Equipment
Sleeping
tent | Hilleberg Nammatj 3 GT / hilleberg.com- A robust, storm proof and spacious tent (actually for 3 persons). The Nammatj 2 GT would be sufficient for short trips but the slightly bigger model offers the longterm-traveller more room for comfort
- With big apsis, ideal to store all the gear and for cooking when it's very cold or rainy outside
- The inner tent can be used separately which is great in very hot areas (although only when there is no wind)
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tent ground | - The tent ground sheet has a couple of tiny holes and scratches and therefore it was definately worth having a "double floor". Ground sheets are available for all Hilleberg tents.
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each 1 mattress, incl. cover | Therm-a-Rest ProLite 4 Regular / Woman / thermarest.com |
each 1 silk inlet | Sea to Summit Ripstop Silk |
each 1 down sleeping bag, incl. cover | - Down sleeping bags can be packed much more compactly than synthetic ones of the same temperature range.
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each 1 pillow with cover | Orthopedic travel pillow (inflatable) / witschi-kissen.ch |
Clothing
each 1 pair of sandals | Teva Terra Fi / teva.com- Absolutely great shoe on every terrain. No matter if cycling, trekking or wading in water - you can always rely on your Teva sandals!
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each 1 pair of trekking shoes | Hanwag Robin Lady, Lowa Pinto Men / hanwag.ch / lowa.ch |
each 1 cycling pants | |
each 2 pairs of shorts | |
each 2 (cycling-)T-shirts | |
each 2 trekking pants long | |
each 1 trekking pants (warm) | |
each 2 shirts, blouses | |
each 1 windstopper jacket | |
each 1 windstopper vest | |
each 1 thermic pants without inset | |
each 1 pair of knee warmer | |
each 1 thermic underpants | |
each 1 thermic shirt long | |
each 1 facemask silk | contactbuff.ch / chaskee.com |
each 1 beanie | |
each 1 scarf (buff) | Chaskee / contactbuff.ch / chaskee.com |
each 1 suncap | Chaskee / contactbuff.ch / chaskee.com |
2 scarf | silk |
each 1 gore-tex rain jacket | La fuma Unlimit Gore-tex Paclite / lafuma.com |
each 1 pair of rain pants | |
each 1 pair of thermic gloves | |
each 1 pair of windstopper gloves | |
each 1 pair of gore-tex gloves | |
each 1 pair of waterproof socks | Sealskinz- You can wear this socks in trekking shoes (or in sandals) and they are totally waterproof. Unfortunately, the gloves of the same brand do not offer the same reliability.
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each 1 pair of rain gaiters | |
each 3 pair of socks | |
each 4 sets of underwear | |
each 1 silk pyjama | Alkena, T-Shirt and Shorts / alkena.ch- Very comfortable to wear (keeping cooling by heat and warm by coldness), packable very compacty and has the advantage of being "presentable" at all times ;-)
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each 1 swimming trunks / bikini | |
each 1 sarong | |
each 1 towel, washcloth | Sea to Summit Quick Dry- A tiny washcloth can perform miracles! Indispensably for washing off the sweat, salt and dust after a long hot cycling day
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each 1 money belt | |
Toiletry
toiletries bag | |
shampoo/soap | |
deodorant | |
toothbrush | |
toothpaste | |
dental floss | |
shaver | |
earplugs | |
comb | |
nail scissors, nail-file, tweezers | |
mirror | |
insect-repellent | daylong.ch |
lipbalm | daylong.ch |
sun-/handcream | daylong.ch |
scissors | |
hair-cutter | |
Pharmacy
Don't forget to bring the instruction leaflets, at least for the most important drugs like malaria treatment and antibiotics. Put some adhesive tape on the back of the blisters to prevent damaging of the thin aluminium foil.
waterproof box | Otterbox |
contusions, pulled muscles, sprains | e.g. Voltaren (Ecofenac Lipogel) |
greasy cream | e.g. Bepanthene plus |
antiseptic ointment | e.g. Vita-Merfen |
stings, sunburns, allergies | e.g. Fenistil (Stilex) |
nose cream | e.g. Rhinogen- Moisture for dried out mucous membrane in very dry areas.
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eye drops | e.g. Collypan / Voltaren Ophta SDU- Decongestive, anti-inflammatory, painkilling
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painkiller | e.g. Panadol, Dafalgan |
painkiller, anti-inflammatory | e.g. Ponstan (Mefenaminsäure Sandoz), Aspirin |
travel sickness | e.g. Stugeron forte |
allergies | e.g. Claritine (Lorado) |
diarrhea | e.g. Immodium (Lopimed) |
stomach/heartburn | e.g. Nexium |
antibiotic | e.g. Ciprofloxacin (Cip Eco) |
malaria treatment | e.g. Malarone- As we are usually travelling for longer periods in malaria areas we do without prophylaxis. It's not recommended to take this drugs over months. The best protection is still to wear long clothes in the evenings and to use a good moskito repellent.
