Packing Like A Pro

Very efficient folding for a month's worth of travel.

The Tao Of Travel

THIS is a good and practical read for the wanderer in all of us.

Steripen UV Water Purifier

EDIT: Bwiset! Some FUBAR in the "CATEGORIES" got this entry re-posted again. Oh well . . .

Ang tubig ay buhay. 

This is one functionally cool and handy gadget for that most essential element of life. It only takes a very short while to get dehydrated and after three days without any of it, you die! 

I can think of innumerable ways this could prove useful and convenient, such as for tourists bound for locations where the facilities or amenities might range from sub-standard to non-existent or soldiers out in the field or even those whose jobs assign them to remote areas. Let's also not forget that in this disaster-prone country of ours, you may not always have the time or resources to boil your water immediately and chemical purification tablets often have an unpleasant aftertaste. The neat thing is that it uses UV (ultraviolet) light to kill those nasty microbes.

As it says though on the final part, it does not filter out "floaters" or the bigger stuff in the water. You have to first decant (pouring the water slowly so that the sediments settle down the container and get left behind) and then filter it by improvising any cloth material at hand. 

It comes in different models. I spotted one on ebay.ph!

More UN-Designated Travel Hot Spots

Nice? Click on the link after the description.

(Photo from Xinhua/Xinhua Press/Corbis)

These places are some of the lesser-known travel "go to's" that have earned this year's designation as World Heritage Sites.

Now if I can only win the lotto. . .

http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-srv/gallery/1010_NaturalWonders/index.html?JumpToPic=0

Ancient Man's Food

Being the amateur anthropologist as well as an avowed "foodie", I was thrilled to stumble upon this set of videos from that revered English wilderness and survival guru Ray Mears thru his TV shows and documentaries via the BBC. The man's practical knowledge with native or indigenous living skills (bushcraft) now tackles what early man in Britain would have taken as food and nourishment. It's a six-parter and an hour well spent watching! The audio quality is a bit bad though on top of trying to decipher the bloody thick British accent by the academics'!

The Beauty of the Philippines

Puerto Princesa Subterranean River

There has been for sometime an ongoing campaign for the "New Seven Wonders of the Nature" and an online voting scheme has been set-up to support nominations. The link below -

http://www.new7wonders.com/classic/en/index/

I was never much of a competitor and to me, the world God and Nature gave ALL of us is filled with so much awe and beauty, there really shouldn't be any "popularity contest" as to which country or people has the best or most of it.

Originally, our lupang hinirang had four entries. Now it seems that the lone contender still in the running is the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park located in Palawan pictured above. The other previous nominees also derserve a mention since they are indescribeably unique and beautiful, contest or no contest.

The Tubbataha Reef located in the Sulu Sea of the Philippines. It's the country's only marine natural park and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site

The Chocolate Hills in Bohol. So named because the more than a thousand cone-shaped green hills turn brown during the dry season.

And last but not least, the Mayon Volcano in Albay. Known to have "the most perfect cone shape".

To all foreigners and fellow Pinoy expats abroad, there's alot more to see and experience, including fun, food, and colorful festivals! Come visit us here in the Philippines!

Building Your Own IFAK

Build your personal, compact version!

This should be a fun project!

So why build your own? For the simple reason that we don't know when life may surprise us with aches, bruises, burns and wounds. Aren't there available or pre-assembled ones out in the market already? Ika nga: "At bakit naman hindi?" This ensures that you could customize it to your own needs, such as if you have certain allergies or a specific medical condition. Depending on one's background and training as well it could be as complete or complex as one could make it. Making multiple kits is good too, like one for your vehicle or for your travel/sports bag.

For our purposes now though, let's make it a basic kit for all. It doesn't need to cost much. Here's an example of a list of items to put in -

- 1 pair medical/bandage scissors (periodically sterilized or autoclaved)
- 1 - 2 pairs disposable medical gloves (Note: Latex is the usual material it's made out of but some people have an allergic reaction to this. They also tear easily. The ones made from Nitrile are preferred)
- 1 small roll medical/surgical tape, 3M or Leukoplast
- several Band-Aid strips of different sizes and shapes
- gauze, either in several pre-cut 4" x 4" pads OR 1 roll
- 1 small pack cotton balls
- 1 small bottle 70% isoprohpyl alcohol, Green Cross
- 1 micro bottle povidone - iodine solution, Betadine
- 1 small tube ketoconazole antifungal cream, Nizoral
- 2 pcs. paracetamol, Biogesic for fever
- 2 pcs. meclizine, Bonamine for nausea or motion sickness
- 2 pcs. ibuprofen + paracetamol, Alaxan for aches and pains
- 4 pcs. loperamide, Immodium for LBM
- 2 pcs. antacid, Kremil-S for hyperacidity

All are contained in a small, zippered, brightly-colored bag to make it readily noticeable. Properly labeling it as such helps too. Something similar below -




Personally though, I prefer a solid container with a locking lid as this prevents the items from getting crushed or squashed. Ideally, let's consider a few more things: the container should be fairly compact to make it EDC-able. It shouldn't feel like a chore to have to bring it regularly and able to fit into your bag, day pack, briefcase or luggage. It should be fairly rugged in composition and in design to handle the daily dings and bangs (for outdoors and travelers though, this is a requirement). It should be watertight as possible so that the items inside won't be ruined by water or moisture. Lastly, it's preferred that it be transparent so you could see the contents inside readily.

So where can you get said container? The next time you drop by Mr. Henry Sy's well-known stores, swing by the housewares section, where they keep the plastic products and containers. Look for the Lock N' Lock products. They're the latest generation store-all products, sort of like the grandkids of the Tupperware's from the 1980's. They also come come in different shapes and sizes.

Remember though: do periodic checks or once in while have a look at your IFAK to see what needs to be re-stocked or if certain medicines have reached their expiration dates. Packaging might degrade, shrink or leak so watch-out for these. The seal of the container might be damaged in the long run too so inspect it as well.

Having fun making your own!