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What's New:
- Avoiding Insect Bites
Many tropical diseases, such as malaria, yellow fever, and Japanese encephalitis, West Nile virus, L
- Websites
Some of the following links are on other pages of this website. I have brought them all together on
- Books
Below is a list of just some of the books that I have bought and found useful on my travels. I usua
- Suppliers
Links to the suppliers of the travel gear I use and recommend can be found through out this site. He
- Miscellaneous
Waterproof bags Used to separate and keep various items dry in your bag. Good for keeping valuables
Below is a list of just some of the books that I have bought and found useful on my travels. I usually read these before I leave and try to memorise as much as I can, as carrying even just one book with you when you travel adds considerably to your load. (That said, I do carry the first book on the list with me as it is tiny).
To be honest, these days I tend to listen to audio books on my iPod mainly, as I can fit a considerable number of books onto it and listening in this way also keeps your hands free when walking around. You can buy these online or in major bookstores on CD. Just search online for audio books.
(Click  for US supplier) (Click  for UK supplier)
Travel Health
  Bezruchka, Stephen. The Pocket Doctor: A Passport to Healthy Travel. Mountaineers Books; 3 edition (March 1999). The classic reference for international travelers – completely updated.
Dawood, Richard, M.D. Travelers’ Health: How to Stay Healthy All Over the World. New York: Random House, 1994. With six hundred pages of advice from sixty British and American travel medicine specialists, this is the most complete travelers’ health guide.
Dessery, Bradford L., and Robin, Marc R. The Medical Guide for Third World Travelers: A Comprehensive Self-Care Handbook. San Diego: K-W Publications, 1992. This is a good health guide by two nurses with practical experience.
Schroeder, Dirk G. Staying Healthy in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Chico, CA: Moon Publications, 1993. Another good travelers’ health book.
Equipment
Fletcher, Colin. The Complete Walker. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1984. Dubbed the “hiker’s Bible,” this is a highly detailed look at the gear and philosophy of a wilderness backpacker who has also written several other books.
Working Abroad
Griffith, Susan. Teaching English Abroad. Oxford: Vacation Work, 1994. This is over three hundred pages on the subject, including numerous personal accounts. Distributed in the U.S. by Petersen’s Guides, Princeton, NJ (tel. 800-338-3282).
Communication
Hall, Edward T. The Silent Language. Garden City, New York: Anchor Press/Doubleday, 1959. A groundbreaking work on nonverbal communication.
Pei, Mario. Talking Your Way Around the World. New York: Harper & Row, 1971. Interesting reading on languages by the popular linguist, although you won’t quite be speaking Indo-European come page 288.
Miller, Stuart. Understanding Europeans. Santa Fe: John Muir Publications, 1990. This is an incisive book by an American former professor of European comparative literature who has lived and worked extensively in Europe. It also helps you understand Americans.
 Some of the following links are on other pages of this website. I have brought them all together on this page, plus a few others that I found useful when researching long-term worldwide travel.
The links are not listed in any particular order, although I try to keep them arranged in the same order as they appear on this site.
General:
How to travel overland comfortably and affordably
General Travel Hints and Tips
The Traveller’s Toolkit – Independent travel resources
Round-The-World Travel Guide – The Travel Library
Lots of very useful travel advice links
Using a cell phone overseas
Maps of the night sky
Money:
Visa worldwide [...]
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 Links to the suppliers of the travel gear I use and recommend can be found through out this site. Here is a list of those suppliers on one page.
I don’t work for any of the companies listed, neither do I receive any money from them to list them here. The list changes all the time as I add new suppliers and test out new gear.
I buy my equipment from companies on both sides of the Atlantic (I am both British and American). US-based companies and website links are preceded by and [...]
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 Waterproof bags
Used to separate and keep various items dry in your bag. Good for keeping valuables and electronics. Simple Ziploc style bags are good for this. However, much better are the plastic bags made by Aloksak .
These are very strong but lightweight, transparent storage bags. They come in four sizes: 7 x 4.5 inch, 6.75 x 6 inch, 9 x 6 inch and 12 x 12 inch.
They are made of a patented, super-stretch plastic, and very puncture-resistant. They close easily and are Waterproof to 200 feet.
