Gap Year Advice

Equipment

Taking the right equipment on your gap year is crucial to your overall success and to not breaking your back lugging around a rucksack that weighs more than a professional darts player.

Passport, credit card, emergency numbers, money, plane tickets, all in a money belt

The first thing to consider - is your passport valid? Try and organise this several months before leaving. If you have 6 months or less left until your passport expires, some countries may not let you in, so get a new one. Other important things to have are a credit card of some sort (not entirely essential, but useful) or travellers cheques, a list of emergency phone numbers, some cash and your place tickets. Photocopy them all twice, leaving one copy at home and take one copy with you. Keep the items in your money belt (thin, flat pouches with a zip that you wear around your waist, concealed under your clothing), and the photocopies in your rucksack.

Visa

Will you need a Visa to visit the country of your choice? It’s worth checking. A Visa is usually a big stamp or sticker in your passport saying that the embassy of the country you’re visiting has said it’s ok for you to go there. You won’t get let in without, so it’s essential you get one, if you need it. Your gap company might provide you with one, or, if not, will certainly help you fill out the forms to get one, just make sure you ask, and don’t leave it too late – a month before you go is really the latest date to send off your passport, and earlier is better. Some embassies are notorious for long waiting times and lots of red tape!

Rucksack

Next, you’ll need something to pack all your gear into – a rucksack is the usually preferred method, as people have now generally stopped carrying around suitcases, smoking pipes and muttering about gin when abroad. The key to rucksack buying, is, oddly enough, to think small. It’s all psychology – the smaller your rucksack, the less likely you are to fill it full of things you won’t need (i.e. several pairs of corduroy flares in autumn colours, for example, or a handy encyclopaedia). Before you buy your rucksack, put all the things you want to take out on the floor of your room and have a good look at them, then you’ll have a better idea of what you can fit in. Tip – rolled clothes pack the smallest, and the old advice of halving what you want to take really works. Also useful to think about is a day sack – if you haven’t got a small bag already, often rucksacks come with matching light packs that can be zipped onto a rucksack when in transit.

Clothes

Most people find they often buy clothes and especially jewellery in their destination. However, this really depends on where you’re travelling to – if it’s the middle of the African bush, I doubt there’ll be a nearby city in which to shop. Speak to your gap year company, who can advise you on the best clothes to pack, but as a general rule, go for one set of warmer clothes (i.e. one warm jumper, one pair of jeans, one pair of shoes/boots) and keep everything else light – t-shirts (both long and short sleeved), vest tops, shorts, skirts and flipflops are all essentials.

Don’t take anything dear to your heart – the perfect vintage shirt you bought from Quiggins is not likely to survive the tropics intact – but it’s worth throwing in something smart for a night out. Remember to pack, too, for more specific expeditions, such as hiking, and throw in a swim suit and sarong for beaches. Crucial to this process is knowledge of the place you’re going. Often cultural dos and don’ts are strongest around what you can and can’t wear – heed the advice from your gap company and dress modestly – it’s not only respectful, it’s downright sensible – while certain forms of dress might seem extreme, covering up your shoulders, for example, makes a lot of sense in a hot country as they’re very likely to be badly burned otherwise.

Women-specific kit

Women might want to bring enough sanitary protection to cover the time of their trip, or think about investing in a menstrual cup, which can be worn over and over again. You’re unlikely to be able to obtain your preferred brand of sanitary protection abroad, and often even finding tampons is unlikely, so pack ahead.

Sexual health

Throw a few condoms in your rucksack. If you don’t use them, fine, you can bring them back, but it’s better to be safe and protected than frustrated! Also, remember any contraception you’ll need to use – get enough packets of pills, for example, for your whole trip.

Entertainment

Long hours on planes, buses, trains and cars need to be filled. One of the best ways to do that is by bringing a music player. Your expensive mp3 player is probably best left at home, however – opting for something smaller and less noticeable will not only save space and weight, but will also be less attractive to potential thieves. A small music player can still pack on a lot of choice, and battery powered ones can be even better – meaning that as long as you’ve got back up batteries you’ll never run out of listening fun. Put all sorts onto your music player; books on tape, comedy shows and your favourite tunes. A small set of speakers can sometimes be great too, allowing you to share music with new friends.

The other must have travelling accessory is a good book. On the road, most hostels have book stalls and swaps – at a stall you buy books (and sometimes you can sell your own), but at a swap you simply swap the book you’ve just finished with another one on the shelf, guaranteeing a constantly changing supply. Often travellers are very well read, so you’re likely to pick up some real gems. Go to your local charity shop or second hand bookshop before you come out, or pick up a few books cheaply online, but be willing to swap them!

Finally, consider bringing along a notebook or travel journal and pens/pencils to record thoughts and activities.

First Aid Kit

This is something you will never regret making room for, and which you’re almost certain to use. What to put in it, though? Here are some ideas.

• Get a small, brightly coloured bag, which will be easy to find
• Plasters (a long strip which you can cut to size is a good idea)
• Calamine lotion (for sunburn and other burns)
• Painkillers (whichever you prefer: ibuprofen, aspirin or paracetamol)
• Sting relief stick, cream or spray (for stings, itches and also rashes)
• Blocker and unblocker tablets (for the inevitable stomach upsets)
• Antiseptic cream or spray (for any cuts or scratches)
• Antihistamines (great for hay fever and also for motion sickness)
• Antacids or indigestion medicine
• Scissors
• Tweezers
• Thermometer
• A few bandages
• Non-adhesive gauze pads
• Safety Pins
• Antiseptic wipes
• Surgical tape

Possible extra items:

• Antibiotics – only for use when absolutely necessary – ask your doctor for a ‘broad spectrum’ antibiotic, and how to use it
• Sterilised Needle Kit – in case you have to be injected with something and are uncomfortable about the sterility of the equipment

Specialist kit… and everything else!

• Think about activities you might want to take part in, such as hiking or climbing – find out if you’ll be able to hire kit, or whether you need to bring your own.
• Also useful, depending on where you’re staying, is a universal sink plug, nail brush and concentrated washing gel. These make up your washing kit for clothes – use the nail brush to get out really ingrained dirt/curry stains.
• A padlock and chain can be handy for securing your rucksack when you’re in transit, and a door guard or personal alarm can also be useful for security.
• A mobile phone – useful for texts home (but beware of the cost!), for emergenies and for the alarm clock and calculator.
• Night items: Mosquito net and insect repellent – depends on the country you’re travelling in – check with your gap company. A sleeping bag liner protects you from bed bugs and a torch is very handy for dark streets and power cuts and earplugs are also great for noisy city nights!
• Microfibre travel towel – light, small and ridiculously absorbent.
• International plug adaptor… obviously!
• Eyewear – make sure your glasses, if you wear them, have a hard case to travel in, and bring extra contact lenses and kit with you. Sunglasses and swimming goggles are must haves, too.
• Guidebook – there are hundreds on the market – go to your local bookshop, or have a browse on the web.
• Camera – don’t bring an expensive one unless you’re a professional photographer! Small and light is best. Bring the USB cable if you have a digital, as many internet cafés can now put your photos on a CD, or you can plug directly into the computer and upload your photos to email to friends. See the Communications page for more info on this.

Gifts

Taking a small gift for the family you’re staying with is a really nice gesture. Find out from your gap company whether or not the family has children, and buy accordingly. Sweets usually go down well with everyone, but read up on your destination country for more ideas. Also useful and popular are maps (and stickers and pens, so you can mark where you’re from) decks of cards, photographs and picture charts with British themes.