|
brendanwor posted:It's pretty funny - for most who haven't travelled too much before, traffic in Bangkok always appears horrific. But it's positively orderly and predictable compared to traffic in, say, Cambodia or Vietnam - it's really not that bad at all. Also Thai people will actually use the brake if you get in front of them instead of just blaring their horn and running you down like in most of the rest of Asia.
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2010 22:43
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 9, 2024 19:10 |
|
|
Haggins posted:I got to thinking, what about just getting a self storage unit in Bangkok or some where? I'd really need is to store a bag of stuff I don't need to carry around with me everywhere but would eventually want access to. Some googling said I could get a bag sized unit for $12 a month in Bangkok, which wouldn't be bad at all. Would something like that be possible? PS Unlike him I still have not quit my job to travel again like I said I wanted to 20 pages ago 
|
|
#
?
Jul 28, 2010 03:08
|
|
|
Ribsauce posted:This is from a million pages ago but if it was answered I missed it. One of my friends is going to Thailand and Vietnam, then to India to work for 2 months on some research project, then back to travel again. He asked me if there was a storage place just like this, I don't know, I looked through the thread, and found the question with no answer. He would have a backpacking bag with like a laptop and some other semi-expensive bullshit, I guess nothing larger than the standard hiking bag all the wooks have. I think Ho Chi Minh city would be best, but Bangkok would also work. Any ideas? Thanks! A quick Google returns this thread on Thai Visa (generally a wretched hive of scum and villainy, don't post on Thai Visa). They've got a Backpacker rate that runs 100 baht per bag, per week. The thread is from 2007 though, so might want to e-mail them first. 2 months is kind of pushing it, but if you sweet-talk a guesthouse/hostel they'll often hold stuff for you in a back room. Not as guaranteed secure, sometimes they charge, but I've done it plenty of times for a few days to a week without incident.
|
|
#
?
Jul 28, 2010 03:27
|
|
|
hahaha that site is the worst, oh how I forgot about itquote:If you are a tourist who only has one bag, and it's for a week or two, then it sounds cheap enough, but watch out if you use it longer. Bangkok Self-Storage rate is 100 baht a week per piece, plus 7% tax. As long as each piece is a standard suitcase or smaller it's 100 baht, but "oversized" is 200 baht, which includes larger boxes and bicycles... I was in their office one day and a guy had traveled to Chiang Mai and Laos for 6 weeks, came back and they hit him for 642 baht, just for one duffle bag. That's not exactly 'dirt cheap.' Thanks for the link, I'll send it along to him.
|
|
#
?
Jul 28, 2010 03:55
|
|
|
What are internal flights in SEA like for luggage? In terms of is there hand luggage only? or will I be able to stow stuff? I'm a little confused about the backpack sizes - for a month or two, and looking to move around a fair amount, about how large a pack would be good?
|
|
#
?
Jul 28, 2010 15:55
|
|
|
Crivens posted:What are internal flights in SEA like for luggage? You should bring one carry on sized piece of luggage only. That should hold more than enough stuff to travel indefinitely. These are usually called "travel packs." There are tons of good ones out there, like the Aeronaut or the overpriced Sky Train or the reasonably priced Weekender. Again, I'd like to stress that these should be MORE than enough space for you. When I travel with my similar sized bag (an old Eagle Creek bag that's similar to what's above that I cut the hip straps off of because hip straps are loving stupid unless you're hiking in the mountains) it's not even half full when I leave. It takes a little experience to get to that point (I could travel out of a Jansport backpack now quite comfortably) but until then a bag like the above will be plenty for you. Oh and also if you buy the wrong bag it doesn't matter as there are thousands of knockoff backpack shops all over SE Asia and while the bags may misspell the NordFaith they're usually put together well enough to last you for the duration of your trip.
|
|
#
?
