Hot answers tagged gear
20
Towels are 50/50 possible, depening on country and hostel.
More hostels will rent towels, sometimes at a nominal price. One hostel I worked in in Australia used to provide free towels but we discovered we were often paying overtime to our laundry staff because people would use many towels just because they were free! We introduced a $1 fee per towel, ...
19
We recently caught the ferry from the UK to Europe and needed to have these stickers (for the other way around).
We bought them before hand from UK car shop Halfords where they just call them "headlamp converters".
We also found find that everything needed for driving in other countries was sold on the ferry. They sold the headlamp converters, the country ...
18
If you have a Nokia Symbian device, then you can get Ovi Maps installed on it. Ovi Maps allows you to download map files for as many countries as you want and store in on your memory card. Once that's done, you can set Ovi Maps to offline mode and still be able to use it to get directions. If you get a local SIM, then it will be able to show you rough ...
16
The only possible difference is that in the EU, they may not have the TSA keys. Therefore it just becomes like a normal lock that you have the keys for and they don't. So worst case, they may flag the bag for inspection and require you to open it for them.
Indeed in Europe you're still allowed to lock it with whatever lock you want, so it's perfectly ...
15
One of the simplest, cleanest and cheapest solutions that I've seen is a couple I met who were travelling around South America. They'd back up onto a second SD card as well. When a card was full, they'd simply put it in an envelope and mail it home. Very cheap and very easy, and pretty reliable. Send it registered mail if you don't trust it.
Once their ...
15
Almost always, you bring your own, however...
Hostel sites like Hostelbookers often indicate whether or not items like towels are available for rent, or provided.
Some I've seen will sell toothpaste and deodorant and the like.
Personally, I bring a towel and toiletries, and almost always I've needed them. It's generally a surprise when I don't.
14
Don't pack anything. You'll find much cheaper, and probably better, plug adapters all over India. Expect to pay Rs 15-30 for simple ones that just accommodate US-style plugs, and Rs 40-50 for full universal ones. You can find them at any general store/convenience store in major cities and tourist locations, but might get a better selection at electrician's ...
14
I arrived at the kit below by adding gear only as needed. I started with just an iPhone and laptop and only added to that when it was literally impossible to get reliable internet at my accommodations with the gear I already had. I have trial-and-errored through a bunch of other gear that turned out to be unhelpful or not worth the bulk (e.g. higher ...
13
Technically if the wifi and 3g is off, it's not going to do anything to the plane.
HOWEVER...
This is not why they mention electronic devices DURING Take off and Landing. It's a safety thing. If someone is listening to their ipod, they may not hear evacuation instructions. If someone is on a laptop, it may get in the way trying to get out to the aisle. ...
13
I have a crappy old mobile phone that doesn't even work as a phone but it's handy as an addressbook and of course an alarm clock. And like most phones for years no matter how cheap and crappy it has a silent vibration setting.
Don't you have a phone? Doesn't it have a silent vibrating alarm?
12
There are different handheld GPS units. My favourite is the Garmin eTrex. Garmin's own MapSource maps are usually quite expensive and require annual updates.
OpenStreetMap is a nice alternative; you should check the site if the coverage in the required area fits your needs. The quality of data is quite okay too. The map data can be stored offline in a ...
12
When power outlets were first installed on airliners, they used a special adapter called EmPower, which looked like this:
The airlines obviously thought that frequent flyers would be happy to buy a new kind of adapter for all their gizmos. This turned out not to be entirely true... nobody wanted to buy these new stupid adapters, and the airlines ...
11
Buy a gun.
No really. You can buy a Starter Pistol (you know, the kind used to signal the beginning of a race) for under fifty bucks. According to TSA regulations, any case which contains a firearm is inspected at the time of check-in, and then locked and tracked in transit. This means that your bag will not be searched except under your direct supervision, ...
11
I agree with @R.. I spent over four months in Delhi in 2009, and while I did bring over a couple of plug adapters with me, it's much easier and cheaper to just buy them there. Any market will have them. (Just remember that the price of almost anything in India is negotiable!)
In addition to buying a couple of plug adapters, you can also purchase a universal ...
11
The FAA advisory circular - which American airlines and other international carriers that fly into the US have to adhere to, so this a fairly standard industry practice - that relates to use of 'personal electronic devices' can be found here. An example given is:
A cell phone will not be authorized for use while the aircraft is
being taxied for ...
