In case our journey inspires your own backpacking adventure, here are the ten items I couldn't live without on this trip. (Note: pretty much all of these things were in my daypack when the airline lost our luggage! So its a tested list) In no particular order:
1) Global Cell Phone by Telestial.com. ($89) this phone is good all over Europe and has a Sim card that came with $10 airtime. Its $0.29/min to call out/receive a call. Its the cheapest rate we found for a pre-paid. Also, its free for us to receive texts and there is a toll free number for people to call us at. (Free for you, cheap for us!) Most US cell phones won't work abroad, or if they do you will get charged a hefty fee. With this service we can have a phone with great rates. Its super easy to add money to it and we can use the phone anytime in the future that we travel abroad.
2) Sony 10.1 Digital Camera by Sony ($175) What would a trek to Europe be without photos!? I love the Sony Cybershot because its user friendly and has plenty of settings to capture the best pictures. (Ex. Landscape mode, beach mode, portrait , etc) Loaded with 8gb of memory and an extra battery, I'm ready for another month!
3) Filtered water bottle by Brita ($10) best $10 we could have spent! This water bottle is made of durable plastic and has a built in filter. Not all Europe water is clean and crisp like Switzerland. For the questionable places the filter comes in handy! Its also great for filling with tap water while on the go. It has a convienient carrying handle and lasts up to 2 months before you need to replace the filter. Plus the bottle is pretty well insulated for cold water all day long.
4) Passport wallet by Target ($10) I love my passport wallet! No, I don't wear it around my neck....but I could with its detatchable neck strap! It has a slot for passport, credit cards, train pass/currency and even a change pocket that zips! Its small and easily fits anywhere in my day pack.
5) International Translator by Ectaco ($99) When visiting 14 countries in one trip it would be impossible to tote around dictionaries or phrase books. This sleek translator offers over 27 languages in the palm of your hand! It has a removabled micro-SD card that you can load with any language you want (offered free through Ectaco). On the way to a new country I simply load the new language and we're ready to go. It offers useful phrases for a number of sitations, translating from English > foreign language OR foreign language>English! It has saved us a few times. And the AAA batteries last a long time/are easily replaced
6) Journal & Pen ($5) Even though I blog, I am still keeping a personal journal throughout the trip. Its much more detailed and a wonderful souvenir to remember our journey for years to come. I am simply using a $0.99 composition notebook, but Heather has more of a covered journal with latch. I like to keep little reminders along the way, so I brought scissors and glue. My journal doubles as a scrapbook! Its a great way to remember every detail of your trip to share when you get home.
7) Europe by Eurail 2011 by LaVerne Ferguson-Kosinski ($20) Where would we be without our guide book!? We bought this book in February after long debates over which guide book was best. We couldn't be happier. It offers information on every country we are visiting including popular train routes, tourist office locations, hotel reccomendations, day trips, sight seeing and so much more. We use it every day!! Not to mention we created a rating system for each city we visit and have recorded our ratings in our book. It currently looks like we've had it for years! Its small and light enough that it doesn't weigh my daypack down too much.
8) Illinois Backpack by The North Face ($120) This backpack is great as a day pack because it has lots of pockets and organizing options. The front pouch has a cell phone pocket, pen pockets, key clip, and 2 other pockets great for holding maps and trainschedules. The main pocket has lots of capacity with straps on the outside to condense your load. There is a water bottle pocket on each side great for water, sunglasses, camera etc. (I leave my camera in this pocket but have it attached by a clip so its not easily removable by would-by thieves.) There is also an iPod pocket on the outside with a hole for headphones to feed through. It is also equipped with a reinforced back for easy carry and a hip strap to distribute weight. I love this thing!
9) Converter by Travelmate ($20) This converter offers a variety of outlet options. I used to have the kind that was 5-7 pieces and you had to plug in each bit for whatever outlet you needed. The Travelmate converter is internationally capeable with all of the plugs you may need in one small converter. It has built in surge protection and is very easy to use/stow. Most European trains have a plug at your seat so I always carry my converter with my phone charger and camera charger.
10) 60L pack by Osprey ($450) It is so important to get the right pack for you. Mine is a 60L by Osprey, from REI. It came with a custom hip strap which was heated then formed to my waist at the time of purchase. It has plenty of room, a bottom pocket for sleeping bag/pillow, a detatchable top pocket for odds and ends or use as a day pack, side pockets and a front pocket perfect for flip flops. When buying a pack you need to go to the store and be fitted. You have to find the one that is most comfortable for you. Your pack's max weight should be no more than 15% of your body weight. And should generally be only about 3/4 full. (Lots of room for souvenirs). I've toted this pack around for 2 weeks and its nothing! Even on the days when we are trekking around cities with our packs, it hasn't been a problem. Its all in the sizing!
This trip has been amazing so far, and we still have a month left! With all these gizmos and gadgets everything has been easy sailing. The less time we spend stressing over the small things, the more time we have to enjoy the view!
Safe Travels,
- Kit
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