truck, but with an umbrella, shorts, and rubber sandals, you can walk out into any tropical downpour in relative comfort. This is not a necessity for everyone, but if you happen to find a small one, give it a thought. The usual double- folding variety are still reasonable to carry for awhile and can often be found in the Third World fairly cheaply, when you need one.
Pocket knife -- If you already have a good pocket knife with a can and bottle opener, it should be fine. Some of the can openers are not very good, so try yours out for a few days. You can find a tiny, folding "P-38" can opener that works pretty well by itself (try the Army Surplus), and you should probably bring one as a spare anyway. Saws and the like may be occasionally useful, but not necessarily worth the extra bulk on your knife. A good solid blade is more important, and the more gizmos you have on your knife, the easier it is to break or become "loose". A screwdriver edge on one of the tools can come in handy, and a hole-punch will be put to many uses that you will discover only when you need it. If you buy a new knife, consider getting one with a locking blade; it prevents the blade from folding back into your fingers during rugged use. This can be good even on a utility knife, especially if you will be camping out or doing some serious jobs with your little knife.
I also am never without my little pen knife, the one with just a blade, nail file, and scissors. It gets used more than the main utility knife because it's always there in a pocket; I know I have to sharpen it more often. If you carry your main utility knife in your pocket or hip pouch, consider attaching it with a length of cord long enough to be useful. The cord mainly prevents it's loss if you drop it over a cliff and is most useful when you are in such uncertain environments, but also prevents losing it to theft or forgetfulness.
Corkscrew -- As far as I can tell, this is only good for opening wine bottles. If your knife has one, that's great, but except in South America and near Europe, you won't find much wine worth opening. You can always open a wine bottle by forcing the cork into the bottle; it's not very neat, but you can get at the wine without a corkscrew, and without breaking the bottle. Wear your poncho.
Watch -- It is tempting to be completely "timeless" and go without a watch. But there will be far too many occasions when you really need to know what time it is, how long you have been walking, etc. You won't find as many clocks around as you would at home. A wristwatch can be just one more thing to catch the attention of thieves, so consider leaving it in your pocket in more theft-prone areas.
Don't take your favorite wristwatch from home. You can get some reasonably reliable ones, at home or abroad, for not much money, but the plastic bands don't last long. For very little more you can get one that is "waterproof". "Waterproof to 50 meters" only means you can take a shower while wearing it. A 100-meter watch can be used for swimming, but you probably need a 200-meter watch to take diving, even if you only go down five to ten meters. (This information is from a watch manufacturer.) You should be able to read your watch in the dark. If it has an alarm, that is a plus, but most of them are not loud enough to wake you up for your 5 am boat. Plastic and leather watchbands tend to wear out quickly; see if you can find a nylon band that fits your watch. I don't like to wear a wristwatch so I convert mine to a pocket watch by removing the bands and inserting a strong ribbon or shoelace.
Alarm Clock -- There will be a few times when you really need a good alarm clock. Surprisingly, many of your hotels will happily and fairly reliably wake you at any time of the night. But there will be times when you must catch a very early ride, and need an alarm. Your digital watch alarm may just work if you keep it very close to your ear, but if it's under the pillow, you won't hear it at all. Still, it is difficult to rationalize taking along a good travel alarm clock for those few occasions. If you are lucky, you can borrow one from someone else. Some palm-sized calculator-clocks have an alarm, but it may not be much louder than a watch; try out the alarm before buying one for this purpose. Since it has a clock, it will definitely need a battery. Travel shops now have tempting alarm clocks as light as 3 oz (85 g); they may be a bit fragile, so try them out if you can. And you can get a flat "world time" clock from several makers that weighs less than 2 oz (55 g) and shows world time zones; it still weighs more than a watch and the alarm is somewhat louder.
Calculator -- You can now find very small and cheap calculators. It isn't a necessity, but you may often find a use for it, especially if you are used to using one for all of your calculations. The very thin ones are great, and solar power is best for a long trip, but bending these at all can ruin them quite easily, so you must have a protected place to carry it. The gasoline-powered models are much bulkier and too noisy (Sorry, just kidding! ;-) Calculators used to be very valuable trade items in the Third World, but nowdays every little shop and many ordinary people have them. The same goes for digital watches.
Clothesline -- A clothes line is essential gear for me because I use it not only to dry laundry, but as my indoor "closet". Few hotel rooms have a place to hang your clothes, and a long length or two of line strung across the room provides a convenient place to hang your clothing, as well as drying underwear, towels, and such. In places where ants are a problem, dab repellent on the ends of the line. You will become ingenious at finding places to tie your line (the door hinge is sometimes an overlooked possibility). Only as a last resort put your own nails in the wall.
