The Pack

Hmm forgot to say what this update was about.. it is of course about the packing for the 2 month field trip to Malawi and Kenya that starts thursday...

Two days to go and here is the first update. It has been great in London so far. Even managed a weekend visit to the GF on Guernsey. So this afternoon I finally decided to see if I could bring everything and as I was laying it out on the bed and crossing the non-existing list (I am a man) I thought I might as well take the time and image it for the blog.  So here goes

1.     Camera Bag

2.     Rucksack

3.     Clothes (enough for a week roughly)

4.     Plastic containers for live specimens and rearing

5.     Football (a requested item)

6.     Cadbury (requested item for out gluten allergic guide)

7.     HP Sauce (a requested item)

8.     Medicine: savlon  (antibacterial), micropore tape, Malarone (200 pounds worth and still not enough)

9.     Solar charger for iphone, ipad, camera and light trap

10.  Passport and vaccination card

11.  Butterfly net with extra bag

12.  Sunscreen, tooth brush and toothpaste

13.  Rain clothes (not monsoon proof but all I have unless I want to wear my tent)

14.  Collecting tubes, needles, scalpels, pipettes, Velcro stamp envelopes for moths and ziplock specimen bags

15.  Dry shampoo and soap from Lush I’m going to smell soooo good (she made me buy it : )

16.  Egglaying sheets and permanent markers (don’t ask)

17.  Sleeping bag

18.  Miscellaneous pouch (cords, knife, field loop, nail clippers etc.)

19.  knee pads for my field trousers

20.  Camera tripod and 2 carbon fiber poles double as night light trap and beating sheet

21.  Sleeping mat

22.  Camera body

23.  3 extra batteries and 3 extra 16gb SD cards for camera

24.  Camera Lenses

25.  Eating utensils (bowl, spork, cup and strainer)

26.  Head lamp and string

27.  Camera Flash

28.  Iphone

29.  Charges, adapters and a sheet for the light trap and beating sheet

30.  Tent

31.  Cardboard Box (extra luggage)

32.  Extra 1.75 pound baggage wrapping bags

As it turns out things fit quite well with the extra cardboard box off stuff that is actually not mine.

Weight wise I have no idea but I bet I could bring a lot, probably 10-12 kg more, but then I would have to carry it around in an awkward extra bag … I’m too lazy for that. I will undoubtedly also have to carry something with food and water too, so no more bags.

Now what’s missing is deciding whether my Iphone or Ipad are going to be the main digital entertainment and then load at least 50 sci-fi books and some good collecting music onto it. Although I was thinking that a cheap mp3 with fm radio could be an even better idea.

Last item besides the odd ends and bits are my blacklight trap lights that hopefully arrive by Thursday noon cause without them I am F’ed.

I bet I have forgotten enough things to make this trip a living hell for myself but then again who can’t make a bucket out of a raincoat, start a fire with a plastic bag full of piss and survive on roots and palm tree pulp. Hope none of that is necessary but wish me luck. I will keep you updated.