Inventory

I have been perusing a lot of traveller's blogs and home-made travel websites, and it seems the travelling community likes nothing more than to tell people what to take with them on their journeys. What to take ranks as one of the most popular subjects for didactic, patronising people to spout their "wisdom," advising people on the most inane matters, like whether taking shoes to Thailand is a good idea. But, it seems that people do actually need help. One poor sod, writing on Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree forum, asked whether taking a backpack to Peru was a good idea, and as his backpack was orange, would it attract thieves? WTF!? Backpacks, I informed him, are a waste of time compared to a stick and a bundle like old tramps used to have, and yes, thieves, like magpies, are drawn to shiny objects.

So, with people clearly in dire need, I thought I would share my thoughts with that most tricky of matters: the inventory.

Reams of advice on the net and in books range from the obvious to the absurd - one bloke somewhere on our planet is so obsessed with having a lighter rucksack than everyone else he actually tears pages out of books as he reads. The obscenity! If I ever see anyone doing that I will mumble under my breath at them so much they will rue the day.

My own big weakness when travelling is the amount of books I carry. I always have at least five, and even the thin ones are heavy blighters, filled as they are with words and such. But, I'd rather have something to read (and swap with other travellers) than be able to boast about how many kilograms I shaved off my total weight.

I have packed for my trip in September, and most of what I have suits the kind of stuff I'll be doing. I wouldn't expect anyone else to have the same inventory as me, because nobody else will be doing exactly what I will be doing. I am a big camper, so obviously I have my tent, stove and sleeping bag. I know the climate of the areas I will be visiting, so I have corresponding clothing. It's common sense.

A lot of horror stories about robberies and even gruesome murders are circulating the web alongside these ridiculous assertions about what to take. South America still suffers from a misconception about crime. Mention Colombia to someone and their eyes will widen with fear. This leads to people not wanting to take expensive or sentimental items away with them, and being scared of straying too far from tourist areas. So, backpackers are shepherded around countries, and they are not as independent and free as they like to think. Obviously bad things happen to good people, I'm not that naive, but the stories of kindness and courage, heroism and compassion that occur so much more often on the road seem to be overshadowed by the tales of disaster and misfortune. We honour virtue but do not talk about it. This is a shame. I know many people who judge a country based on the actions of one individual who robbed or conned them. I was robbed 4 times in 5 months when I was last in Peru, and people tried to rob me many more times. But, Peru is still one of the most beautiful, wondrously enchanting places I have ever been. I love the country, I love the people, and I can't wait to return. An open mind is what is needed.

Travelling is not difficult. This is a truth that a lot of traveller's don't want to accept. Waiting around for a bus that never arrives, or walking around a city looking for a hostel in the dead of night is frustrating, and can be wearisome, but it is not hard. Trekking is hard, travelling is easy. People try to make out that backpacking is such a testing endeavour, and spouting nonsense about the fabricated difficulties of packing is a symptom of this. You just need patience to be able to travel.

Surely the best advice is take what you want, what you will need, and how much you can carry? People sneer at others who bring luxury items on their travels, but if you can't live without straight hair, put your straighteners in your backpack! Who cares what anyone else thinks. If you can't survive in the wilderness without a laptop, bring it along. There are no rules, yet travellers insist on trying to invent them.

So, to conclude, the most important things you need to take with you when travelling are: common sense, an open mind and patience.