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dogs are bears posted:My fiance and I are going to Japan for our honeymoon for 2 weeks next May (with a 2 night stopover in Hong Kong) and I'm looking for recommendations on women's shoes. I'd like to do the 1 pair + shower flip flops thing since we will be staying in a few places with shared bathrooms/showers. Unfortunately, I don't think my feet can handle using the shower flip flops for anything other than showering (unless you know of any plastic flip flops with kick rear end support and blister-free bands). I expect to be doing a LOT of walking (around cities, no serious hiking), but would prefer to not be in sneakers since I'll have to look nice occasionally. I'm open to either closed toed shoes or sandals, so long as they are comfortable. Maybe my solution is 1 pair of walking shoes and a 1 pair of something a bit nicer, but I'm hoping you all can help me avoid that... I like these now, but be warned that they run about a half size big. I actually had to order a full size down and then get wides but most people seem to to okay with a half down. They can function as "something nicer" and as walking shoes IMO. Other companies make the same style but they're hard to find with anything other than a crepe or flat rubber sole, neither of which do real great when it's wet out. Also they're usually more money. http://www.amazon.com/Timberland-City-Lite-Chukka-Brown/dp/B0083IWPHM/
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Aug 22, 2014 05:49
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Just wanted to say I ended up getting the Lowe carry-on 40 backpack recommended here. It's great, it's well designed and comfortable. The fact that it opens like a suitcase is great. I'm using it while away this weekend but I suppose the real test will come from the two weeks I'm planning to spend in India in December.
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Aug 22, 2014 12:12
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Thanks to everyone who has responded! There was lots of good stuff from caberham and flynt. I'm definitely going to add a pashmina to the packing list and will ditch the one of the tanks either in favor of another long sleeved shirt or a quick dry shirt...will have to play around with things once it gets a bit closer to the trip and I have a better sense of the weather. I'm going to do some looking as far as the skirt/dress goes. Sarongs are not really style but I'll take a look at what options are out there. Right now I'm leaning toward a dress made out of quick dry material...Eddie Bauer has some that don't look bad (this one or this one). I'll let you all know if I find anything great. I recently ordered something pretty similar but they haven't arrived yet so I don't know if they're good or not. It sounds like it might be cooler in Japan than I anticipated which might make these perfect. Otm Shank posted:When I went to Japan one woman in our group basically lived in sandals similar to these: http://www.rei.com/product/867803/chaco-flip-ecotread-flip-flops-womens I'm thinking that I might bring something like this just in place of plastic flip flops. They wont dry as fast but I'm not going to need them to shower every day and I'll just clip them to the outside of my bag if they are damp. I might go for Chaco sandals that have ankle straps so they are more functional for walking around.
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Aug 22, 2014 15:54
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dogs are bears posted:
I'd look into Merrells too. They provide great support while coming in styles that would look cute with dresses/skirts.
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Aug 30, 2014 16:13
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Movendi posted:Nice idea, i didn't think they would allow that. I'll be visiting these cities in order (with road trips and National Parks in between): Portland 2 days, Vegas 2 days, NYC 7days, SFO 2 days. That's really awesome except it it's just a board. If it was an actual case, I'd be all over it. I have a Skooba, which is great and everyone that sees it wants to know about it. If only the grid it was a case, it would be 100x better than a Skooba and I'd be all over it. Edit: never mind, there's a case! Thanks for the find.
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Sep 1, 2014 21:43
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Is it worthwhile to bring a hydration bladder (camelbak, etc.) when traveling through Vietnam? I'm a big fan of them for backpacking and such, and it seems like it'd be nice to obviate the need for carrying water bottles around. That being said, chances are I'm gonna need to buy water bottles to fill it up with and I'm slightly concerned about having enough time to dry it out between uses.
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Sep 5, 2014 21:34
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It'll get moldy and you'll be filling it up with bottled water anyway.
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Sep 5, 2014 21:56
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Alright, that's about what I expected. Thanks for the confirmation.
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Sep 6, 2014 00:02
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I'll probably have a bunch of questions for this thread before my trip in November, but for now I'll leave a tip for fellow travellers. I took a look into using packing cubes, but goddamn are most of them pricey for what they are. Then I ran into these: http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/30235115/ $8 for things that you'd probably spend $50 on in total from Eagle Creek or even eBags. Definitely checking IKEA for random accessories next time. My only gripe about this set is that the shoe bag is huge and you can actually fit 2 pairs of shoes on there, but that's probably a good thing. The set even comes with the double-sided cube style that Eagle Creek sells for $22 alone.
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Sep 11, 2014 07:16
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Sheep-Goats posted:It'll get moldy and you'll be filling it up with bottled water anyway.
