Check out our Pics page! It's updated with photos from previous trips. This is where you can find most of our photos while we're on the road. Or, you can skip straight to our Flickr account.
I'm sure a handful of our friends think we're nuts for taking the gadgets and electronics that we're taking but, as Tom mentioned in the last post about technology, it's just stuff. It's stuff we'd like to have with us as a nice little luxury (in the midst of our hostel/squatty potty/Delhi Belly/public bus adventures), but we wouldn't be heart-broken (or home-bound) if any of it was lost or stolen.
With that said, I'm a safety girl and, while Tom has taken past long-term trips all willy-nilly and carefree, that is not going to fly with this overplanner. Let's talk safety - for ourselves and for our shtuff. (I won't cover it again, but check out our plans for medical safety here.)
Do you know about Rick Steves? Tom and I love him. He has a PBS show about traveling through Europe and is a regular on the PBS telethons. He's super dorky and cheesy and, when I first saw him casually throw his backpack over one shoulder wearing his old school Dockers circa 1992 and cruise through the Tuscan countryside with the top down in possibly the most-staged TV footage of all time, he secured me as a lifelong fan. Nothing beats a Rick Steves marathon on a Sunday afternoon. The only complaint I have is that he never travels outside of Europe. At this point, I've seen multiple episodes about Germany, but nothing about Kuala Lumpur. What gives, Rick?
By the way, Googling "Rick Steves Asia" turns up this gem: http://onion.com/pz320I.
Rick (we're on a first name basis), has a line of travel products also and, while most of it seems outdated and more suitable for the senior citizen adventuring to Disney Land with their grandkids, he makes a mean Security Belt, and Tom and I each have one (in nude silk, ooh la la) to keep our valuables close to our bodies on the trip. Our plan is to keep these suckers strapped on nearly all the time, with our passports and important docs (and extra cash) safely stored on our person.
For all of our other goods, we purchased a few different kinds of combination locks. Obviously, if someone really wants to steal our stuff, they're going to figure out how to do it, but we decided to throw up a few roadblocks to deter any five-finger bandits. First, we picked up a few small locks to lock the zippers shut on our backpacks. And we also picked up two larger cable locks so that we can lock our backpacks to something stationary if we need to leave it somewhere unattended (in a hostel during the day, for example.) They have super secret combination codes, so I think we've got it "locked up." (pun intended)
And, for protecting our valuables, we're investing in sturdy cases for each of our electronics. The important thing is finding a balance between protection and bulk/weight. Here's what we've found:
Since we plan on spending some time in beach and river locations, we also wanted to get some reliable waterproof bags that we could stuff important documents and electronics in to avoid damage. Being the researcher that I am, I found these great Aloksak Bags and ordered a variety pack. They're awesome! NASA uses them, so I'm pretty sure they'll work for us.
We're not going to be paranoid about theft while on The Trip. We're just not those people (which might be why Tom has lost 2 cameras and 2 passports on previous trips). But if a lock slows down a thief for even a second, we're hoping he decided it's not worth it and leaves us alone!
If that doesn't work, I am a pretty awesome Sumo wrestler and I'll throw my weight into attacking a thief...just ask Tom. I beat him every time we Sumo wrestle. No joke. (As soon as we're real grownups with a house and a yard, we're getting these Sumo suits.)
I'm sure a handful of our friends think we're nuts for taking the gadgets and electronics that we're taking but, as Tom mentioned in the last post about technology, it's just stuff. It's stuff we'd like to have with us as a nice little luxury (in the midst of our hostel/squatty potty/Delhi Belly/public bus adventures), but we wouldn't be heart-broken (or home-bound) if any of it was lost or stolen.
With that said, I'm a safety girl and, while Tom has taken past long-term trips all willy-nilly and carefree, that is not going to fly with this overplanner. Let's talk safety - for ourselves and for our shtuff. (I won't cover it again, but check out our plans for medical safety here.)
By the way, Googling "Rick Steves Asia" turns up this gem: http://onion.com/pz320I.
Rick (we're on a first name basis), has a line of travel products also and, while most of it seems outdated and more suitable for the senior citizen adventuring to Disney Land with their grandkids, he makes a mean Security Belt, and Tom and I each have one (in nude silk, ooh la la) to keep our valuables close to our bodies on the trip. Our plan is to keep these suckers strapped on nearly all the time, with our passports and important docs (and extra cash) safely stored on our person.
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| Master Lock Cable Lock |
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| Master Lock Retractable Lock |
Since we plan on spending some time in beach and river locations, we also wanted to get some reliable waterproof bags that we could stuff important documents and electronics in to avoid damage. Being the researcher that I am, I found these great Aloksak Bags and ordered a variety pack. They're awesome! NASA uses them, so I'm pretty sure they'll work for us.
We're not going to be paranoid about theft while on The Trip. We're just not those people (which might be why Tom has lost 2 cameras and 2 passports on previous trips). But if a lock slows down a thief for even a second, we're hoping he decided it's not worth it and leaves us alone!
If that doesn't work, I am a pretty awesome Sumo wrestler and I'll throw my weight into attacking a thief...just ask Tom. I beat him every time we Sumo wrestle. No joke. (As soon as we're real grownups with a house and a yard, we're getting these Sumo suits.)
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