Travel Kit

What kit, jabs etc. are needed is a frequently asked question, and also perplexed me at first. So I thought I'd post my list, and what I got:

Essential Kit

Rucksack - 45L Regatta £27.99

The next 3 were from Itchy Feet but to be honest I'm not sure I always found the cheapest price, so shop around:
Money Belt
Micro-fibre towel
Swiss army knife

Compass
Daysack (either small back-pack or satchel: I prefer satchel as it's easier to carry with a rucksack and easier to keep an eye on) - Pacsafe Citysafe 200
Sleepsack (get a silk one off ebay for less than you'd pay for cotton in Blacks)
Sunscreen
Insect repellant (inc. one with deet for malaria-risk areas)
First aid kit: plasters, anti-sceptic cream/wipes, rehydration salts, aspirin/paraceatamol. Make your own; ready-packed ones are a rip off and this way you get exactly what you want in it.

Non-essential but Handy

Clothes line
Platypus
Sterile set (if going very far off the beaten track, this should be counted as essential) - try Blacks or Itchy Feet
Stuff sack/vacuum sacks
She-wee

Jabs

Some of these you may have already had (especially if born in the UK)

Hep B
Rabies - absolutely essential. Rabies is 100% fatal. The vaccination gives you longer to find treatment and greatly simplifies the treatment when you reach hospital.
Hep A
Typhoid
Diptheria
Tetanus
Polio
MMR

The first two (Hep B and rabies) usually cost money, the others usually don't, but GP's policies vary and costs also vary wildly. You may also need anti-malarials depending on where you're going.

Guide Books

I've gone with Lonely Planet all the way. After browsing several different ones in Blackwells (I looked at Rough Guide, Footprints, Eyewitness etc.) LP just seems to have the most practcile detail, which is what I want: I need accurate and detailed travel info (transport links, price guides, visa info etc.) and can read up more extensively on history and culture elsewhere. Amazon generally offers substantial bargains.

And what am I up to at the moment . . . ?

I'm off to Iran tomorrow for a couple of weeks (returning on 15th June). My big trip starts at the beginning of July.
I just got me degree result - a first! Very pleasantly suprised!

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