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Sep 11, 2014 19:56
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I have the platypus Gravityworks filter and this joins with my bladder. I have filtered all kinds of streams/ponds with it so add this to your pack list and you can filter tap water I guess? That removes your filling from bottles issue
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Sep 11, 2014 21:58
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Constellation I posted:I'll probably have a bunch of questions for this thread before my trip in November, but for now I'll leave a tip for fellow travellers. Thanks so much for this. I was literally coming here to complain about how overpriced these things usually are.
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Sep 16, 2014 18:21
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I just buy a few stuff sacs from rei/mainpeak/wherever. Very lightweight, and if you haven't got them stuffed to the brim they conform to whatever shape you want. And slide out of the corner of your pack past the rest of your poo poo easily if you have a top loader backpack.
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Sep 18, 2014 15:57
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I like to travel internationally once or twice a year, and I always try to improve my packing game in between. This time, I'd like to see if there are any power adapters that also have built in voltage conversion. This is what I have now, which I really like. A friend fried his phone's portable battery pack with it though, so I'd like to know there are better options. Judging by what I see on Amazon, converters are much more bulky. I wouldn't want to get anything larger than what I already have. If that's the case, then I'll just be more careful about what I plug in next time... Speaking of power, I definitely want to get a portable battery. For charging when I travel, I use a retractable iPhone 4 cable with a Lightning adapter, as I still run across a fair amount of airports/hotels with built in 30-pin chargers/docks. For power on the go, I want to get something with a built in Lightning cable. I'm thinking of either this or this. I'll gladly trade battery capacity for size and lack of additional cables. Finally, I'd like to find a removable, polarized privacy screen for my Macbook. I've search for these before -- something I can slap on my screen when I'm on an airplane but otherwise put away, but I haven't really found anything other than permanent, adhesive filters. Do removable screens exist?
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Oct 9, 2014 06:39
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Have you considered not watching pornography on planes and public spaces?
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Oct 9, 2014 10:22
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I don't have a single piece of travel electronics that isn't 110-240, what do you need a voltage converter for?
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Oct 9, 2014 15:56
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qirex posted:I don't have a single piece of travel electronics that isn't 110-240, what do you need a voltage converter for? Personally, I haven't ever had any problems, but my friend fried his portable battery charger, so I thought I'd see what's out there. So far, it looks like one of those things I don't really need to worry about.
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Oct 9, 2014 16:01
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I'm in America at the moment visiting California and for the past year I've been travelling around Australia/New Zealand, where I am going back to in a month. I've got a 65 liter backpack/hiking bag at the moment and would like to try and get a bigger one while in America. What shops/places are good to look? or will ebay/gumtree/other services be a good place to look? I've only been here once before so any recommendation or advice is appreciated. I'll have a car while here so driving to any shopping centers out of the way isn't a problem.
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Oct 11, 2014 07:07
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Unless you're doing some pretty hardcore hiking why do you want more the a 65L?
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Oct 11, 2014 12:53
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SPM posted:I'm in America at the moment visiting California and for the past year I've been travelling around Australia/New Zealand, where I am going back to in a month. gumtree is called "Craigslist" over here, you might find something. If you don't care about actually wearing it on your back, you can pick up a military surplus dufflebag for like $10-15. They hold a shitload, are tough as nails, and compress down to nothing if you're packing them inside other luggage. 
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Oct 11, 2014 14:21
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Outrail posted:Unless you're doing some pretty hardcore hiking why do you want more the a 65L? I don't have that much stuff but when you think about all the stuff you might need for a year, shoes/clothes/pants/toiletries, 65L feels up fast. My whole bag and all my stuff only weights up to 11kg and if I pick up anything in America I'll have a challenge to close it. And I don't even have that much! ^^ Thanks Pompous, I'll have a look on Craiglist and for those bags. I'm only ever carrying my bag to/from hotels and airports so might be a good idea.
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Oct 11, 2014 23:49
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If you pick up something in America you can also mail it home or throw away something you have. It's good when your pack is small and you're just traveling. If you're staying in a place for a while just accept that there will be some waste. I've got a 3oz bottle of body wash that I also use as shampoo and fabric detergent when needed when I'm traveling. If I'm staying in one place for a while I'll buy a pint of whatever body wash from a convenience store, refill my bottle if I need to, and usually throw about half of it in the trash when I go. As for stores, REI is a big hiking / sporting goods chain -- often they have some stuff on a big discount that's a good deal. Check out ebags.com while you're here -- I like their Motherload line a lot and it's way cheaper than any other similar bag. raton fucked around with this message at 00:29 on Oct 12, 2014 |
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Oct 12, 2014 00:27
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Pompous Rhombus posted:gumtree is called "Craigslist" over here, you might find something. 
