Friday, December 16, 2005

Walk About in Middle Earth

As nearly every one of you know now, Steve and I are taking 7 months to travel the wilds of New Zealand and Australia before settling down in the great square state of Colorado. We aren't going to go totally bare-bones backpacker style where we sleep in dirt and live off ramen until we loose our teeth from scurvy; we do, however, want to find a fair balance between roughing it and enjoying ourselves. Some people have wondered just what I will be bringing on my trip down under, so here is a breakdown of my pack contents. Please let me know if you have any other suggestions:

Clothing
Hiking boots
Sandals
Fleece jacket
Rain pants
Rain jacket
Long underwear
Gloves
Wool Hat
Visor
Short sleeve shirts (3)
Long sleeve shirts (2)
Shorts (2)
Pants (1)

Camp Gear
Sleeping bag
Thermorest
Pack rain cover
Travel towel
Camp stove
Water filter

Miscellaneous
Binoculars
Head lamp
Mosquito net
Guide book
Reading book
Journal
Camera
Battery charger
First Aid Kit
Toiletries

And of courseā€¦
Food
Water

4 Comments:

At 10:06 AM, Blogger Russell said...

Please expand on the food details. I would hope that the list includes warm yogurt, soy nuts, and lots of fruit.

 
At 2:18 PM, Blogger CK said...

Woman! You're going to Australia in the summer and you didn't list a swimsuit??

 
At 2:48 PM, Blogger CK said...

And pictures of your dogs to keep in your jounal.

And Benadryl so the sheep don't make Steve sneeze.

 
At 2:12 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

As a well traveled person there are a few more things I think you missed.
1) American Flag- People from other countries feel comforted when they know Americans are around. The bigger the flag the better.
2) Copy of Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA"- Entertain the Australians with one of the greatest songs ever written in the history of the world.
3) DVD box set of Gilligan's Island- Television in Australia is horrible (too much British comedy) so just sit right back and enjoy Gilligan in all his glory. (RIP Bob Denver)
4) A History book- During your adventures you're sure to come across many Europeans. That is the time to whip the history book and remind them that if it weren't for us they'd all be speaking German. This will lead to many "Thank You"s and maybe a free meal or shelter. If any French people try to bring up the Revolutionary War remind them that everybody hates them.
5) Non-Native animals- Introduce some American animals to the foreign land. I hear Australian's are growing tired of the same old Kangaroos and Koala Bears.

Also, don't forget to watch Crocadile Dundee before you go. This will freshen you up on Austalian culture and the ways of the Native people.
That reminds me:
6) A BIG Knife- Australian's carry big knives. Yours will have to be bigger than theirs in order to avoid being robbed on the streets. Don't forget to say "That's not a knife..."

That's everything. Enjoy your trip.

 

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