Jul 28, 2010 16:12
|
|
|
Ribsauce posted:under 20 dollars (40 baht exchange in '07 ) I miss those days. I had to do my budget for my year in Thailand in USD in late 06/early 07, and by the time I got there the exchange rate had fallen down to 33-35 or something, basically chewed up my entire safety margin. I made B25,000 of it back dropping out of Chula 5 weeks early though  Crivens posted:What are internal flights in SEA like for luggage? Air Asia and the other budget carriers try to make up the difference of their fares with luggage surcharges, so prepare to get reamed if you're traveling with a lot of stuff. As Sheep-Goats said, it's not that hard to fit everything in a medium-sized hiking backpack. You don't need a ton of clothes; laundries are cheap and ubiquitous. One time I was flying on an 18-seater in Borneo and my bags were about 5kg overweight (had flown in on a bigger plane with a higher allowance). Since I was a pretty skinny dude at the time, the lady at the counter had me get on the scale, looked at the total, and gave me a pass 
|
|
#
?
Jul 28, 2010 16:21
|
|
|
Sheep-Goats posted:You should bring one carry on sized piece of luggage only. That should hold more than enough stuff to travel indefinitely. These are usually called "travel packs." There are tons of good ones out there, like the Aeronaut or the overpriced Sky Train or the reasonably priced Weekender. Thanks for your help. As i'm in the UK, we seem to measure bags in liters. At the moment I'm looking at something like this: http://www.nomadtravel.co.uk/catalog/browse/travelsacks/berghaus-jalan-6010-mens which I like because of the detachable 'day bag' which will be useful for carrying around necessities whilst the main back is back at the hotel. Do you have any comments on this kind of thing? Does the size seem reasonable for someone who'll need both waterproof, cold and warm clothes as I'll be doing SEA over september/october and so likely to get rained on?
|
|
#
?
Jul 28, 2010 16:27
|
|
|
Crivens posted:Thanks for your help. That bag is way too big. The secondary zipoff day bag is a gimmic. When you go out for the day you should only be carrying what fits in your pockets. Tear the maps out of your guidebook. Put your Point and Shoot in one pocket and your cellphone in the other. That's it. An ATM card, a few bills, and your passport or other ID (if you bother bringing it) can go in the same pocket as your phone. If you're reasonable and buy two pairs of pants like this (passable as slacks, quickdrying, extra pockets -- don't get those stupid fuckers that zip off into shorts, just bring one pair of real shorts instead, preferably ones that you'd feel comfortable swimming in) you can even put that other stuff in a leg pocket and sit without feeling bulky stuff in your pockets. You don't need a murse or a little daypack when your going around day to day. Just your pockets. When I go to the airport I sometimes bring a cheap little canvass shopping bag (or even just a normal plastic grocery bag or whatever) in case they give me grief about my pack weight (which is unusual since you're not checking two huge bags like everyone else is). I just toss some stuff in the little shopping bag to bring the weight down and then put it all back in my bag once I'm through check-in. I often don't do this, though, and just BS my way through any issues that come up (which are few and far between -- my bag is normally under the allowed weight anyway). From the site you linked to I'd get something like this. Don't worry about waterproof. What, other than your camera, will you be carrying that can't get wet? Put a trashbag in the bottom of your pack and if you are the one traveler out of 10,000 that gets stuck in the rain in a place with no roof for more than 30 seconds then pull out the trashbag, tear some holes in it for your straps (if necesscary, you can usually finagle it so the open part of the bag allows access to your straps), and carry on. Also, just a sheet of nylon fabic will keep out most of the rain and that's what most bags are made of -- "waterproof" is only really needed if you'll be hiking in the jungle in a monsoon or kayaking down a river or some poo poo. A normal bag supplies more than enough water protection (and most high quality bags are laminated with a water resistant seal on the inside anyway making them better than that). The "rainy season" in SEA is fairly benign, the rain starts regularly at 3 or 4 pm, goes for almost exactly an hour like crazy, and then magically shuts off, pretty much like clockwork. All you have to do is go inside for that time period. It's only in the far southern bits of Malaysia and whatnot that you have a chance of running into torrential all day rains, and even then you'll probably be facing them from inside a bus or a taxi or temple -- all places with roofs. If you bring that loving 60L retard bag you'll also have to check it. On international flights you often end up waiting for your goddamn bag for an hour or even longer once you arrive (I once waited in Taipei for THREE loving HOURS before I could even get my bag to go through customs), and that's without any problems. If you go the carryon route instead you walk off the plane, through customs, and into Bangkok, ready to rumble. FWIW going off of the liter estimates on those sites I'd say I normally bring 15 or so liters of stuff with me when I travel if I'm planning to travel extensively -- and I'm not really that light of a traveler and since I'm a fairly large individual (6'3" and about 200 pounds right now) my clothes take up more space than yours may. I wouldn't even fill up half of that smaller bag I linked to. Given your inexperience you'll probably bring 30 or so but you'll be throwing stuff out once you get there and realize you don't need it after a while. Don't pack jeans! Jeans loving suck! Especially in SE Asia! raton fucked around with this message at 19:42 on Jul 28, 2010 |
|
#
?