Gifts
A [...]
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 It is said that you should never take anything with you on vacation that you are not prepared to lose.
However, if your possessions are lost or stolen while travelling it can be very inconvenient and annoying, even if you are able to replace them quite easily (often for much less than you originally paid).
There are people out there who prey on tourists and travellers, as there are at home. And just like at home there are simple precautions you can take to prevent yourself becoming a victim of crime or loss.
Most of them don’t cost you [...]
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 Fixing
There are a number of things you can pack which are light, small, cheap, and versatile when it comes to making repairs on the road.
Para (parachute) cord comes in a variety of thicknesses and colours and can be used for making repairs to bags, clothing, sleeping gear.
Also it can be used for other things such as shoelaces, tying parcels, even making shelters and snares if you are in a survival situation!
Wrap it around something, maybe even replace your shoelaces with the right length piece of cord.
Sewing
Sewing kits are cheap and ubiquitous, but if you don’t have [...]
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 Universal sink plug/stopper
Sink plugs are hard to come by in some countries as they are both useful and portable, therefore they don’t stay around too long in one place.
It is always best to carry your own, they don’t take up much room and are very useful when doing laundry in hotel and hostel sinks. The best are the large, flat type that fit any sink. You can also use a sock or fashion a stopper out of a variety of materials (duct tape, for example) if you don’t have one.
Detergent
Woolite is [...]
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 You can buy toiletries almost anywhere in the world, often for less than it costs it home.
You may have your favourites, however, and not every brand is available overseas (sometimes there are worse, sometimes better alternatives). You can’t always be sure of the quality, either.
For these reasons you might consider bringing your own.
Space and weight can be saved by taking small, travel- or trial-sized bottles, or better still, buy some small, refillable plastic bottles and containers and fill them with your own products.
Liquids can weigh a lot, and a lot of bottles of liquids can weigh [...]
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 Travelling in the Third World is not like a camping trip. You will find plenty of cheap food and accommodation everywhere, so you won’t need a stove, tent or sleeping bag,
There may be occasions where you would think a sleeping bag might be useful, in a cold room, sleeping outside (when it is warm), protection against insects, as a seat or cushion, etc., but consider the alternatives first.
Long underwear or other warm clothing will be fine in emergencies, on buses, trains, and cold hostels. A sleep sheet packs small, is light and easy to wash, and [...]
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 Camera
There are two types of camera you can take travelling. Either an SLR digital with a selection of lenses, or a point-and-shoot camera. For the difference in quality and performance you get between both, you are better off taking the point-and-shoot.
I am a photographer and regularly use both types of camera, but if you don’t believe me or want a second opinion, read more about it here on Ken Rockwell’s excellent photography site.
Personally, I have been using an old Sony Cybershot (shown right) which gives great results.
The only thing you really have [...]
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 One of the most important choices you will have to make when it comes to equipment is your footwear. That said, some people wear flip flops (thongs) for their entire trip, some wear hiking boots, some go barefoot.
Space requirements will dictate what footwear you can take. If you bring shoes, sandals, running shoes, flip flops, and hiking boots, then you might not have much room in your pack for anything else.
Two pairs of footwear should be sufficient for most situations; one pair of ‘proper’ closed shoes or boots with good support and protection from dirt, rocks, [...]
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Hat
Most of the time you probably won’t need a hat, but they are useful in certain situations.
Figures vary from about 7% to 75%, but whichever it is, a lot of body heat is lost through your head. For cold weather, a good, simple solution to this is to carry a lightweight, waterproof, silk, woollen or wool mix cap/hat(shown left), they can even be worn in bed.
For the sun, choose a hat that is light and [...]
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 Tie/scarf/bandana
A wool scarf can be very effective in cold weather but can be bulky. You can always buy one wherever you are if it gets too cold.
A good substitute is something like a bandana or a sarong, or maybe a towel or just buy a thin locally bought scarf. This can also help vary your outfits as it makes a good accessory.
A cotton bandana is probably the most versatile for not only can it serve as a neck or head scarf, you can use it for a cravat/tie, a hat or headband, sun shade or sleep [...]
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