Packing List

Carry-on Packing List
• Sturdy backpack [check] I've got my old search and rescue pack that's about 40-50 liters and is a hair over the size limit for carry ons (22"). I hear Ethiopian Airlines are pretty relaxed about this sort of stuff, so maybe I can get around it. The alternative would be to take my smaller day pack that fits 25-30 liters. We'll see where I am after this list
• Map of Cameroon [check] I had to order it from amazon.com, but it's the only map of Cameroon by itself (instead of say, the whole of West Africa).
• Copies of various documents [check] I've got copies of my passport, Cameroonian visa, and vaccination documents. I just need to get them authorized by the police department in Cameroon to make them "offical copies." I also bought a blue little waterproof case to put folded up documents in, but I can't find it.
• Rain jacket [check] Marmot Precip jacket: wateproof, but light enough to wear in hot climate. I got it with my employee discount and dividend when i worked at REI. Best zero dollars I ever spent on an article of clothing.
• Extra socks [check] mostly thin liner types for my walking shoes. I figure I'll buy a pair of sandals made from car tires in Cameroon. A friend of mine has a pair that's lasted longer than anything normal has a right to.
• Water bottle [check] taking my old nalgene covered in outdoor brand stickers. It's functional, but if I lose it, I won't shed too many a tear.
• Snacks [check] clif bars and clif shots! mostly for the 3 day flight, but the clif shots should help cope with jet lag, I hope.
• Door stop [I still need to get this] a security thing I picked up somewhere. You slide it under a closed door of a hotel or something, and it should keep a door from opening. It's only paranoia if it costs more than 2 bucks, right?... right?
• Travel pillow [check] I'm rethinking this. A pillow might be too bulky for a carry on, especially if I have to take the smaller pack.
• Alarm clock [check] I have a fear that the alarm will go off in the middle of the security line while the clock is buried at the bottom of my luggage and I will have to dig like a prospecting badger to get to it, resulting in an eruption of toiletries and undies :(
• Toiletries [check] toothbrush, toothpaste (I have two full tubes since someone told my mon it's going to be hard to find or really expensive in Africa), razor, soap, shampoo, towels, deodorant, and a few things I don't care about at this point.
• Camera [check] Nikon Coolpix L18. It's a pretty nifty camera that's easy to use but has plenty of features, and is at a decent price ($120ish). I wanted to dub this my Sameroon Cam, but my sister is against it.
• MP3 player [check] RCA Pearl 2gb. It's not ipod, but it's got some interesting features that drew me to it: can record voice memos, takes a microSD card for memory expansion, and takes AAA batteries. I thought the last one was a good selling point since I should be able to get double and triple As in most places, I don't have to worry about getting a converter for the charger, and I can take it on long trips away from outlets (like freakin long ass plane flights)
• Extra batteries [check] have bag o' batts, mostly AA. I'm sure I've seen a colony of AAA's somewhere around the house.
• Books [getting there] This will probably end up being the heaviest and bulkiest part of my carry ons. Here's the list of books I'm considering taking:
Betrayal of Trust by Laurie Garrett
Diffusion of Innovations by Everett Rogers
Epidemiology: An introduction by Kenneth Rothman
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azir Nafisi
Infections and Inequalities: The Modern Plagues by Paul Farmer
Hunger: A Modern History by James Vernon
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingson
Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
Faheinheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
I'm sure I'll add and remove books as I continue packing.
• First aid kit [check] a pretty standardized first aid kit
• GI pharmacy (lactase pills, peptobismol, immodium AD) [check] Also connected to books, if I can find it, I'm taking How to Shit Around the World: The Art of Staying Clean and Healthy While Traveling by Jane Wilson-Howarth. It is an excellent book and I would highly recommend it to anyone thinking about traveling overseas, especially to the 2nd or 3rd world. It's written by a physician and parasitologist and filled with great information and tips about hygiene, food, water, and sanitation, not just pinching a loaf.
• Hand sanitizer [check] yes, I've become that which I loathe: the traveler that takes hand sanitizer everywhere... but it's just so useful for cleaning your hands, I swear.
• Gifts [check, almost] I've got an assortment of items of individuals in Cameroon, as gift giving is an expected custom. I just need a gift for Henri, who has organized my lodgings for me, but it can't be more expensive looking than a silk tie, which I am getting for the Dean of Health Sciences. Hmmm.