Advice : Phillipine trip

Steps Lightly

My daughter will be travelling to Cedu in the Philippines this July as part of a charity to rebuild homes and a orphanage destroyed by hurricane. Need to put together an edc of essentials including fak relative to the region. Needs to be as minimal as possible but cover all the bases.
Think I have most of it sorted, but am open to any advice.

Steps

ShadowFox

The basics for me would be
Multi tool and a back up Swiss army knife
Lighter or fire steel
Hand sanitizer
Water filter (maybe over kill depending on the area)
Flashlight
N95 Masks (Again over kill depending on the area)
Ear Plugs ( Again depending on the area )
A good stainless steel water bottle
For a FAK
Plasters
Pads and Tape
Best antibiotic cream or ointment you can find
Diamode and head ache tablets
Eye wash
Bandages ( small and medium)

BreadnBuddha

Add to that:

Good general purpose gloves - Petzl make rope gloves with a double later leather construction, mesh back and a carabiner loop. Superb kit altogether.

Black nitrile gloves - 10 times better than blue/purple latex. Chemical resistant and still very supple. Pack in the FAK.

Energy drink sachets, FAK and EDC.

Pokes

I think a good head torch would be quite useful. Something simple like one of the energiser 3 led ones. I'd also pack something like http://www.amazon.co.uk/13000mAh-Portable-External-smartphones-lightning/dp/B00BQ5KHJW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401832143&sr=8-1&keywords=Anker+battery . I have one and they are an absolute lifesaver for charging devices if you are away from stable power for a day or two.

wolfeye

Dont forget philippines is a tropical country.

You'd need a good sunscreen.

Wide brim sun hat.

Polarized sunglasses.

mosquito repellent( can get malaria there).

Sometimes can get heavy rain showers so a light poncho or umbrella is handy.

Nalgene bottle.Can buy 5 gallon containers of purified water pretty cheaply in refilling stations.Can be delivered.
cheaper than branded water.
Use this to top up the nalgene bottle.

Guide book/city map.

Unlocked mobile phone.sim cards and top ups (load) pretty cheap there.

sandals/flipflops.

Maybe two 20 euro notes for emergencies in hidden waist pouch.
copy passport/airline travel documents.
Also can keep passport etc in it if no safe to keep in at hotel.

Can be black outs in certain areas in evenings .So a head torch is handy and also handy for reading a book at night if a blackout .

Steps Lightly

Thanks for the input..
Am adding work gloves, a life straw, copies of passport and travel documents also including some Imodium for her fak. Will get her to get local SIM card ..good idea that..

Thanks again
Steps

thehippychippy

Dioralite, or similar. Great for replacing salts and essentials if you get dehydrated and after a bout of bali belly. And best of luck to her, I do some charity work in Moldova (general construction and mc gyvering) and I'd recommend it to anyone. It can be tough, physically and mentally, but the rewards are endless.

Steps Lightly

Hip hip
Thanks for the input.will check Dioralite..
Not sure how she'll do with the mcgyvering but her heart is in the right place and she's well tougher than she looks.. Must take after her Dad..!

Thanks again
Steps

St. Leibowitz

Before travelling, I scan all documents (passport, driving licence, hotel reservations, airline tickets, instructions, contact numbers etc.) and then email them to myself. If you end up with nothing but the clothes on your back, at least a visit to an Internet cafe will get you your document copies to start from.

Very unlikely you'll loose everything, but things like the Air France A340 in Toronto or the Asiana 777 in San Francisco can have people walk away from an aircraft but watch all possessions burn. Having access to document copies will give you a head start to getting sorted.

You may not even have to email it if you are security concious. Depending on your provider, just attaching them and saving the unsent mail as a draft will put them in the cloud.

You could also stick them onto a Dropbox type service.

Steps Lightly

St. Leibovitz

Excellent idea, will definitely do this.

Steps

Pat Mustard

St. Leibowitz wrote: »

Before travelling, I scan all documents (passport, driving licence, hotel reservations, airline tickets, instructions, contact numbers etc.) and then email them to myself. If you end up with nothing but the clothes on your back, at least a visit to an Internet cafe will get you your document copies to start from.

Good idea. I also use an app called CamScanner on my phone to scan documents and save them onto the phone (they can be emailed from there too). The app brightens up the image so that it is easier to read than just a photo. It's a free app and it allows you to keep copies of useful documents at your fingertips.

If you bring your smartphone on a trip like that, it's going to get beaten around the place. A good phone case would be worth the investment for travelling. Either that or buy a cheap phone out there, I suppose.

One for long bus journeys is a folding or inflatable pillow. Sleeping on a bus is much easier with one. Putting a jumper between your head and the bus window is not comfortable over a long period.

ShadowFox wrote: »

Ear Plugs ( Again depending on the area )

These take up no space in a rucksack and if you are stuck on a bus for 15 hours listening to the local music belting out of the speakers, it can grate on the nerves. Earplugs ftw.

A sleep mask can be handy at times, especially if you need to get some sleep during the day. The free ones from the aeroplane will do fine.