Jul 28, 2010 19:21
|
|
|
Infinotize posted:It seems like everything I find on bike rental in Thailand is based out of Chiang Mai. It seems hard to believe there isn't much bike rental in Bangkok, although obviously I could be wrong. It's probably because of all the nice, scenic mountain roads in Chiang Mai. Bangkok and surrounds is flat and boring. If you guys want to cruise around the south I'd probably recommend going somewhere like Phuket and rent bikes there. They have plenty of "big" bike rentals (sportbikes, cruisers) and other popular destinations such as Krabi won't be too far away. In terms of gear, don't expect them to have anything else but helmets, full-face ones if you're lucky.
|
|
#
?
Jul 28, 2010 20:03
|
|
|
I wouldn't overthink the bag unless you're planning on doing actual hiking or whatever. I've used a military surplus duffelbag which is pretty huge when full, and not particularly comfortable with the straps on, but in practice you walk around with your backpack on very little and it has the benefits of being tough as nails, being able to expand to fit whatever, and not screaming "this belongs to a rich tourist", since it looks pretty similar to what the local militaries use. You can also lock everything in it with a single padlock at the top. I used one of those collapsible wire-and-mesh laundry bags internally to give it a vague shape; they weigh basically nothing and are pretty flexible.  Pro-tip: go to a local market and buy a couple of empty rice sacks. They cost like fifty cents each, act as a decent rain shield, make good laundry bags, are reasonably durable, and weigh nothing. I used them to line my saddlebags for about a month's worth of riding in the rainy season, and none of my stuff got wet (having decent vinyl saddlebags helped too, obviously.) They make cool souvenirs as well, if you can find ones with the crazy local script on them. I personally prefer to carry a small backpack of some sort when I'm out (got in the habit because I carry bigger cameras); it's handy for stuff like a poncho/collapsible umbrella, book to read, full guidebook, journal (you often wind up waiting places with nothing to do), bottle of water, phrasebook, storing whatever you might buy or be given while you're out, etc. If I'm going out swimming, or drinking, or whatever then it gets locked in my main bag. You can just take any regular-sized backpack, empty it, wad it up, and stuff it in your main bag for travel. Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 21:15 on Jul 28, 2010 |
|
#
?
Jul 28, 2010 21:09
|
|
|
Sheep-Goats posted:Don't pack jeans! Jeans loving suck! Especially in SE Asia! The gently caress do you guys wear when you go out somewhere nicer than lovely gogo bars or whatever? Then again I guess if you're on a shoestring backpacker budget it's probably not an issue anyway...
|
|
#
?
Jul 28, 2010 22:56
|
|
|
If you're going to some nightclub with a dress code (do these even exist in SEA?) then you can wear chinos, otherwise wear shorts.
|
|
|
#
?
Jul 28, 2010 23:00
|
|
|
http://www.rei.com/product/762163 Best pants I have ever owned. Worn them in SE Asia motorcycling, all the way to the top of Kilimanjaro. They are cool in tropical climates, and warm when it gets colder out. They can go over layers, have very well placed pockets, and don't really get dirty from a "smells like poo poo" standpoint.
|
|
#
?