For actually drying your main laundry, you will often find a line outside at your hotel, but having your own is still a convenience, especially if you can hang it near your room. I feel the best is braided nylon cord. You can get it extremely thin and light but it is still quite strong. Don't buy thick nylon "rope", it is an unnecessary waste of bulk; even spaghetti-thin braided nylon can hold up a full hammock when doubled. The braiding is the key, because if you pry the braid apart and insert the corners of your wet clothing, it will hold them just as well as clothes pins (pegs), even in a good wind. You can buy tiny little plastic clothes pins if you want, but then you just have to police them.
Nylon cord is now commonly available all over the Third World; when somebody rips yours off, you can always get more. The more, the better; I got 6 meters (20 feet) of thin triple-braided cord in Pakistan that weighs less than 0.5 ounces (12 grams); it's as thin as ordinary packing twine (string). Whenever you cut a bit off for some other little job, seal the ends with a flame. (Be careful with the dripping molten nylon, it makes nasty burns!) Substitute ordinary twine or string (doubled) until you can buy some thin nylon cord.
Soft nylon cord -- I still carry a length of soft nylon "parachute" cord, even though I have a lot of clothesline. Perhaps it is out of habit, but I use it for small jobs, (like tying a sleeping bag to the pack), because it is easier to handle and makes firmer knots than the stiffer braided nylon. It acts as an extra line when hanging clothing both indoors and out. This is really light stuff, like a white tube of nylon material; it's cheap, but not so easy to find overseas. Mine gets whittled smaller and smaller as I use little bits for a watch fob, knife line, curtain rod, or whatever. In fact, it's just as good as braided cord except for holding your laundry on the line. If you do much camping, you will find plenty of uses for long lengths of light cord.
Laundry soap -- Don't bother to take any along, as you can buy small packets of laundry powder everywhere. Keep extra powder in a small zip-lock plastic bag.
Laundry brush -- A small plastic "fingernail" brush is good for scrubbing shirt collars and any other laundry stains. It can be hard to find anything very small overseas, but you can also get along without one, depending on how often you do your own laundry.
Universal drain plug -- Take the time to try and find some of these (try the supermarket). You will often have a sink, bathtub, or wash basin that has no stopper. You can just stuff a sock in it but a good drain plug is one of those little niceties that you will very often appreciate. I carry two; the small one has a narrow "plug" but a larger lip that fits over most any sink drain, and the large one is just a flat circular piece of rubber that will stop up most any large tub or laundry basin. Keep an eye on them, they are like gold in the Third World.
Ear plugs (for sound) -- I vehemently recommend that you take at least one set of good ear plugs to help block out the noise that pervades Third World cities (and even small villages) whenever you would like some peace and quiet. Use them to get a good night's sleep that would otherwise be impossible, to catch a few winks on the night bus or train, or just to give yourself a respite while composing your latest journal entry in a noisy hotel room.
The best ones are like wax balls (made with silicone) that will not easily pull apart. Get them at the pharmacy at home and in a very few modern cities in the Third World. You can wear them all night without irritation but they eventually get pretty grotty, so take along two or three sets for longer trips. The little foam cylinders also do an adequate job, but not nearly as good as wax. Do not use swimmer's or worker's earplugs which are more rigid; they will become painful if worn all night.
Sleep mask -- You used to see rich women in the films wearing these to sleep late. Now you often get them for free on overseas flights, and they are so small and light, it is worth taking one for the few times it will help you get some sleep. Use it to take a nap in the daytime (ah, the life of leisure), to sleep in a well-lighted dorm room, or on a night bus where the headlights are in your eyes. Just keep it in your valuables bag or day pack so it is always there when you need it. In some situations a bandanna works almost as well.
Sleeping sheet -- This is like a sleeping bag, but made from thin cotton material. It gives you a clean place to sleep, and in many hotels you will only have one sheet on the bed, (if that). You can buy an official one at many International Youth Hostels and offices, and some Youth Hostels require them. You can buy colorful ones (Cocoon) at some camping outlets.
You can just as easily make one yourself by sewing up a bed sheet, leaving a flap at the top. Typical bedsheet material, however, is much bulkier and heavier than you need; look for the lightest cotton material you can find. If you use colored fabric, it won't look grotty as quickly, but Youth Hostels expect white. I normally get by with a sarong or two, which I carry anyway.
Padlocks -- Unfortunately, keeping things locked up is one of your duties on the Road. My arsenal of padlocks has grown to as many as four. First, you need one that fits your pack, if you can lock it at all. Next, you need a good heavy one for your hotel room. This is not necessary equipment, unless you want to control how many people come and go from your room while you are out.
