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Post by NFLqueen on Apr 28, 2003 14:42:30 GMT -5
I don't plan on doing a lot of "hiking", yes lots of day tours etc. but my plans were to bring a pair of hiking shoes and a pair of very comfortable regular sandals............ will this be good enough? And I'm reading that people suggest against a brining a sleeping bag........... is that still the consensus? I have one that weighs about 1.5kg and is very sml, will it come in handy or will I find that most places won't allow me to use it? What about doing laundry? Can I wash a lot of stuff by hand and hang it to dry overnight or will this be a problem....... I had planned on bringing some kind of line to hang things on? I hate to be prissy but I'm terrified to throw most of my clothes in a dryer!  thanks guys  |
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Post by nitsansh on Apr 28, 2003 17:47:07 GMT -5
Your footwear sound OK... the important thing is that both shoes and sandals will be comfortable to walk on for long hours...
Sleeping bags are useful only if you go camping. Most hostels will provide you blankets, and NOT ALLOW to use a sleeping bag. When I travelled throughout Europe for 3.5 months 15 years ago, there were only one or two places that I used my sleeping bag. On the following trips I didn't take it...
OTOH, a SHEET sleeping bag, which is a sheet in the shape of sleeping bag (2 sheets sewed on 3 sides), is useful to avoid the need to hire sheets in hostels that don't provide them for free (more common in HI hostels than non-HI).
As to Laundry... I would suggest to take some laundry soap (powder or liquid), a rope and some clips... it would be useful if you want to wash small things like underwear or socks in a sink (a plug might be useful too), but for more "serious" laundry, which you normally do every 2-3 weeks, you better use a coin-operated machine...
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Post by Kim on Apr 28, 2003 18:05:11 GMT -5
I also vote no for the sleeping bag-Nit's right, most hostels won't even let you use it as that is how bedbugs are spread.
I do personally advise bringing your own pillow case though, so that you know it's clean. For me, it's just a peace of mind thing! (And the fact that I once got pink eye from a dirty pillow case in a hostel in California..)
You will definately be doing some laundry by hand so bringing something to hang it on is a good idea. Just make sure you give it enough time to dry as packing damp things makes them all gross.
I brought hiking shoes and Nike sandals and was fine. You will wear the sandals the most though, as your feet get hot quickly in the warmer weather.
Kim
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Post by nitsansh on Apr 28, 2003 18:30:11 GMT -5
It's also important to choose clothes that dry quickly and don't wrinkle. You better plan your laundry day for a place that you stay more than one night, so the clothes have time to dry...
I must admit that it's many years since I did laundry on the road... my last 2 trips were only one week so I didn't need to do laundry... for the forthcoming trip of 17 days I guess I'll have to wash clothes once or twice...
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Post by LHR02 on May 6, 2003 15:09:33 GMT -5
Agree with all....forget the sleeping bag! Do bring a flat rubber stopper (the big round one that lays flat) for laundry day. Honestly I used dish soap for laundry in the sink.....powder doesn't disolve well in that environment. While I did wash undies and socks when needed, every 2 or 3 weeks took myself off to the laundromat for the bigger stuff. Heavier stuff takes too long to dry, and I was traveling in the winter when the heat was on. For shoes....yep, sandals and hiking boots will be great! But, aren't you going in summer time frame? If so, maybe sneakers instead of boots??? I met and had the best chats with the locals everywhere in the laundry! And machines are basically the same no matter where you are. |
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Post by NFLqueen on May 6, 2003 15:20:53 GMT -5
One of my good friends said that even if I can't use the sleeping bag at hosetls that I would appreciate it on all the train rides..........
Not sure if I should just stuff a sleep sheet inside my sleeping bag and bring them both....... I do think I'll have the room but if I really won't need it then.......
Is it worth it if I plan to take a lot of night trains?
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Post by Kim on May 6, 2003 18:15:43 GMT -5
No, don't take the sleeping bag. We sent ours home pretty quick. Take a sleeping sheet for sure, but not the sleeping bag. If you want to go half way, make your sleeping sheet out of a flannel sheet.
It may be nice to have but the extra weight and bulk is not worth it!
Kim
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Post by WillTravel on May 6, 2003 19:08:04 GMT -5
How do you manage to only do laundry every 2-3 weeks? I'm planning on doing laundry at least every 5-6 days on my upcoming trip that my son and I are taking - but then I will be staying in hostels which aren't conducive to hanging up wet stuff and also moving frequently from place to place.