The Philippines is a malarious area, afaik. Apart from whatever other inoculations that may be recommended for the trip (which can be advised by a doctor or travel vaccine clinic), the type of malaria meds are worth consideration. See article on Lariam; I certainly wouldn't take it. I've taken Doxycycline, and experienced increased sensitivity to sunlight and problems after having taken it on an empty stomach, but overall I was happy to put up with some discomfort in order to be on the safe side. It was quite a while back so I can't remember the exact advice that I was given, but I think that the course of Doxycycline was supposed to have been started some time (weeks?) before intended arrival at whatever target area was involved. It's going to be cheaper to buy the stuff out there than in Ireland. I found Boots the Chemist in Bangkok, so there should be reputable places to get what you need out there, once you have the minimum inital amount from Ireland (if that makes any sense).

Mosquitos. You can probably buy mozzie spray out there, but after you get bitten, it can be itchy. I saw a product like this for sale recently. It would be interesting to see if it works.

The Lonely Planet Guide is almost essential for a lot of travellers, even though sometimes Footprints guides are better, in my opinion.

If you are living out of your rucksack, it's handy to be able to wash clothes, hang them up at night, and have them dry in the morning, ready to wear again. This also means that you can bring less stuff with you over a long trip. A bit of research into clothes and fabrics will tell you which ones to pick. Wool may seem a heavy option for a hot climate, but it is possible to buy clothes made of thin SmartWool. Cotton absorbs moisture and takes much longer to dry.

Last but not least, this stuff is gold for fair-skinned Irish people; Parasol. You put it on once in the morning, and then forget about it; job done. There is other stuff called P20, which is nowhere near as good, in my opinion.

Diane Selwyn

She might actually find $US more handy than euros. My brother just spent some time in Manilla working and found the poverty there very confronting but I guess she knows what to expect on that front. He found the local workers in his company to be very welcoming to the extent of insisting on bringing him round on their days off and making sure he tried all the local food and etc. It should be a great experience for her. She will be there for the wet season which could be a challenge (maybe not so much for the Irish!) I'm sure she is preparing accordingly. You might give her the contact details of the Irish Consulate in Manilla just for peace of mind.

Stovepipe

Lots of great suggestions there. Did anyone mention insurance? Is she being covered by the crowd bringing her out there? Apart from that, some of the kit mentioned above won't make it through airport scanners/pat downs/security checks. How is she going to get it through, without losing most of it? Is there a way for it to be brought thru as essential equipment for the charity itself?

regards
Stovepipe

PS: Diuralite can be bought in any Pharmacy in Ireland. It's commonly used for rehydrating diarrhoea sufferers.

Diane Selwyn

She should be ok bringing most of that in her checked bag - not sure about flammables like fire lighters. Also if she is going through the UAE or Singapore she might need to be careful what she has in her first aid kit. I think you need a prescription for anything with codeine - Lonely Planet would probably have that info.

Steps Lightly

Many thanks for the great responses, plenty of food for thought. The charity will cover medical insurance for the trip and has arranged the various shots, but she will be bringing her Samsung S4 and her gopro camera to film as part of her college program so I will have to check what kind of cover she can get for that, have also explained to her the need be descreet. Will also have to check for a waterproof housing for the phone. My main medical concern for her is that she is nut allergic and a lot of cooking in the region is done with nut oil. The charity is aware of her condition this and has not raised any objections. She has her epipens with her and the family she will be staying with knows too. Some small denomination US currency seems like a another good idea. Have her given the apps mentioned and shes going to check them all. As she is half Irish and half Angolan the rain and sun should be right up her street !

Steps

Steps Lightly

Shadow Fox

She says " PLus one ! " on the earplugs !

Steps

popolive

A plastic jar of coconut oil might be something useful to squeeze into a bag. Apparently this stuff is highly versatile. It can be used as an antiseptic to dress wounds, a moisturizer, hand cream and also as sun cream with apparently a sun protection factor of 10. Plus if stuck , there has to be a few thousand calories in there to tide her over until the cavalry arrives or the situation improves. It never expires and can also be used to start a fire with some cotton buds etc. Since it is also usually solid it also wont spill all over her kit.

popolive

Steps Lightly wrote: »

My main medical concern for her is that she is nut allergic and a lot of cooking in the region is done with nut oil.

just saw this now .so she should definitely be cooking with the coconut oil I recommended for her !

wolfeye

I know a coconut is not classified as a nut but as part of the palm family.
But i reckon a person with a nut allergy should consult a doctor before consuming coconuts/coconut oil just incase there is an allergic reaction?

popolive

wolfeye wrote: »

I know a coconut is not classified as a nut but as part of the palm family.
But i reckon a person with a nut allergy should consult a doctor before consuming coconuts/coconut oil just incase there is an allergic reaction?

I don't believe there is any connection but it is true that somebody with a serious food allergy always needs to be aware of the consequences of what they eat. If only to ensure that ''nut free'' foods are not processed and packed in the same factory room as nuts which might contaminate them somehow. If you have serious dietary requirements, you should always consult a qualified doctor in preference to a source of hearsay on the internet.

Watch Ryder

Steps Lightly wrote: »

My daughter will be travelling to Cedu in the Philippines this July as part of a charity to rebuild homes and a orphanage destroyed by hurricane. Need to put together an edc of essentials including fak relative to the region. Needs to be as minimal as possible but cover all the bases.
Think I have most of it sorted, but am open to any advice.

Steps

Is she traveling alone or in a group?

Whereabouts is Cedu? Is that in the Muslim dominated south of the country? If so she will definately need a chaperone / accomplice.

wolfeye

Cebu he means.Thats a safe enough area.
South west mindanoa is a muslim area.
Thats a long way further south.