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several band-aid, steri strip | |
elastic bandage, compresses | |
syringes | - Not necessary in our opinion. If there is a drug available which needs to be injected there will certainly be sterile syringes around too.
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thermometer | |
latex gloves | |
cotton bud | |
first-aid blanket | - Well, a thing to argue about. Will we ever use it?
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medical guide | - Has been sent home due to lack of place.
- Could be handy for people who have no clue about drugs and illnesses though.
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small first-aid kit | - A tiny first-aid kit for short trips spares you from unpacking and carrying the main first-aid kit.
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Kitchen
stove | MSR Dragonfly / msrcorp.com- Not exactly quiet, but it burns any kind of fuel you can think of and it has got a handy adjustable nozzle.
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wind-shield | |
gas bottle | MSR bottle 0.3l / msrcorp.com- We carry the extra fuel in a PET bottle if necessary.
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lighter | |
water filter | Katadyn Vario / katadyn.ch- We replaced the MSR Waterworks filter with a Katadyn Vario. This model proves to be much easier in handling and allows you to filter the water almost effortlessly (in comparison to MSR)
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water desinfection tablets | Micropur / katadyn.ch |
water bags (10l + 5l) | Ortlieb- We normally carry extra water in big bottles or canisters on the trailer. Only if it's really necessarey we also fill up the wobbely water bags.
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foldable washbasin | Ortlieb- A real handy thing, especially for hand-washing.
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pans | MSR pan set with non-stick coating- A big pot (small pot not necessary) and a frying pan.
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ladle, pan holder | MSR / msrcorp.com- Foldable ladle which can be stowed in the pan.
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2 plates | - Plastic plates and cutlery fit in the pot.
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2 cups | Tupperware- With a lid, to carry leftovers if necessary.
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2 cutlery sets | - Avoids scratches as we often eat directly out of the pot.
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swiss knife | |
1l-thermos | - Indispensably not only in cold areas.
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bags | Zip-Lock |
washing-up liquid | |
towel, scotch-brite | |
(olive-)oil | |
spices | - A lot of them and depening on the country in different variations.
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and of course a lot of provision (depending on area and supply) | |
Various
each 1 headlamp | Petzl Tikka Plus, Blackdiamond Zenix |
each 1 sunglasses | Julbo Spot L Spectrum x4 / julbo.ch- Model which fits well for sport and leisure time
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each 1 backpack | - Racks to fix onto Ortlieb bags are available, but we felt they were uncomfortable. We carry two backpacks (each approx. 35l, without solid back).
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each 1 raincover for backpack | |
each 1 waist belt | - For documents. Not really bullet-proof, but handy to carry all the important stuff in one place.
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each 1 wallet | |
each 1 book | - Sometimes even a bit more…
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1 dazer | - Carried it for almost 3 years and did never really use it. Water splashes from drinking bottle will do the trick to make barking dogs run away.
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1 big knife | - For coconuts, pineapples etc. Can also be used for evil people (luckily never had to).
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3 small combination locks | - To "lock" the tent or the panniers onto the bike.
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toilet paper with bag | Ortlieb- The clever waterproof bag for the outdoor toilet.
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washing powder | - Usually we also use the mini soaps which are provided in some hotel rooms.
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line/cord, pegs | |
1 mosquito net | - We don't carry this anymore. Can be cheeply bought in areas where needed.
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each 1 mosquito mask | |
steel net | PacSafe XL / pacsafe.com- After the theft of two bags in Greece we decided to buy a PacSafe. 4 panniers fit well in the steel net and can be so deposited relatively safe.
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alarm | - A tiny thing that makes a big noise (personal safety).
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card game | |
writing utensils | |
small presents, good luck charms | - Depending on where we are. Usually it's our motto not to give presents away on the road. Only when there is a very special occasion we leave a souvenir behind. Mostly it's a picture of us or, whenever there is a possibility a picture of us with the hosts or the people we met on the road.
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Swiss flag | - The Swiss flag has the advantage of being well seen thanks to its bright red colour and that it gets often misinterpreted as the CICR flag.
- In addition to the Swiss flag we hoist the flag of the current hosting country on our flag pole of the trailer.
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Documents
passport, visa | |
copies | laminated- It's usually better to hand over a copy and not the original passport.
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driver's license | - Maybe also a translation.
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vaccination booklet, blood group card | |
insurance policy | - There are no policies as we have terminated all our insurances contracts.
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credit cards | comparis.ch- Check out the fees for your card transactions. There are huge differences between the cards.
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cash | - We always carry some cash with us (in USD/EUR). We won't tell you where though ;-)
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bank cards | - This is the easiest and cheapest way to get money. Nowadays, ATMs are spread almost all over the world (but not in Iran e.g.).
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passport photos | |
copies of all documents | - Safe your documents also somewhere online (e.g. Mailbox).
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diving permit and logbook | |
diary | |
addressbook | |
photo album | - A good way to show something of our own culture; and it's always a hit when we are invited somewhere.