Jul 29, 2010 01:10
|
|
|
You can buy jeans over there for cheap, makes more sense to do that than bring your own. Actually, hitting up MBK and Chatuchak your last week in Bangkok is a pretty good way to stock up your wardrobe back home, just don't expect those $17 Diesels to last forever. The dress shirts I got off the rack for 200-400 baht are all still going strong two years later though. I agree with brendanwor though, I always have at least one pair of jeans and 1 or two button-down, long-sleeved shirts for classing it up a bit when I'm traveling. Two's a good number because sometimes you wind up going out with the same people the next night and then you're stuck wearing the same shirt and looking like a chode, or going to the local market and trying to find a new one that doesn't suck (good luck). Even if you don't plan on going out, you should at least have one semi-decent set of clothes for going through immigration, police visits, that sort of thing. I know most people figure they're on holiday and whatever, I'm gonna wear flip-flops, shorts and a Chang singlet 24/7, but despite not being wealthy, local people put a significant amount of stock in appearance, grooming, and that sort of thing. Showing up to a government office dressed like a miscreant is a clear show of disrespect (especially because they know that as a foreigner, you have the money to afford better), and you're just setting yourself up to get hassled. Arakan posted:If you're going to some nightclub with a dress code (do these even exist in SEA?) Of course they exist. Rich Thai people love nothing if not looking down their noses at people. In all seriousness though, there are high-end clubs in just about every country (Well, not sure about Laos/Cambodia... the Lao nightclubs I went to were pretty lol) that would turn away someone that looked too scruffy, even if they were foreign. Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 01:20 on Jul 29, 2010 |
|
#
?
Jul 29, 2010 01:18
|
|
|
Arakan posted:If you're going to some nightclub with a dress code (do these even exist in SEA?) They sure do - in fact, I recommended a few in Bangkok over the last few pages of this thread, and you'll sure look embarrassing trying to get in to those wearing shorts. Pompous Rhombus posted:Lots of true stuff Agree with all of this. I mean, come on, Thais earning far, far less than even the lowest earners in this thread manage to own and wear button-up shirts, polos or jeans, so surely most of you can at least look decently respectable while travelling through their country? Would you walk down the street in New York, London, Tokyo or Sydney wearing fisherman pants, flip flops and a beer singlet? And as Rhombus said, dressing reasonably well (we're not talking about a three piece suit here) is a fast track to good service and respect in SE Asia, so do it at least for the pragmatic benefits even if you don't care about your slovenly appearance.
|
|
#
?
Jul 29, 2010 02:11
|
|
|
Arakan posted:If you're going to some nightclub with a dress code (do these even exist in SEA?) then you can wear chinos, otherwise wear shorts. These in black plus my white white skin was enough for any of the upper end Bangkok bars / clubs (Bed and QBar were still both new and elitist when I was living in Bangkok, and my hiso Thai buddies were trying to get me to go to newly opening places all the time but I'm honestly not a big clubber and was seeking out weird cultural things instead). After living in Bangkok for a year all of my "going out" shirts were tailored button downs. As a matter of fact, I only wore T-shirts and shorts when I was going around the corner to get Khow Man Gai or whatever -- Thai people like it a lot when you wear long pants and long sleeved shirts and it was so hot there that a few more inches of cloth didn't make a bit of difference anyway. I wore my older button downs to the beach, kept the newer ones at home for going out, and had a row of white ones for work. Long sleeved shirts are the best because you can roll the sleeve up if you're hot and put it down if you're in the sun or don't like mosquitoes. If those pants didn't exist I would've just worn tailored wool slacks (almost) everywhere -- made from a light material, though. Wool is actually almost as great a summer material as a winter one if it's thin instead of thick. Cotton is great when it's thin for summer, but once cotton gets wet it's horribly uncomfortable and wearing jeans in SEA just means bog rear end for me. Plus they're heavy and take forever to dry after you wash them. I did actually stop by MBK and get a bunch of fake Diesels before I came back but I rarely wore them. People in the US think of jeans as the go to garment but IMO they're actually pretty horrible once you stop being used to them -- neither comfortable nor convenient. I have a pair of Filson pants that I wear when I want a real pair of "working" pants otherwise my Thailand habits more or less continue on today. I also probably don't like jeans just because everybody is always wearing them in the US -- almost like some kind of unconscious uniform, and I just gotta be different. :iamafag: raton fucked around with this message at 02:34 on Jul 29, 2010 |
|
#
?
Jul 29, 2010 02:24
|
|
|
I wear jeans all the time in Malaysia. You guys are crazy.
|
|
#
?
Jul 29, 2010 02:33
|
|
|
lemonadesweetheart posted:I wear jeans all the time in Malaysia. You guys are crazy. Blech.
|
|
#
?
Jul 29, 2010 02:35
|
|
|
Sheep-Goats posted:Blech. I just mean jeans are fine. Sure you can get nice pants and wear those but wearing jeans isn't going to make your dick fall off or anything.
|
|
#
?
