Got a burning adventure travel question?

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Dave Lowe, travel writer and author of Sandwiches Should NEVER Taste Like Cow Crap answers your adventure travel dilemmas.



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[visitor]

I was just wondering it your travelers have a consensus opinion about the best 'carry-on' backpacks and luggage. Or maybe one or another with strong opinions about the subject.

Thanks

[theloweroad]

This is a very good question...... wiith airport security rules ever changing, for me, a carry-on should be easy to open for security checks but still carry the essential laptop, MP3 player, cell phone and/or PDA device..... I usually stick to the old school backpack (the north face models suit me well) because I can use it straight off the plane, and there is a built in laptop compartment. the preferred carry on again depends on the kind of travel you do, and where: make sure the material is breathable for hot countries, and, waterproof: traveling in the monsoon season in southeast asia and india can be eased with a bag that protects travel docs, guidebook and electronics.

When it comes to luggage, my bag MUST have wheels, however on a recent trip to Cambodia, they were totally useless due to the non existent pavement.... a bag that also has built-in backpack straps make it easy to carry when the pavement is cracked (or non existent, as in many developing countries) or when train stations and airports (like New Delhi and Cairo) where the crowds are chaos incarnate.

Large backpacks tend to be the easiest to pack and unpack if youre traveling fast and furious; though if hitting a beach resort with organized transfers a regular square suitcase will do fine. Ive always stuck with North Face and Lowe Pro for backpacks, and Briggs and Riley has a good line of durable bags, budget will be your guide but be warned, a cheap bag can split open in the most inconvenient of places (ive seen it happen!) so invest in a well made bag that will last several trips.

Note: carrying a few large safety pins can be extremely helpful if a zipper fails and you need to secure your bag in a hurry.

[theloweroad]

apologies for the delay in responding.... I have just been at a marine trade fair in Singapore.....

funniest things? this would have to be Vietnam, Egypt, and India. In Egypt they ride around Cairo with a full mattress sized wooden crate on their heads piled high with freshly baked bread, turn corners and NOT crash. amazing. And they also affectionate with camels - (not in that way!) the guys who give rides at the pyramids treat their camels like a pet dog, giving them names and tossing them bits of meat. (Dont ever laugh at a camel, they might spit in your face) In Vietnam, chaos is everywhere, and pigs tied over handlebars, refrigerators and televisions lashed precariously to motorbikes, shards of glass placed on peoples laps, and worst of all: talking on a cell phone while navigating the mayhem. It should be an Olympic sport - not for the faint hearted. It is a sight to be seen when someone is screaming into the cell phone holding the phone in one hand, and driving with the other, makes you wonder why they bother wearing a helmet! In India, the chai wallahs are stand up comedians, and will make any train journey fun, making fun of the passengers around you, laughing at your shoes, pointing at funny pictures in your guidebook, that sort of thing. hilarious. and they make some of the best tea in the world.

What I should have brought: a power bar for multiple plugs. they dont weigh much, slip into any suitcase, and can charge all your electronics at once without having to bang your head against a wall when your camera battery dies at the pyramids, or, have to wake up at 3 am to switch charging your laptop and cell phone because both are nearly dead!

Case in point: on my most recent trip to Singapore, I forgot my power bar and spent $70 USD on an adapter so I could file articles on time.....lesson learned.

Wish I had thrown away: well, to be honest, some travel companions that latched on a little too closely for help! (they might have knocked a panda out for sure) that and bulky guidebooks. might as well have dragged a brick along. for me, pack what you think youll need, and remove half of it. i return from trips always finding a pair of shoes or shorts or pants that never even saw the light of day or got worn once - though Im sure they enjoyed the ride tied to the roof of Indian buses and Maldivian dhonis and in the belly of a plane! sometimes even clothing need to get out and get some fresh air.....

[theloweroad]

I wouldnt call it 'dangerous' (as I have been in far worse situations, like a tsunami) but 'challenging' might be a better word: in Djibouti, a woman punched me with her fist and yelled BIN LADEN! and in Vietnam I was threatened with a machete by a very angry sandwich vendor when I challenged him about the price (he wanted $5 for a baguette, when the price was like 40 cents) to 'protect' myself I tossed the sandwiches at him and ran! He threw the machete at me but missed!

Your attitude has everything to do with travel - whether you meet locals or not, whether you enjoy it or not, or whether that disaster is laughed off or causes you to fly immediately home. So I always have a careful attitude when traveling (it doesnt hurt being tall, either) and while open I also take things with a grain of salt, like the three back to back invitations I received in Egypt to go to a wedding in the desert - no thanks.

Attitude while traveling forms alot of what is in my book, Sandwiches Should NEVER Taste Like Cow Crap, stories that will sometimes make your hair stand on end!