I use a big Master combination lock, so I don't have to carry keys when I go swimming. It's stronger than most doors and I also use it occasionally to lock my rucksack to the luggage racks on trains and buses. Such combination locks are common in the U.S. but not so in Europe. There are no keys to lose, but you must have a light source to read the combination. I've had a couple of frustrating experiences because of this limitation, and try to always carry a lighter. Next, you may want another little lock for your day pack; just leave it locked on one of the zipper pulls. If you leave luggage behind in a day pack, you will want to lock that up too.
Fortunately, you can buy good solid brass locks in hardware stores in most Third World countries. The best ones are Chinese; don't get flimsy ones made of sheet metal. I got an expensive little set of two at a travel shop at home. After two months, the cylinder fell out of the one that had my rucksack locked closed. I eventually got it open, tossed the other one out, and bought some good Chinese ones in Egypt. Get at least two keys with the lock and preferably three. I keep an extra rucksack key in my money belt. You should always leave your locks locked to something (a pack) when not in use; someone may take them, or you can easily loose them without any help at all.
"Travelock" -- This is an interesting little locking device that you can use to lock most doors from the inside, and it also works to lock drawers, cupboards, wardrobes, and windows that have no latch at all. It's hard to describe, but it consists of two little interlocking strips of metal that jam the door or drawer closed, and a small combination lock that keeps it closed. It can be useful for locking up some of your gear in a drawer, or for securing your door or window from the inside at night. I know travelers who are quite satisfied, and feel much safer, using them. You can get one through Magellan's catalog in the US, and in some other travel stores. 6 ounces.
Security Alarm, Tear-gas -- I don't personally have any experience with these self-defense devices, but they are recommended by a few travel "experts". You probably would not need to use them, but they can make you feel safer if you are worried about attacks. Both contain compressed air and would have to be carried on a plane; tear-gas (mace) is probably not allowed on many flights. You can get an alarm that also functions as a small flashlight, but can put out 140 decibels of sound through an air horn (like on big trucks). You must be very careful to protect the button during transport! I wouldn't settle for 80 or 90 decibels, it just isn't loud enough to make much difference. The compressed air canister in an alarm would need to be replaced after a number of uses (some say 20), but the whole outfit is pretty cheap, and could be used against dogs or obnoxious touts. [Magellan's]
Insect repellent -- Take plenty of this good stuff, use it sparingly, and hoard it for yourself. Fortunately, you may now be able to find good DEET repellent in a few large cities with camping shops, but don't count on it. The best, concentrated stuff is made of 95% or 100% "N,N Diethylmetatoluamide" (DEET). A few drops does the trick. To prevent squandering it, cover your body with trousers, socks, and a long-sleeved shirt, and save the repellent for your head and hands. In my experience, it doesn't have much effect on bed-bugs, but most other insects and small animals will stay away from it. Dab a bit on cords leading to food supplies or anything else that insects, mice, or worse, may want to get into. Some campers recommend keeping one pair of socks seriously doused with the stuff, and wearing them only in defense of mosquitoes. You'll want to keep these in a plastic bag, only partly because you won't want to wash the repellent out very often. Alternatives include less effective repellents, like OFF or 6-12, which are more often found oversees. Bugs stay far away from Tiger Balm, but so do some people, so you may not want to use it regularly.
Mosquito coils -- These are green coils of incense that you burn to keep insects away. At home they are rare and sold "for outdoor use only", but you can find them in use in hotel rooms everywhere in the Third World; some places provide them. They are made with pyrethrum, a natural mosquito repellent (and reputedly killer), that comes from a special kind of chrysanthemum. They really do work, especially if you get a good fog of the stuff filling your room. They are of limited use with a fan, but will chase them out from under the bed where they hide from the breeze. Also, if you sleep on your side, your body can form a wind "shadow" that mosquitoes will flock to unless you are directly under the fan.
You can buy mosquito coils almost everywhere in packets of twelve. One coil burns for eight hours, so light a fresh one before retiring and put it near the bed; in bad situations, use two. Place a newspaper underneath to keep the floor clean. The toughest part is separating the coils -- which are manufactured in pairs -- without breaking them; it is an acquired skill. They come with a little metal stand, and I always carry a spare one for burning more than one coil, or when I buy or scrounge the odd coil or two. A good stand has a little notch on the side where you can jam the odd bits that broke off when you tried to separate them.
The coils are fragile and difficult to transport without breaking, but you can always buy some more. In a few places, you can buy a special tin canister for burning the coils. If you used them constantly it would be worth considering just because you can safely store your coils inside for transporting. But it is fairly bulky to carry empty, especially considering that it's not really necessary.