One big problem is towels - a lot of hostels in Scandinavia charge a fee for the use of one, if available at all, and I suspect the towels aren't as big and cushy as you might like for a shower. And they take up a lot of space, so we can't bring that many each. I think we've decided not to bring sheets, but if we did, that would be one more laundry item to do every 5-6 days.
I also like to do laundry the last day before leaving, as the thought of customs officials poking around in dirty laundry makes me feel ... gross.
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Post by LHR02 on May 6, 2003 19:43:29 GMT -5
well....... I took 9 or 10 pairs undies, 4 bras, 4 pairs socks......3 pairs corderoy jeans, 4 tees, 3 sweaters. A big plus was I was traveling in the winter....saved loads on not having sweaty clothes. Undies, socks, bras I washed every few days as needed.....pants and tees I could wear several times before needing a wash. As long as the items 'next' to me were clean I could live with it. Took a 'travel' towel with me, used it rarely. Took a sleep sheet, never used it. Of course, I am not a hostel gal so budget hotels all had sheets and towels and no need to use my own. Oops...forgot to list silk longjohns...which I wore all the time, as easy to wash as undies, dried quicker, and served to keep my 'outer' things cleaner/longer. At 'home' I'd be loathe to wear the same tee three or four times......on the road, as long as I've not spilled gunk all over it, it's fine. You learn to adapt and accept. |
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Post by WillTravel on May 6, 2003 20:15:13 GMT -5
Thanks for the rundown. I see one major problem - I tend to spill stuff on myself a lot. Other than that, it sounds like a great plan. The towels thing is an inconvenience in my case, for sure. As an aside, I remember seeing in Victoria Station in London that they had some sort of pay shower, where you could pay for soap and a towel - I think the price was 3 pounds plus deposit. I guess that's for people who were living in places with no real access to bathing facilities. |
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Post by LHR02 on May 6, 2003 20:22:58 GMT -5
I'm rather a slob myself....but chose my clothes with that in mind....shirts/sweaters were all maroon or black so better able to conceal stains and everything I took could be worn with anything else. Cords were khaki or khaki 'green' so it was easy to just throw something on and know at least color wise it worked. ;D Not sure this combo will work in summer time frame, but for winter travel it was a blessing indeed. Actually, you'll be amazed how many wearings you can get out of 'outer' wear before needing to search out the laundry. Keep the inner stuff clean and you are good to go! ;D
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Post by nitsansh on May 19, 2003 10:09:55 GMT -5
Just got back from my trip... (well, yesterday morning to be precise...)
Unlike ging, this was hot season... socks and T-shirts became smelly even after one day, but I usually went on with them for 2-3 days... otherwise I would have done laundry every other day...
I did laundry twice... first time at the hotel I stayed at Rovinj (Croatia) after about a week. It was only underwear, tees and socks... gave it to the cleaning lady and got it back the next day... it cost 18 Kuna (~3US$)...
second time at the hostel at Bled... a machine load cost 1000 Tolars (~5$), so I gathered everything that needed washing, including pants and shirt... gave it in the evening, got it back before breakfast the next day...
I took a sheet-sleeping bag and a travel towel, but never used them... I got sheets in all places I stayed, and all but one also gave me towel... for the other place, I found my regular, bigger towel more useful... it had dried in 3 hours...
I had both shoes and sandals, and the former were more useful...
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Post by me on Jun 2, 2003 22:51:42 GMT -5
Western Europe would be much pricier. other travelers need to keep that in mind. I did laundry twice... first time at the hotel I stayed at Rovinj (Croatia) after about a week. It was only underwear, tees and socks... gave it to the cleaning lady and got it back the next day... it cost 18 Kuna (~3US$)... second time at the hostel at Bled... a machine load cost 1000 Tolars (~5$), so I gathered everything that needed washing, including pants and shirt... gave it in the evening, got it back before breakfast the next day.... |
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Post by Kim on Jun 2, 2003 22:53:36 GMT -5
Good point, David. We found doing laundry in Western Europe to be pretty pricy!
Kim
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Post by WillTravel on Jun 3, 2003 4:02:06 GMT -5
I think I figured out doing my laundry in the hostel basement in London worked out to a cost of about 4 pounds per load, considering pro-rated soap cost, washer, and dryer.
The hostel didn't have the soap packets handy, so I went to Safeway next door and got a box of detergent, which I used for 2 loads. I then left the box of soap behind in the hostel. So it may actually have ended up costing me a bit more than 4 pounds per load.
But really - it's worth it! With all our other travel expenses, laundry is the last place to cut back.
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