16: Some Progress
6 Weeks to go…
Here is where I am with my planning.
Vaccinations:
Started my Vaccinations on Friday. From now on every week a few shots until end of November.
Visas:
Got my Australia Visa sorted (easy as I could apply for it online, no need to send Passport anywhere; ETA Visa).
Apart from that I only need (upfront) Thailand and Vietnam. I wanted to apply for them myself since it’s cheaper (my Travel Agency Trailfinders charge £22 per visa on top of the visa normal fees). Hoewver, the Vietnam Visa form states that their Visas are only valid for 3 months from issuing the visa (not from entry date) which means if I apply now I then the visa wont be valid anymore by the time I want to cross the Vietnam Border in March.
Apparently Trailfinders can arrange for Visas that are valid for 6 months from issue date so I decided to let them sort both visas (Thai/Vietnam) and pay the fees. Guess I busy enough with all the other planning anyway so using them helps..
Gear:
Continue to put together my travel gear. Waking Shoes (not Boots) and Sandals for footwear and clothes wise something that is very versatile and can be used in many conditions (i.e. multiple lighter clothes for layering). Thinking roughly about some good wicking base layer tops, a light microfleece, travel shirt, waterproof jacket though I might opt for a separate thin breathable windshell plus a light waterproof-breathable rain jacket for more flexibility
Backpack:
Kinda tricky that one. I think I want to stick to a smallish backpack around 50 liters.
I have a 55L Lowe Alpine Backpackk but not sure about it because it has a lot of access options which reduces security.
Might need to look for something else.
Trouble is most packs I’ve seen are either too big, too small or the carry system is too basic.
Also Backpacks come in the most vibrant and even hideous colours! I want a simple, functional, comfortable and neutral coloured pack, not an oversized pack that’s bigger than myself or one that you can see from 10km distance, thus advertising to everyone near and far where that silly backpacker with the fancy backpack is, a backpack so fancy that it’s worth stealing no matter what the content….
Well so far I have not found the sensible pack, sadly…
Tags: Pre-Departure
saschas
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