Tien Chiu

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Packing list for Ghana

I am prepping for my Ghana trip.

I went out and bought Eagle Creek packing cubes yesterday ““ 3 regular size cubes and three half-cubes that, together, exactly fill my pack. There’s just enough room left over to tuck in my shower kit (also from Eagle Creek ““ can you tell I like the brand?).

I found it extremely useful, when I was packing in SE Asia, to have exactly one place for everything ““ that way there’s no hesitation about finding anything or packing it later. I got to the point where I could pack up a belongings-strewn room in less than fifteen minutes, and unpack in under five. One cube for shirts, one cube for pants, one cube for miscellaneous supplies (shampoo, conditioner, contact lenses, first aid kit, etc.), one half-cube for underwear and socks, and one padded half-cube for electronic toys.

I am also starting to make my list of travel supplies, with an emphasis on keeping things light yet versatile. Things you don’t normally think of, like duct tape, dental floss (useful for repairing things, in addition to keeping your teeth clean), wire clothes hangers, and so on. It’s a balance between being prepared for virtually everything (especially in backwater areas) and having to drag all the stuff around on your back ““ you want what’s needed, exactly and no more.

I wish I had my packing list from SE Asia, but here is the rough draft of what I plan to bring:

Clothes cubes:

  • Three shirts (lightweight, fast-drying)
  • Three pairs of pants (silk/synthetic blend, wrinkle-free, fast-drying)
  • Seven pairs of underwear (some people say you can get by with two. They are lying.)
  • 2-3 pairs of socks (though I expect to wear Tevas most of the time)
  • 1 pair of Teva sandals
  • 1 pair of SAS walking shoes

Electronics and repair-kit cube:

  • 1 Canon SD600 Digital Elph camera (and boy, is it tiny! Whee!)
  • Charger for camera
  • 1 spare battery and memory card
  • Backup battery pack for Nano (for long trips with no electricity)
  • 1-2 GB thumb drive (for backing up photos in case laptop/camera stolen)
  • Sewing kit
  • 1 length of picture-hanging wire (for repairing things)
  • 2 small locks (for locking pack shut/locking pack to objects)
  • Small roll of duct tape
  • Universal plug adapter

Shower kit:

  • Usual stuff:
    • Shampoo (also doubles as soap and laundry detergent)
    • Conditioner
    • Toothpaste
    • Toothbrush
    • Dental floss (also in repair kit)
    • Prescription medications
    • Contact lens solution (small bottle)
    • Q-tips (also useful for cleaning things)
    • Glasses & glasses case
    • Chapstick
  • Universal sink stopper (many Third World bathrooms do not come with sink stoppers)
  • Toilet paper (thanks, B.!)
  • Small bottle of sunscreen
  • Small bottle of insect repellent
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Camp towel
  • Earplugs

Miscellaneous cube:

  • 2 wire coat hangers (for hanging clothes up to dry)
  • Clothesline
  • Index cards
  • Pens, pencils
  • 1-day disposable contact lenses
  • Big bottles of shampoo, conditioner, sunscreen, insect repellent, hand sanitizer
  • Water filter, iodine tablets
  • Sleep-sack (a lightweight, single-layer silk “sleeping bag”)
  • 2-gallon, 1-gallon, and 1-quart ziplock bags
  • Mosquito net (?)
  • First-aid kit

Daypack:

  • Laptop + power cord
  • iPod Nano + earphones
  • Small notebook + pen
  • Knitting needles
  • Enough yarn for a silk shawl
  • Collapsible water bottle
  • Victorinox Swiss Tool (like a Leatherman)
  • Hand sanitizer, toilet paper
  • Spare pair of contact lenses
  • Spare pair of glasses
  • Inflatable travel pillow
  • Copy of glasses prescription
  • Emergency contact info in case something happens to me

I think that’s all for now, but I’ll keep updating this as my “to bring” list as I think of more items. If you think I’ve left something out, lemme know.

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book, travel, cycling, other miscellany

So, I’m starting to think about the book again.  I had a major setback two or three months ago, which was the realization (after talking to the director of AIDS Lifecycle) that I may not be able to get the time with the director of AIDS Lifecycle or the directors of SFAF and LAGLC (the two beneficiaries) that I’ll need to write the book that I’ve envisioned.  My interest in AIDS Lifecycle is also declining, so I’m wondering vaguely whether it might not be better to pull the plug on the book project and pick a different subject on which to write.  I think the answer is probably “no”, but I’m still mulling it over.  It will be a lot harder for me to sell the book to a publisher if I can’t get the backing of the AIDS Lifecycle office.

That said, I’ve also sunk quite a few years and a huge chunk of money into the book, so I don’t think I can just walk away.

So, I’m mulling it over.

Travel-wise, I have gotten my new travel pack!  It’s the REI Women’s Grand Tour, and it’s a pretty nice travel pack – internal frame, adjustable suspension, rear/bottom access, detachable daypack for random expeditions.  I’ve ordered a set of packing cubes as well, to make packing up easier.  (During my SE Asia travels they were a godsend – I could unpack my pack into a set of eight cubes and know exactly what was in each one – and I could pack up in fifteen minutes or less without worrying about being able to find it later.)  I’ve also finished my typhoid vaccine (the last of my vaccinations), bought plane tickets, and sent off my passport and visa application to the Ghanaian Embassy in DC.  This weekend or next I will try to make it over to Berkeley and the Travelsmith outlet store, to see if I can find 2 pairs of pants that will travel nicely, dry fast, and not wrinkle.  I will probably buy clothes once I’m in Ghana, too, but I need something to wear for the first couple of days.

Cycling: It’s just about time to start training for the Markleeville Death Ride, and I’m meeting up with a potential cycling coach tonight.  It’ll be interesting to chat about her philosophy of training and get some insights into what kind of program she would set me up with.  I’m not sure if I’ll go with her or my last year’s coach.

I have now clipped out the worst of the mats on the Fuzz, and am continuing to brush him.  There are still quite a few mats to go, but I’m having trouble getting him to sit still while I clip them out – he’s starting to suspect something and move off as soon as I pick up the scissors.

I’m also going back to doing cycling long rides this weekend.  Between the candymaking and the rainy weather, I’ve been unable to get out for the last six weeks or so.  I’m not particularly unhappy about this – I needed the psychological break from training – but I do need to get back into the saddle, I think.

Have wound up 2/3 of the warp for my “production weaving” project and have settled on a set of patterns.  I’m going to thread it as a straight-up point twill (1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8, repeat) and use treadling and tie-up variations (which appear to be nearly infinite) to produce some vastly different-looking patterns.

That’s mostly it for today…onward ho!