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Oct 12, 2014 01:46
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eBay gave me a bunch of free money to come back as a seller, so I used it to get a CamelBak All Clear. I now own a $100 water bottle. Yuppie camping, backpacking at its finest. The top is much heavier than I thought it would be, even knowing what it weighed from the specs. It holds a good charge that can keep a person going for 2-3 weeks. The .75L size is a tad small, but with 60 second cycles I should be able to fill other water bottles quickly. Note that it doesn't treat the water on the threads of the bottle, so you have to wipe it dry before treating it and swapping caps. Also, the way it purifies the water is that it breaks the bacteria and virus DNA to prevent reproduction, so if the water is exposed to sunlight too long (I can't find out how long), the DNA can be repaired and it's no longer potable. There's an optional $15 filter to keep the threads dry and remove debris, but I just use a bandana and it's just fine. If the water is cloudier than light lemonade, as the instructions describe, then the UV light can't guarantee that it's done the job. Overall, it's way too expensive if you're actually paying cash money for this thing and you'll probably want a backup method should this thing break and you're on a multi-day hike. But, if $100 doesn't matter to you and you're like me in that you like gadgets, like to be prepared, and hate paying $3.00 for water at hostels, then it's pretty neat.
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Oct 12, 2014 08:41
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I'm going to Panama in December for two weeks, and am only taking a 40L carry-on backpack. I was thinking I might need a small light bag or something (that can easily be stuffed into my backpack) to carry a bottle of water, my camera and maybe a guidebook during the day if I'm out for a while. Any recommendations or suggestions for this situation?
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Oct 12, 2014 09:13
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Are you an actual lady? Get a handbag that's big enough for that and make sure the strap is strong.
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Oct 12, 2014 11:33
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kinmik posted:My husband has one and sometimes goes on rucksack runs. Just a warning, if you ever do plan on slinging it over your shoulder by those straps, they tend to cut into you, depending on how heavy it is. He has to pad them with a beach towel. Doesn't seem like it will be a problem for you though. Oh yeah, they are definitely terrible for carrying much weight for extended distances on your back. I've found that I almost never walk more than a couple hundred feet with my luggage though, and that's not uncommon for a lot of other travelers. For example, in Southeast Asia, you usually go from bus depot to bus depot, and once you arrive in the next town, there are plenty of taxis (or their bootleg local equivalent) waiting to take you to your accommodation.
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Oct 12, 2014 13:15
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Outrail posted:Are you an actual lady? Get a handbag that's big enough for that and make sure the strap is strong. Sadly, I am not an actual lady. Was thinking of maybe getting a small and lightweight canvas-type backpack, one that can be folded up.
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Oct 13, 2014 08:40
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Yeah there are those that stuff into themselves - made of nylon with a spray coating I think. Not glamorous or comfortable but will do what you are looking for for about £10
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Oct 13, 2014 09:39
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Canvas will be quite a bit bulkier/heavier than synthetic there's dedicated models for this like the REI Stuff or the Golite Daylite
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Oct 13, 2014 16:27
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Thanks for the tips. I did some more investigation and am probably going to go for the Sea-to-Summit Ultra-Sil Daypack. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002ZHS6JS/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_k1apub1H92K85 It's 20L and folds up incredibly small. I didn't realise they made backpacks that compact, canvas would definitely be too bulky.
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Oct 13, 2014 18:37
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Lady Gaza posted:Thanks for the tips. I did some more investigation and am probably going to go for the Sea-to-Summit Ultra-Sil Daypack. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vango-Pac-L...ucksack+folding I've been using this for a year whilst travelling through India, Nepal and SE Asia. It's still intact, folds up tiny and is very strong. Also cheaper than the Sea-to-Summit.
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Oct 14, 2014 13:39
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Kobayashi posted:Finally, I'd like to find a removable, polarized privacy screen for my Macbook. I've search for these before -- something I can slap on my screen when I'm on an airplane but otherwise put away, but I haven't really found anything other than permanent, adhesive filters. Do removable screens exist? Yes, 3M makes them. I've had one on every work laptop I've ever had. http://www.amazon.com/3M-Privacy-Filter-Widescreen-PF14-0W/dp/B002GI6LXO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413990594&sr=8-1&keywords=3m+privacy+screen
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Oct 22, 2014 16:11
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I have $200 in REI credit that I got for returning a 80L bag that I realized was ridiculous after going to Europe and Morocco with it (thanks REI for your liberal return policy!). What do you guys think of this: http://www.rei.com/product/867968/the-north-face-overhaul-40-pack Is there anything else I can buy from REI that you guys think would do a better job for traveling around for around two weeks? -edit- This seems more feature rich but only carries 28L: http://www.rei.com/product/865629/timbuk2-aviator-travel-pack Animal fucked around with this message at 03:24 on Nov 13, 2014 |
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Nov 13, 2014 03:03
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I'm going to the US over December/January and will probably be spending a bit of time in snow, or at least very cold weather (Oregon). I have never dealt with actual cold before and I'm wondering what kind of pants I should be looking at getting (preferably ones that don't look horrible) and shoes as well. I'm thinking I'll just go to one of the sporting goods stores and get a cheap pair of appropriate shoes while I'm there, is that a reasonable idea?