Mosquito net -- Protecting yourself from mosquitoes can be a serious comfort and health consideration, but there are trade-offs with bulk and utility. To be effective, any netting must be kept away from your body since mosquitoes can insert their proboscii through the net. The finer "no-see-um" netting is necessary to keep out tiny sand flies and, yep, no-see-ums. The simplest net hangs from the ceiling, and you will not be able to rig it up in many places. You may find a few "travel" varieties of mosquito netting; the only ones you will able to use consistently are tents, which will usually put you on the floor, even if they are "made" to be pitched on top of your bed. A recent addition is the "Mesh Bivy Shelter" (from Adventure16), a minimal tent made entirely of mosquito netting, with a flexible wire rod to hold the material off of your body, like a little cocoon. It weighs 21 oz (600g); the "Bug Bivy" only covers your shoulders for use with a sleeping bag, weighs 7 oz (200g) and costs half as much. I've never tried one out to see how convenient they are; there is an optional rain fly (28 oz, 790g) to protect against weather emergencies if you use it outside, but that makes it as expensive as a small tent.
Alternatives to using a net include paying a little more to get a room with a mosquito net, fan, or both; they are usually available anyplace where mosquitoes are a problem. Barring that possibility, use of mosquito coils, and covering yourself properly in bed should do the trick, if you add a little repellent to your face and hands. A few people do carry big nets in malaria infested areas, and take the trouble to use them regularly. I can't tell you not to take one because the alternatives are not as safe, though much less trouble.
In Mexico, you can buy special mosquito nets that fit over hammocks. I actually bought one once, but found it too much trouble to use. Since sleeping in a hammock is very cool, I end up wearing clothing anyway, and only need to protect my face and hands.
Mosquito net hood -- This is just a big sack made of mosquito netting that you can put over your head. Since you can often avoid bites by covering most of the rest of your body, this sounds like a good idea. In fact, I have one, and usually carry it, but it doesn't get used that often. The main problem is that it tends to lie on your face unless you wear a hat under it. This is not only uncomfortable, but mosquitoes can bite you through the netting, although they cannot enter it. I admit that I find it too funny-looking to wear in society, but I've worn it for bushwhacking, and sometimes sleep in it when the mosquitoes are bad, usually propping it up with a baseball cap. The most interesting use I've gotten from it was when investigating some ruins that were plagued by hornets. They go right for your face, and the net over a hat is almost like having a bee-keeper's outfit. If you think this is a good idea, and can find or manufacture one, it could be your alternative to carrying a big mosquito net. Otherwise, it's just another whimsical novelty. [Magellan's, Campmor].
Compass -- I wouldn't bother taking a big serious compass unless I planned on long distance bushwhacking, but a reliable small one can be at least a psychological comfort. Little plastic ones weigh 0.5 ounce and light metal ones about 1 ounce. Those that seal the needle in water tend to settle quicker, but they can also develop disruptive bubbles. You may seldom use it, but a compass might just save you from getting lost somewhere when you cannot see the sun. It's no good if you don't have it on you, so if you do bother to take one, leave it in the bag you carry around every day.
Windproof matches -- If you do much camping, you will want to find some genuine Australian windproof matches; otherwise, don't bother. They burn in wind and rain, long enough to get a fire started. The secret is that the flammable "head" covers most of the match. I usually keep a few and their striker pad (not the whole box) in my kit, even if not cooking out.
Cigarette Lighter -- Whenever you need matches, a lighter will be just as useful and more reliable. You can use it to light candles, mosquito coils, stoves, fires, incense, and even cigarettes. A flame is also good for sealing nylon cord, cauterizing frayed shoelaces, sterilizing needles or blades, or just to light the darkness when your flashlight is not handy. Get two or three of the smallest plastic BIC lighters; they last a long time. Larger, inferior, disposable lighters are available everywhere; expect to dispose of them often.
Candles -- You will occasionally need to make use of candles, but you will be able to buy local ones in any populated places where they are necessary. When the lights go out (not at all uncommon in the Third World), the hotel should bring up a candle, but it may take a while, so having one or two can be useful. In most places with no electricity, you will have a kerosene lantern in your room, but candles can be a useful addition. Don't bother to bring any, just buy some when you notice them becoming more and more necessary. Some last about ten minutes, others for much longer; I leave it to you to experiment and learn.
Match Safe -- These little plastic bottles are for keeping matches dry. Fine for camping trips, but you can just as well keep a few matches in a waterproof kit box. Since cigarette lighters are so small and common, a match safe would be pretty much obsolete, except that it can also make a nice container for a basic (or emergency) sewing kit. It this capacity it keeps needles dry and straight; you can put in a few spindles of thread wrapped around stiff cardboard. It will even take a small thimble and a needle threader, and is just 7 cm (3") high. Throw in a couple of windproof matches.
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