gear. part 2. • 15 comments • Remember the Gregory z30 backpack from our first gear post? Well, it turns out that it's just not big enough. As much as we love the back-venting system, it reduces much-needed space. So, we have exchanged both bags (the Gregory and the MEC Brio 60) for: MEC Brio 50 Plus Backpack and the MEC Brio 70 Backpack Compared to the other backpacks they sell at Mountain Equipment Co-op, the value for these is amazing. With a combined space of 120 litres I think we should have all the room we'll need. Coglan's Emergency Blanket - This 'blanket' cost less than 2 dollars and it's size, when folded up, is slightly bigger than a credit card. On Sight Universal Pouch - We purchased several of these pouches. Other travelers swear by packing cubes. These are essentially the same thing. They allow you to organize items separately so that you're not rifling through your whole bag for one item. We purchased different sizes and colors as well as some that have plastic instead of mesh. MEC Travel Pouch - A similar idea to the last item but with more organizational fun. MEC Document Holder - The title explains it all. Tissue On The Go! - This cost just over a dollar and is really tiny. We're also taking a full roll because every travel book/blog we ever read said that it's an essential item. Charmin Toilet Seat Covers - If people weren't so disgusting, these wouldn't really be necessary. However, we have a feeling we won't be using these anyway... better to get our quad muscles ripped. Transcend External Hard Drive: - We had all of our previous photos on two computers and thought that it didn't matter if one broke. When my old Macbook's hard drive broke, we realized that our pictures from Tokyo were only on that computer. Although we lost several great photos, we had them on Facebook, and had given some CDs to family so we were able to salvage most of them. This thing will prevent that loss from happening again. It's encased in rubber and is apparently drop-tested using US Military standards. We went with the 500 GB capacity in hopes that it will accommodate the ridiculous amount of photos we will most likely take. MEC Pocket Dry Bag-We're planning on using this to keep our camera dry between uses on rainy days. Silk Sleeping Bag Liner: -These have come highly recommended by other around-the-world travellers as a way of avoiding suspect sheets and bed bugs. CLIF Energy Bars: - As far as energy bars go, the flavors of the CLIF brand aren't so bad. The added bonus: they fill you up for hours. Tekk Cutlery: -Small and cheap. I'm sure we'll use these at some point. SuperSak Laundry Bag: -33 cents well spent! SweetWater Purifier Solution: - We were given a great tip about this stuff from the guy from MEC. We were considering the steri-pen but read some bad reviews online. Everyone tells us we're better off drinking beer, but Mina isn't a fan. If any of you have had any pleasant experiences in Mexico City - we would love to hear them! Particularly a nice place to stay. Yep, this means we're finally heading out of Toronto. Stay tuned for status updates! photos from mec.ca
gear • 17 comments • A few items we'll be bringing with us. Gregory Z30 Daypack This bag is really comfortable. We especially liked the 3D mesh back venting that will keep us cool in hot climates. MEC Brio 60 Expedition Pack This is our primary storage bag. It has excellent reviews from MEC members and it was a great price. Extra Buckles They take up very little space and will come in handy if the existing ones snap. MEC First Aid Bag A little organizational bag for us assemble our own First Aid kit. We threw in some band-aids, various drugs, and this: Adventure Medical Kits - Single Use Suture Syringe Since we'll be traveling to developing countries, spending $20 on a sterile syringe may save us a lot of trouble. MEC Mac Computer Sleeve It's actually made for the Macbook, but it accommodates the Air nicely. Adventure Towl We're not too sure why 'towel' is spelled incorrectly, but it's a great product. We each bought one. They are quite large but roll up to a size that doesn't take up nearly as much space as a regular towel would. The micro-fibre terry cloth material is antimicrobial and easily absorbs wetness and dries quickly. On Sight Traveler's Mosquito Shelter This came in a carry bag and is a little large. We debated whether we should purchase it or not. In the end, we decided that lugging around one of these beats getting malaria. Black Diamond Wiz Headlamp Not all places in the world are fortunate enough to have uninterrupted power so a headlamp would provide us the necessary light we would need for reading, packing, etc.. Yes, this was the tackiest headlamp at MEC. It was also the best price when compared to others that had similar features. We could have spent more to get a grey or black one, but if you're wearing a headlamp, you're not trying to be cool anyway. MEC Rain Cover for back packs It's waterproof and has a draw-string closure so it doesn't flap in the wind. It may come in handy. More to come... photos from mec.ca
