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Step 9Step 9 - Tricks of the tradeٍ
Belt - clothesline - on a trip to Cambodia, I knew we weren't going to run into a bunch of laundry mats on the trip. I bought a few travel packets of Tide so I could wash my clothes during the trip. I would wear a pair, have a pair drying and have a pair ready - I just rotated the three sets of clothes. To make sure I would have something to hang my clothes on, I made a belt using parachute cord and a belt clip. Once I arrived, I could undo the belt and hang my clothes to dry. I made two - that way my pants would fall down - and on the way back, I could use one belt to help keep things wrapped up tight for the journey home. (see pics)
Nalgene bottle - I like to put my toiletries and meds all in a nalgene bottle (or any other tough plastic water bottle). This keeps your stuff from getting crushed and you can attach it to the outside of a bag if needed with a clip of somesort.
Compression Sacks - these cut down on room considerably.
Gifts - while visiting a country, bring little knickknacks to share with people you meet along the way. Nothing beats random acts of kindness.
Photos - be sure to bring a family photo, a pic of your humble abode, the dog, your school...anything that is of your daily life - even of where you work. It is fun to share with others when you talk about where you are coming from. Plus, some people are rather shocked if you don't have a family photo on you.
Pins/Patches - I love getting patches of places where I go - these are great to trade, to give and leave your mark.
Old t-shirts - if you have a local t-shirt store, they sometimes have closeouts of shirts that are old. The one in town sells them for 2 bucks each. These are great to bring on a trip. Once you wear them once, just give them away.
Tony's - Tony's is a cajun seasoning that you use like salt. Their motto is (or was..) 'it makes good food great.' A friend of mine discovered that it can 'make bad food ok.'
Almond Joys and Little Debbies - as a general rule M&Ms and snickers have made it around the world. I haven't found a place that doesn' t have these or Coke products. Almond Joys and Little Debbies haven't been quite the globetrotters - I bring these if I am visiting ex-pats in foreign places. They really appreciate the little things that you can't get elsewhere.
Duct tape and zip ties - you never know. What room they take up is worth it. Check out 'how to's on how to make duct tape wallets or other things - this will help increase it's usefulness.
Nalgene bottle - I like to put my toiletries and meds all in a nalgene bottle (or any other tough plastic water bottle). This keeps your stuff from getting crushed and you can attach it to the outside of a bag if needed with a clip of somesort.
Compression Sacks - these cut down on room considerably.
Gifts - while visiting a country, bring little knickknacks to share with people you meet along the way. Nothing beats random acts of kindness.
Photos - be sure to bring a family photo, a pic of your humble abode, the dog, your school...anything that is of your daily life - even of where you work. It is fun to share with others when you talk about where you are coming from. Plus, some people are rather shocked if you don't have a family photo on you.
Pins/Patches - I love getting patches of places where I go - these are great to trade, to give and leave your mark.
Old t-shirts - if you have a local t-shirt store, they sometimes have closeouts of shirts that are old. The one in town sells them for 2 bucks each. These are great to bring on a trip. Once you wear them once, just give them away.
Tony's - Tony's is a cajun seasoning that you use like salt. Their motto is (or was..) 'it makes good food great.' A friend of mine discovered that it can 'make bad food ok.'
Almond Joys and Little Debbies - as a general rule M&Ms and snickers have made it around the world. I haven't found a place that doesn' t have these or Coke products. Almond Joys and Little Debbies haven't been quite the globetrotters - I bring these if I am visiting ex-pats in foreign places. They really appreciate the little things that you can't get elsewhere.
Duct tape and zip ties - you never know. What room they take up is worth it. Check out 'how to's on how to make duct tape wallets or other things - this will help increase it's usefulness.
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May 26, 2010. 7:03 AMkkarn
says:
Weaving a colored string through the rope might make it look a bit more gussied up. I'll try to make one so you can see what I mean.
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