Jul 29, 2010 02:48
|
|
|
Sheep-Goats posted:These in black plus my white white skin was enough for any of the upper end Bangkok bars / clubs (Bed and QBar were still both new and elitist when I was living in Bangkok, and my hiso Thai buddies were trying to get me to go to newly opening places all the time but I'm honestly not a big clubber and was seeking out weird cultural things instead). After living in Bangkok for a year all of my "going out" shirts were tailored button downs. As a matter of fact, I only wore T-shirts and shorts when I was going around the corner to get Khow Man Gai or whatever -- Thai people like it a lot when you wear long pants and long sleeved shirts and it was so hot there that a few more inches of cloth didn't make a bit of difference anyway. I wore my older button downs to the beach, kept the newer ones at home for going out, and had a row of white ones for work. Long sleeved shirts are the best because you can roll the sleeve up if you're hot and put it down if you're in the sun or don't like mosquitoes. The Thai office worker uniform of slacks and a white long sleeved button up shirt you say :iamafag: lemonadesweetheart posted:I just mean jeans are fine. Sure you can get nice pants and wear those but wearing jeans isn't going to make your dick fall off or anything. Ya I wear jeans here during the Australian summer, and I always wear jeans when I'm in SE Asia and going out at night (and sometimes during the day). It's really not that bad or unbearable unless you're a pasty Scandinavian or something and totally unused to any temperatures above 10 degrees Celsius.
|
|
#
?
Jul 29, 2010 02:53
|
|
|
Yeah, jeans are the one thing I was told over and over again not to take backpacking, but I took them anyway and absolutely don't regret it. In fact I wish I had another pair.
|
|
#
?
Jul 29, 2010 02:55
|
|
|
Sheep-Goats posted:bag stuff Thanks for this. I'm sure that after even just a short time on your travels bag sizes and so on become extremely obvious, but for someone who's never been it's useful to get constructive advice.
|
|
#
?
Jul 29, 2010 10:08
|
|
|
Sheep-Goats posted:That bag is way too big. etc... Listen to this man. I went with a 35L lowe alpine that I didn't have to check in at the airport and at no point did I have the feeling that I needed more space. My girlfriend did bring one of these retarded huge bags, so I was given a nice comparisment between the ups and downs. (I usually had to carry hers, getting on the back of a biketaxi is murder, you almost drown getting the loving thing of the boat on an island, have to wait a full hour at the airport before you get it back...) i did have a small bag (it was actually made for a sleepingbag or something) that I took with me on hikes, with musquito repelent/sunscreen and small medikit in it. On the whole pants thing: Also brought some pant like you suggest and loved them. They are a LOT lighter than jeans, dry immediatly (try doing a hike in a pair of wet jeans and see if your legs don't fall off afterwards), stop UV and most importantly, every pocket has zippers. Something most jeans don't and I'm the kind of guy that would check his wallet/keys/phone every 2 loving seconds if I didn't have zippers. (not really because of theft, but when you sit on a bike/beach/boat and sit down/get up all the time it's not unthinkable something is gonna fall out). i went to some fancy nightclubs with them in bangkok, no problem.
|
|
#
?
Jul 29, 2010 11:58
|
|
|
brendanwor posted:The Thai office worker uniform of slacks and a white long sleeved button up shirt you say :iamafag: I wore the colored / striped ones when I went out HOO BOY loving REBEL  Also I feel a defacto uniform is somewhat less obnoxious in Asia where people are generally more conscious of fitting in. The blue jeans "uniform" in America is a little more sinister to me because we're such an individualistic society (which I like) yet we all wear the same pants all of the time. I'm certainly making a mountain out of a mole hill on that point, but everyone has their little issues... One other piece of travel gear that I can't reccomend highly enough are thin black wool socks. Smartwool brand is the best. They're cooler and wick better than cotton (when they're thin), naturally antimicrobial so they're the only socks I'd ever think of wearing two days in a row without washing in SE Asia (though I'd much rather put on a clean pair -- if I had to rewear cotton socks I'd probably rather go without...). But all of that is secondary to how much better they feel on your feet, especially once you start sweating. Cotton wads up and gets nasty, wool stays almost the same feel wise as when it's dry. Wool socks are so much better that I don't even buy cotton socks any more -- but the difference is particularly noticeable when you're traveling. The world's best sock? raton fucked around with this message at 19:31 on Jul 29, 2010 |
|
#
?