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Nov 13, 2014 03:14
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Animal posted:I have $200 in REI credit that I got for returning a 80L bag that I realized was ridiculous after going to Europe and Morocco with it (thanks REI for your liberal return policy!). What do you guys think of this: Backpacks are fit specific for me. For example, Osprey are high-end packs that don't fit me well. Deuters fit me perfectly. 40L is pretty good for a carry on, but you can't do overnight hikes with that. I did multiple month-long backpacking trips with a 40L pack holding about a week's worth of clothes and layers for various weather conditions. I wouldn't go smaller. So, whatever pack you get, just make sure it fits perfectly and you know how to pack it. strap on revenge posted:I'm going to the US over December/January and will probably be spending a bit of time in snow, or at least very cold weather (Oregon). I have never dealt with actual cold before and I'm wondering what kind of pants I should be looking at getting (preferably ones that don't look horrible) and shoes as well. I'm thinking I'll just go to one of the sporting goods stores and get a cheap pair of appropriate shoes while I'm there, is that a reasonable idea? Depends on what you want to do. In similar weather doing city stuff, I wore REI Adventures pants with some tights/base layer underneath. If you plan to be outside and do some more active things, you might want some more snowsport-like pants with a brushed polyester lining. You'll want some waterproof boots and wool socks. Since you're in the Pacific Northwest, everyone dresses like a yuppie outdoorsman anyway so you'll fit in with proper outdoors gear.
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Nov 13, 2014 04:45
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My girlfriend and I are doing a SCUBA trip next year as well as some jaunting around Thailand and Malaysia for 3 weeks. This time we're not taking our dive gear bar maybe regulators in their own carry-cases (which will stay with us at all times). But, we aree going for 3 weeks including some ferries and buses this time - last trip we did for 2 weeks in only 2 locations a backpack and whatever else that didn't fit thrown into my dive bag was all I needed. I need a bag that is well made, waterproof or close to, and able to hold enough clothes as we won't have ready access to laundry facilities for a few days at a time. I did see the Tatonka barrel duffel 'M' or 'S' and Over-Board made in Australia, which has a dry-bag like seal in the ~60L. We're not doing any walking or hiking, so no requirement for crazy hiking packs or anything, and nothing of any significant weight apart from enough clothes. Would either of these be suitable, does anyone have any experience with either of these products or can recommend something better? Lastly - are bamboo t-shirts any good in tropical weather? I don't want to look like a sex tourist wearing boardshorts and button-ups, so it's tees only for me I'm afraid.
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Nov 17, 2014 04:28
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Bamboo shirts and quick dry shirts are fine. I myself think buttons up are more appropriate than t-shirts because of the collar. It's a small difference though. You can wear buttons up in the grand palace but not a t-shirt. The main thing is : you won't look like a creepy sex tourist if you are always with your girlfriend. Just another diving tourist couple. Oh and bring 1 pair of pants. Just in case.
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Nov 17, 2014 20:16
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I've got a couple of Over-board bags (20L backpack and 60L duffel) and they're both pretty solid in general terms. Warning on the duffel bag, the strap is a little thing and the little pad thing on it tends to get twisted up and useless. I also managed to break one of the clips on the shoulder strap in like a week (plastic snap hook thing) that they replaced free of charge with a heavier duty one. Bear in mind waterproof with diving stuff means that any dive kit will stay soaking wet and/or mouldy. I'd advise a small waterproof bag to keep wet stuff separated/take things safely on the boat for the day and a regular travelling bag.
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Nov 20, 2014 07:11
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I'll be using all hire gear bar my own regs - last time I was in ~25c+ water I just dived in boardshorts and a rash vest or Lavacore. Will definitely have dried my stuff out by the time we leave and have to pack up for the next leg. I travelled to Indonesia last time with all my own gear, and the extra bag was just a major pain in the rear end. I'd rather just a bag big enough to get me through the 3 weeks and any dive gear and maintenance is someone else's problem. You don't happen to know with the OB bags whether they've upgraded all their straps/clips since then to heavy duty?
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Nov 20, 2014 09:00
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