A Wandering Sole

Electronics and Communicating in Kenya

// December 16th, 2012 // 7 Comments » // Gear, Kenya

My reliable Nokia phone and Airtel internet modem

It’s no secret that I almost always travel with my computer and some accessories, but suddenly when it came time for my temporary move to Kenya, I gave my electronics packing a lot more thought. Why? Well for starters I want to have a more normal life here in Kenya: I want to call home when I feel like it, communicate with friends here in Kenya, and have a reliable system in place to get work done as well. I also learned from past experiences that a bad outlet can easily fry a computer plug and that Apple hard drives are not above crashing.  (more…)

Flight Socks Review & Giveaway

// November 9th, 2010 // 16 Comments » // Gear, Travel Review

I’m so excited to be hosting my first giveaway on this blog, as it’s been in the works for a while! Tights Please contacted me a few months back to see if I would be interested in reviewing their flight socks. I literally jumped at the chance. I had recently been on a 14-hour flight from Cape Town to Kuala Lumpur, and it was pretty miserable. If I have to sit on a flight longer than five hours, my legs become really uncomfortable and restless, and not to sound like an old lady, but my feet swell too. It’s awful! So, I informed Tights Please that I could put these flight socks to the ultimate test on my upcoming 11-hour flight to Berlin.

About Flight Socks
Flight socks are compression socks intended to improve circulation. Now, I’m no medical expert but from what I understand when you sit for extended hours on a flight, your blood circulates less in your lower leg. This causes the discomfort that so many of us have from long travel days.

Putting them to the test
On November 2, I boarded my 11-hour flight from Bangkok to Berlin. I was at the airport early so I waited until I boarded the flight to put them on. And if I’m being honest, I waited until my hot seat buddy went to the bathroom to put them on, because I felt a bit like an 80 year old woman putting on black knee-high socks :) But I guess that’s getting off track, now isn’t it? Anyhow, the pair that I tested out is elastic-free at the top, making them more comfortable than I expected. Hours 5, 6, and 7 passed with ease. I was surprise that my legs were comfortable even at the 9th hour. Around hour 10 I did start to feel some discomfort and removed the socks for the last hour of my flight. (more…)

Wardrobing Mishaps of a Backpacker

// September 9th, 2010 // 11 Comments » // Gear, Travel Reflection, Travel Tips

Waking up after camping on top of Nyiragongo Volcano, DR Congo. Frozen.

I’ve already staked my claim as the World’s Worst Packer. However, I have to give myself props: although a work in progress, I feel like I’ve got this packing thing down pretty well now. It’s been a long road, but here are just a few things I’ve learned along the way. (more…)

RTW Travel: Two Months In

// May 8th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // Gear, Travel Review, Trip Planning

I’ve made it a quarter of the way through my trip as of today. It’s hard to believe that so much has happened since my one month review.

Start of the Dead Sea Marathon

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RTW Packing: In it to Win it

// March 8th, 2010 // 13 Comments » // Gear, Trip Planning

After some hemming and hawing, I feel fairly confident that I am slowly working my way up to Mastery Level in the Art of Packing. Based on my last post, you may want to tread lightly when using this post as a resource, but I think it’s looking pretty good. So here’s a summary of what made the final list.

Resources for the next 8 months!

Packing Necessities:
Gregory Deva 60 Backpack
eBags Packing Cubes (3)
Rucksack (to be replaced in Rome at marathon)
Swiss small daypack- doubling as camera bag
LL Bean Personal Organizer
LL Bean Cabin Fleece Sleeping Bag
Money belt
Passport, passport copy, visa photos
Credit & debit cards, ISIC card

Wear:
2 pairs North Face Convertible Pants
1 pair of jeans
1 pair Nike dri-fit capris
2 pairs Champion running shorts
2 long sleeve quick drying shirts
1 black zip up fleece
1 rain jacket
1 swim suit
3 dri-fit shirts
4 tshirts
1 nylon running tank top
2 tank tops
6 prs of adidas nylon socks
8 prs travel underwear
2 pairs running shoes
Chacos
Flip-flops
Sunglasses
Running hat/visor
Bonus: Electric blue leggings (there’s a story behind them that’s bound to emerge on this blog at some point!)

Survive:
LED flashlight
Headlamp
Metal Water Bottle
Nathan Sprint Water Bottle
Fuel Belt
Gu electrolyte gels
Protein bars
Pillowcase- has multiple uses

Entertain:
Lonely Planet Italy
Lonely Planet Jordan
The Sex Lives of Cannibals
Moleskine, pens
Sketch Book
Snorkel & mask- never go on a trip without it

Drug dealer or prepared traveler? Jury's still out.

Hygiene:
Travel size toiletries
First Aid kit: Bandaids, antibiotic ointment, pepto bismol chewables (for race days), ibuprofen, malaria meds, multivitamin, glucosamine chondroitin, stomach travel meds, nauseau meds (for Nepal trekking)
Hair ties, bobby pins, q-tips, dental floss, chapstick
Sunscreen
Bug spray
Contacts, glasses, solution
Body Glide (highly recommend for runners)
Travel size detergent
Microfiber towel

Technology:
My rucksack is the new home for my technology. See picture below. Gasp. I know. I’m having to cope with it as well. Here goes:

The good stuff

Sony W-220 Cybershot camera
Olympus e510 dslr camera w/ kit lenses
Circular polarizing filter
Macbook (confession: I bought a netbook for this trip, but decided I couldn’t live without my Mac, so I turned around and sold the netbook and bought a smaller Mac to take with me)
2 external hard drives
Backup camera batteries & storage cards
Battery chargers
Camcorder
Tripod
iPod
Plug adaptor
Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS watch

It was exhausting just to write this, let alone get everything together. After all the stress that goes in to packing and planning, it all seems to go down the drain and become trivial once you’re on the road; unless of course you’re lacking a passport, at which point you won’t get very far! But as long as you have that, and your toothbrush (dental hygiene ranks high on my list) then you’re good to go. Bon voyage!