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business cards | - In business card and post card format.
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point-it booklet | - Can be very handy, if you are completely lost for words.
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several travel guides | reise-know-how.de / lonelyplanet.com- Undoubtedly heavy to carry but we still feel it's more convenient than an electronic version. And we still don't go without.
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several maps | reise-know-how.de- Maps are essential in our opinion. Reise-Know-How (world mapping project) has a good range which are quite accurate, durable and usually of current date.
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Packing
rear panniers | Ortlieb Bike Packer Plus / ortlieb.de- The „Packer“ bags offer slightly more room than the roll-up bags and are almost as water proof. And we never really go swimming with it anyway...
- Still the one and only bags for long distance touring in our opinion.
- Apart from the bike the bags are the pieces which are challanged the most on a tour. Therefore it pays when you know exactly what you want: The bags should be easy to carry, offer enough space for your needs, easy to fix on the carriers and they should have compression straps. Water resistance is an additional pro.
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front panniers | Ortlieb Sport Packer Plus / ortlieb.de |
bag for trailer | Ortlieb Rack-Pack XL / ortlieb.de |
bag for carrier | Ortlieb Rack-Pack S / ortlieb.de |
bag for handle-bar front | Ortlieb Ultimate 3 Plus / ortlieb.de |
bag for handle-bar back | Vaude Saturn / vaude.de- Qualitatively definitively not as good as the original of Ortlieb but the only one of this small size.
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bags | tatonka.com- Picky tidy fanatics, that's what we are.
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sacks and covers | Tatonka, Ortlieb |
Technical Stuff
SLR camera | Nikon D80- Well, a D90 would be nice, but you cannot have it all...
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universal lens 18-200mm | Nikkor 18-200mm DX 1:3.5-5.6 VR- A good multipurpose lens, but unfortunately not very good for macros.
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flash | Nikon - Unfortunately necessary, because the lens diameter is too big for the built-in flash.
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protection filter | Hoya HMC UV(0)- Protection for the expensive lens.
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pol filter | Hoya PL-Cir |
remote control | Nikon ML-L3- Quite handy for self-portraits.
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bag | Lowepro |
2 memory cards (SD) | 2GB/8GB |
2 spare batteries | Nikon EN-EL3e |
battery charger | |
data cable | |
USB-card reader | - Not needed anymore as there is a built-in reader in our laptop now.
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tripod | Gorillapod Joby - Very useful, but somehow not very solid. Maybe the camera is slightly too heavy for it. We replaced it with a small, lightweight tripod.
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compact camera | Canon digital IXUS 850 IS- After 2.5 years of permanent usage the IXUS 400 has been replaced by IXUS 850 IS.
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memory card (SD) | Sandisk Extreme II, 2GB |
2 spare batteries | |
battery charger | |
cleaning-brush and cloth | |
notebook | Acer TravelMate 6292- Nowadays we would probably buy a tiny Eee PC.
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notebook pouch | Crumpler neopren sleeve |
USB harddrive | 500GB |
USB flash memory | Cruzer 8GB / portableapps.com- To synchronize E-mails etc. in the internet café. Plus several portable applications.
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travel adapter | Swiss World Adapter / swisstravelproducts.com |
compass | |
GPS | Etrex Vista Cx- Includes an out of date and inacurate world map, but at least it gives sometimes a clue of where you are. We use it rarely.
- Generally speaking a thing which can be left at home unless you are on an extreme-tour.
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small binoculars | |
each 1 watch | Ciclosport Alpin 5, Casio Baby G / ciclosport.de- The Ciclosport has a built-in altimeter.
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worldband receiver | Sony- Has been sent home: SRI (Swiss Radio International) is no more transmitting on air. So, what's the point?
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MP3-player | Meizu MusicCard- Only since very recently in our baggage. No clue if we will ever use it because we never really missed it so far...
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Spareparts and tools
spare carbon for water filter | |
repare kit for stove | |
spare pole | - It can happen (and it did in fact) that a pole breaks.
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repair patches for mattresses | |
repair patches for Ortlieb bags | |
Gore-tex repair-patches | |
woven tape | - There is always something to mend and you can "bandage" almost everything with this tape.
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insulation tape | |
glue/contact glue | |
sewing kit | - You won't belief how much mending is needed on clothes and material.
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elastic | |
cord | |
wire | |
spare batteries for headlamps, GPS, watches and cycling computers | |
screwdriver | - There is always something to fix in hotel rooms.
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watchmaker screwdriver | |
multi-tool | Victrinox Swiss Tool Spirit / victorinox.ch- Leatherman Juice Tool was absolutely useless because the steel was as soft as warm butter. It has been replaced with a Victorinox model - this is an absolutely great tool. Very recommended.
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See also corresponding paragraph under "Tandem" | |
17.11.11 Geraldton, Australia
Western Australia – this is pure nature! Apparently, in endless dimensions at that! Not only ...
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