Jul 29, 2010 19:20
|
|
|
I wore jeans (or uniform slacks ^___^) every day in Bangkok. On my motorcycle trip, either protective biking pants, or a pair of jeans. I'm too lazy to take a picture but my favorite/most destroyed pair of jeans is the one from that trip; they're torn up around the pockets from my wallet/keys being pressed against them constantly, with oil stains running down the side where my gas tank leaked  I won some free socks in a hipster bicycle race before I left for Thailand, and they were loving amazing. They didn't have the "neck" or whatever, basically covered the foot and stopped at the ankle, and were made out of a really light material. They kept me feet from getting too stank, and were easy to wash in a sink and have dry by the next day. I think they might have been for runners/athletes? Someone tell me what they were so I can try to look for more. 1-2 pairs of real socks and like 2 pairs of those and I would be set. Just as a general thing, I don't recommend wearing flip-flops on a day-to-day basis. It's so easy to bust your toe on a curb or some broken glass, and it really can put you at a disadvantage when on a hike, especially in the wet season. Get a decent pair of shoes. I favor tennis-shoe types with heels that aren't too stiff, after enough time in Asia/breaking them in it gets pretty easy to slip them off without bending down.
|
|
#
?
Jul 29, 2010 20:19
|
|
|
Pompous Rhombus posted:Just as a general thing, I don't recommend wearing flip-flops on a day-to-day basis. It's so easy to bust your toe on a curb or some broken glass, and it really can put you at a disadvantage when on a hike, especially in the wet season. Get a decent pair of shoes. I favor tennis-shoe types with heels that aren't too stiff, after enough time in Asia/breaking them in it gets pretty easy to slip them off without bending down. One note on the flip flops: if they aren't all plastic don't bother. If you wear those leather or cloth flipflops on the beach (like they sell at American Eagle or whatever, where the upper part isn't plastic) they'll get wet then the sand will stick to them and then you have flipflops made out of sandpaper. The plastic ones you can hang on a plant to dry, brush your feet off, and put them on and go. I liked the ADDA brand flipflops in Thailand. Best shoe for Asia IMO: http://www.shoesforcrews.com/sfc3/index.cfm?changeWebsite=US_en&route=c_store.viewDetailsOfProduct&partnumber=8024 (buy it early though you have to break in the elastic for a week or two before they're comfortable) Socks that will do what you're asking them to do: http://www.smartwool.com/#/Mens/Socks/PerformanceSocks/Running_Walking/2439/ There are runner socks made of CoolMax brand synthetic material that are okay, but IMO wool is just better. raton fucked around with this message at 22:29 on Jul 29, 2010 |
|
#
?
Jul 29, 2010 22:24
|
|
|
What are you guys talking about? I wore Birkenstocks every single day in Asia for 3 straight months and never once was like "drat I am at a disadvantage here." Only times I threw on shoes were going to a place you were supposed to wear them or on a scooter or hiking or mountain biking or whatever.
|
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2010 00:12
|
|
|
Ribsauce posted:What are you guys talking about? I wore Birkenstocks every single day in Asia for 3 straight months and never once was like "drat I am at a disadvantage here." Only times I threw on shoes were going to a place you were supposed to wear them or on a scooter or hiking or mountain biking or whatever. haha ribsauce is a hippie
|
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2010 01:10
|
|
|
Silly traveller question no.81238: how convenient is it to buy batteries in various SEA countries?
|
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2010 21:27
|
|
|
Crivens posted:Silly traveller question no.81238: how convenient is it to buy batteries in various SEA countries? Pretty easy to find at convenience stores or at markets. A lot of the time it'll be weird Chinese poo poo though, so probably not as good/reliable as back home. That said, I'd just buy them there rather than lug around a sack full of Duracel's or whatever.
