4 ms·

My counter is if you can't produce it within a day it's most likely not a necessity.

by zeroq 2y ago

ghaff 2y ago
There's a ton of medical and medical-adjacent stuff (both prescription and not) that isn't going to be easy to come up with in a typical village or small town. Good to have some basic things you can use to rig a backpack strap or hole repair. There are fairly essential clothing items you may not easily replace on foot in small towns; it's raining hard and you left your rain jacket at home. Sure. If you have wheels, it's probably easier.
- Retric 2y ago
  I’ve gone decades without using a raincoat. If you’re going someplace cold you’ll want warm clothing and if it’s sunny then sunblock is a big deal, but in general you don’t need much stuff on a trip.
  - ghaff 2y ago
    My guess is you're not hiking for 10 miles in possibly chilly rain in England or wherever. (Or needing a shell because of wind.) An umbrella doesn't really work and you're probably not wanting to just walk all day drenched. In a city, yes, umbrellas are often a reasonable alternative.
    - deleted 2y ago
      [deleted]
    - Retric 2y ago
      I’ll happily spend all day wet outside as long as it’s warm enough not to want a jacket. Which is why I just get water resistant jackets rather than raincoats.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
et-al 2y ago
Two small exceptions to a generally good rule: - good shoes in certain regions may not be easy to find. don't skimp on good shoes. - not to get into a dirtbag pissing contest about necessities, but there were also plenty of towns in Myanmar where one couldn't produce a USB-C or Lightning cable pre-pandemic
harrall 2y ago
A few ibuprofen and anti-diarrhea pills can make a world of difference, save you from ruining your whole day on a potentially short trip, and they take up no space.
- ghaff 2y ago
  I have a couple of very compact kits, one of which is basically walking/hiking first aid (e.g. blister stuff) and the other is the sort of stuff you mention. It's a really good idea to throw something like these in your bag which weigh nothing, take up no space, and can really be nice if you need them. PSA: The small index card holders (i.e. about an inch deep) are really good for these kind of kits as they provide some protection.
crazygringo 2y ago
I sure has heck don't want to waste a day of my vacation shopping for something I forgot.
- zeroq 2y ago
  If I'm on vacation and I missed something it's either (a) something I can live without; (b) something that can be procured within a day if needed, which doesn't imply I have to dedicate all of that time, but rather that I will be going to town later that day or tomorrow. Again, we're talking travel and holidays, not an expedition. The counter examples people gave so far: - a cable: well, maybe you don't need that cable anyway for the reminder of your 2-4 week holidays? Maybe you can occasionally borrow one at the reception or caffe? Is it a proprietary charging cable for your headphones or bike computer? Well, that's the advanture part mentioned in that article. - clothing: trust me, local people will have exactly what you need for local weather. Getting quality or designer brands may indeed be difficult in remote places, but we're talking about an intermediate solution. - working remote, lost computer: I know everyone tells you that the world will end if you won't meet the next deadline but that's not true. You can get a day or two off, things happen and people will understand. Meanwhile look for alternative solution, maybe a internet caffe? Talk to the staff at your hotel or local cafe, maybe someone can borrow you something for a day or two? If it's really that important, someone will ship you replacement. Again, it's the advanture part. - medicine: this I must admit is tough one. If your life really depends on it then you simply don't forget. Sure, your luggage might get stolen but that's beyond your control and you have to cancel the trip anyway most likely. Otherwise you have the medicine in couple places, you should have a receipt and unless you're in a warzone medicine is generally available. I've been in this exact situation couple of times (Germany, UK, Ukraine, Vietnam) and I always was able to procure whatever I needed.

My counter is if you can't produce it within a day it's most likely not a necessity.

by zeroq 2y ago

My counter is if you can't produce it within a day it's most likely not a necessity.

There's a ton of medical and medical-adjacent stuff (both prescription and not) that isn't going to be easy to come up with in a typical village or small town. Good to have some basic things you can use to rig a backpack strap or hole repair. There are fairly essential clothing items you may not easily replace on foot in small towns; it's raining hard and you left your rain jacket at home. Sure. If you have wheels, it's probably easier.

Retric 2y ago
I’ve gone decades without using a raincoat. If you’re going someplace cold you’ll want warm clothing and if it’s sunny then sunblock is a big deal, but in general you don’t need much stuff on a trip.
- ghaff 2y ago
  My guess is you're not hiking for 10 miles in possibly chilly rain in England or wherever. (Or needing a shell because of wind.) An umbrella doesn't really work and you're probably not wanting to just walk all day drenched. In a city, yes, umbrellas are often a reasonable alternative.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  - Retric 2y ago
    I’ll happily spend all day wet outside as long as it’s warm enough not to want a jacket. Which is why I just get water resistant jackets rather than raincoats.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]

et-al 2y ago

Two small exceptions to a generally good rule: - good shoes in certain regions may not be easy to find. don't skimp on good shoes. - not to get into a dirtbag pissing contest about necessities, but there were also plenty of towns in Myanmar where one couldn't produce a USB-C or Lightning cable pre-pandemic

harrall 2y ago

A few ibuprofen and anti-diarrhea pills can make a world of difference, save you from ruining your whole day on a potentially short trip, and they take up no space.

ghaff 2y ago
I have a couple of very compact kits, one of which is basically walking/hiking first aid (e.g. blister stuff) and the other is the sort of stuff you mention. It's a really good idea to throw something like these in your bag which weigh nothing, take up no space, and can really be nice if you need them. PSA: The small index card holders (i.e. about an inch deep) are really good for these kind of kits as they provide some protection.

crazygringo 2y ago

I sure has heck don't want to waste a day of my vacation shopping for something I forgot.

zeroq 2y ago
If I'm on vacation and I missed something it's either (a) something I can live without; (b) something that can be procured within a day if needed, which doesn't imply I have to dedicate all of that time, but rather that I will be going to town later that day or tomorrow. Again, we're talking travel and holidays, not an expedition. The counter examples people gave so far: - a cable: well, maybe you don't need that cable anyway for the reminder of your 2-4 week holidays? Maybe you can occasionally borrow one at the reception or caffe? Is it a proprietary charging cable for your headphones or bike computer? Well, that's the advanture part mentioned in that article. - clothing: trust me, local people will have exactly what you need for local weather. Getting quality or designer brands may indeed be difficult in remote places, but we're talking about an intermediate solution. - working remote, lost computer: I know everyone tells you that the world will end if you won't meet the next deadline but that's not true. You can get a day or two off, things happen and people will understand. Meanwhile look for alternative solution, maybe a internet caffe? Talk to the staff at your hotel or local cafe, maybe someone can borrow you something for a day or two? If it's really that important, someone will ship you replacement. Again, it's the advanture part. - medicine: this I must admit is tough one. If your life really depends on it then you simply don't forget. Sure, your luggage might get stolen but that's beyond your control and you have to cancel the trip anyway most likely. Otherwise you have the medicine in couple places, you should have a receipt and unless you're in a warzone medicine is generally available. I've been in this exact situation couple of times (Germany, UK, Ukraine, Vietnam) and I always was able to procure whatever I needed.