11
One quick and easy tip - if there are sights there, like, let's say - Machu Picchu in Peru, do a Google Image search for Machu Picchu tourists (if you don't say tourists you just get nice shots of a mountain), and see what the people in the photos are wearing. It gives you a good guide of what might be suitable. Even add in a month to your search - for ...
11
Gloves
I currently reside in Sweden and the locals, especially up north, use two pairs of gloves. The most important point is that the big one-finger gloves (aka mitts) are very warm, but will prevent precise manipulations (such as taking pictures, finding something in your pocket, zipping and unzipping, etc.), while the five-fingered ones usually are ...
11
With backpacks, The small outer pockets are the target for pickpockets. They are easy to open without you noticing it. So always leave your valuable stuff at the main pocket of the backpack even if you use locks on the outer pockets they can still steal stuff from it. In Egypt around 2001-2002 I have seen some one whose passport was stolen from his backpack ...
10
The Association of Flight Attendants cites three main risks they are attempting to mitigate with turning off and stowing personal electronic devices:
Devices flying around the cabin
Distracting from instructions
Electronic Interference
Follow instructions regarding Personal Electronic Devices - If an emergency incident were to occur during a critical ...
10
The TSA actually has a section devoted to this on their website:
You may bring skydiving rigs with and without Automatic Activation
Devices (AAD) as carry-on or checked luggage.
Typically, a rig will move through the checked luggage or carry-on
security screening process without needing physical inspection.
However, TSA security officers have ...
10
I have a medic alert bracelet. Firstly, it's a convenient item that first-aiders can check if you are unable to speak for yourself, which describes conditions you may have. It also contains a phone number for more information which they could use.
There are downsides - it requires you to wear it the whole time. I don't even notice mine any more, but I ...
9
I was asked to turn off Kindle during landing on a Ryanair flight. Provided that there's basically no such thing as "turning off a Kindle" this doesn't make much sense, but it's still considered an electronic device (since it has a battery) and is not allowed to be used during take off or landing.
9
Camalbacks are great for trecking, but they have two problems when climbing Kilimanjaro.
At high altitudes drinking from the tube can leave you breathless as the time spent drinking while walking is time that you aren't breathing. This sounds surprising but it does make a difference with the low oxygen levels.
On the summit day, the water in your camalback ...
9
I just got back from climbing Kilimanjaro, and we used a SteriPEN to purify our water. It's very small and easy to carry, and it only takes a minute to purify a liter of water (you basically just have to stir). It cost us $90 and was definitely worth it, considering how awful iodine tablets make your water taste.
As for amount of water, I carried 3L each ...
9
While this question is specific to Japan, there really is one answer that fits all.
If you are even slightly in doubt, don't.
Even if you are following the law, to the letter and have measured your knife to make sure it complies, you run the risk of:
A custom's agent having a bad day. If he says "This isn't allowed" and you argue with him, things could ...
9
FIrstly, even if you COULD get offline Google Maps, it's not that useful in non western countries. Murmansk - the largest city in the arctic circle, is shown as just two streets in Google Maps. Most of their coverage of Central Asia is next to useless as well.
In addition, you need some serious storage for offline google maps. What I eventually settled ...
9
Indonesia uses European-style two-pin round plugs ('C'-type is the most common variant found):
Voltage is at 220 V 50 Hz (as opposed to 110 V 60 Hz in US). Most modern electronic equipment that has auto-sensing capability should work without needing a voltage converter, you will need a plug adapter though which can buy cheap online. As for Apple products ...
9
I believe what you're looking for is called the Knifeless Leatherman.
8 in | 19 cm Ruler
Bottle Opener
Can Opener
Hard-wire Cutters
Large Screwdriver
Needlenose Pliers
Phillips Screwdriver
Regular Pliers
Scissors
Small Screwdriver
Wire Cutters
Wire Stripper
but importantly, NO KNIVES!
9
Apart from not keeping valuables in the car, the next best solution is:
Keep all valuables out of sight to an observer outside the car. And preferably also locked.
Moreover, I'd say treat anything that isn't part of the car as a valuable. There are places where someone will smash and grab for 75 cents left sitting in the ashtray. Leave them no reason ...
8
I went to India (from the US) last year and brought one of these.
It's only an adapter, not a voltage converter. It will work with your laptop, phone charger, etc. if they support 110V and 220V. If you have devices (electric shaver, hair dryer, etc.) that only operate on 110V this won't work. Some "international" hotels will have a 110V outlet in the ...
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