|
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2010 21:38
|
|
|
Here in China you get a free packet of AA batteries with every three Snickers you buy. Score.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2010 09:36
|
|
|
Pompous Rhombus posted:Pretty easy to find at convenience stores or at markets. A lot of the time it'll be weird Chinese poo poo though, so probably not as good/reliable as back home. That said, I'd just buy them there rather than lug around a sack full of Duracel's or whatever. In a lot of the touristy areas you'll even find that the people who set up little tourist goods stores with like water bottles and floppy hats and poo poo also sell AA batteries (at least). Batteries are easy to get.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2010 13:19
|
|
|
Crivens posted:Silly traveller question no.81238: how convenient is it to buy batteries in various SEA countries? Easy from what I can tell. I just brought rechargeables though, the charger has a voltage converter on it and the outlets are a mix between NA and European plugs, so it works.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2010 17:59
|
|
|
Well it looks like I will finally be laid off from my job on October 1st. I'll have no apartment here, no car payment, no kids, and only a couple >$100 a month bills to pay. I'm getting 19 weeks of pay as severance so I'll have the cash to go too. I think I'm gonna bum around the US here and visit family/friends until mid to late January. I'm guessing the best time to buy my plan ticket would be in November. I'm going to plan to go at least until a week before Memorial Day (got a big thing planned in the US that weekend), but I might head back for longer if I'm still doing good on cash. While we're on the subject of bags, I think I decided on what I want to bring with me. Right now I have this Kata DR-467 that can hold my laptop and all my camera gear that I'm bringing:  As far as my clothes and toiletries go, I think I can fit everything into here:  Even though I have a laptop sleeve on my camera bag, I'm opting for the laptop holder since it won't be often that I'll need to carry my laptop with my camera gear. I'm assuming those two bags should get me aboard any flight and shouldn't cause much hassle toting around. I know the pelican is a bit heavy but I think it's going to make up for the fact that it's waterproof, indestructible, and will last longer than me. I'll probably also going to repurpose it as a lighting case when I get back from traveling.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2010 21:04
|
|
|
I would definitely not bring that Pelican case, even for photo gear (let alone for toiletries and clothes  ). Get a backpack of some kind, preferably one that you can stuff that Kata into in a pinch.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2010 21:15
|
|
|
Not only will that hardcase suck backpacking wise, but it screams out STEAL ME compared to what will be around it. If you are a thief and you open a bus hold and see 27 ragged backpacks and that thing, which are you going to jack? Not that you should worry about theft that much, but I'm just saying. It will cause a hassle toting around. I don't mean to make things sound third world or anything, but you are going to be hopping on busses, trains, and boats the entire time. Getting in the back of pickups with 2 benches and 8 hippies. Smaller is better. I took a full size backpack with a detachable daypack when I went and I wish it was smaller. I probably could have gotten by with a tiny 1 strap shoulder bag and a much smaller real backpack for just asia. At the very least perform this test. Load that poo poo up with everything you want to bring, wait until it gets to 90+ degrees, and go walk a mile in it. If you were fine, then go wild, if it sucked then throw some poo poo away. I really wish I did this before I left. You won't have to walk a mile very often if ever, but make sure you can.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2010 22:24
|
|
|
The thing is really not that big, it's FAA carry on size. I'm gonna be stuck with two bags anyway unless I get a big rear end bag like this. So i'm thinking it's going to be my kata + a carry on sized duffle bag. The advantage to the pelican is that it rolls and I can sit on it. Though you're right it does scream steal me.
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2010 03:13
|
|
|
Haggins posted:The thing is really not that big, it's FAA carry on size. I'm gonna be stuck with two bags anyway unless I get a big rear end bag like this. So i'm thinking it's going to be my kata + a carry on sized duffle bag. The advantage to the pelican is that it rolls and I can sit on it. Though you're right it does scream steal me. You will definitely prefer something that you can put in your back. Luggage with wheels is basically useless in Southeast Asia as sidewalks, if the exist, are hilariously poorly-maintained, roads not much better. Everybody uses backpacks for a reason.
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2010 03:58
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 9, 2024 19:10 |
|
|
Ribsauce posted:Pompous Rhombus posted:You really need to listen to these two, they speak the truth. And a couple of extra points: it weighs a not-inconsiderable 6kg and evey time you pass through customs, you will get stopped and searched. If you do bring it, you'll be the only person in the entire Asia-Pacific region to use one. Pompous Rhombus posted:Everybody uses backpacks for a reason.
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2010 06:13
|
|
