Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Patrick Bateman]

[Nick Adams]

Marmot bags. I bought mine in Seoul but it took some looking around.

[Don Mario]

First off, get one of those suitcase entry types,
with the main compartment opens up and you
see all your gear. This might take some looking
around.

Second, check the zipper coils. Make sure they are
tough and check the stitching. Nothing worse than
having to take your bag to a seamstress shop
on vacation and dump all your gear in a plastic
bag back at the hotel.

Size? 45 to 60 Liters. Depend how many clothes you
have.

Do you do a lot of different types of sports?
Example, hiking boots, swim mask, etc.
If you want to have your own gear, get the
bigger bag.

Look for tie down straps on the outside to lash
down other roll bags, example a sleeping bag
on the outside, or extra gear where you can
get at it.

I got a CampTrails bag in 98 in Canada for $200.
It has a zip off dag bag.

Cant beat it!

Ev eryone I meet is stone jealous! They all have
the mountain expedition, the one compartment top
loader, and they are a bitch of carry on your back
and to get at your gear.

Good luck!

DM

[prideofidaho]

[DeMayonnaise]

I did three weeks of SE asia with backpack slightly larger than your typical school pack. Still worked as a carry on.

Just don't take many clothes. For example, you can get by with 1 pair of underwear if you just bring a pair of these:
http://www.exofficio.com/product_results.aspx?page=LIST&free_text|1269894407140=underwear They dry out almost immediately, so you can just wash them everyday.

Socks? who needs em.
shorts? Maybe a spare pair of athletic shorts and some swim trunks.
Maybe a t-shirt or two, and buy a cheap one down there.
One pair of light pants and a Smart Wool sweater. Light but really warm https://www.smartwool.com/default.cfm#/Mens/Apparel/Tops/Sweaters/2352/
Bring some Keen sandals which are great for walking around in...waterproof, tough, protecting. http://z.about.com/d/shoes/1/0/H/L/keen_sandals.jpg

I see these people carrying huge ass packs on their backs and fronts and think "what the hell is in them??". I even carried my SLR camera with a spare lens, ipod and some books in that small pack. Over the course of a long trip (and 17 days isnt that long), you're better off with less stuff I think.

[prideofidaho]

Less is more, but we're planning on traveling for about a year, so our large packs will be with us for the long haul...literally.

This site has great info: http://www.travelindependent.info/whattopack.htm

[oldfatfarang]

The Old Travellers' Motto: Take half the clothes, and twice the money.

OP> I backpacked around the world for nearly 10 continuous years (went round twice and zig zagged all over the place). I used a massive pack 90 litres, and a small 30 litre day pack. My girlfriend had a smaller 70 litre and day pack. We were carrying tents, sleeping bags, mosquito net, cookers, cooking stuff, water and food. All up they weighed about 19 kgs each.

What a nightmare on small mini vans in SE Asia. What you need is a very small, and cheap 35 litre pack> You can carry this on your lap on buses and vans, and you never have to worry about security. Get a pack with 2 large zip handles and then you can put a notebook computer wire/combination padlock combo (9,000 won) on it when you want to sleep at airports.

The trick in Thailand (SE Asia) is light and small. You can buy very cheap clothes (you only need T shirts and shorts) and you can throw them away when they get too dirty or when you get to the airport.

What ever you do, don't buy a large pack, and take lots of expensive clothes (or anything expensive) with you. If you do, you'll be continually worrying about people stealing your gear (very common) while you're trying to relax on the beach etc.

PS> Don't keep large amounts of cash in hotel safes in Thailand. I had $2,000 stolen from my digital room safe by the Thai hotel owner.

Good luck, and have fun. Remember, less is more.

[liftn]

[quote="guava"]What was it that Spliff replied to a similar question, something like...

"How long are your dreadlocks? Will you be carrying a lot of beads?"[/quote
NOW that we got the senseless response out of the way......

[noraebang]

More resources: Onebag.com < Excellent on teaching you to limit what you bring.

Tynan's Packing List: http://tynan.net/the-2009-nomad-packing-list He packs a lot of cool clothes. Check out the Merino Wool shirts, they don't feel like wool, are antimicrobial so they don't stink right away.

And remember that Thailand has half the stuff you'll ever need in 7/11's, such as disposable underwear, toiletries, combs, scissors, etc. You can also get all your clothes washed for a buck.

I went to Thailand and lived there 6 months with just a laptop bag full of stuff. I bought what I needed while there, for cheap. One thing I should have brought was a towel though, because I stayed in an apartment (not guesthouses) where towels are not provided. I recommend you get a Viscose quick dry towel. Check out the Packtowel brand.

17 days is nothing for a warm country, so you shouldn't fill up your bag. You don't need many clothes in a warm country. My girlfriend and I just spent 8 days in Mexico and all we brought was her small purse with some stuff in it. We just washed our clothes in the sink.

If you're going to go somewhere with a big bag full of stuff, I recommend you put it on and go into your current town and walk around shopping for two hours to get an idea of how you will feel on your vacation. Keep in mind that you will be hot and tired from walking around in Thai weather. This might help put things in perspective.

[liftn]