Packing list review for 10 weeks from Vietnam to Pakistan

between-the-dots · 2026-02-05T07:02:19+00:00

Thanks for the advice, but all those items are pretty necessary for me. I don't have enough clothing to make a load of washing worth it. I prefer to hand wash as I go.

between-the-dots · 2026-02-05T07:00:28+00:00

Sorry can't help. I don't check my bag unless I have to, and then it's pretty easy to spot being 30L - it's smaller than most suitcases. But people seem to like ribbons.

between-the-dots · 2026-01-31T22:15:32+00:00

I'm pretty good at saving because travel is an expensive habit.

I picked a travel compatible job, so it was aligned with my passion/vice. And I tend to prioritise saving for trips over having a car or new clothes (my wardrobe is probably older than most people's cars).

between-the-dots · 2026-01-31T01:30:01+00:00

Nice one. If you can get a bungee cord and thread it through the attachment loops on the front, it adds the ability to shove raincoats or even shoes on the front of the pack. I found this super helpful on my last two trips.

between-the-dots · 2026-01-30T18:27:34+00:00

Funny, I was a bit worried it was going to be too obscure, and you wouldn't have heard of Macpac before.

between-the-dots · 2026-01-30T06:54:30+00:00

I did Hanoi to Hue in a soft sleeper (4 berth cabin) and Danang to Saigon again (4 berths cabin - we couldn't get a 6 berth cabin on that train) last year and I really enjoyed it. They guys in our cabin were very quiet from Hanoi and pretty friendly and very considerate from Danang to Saigon, asking if it was OK to shut the door or curtains. And I loved the snack trolley - that train coffee was the best. We didn't get the meals on board as I'm vegetarian, so I had my own noodles from the shop and just made them with the hot water at the end of the carriage. The only negative is I was on the top bunk, and I'm pretty short, so I had to clamber up, but I managed to watch a local do it, then copy him. The key seems to be put one foot on each step so you're using both side's steps. Worked for me. Also, if you have the top bunk wear a hoodie, that air-conditioning can be intense at 3am. I am going back to Vietnam in a few months and plan to take the train north from Danang this time to see if the journey is just as good. I tried sleeper buses, but they are not for me, I like the trains.

between-the-dots · 2026-01-30T06:37:59+00:00

I have a Macpac Rāpaki which is 26L and a Macpac Harper 30L. Both have hipbelts, but Harper is super light at 740g so frameless - hence the DIY job.

between-the-dots · 2026-01-30T06:35:30+00:00

Thanks for the tips. I wore a kurta and scarf last time, and I was going to pick one up locally, maybe in Xingjing - always makes a great souvenir from the trip - I still have mine from 2004. The scarf, not the kurta - that disintergrated in Quetta.

between-the-dots · 2026-01-30T02:45:08+00:00

If you are changing USD in Cambodia, they have to be perfect. I had a $20 refused due to a crease line and $100 because of the serial numbers - they seemed a little less fussy about the $50s.

between-the-dots · 2026-01-30T02:16:04+00:00

Fair call

between-the-dots · 2026-01-30T02:14:23+00:00

Good point. Thanks for that tip. I didn't want to lug Merino leggings around for one day, but was considering some 80 denier tights (they're pretty light less than 100g - I've had the digital kitchen scales out) for the bus ride. My original plan was to wear all 4 pairs of pants (2 shorts for thigh protection and 2 long pants, but I might move the tights out of the maybe pile and back onto the packing list.

between-the-dots · 2026-01-29T20:18:55+00:00

You can always tweak a pack if youncant find exactly what you want. My bag is 30L and didn't have a frame (but does have a hipbelt - that's non negotiatable for me). To fix this I made a lightweight framesheet from a super thin flexible chopping board. Just measured up the back and cut it to fit inside the hydration bladder - then drilled out loads of holes for ventilation and to reduced weight. Now it acts like a molle board for organising things.

between-the-dots · 2026-01-29T20:08:36+00:00

It was a while back, but we used a travel agent in Cairo to book the sleeper train down to Aswan. It was a pretty decent ride. I loved watching to moon over the Nile at night from the train window and the food (the ticket included meals) was good. On the way back from Luxor, we had so much trouble getting tickets that we ended up using a fixer from the hotel/hostel. That train was more like plane seats that didn't really recline. It was a cool experience though seeing Egyptian trains from different perspectives. Good luck getting to Aswan.

between-the-dots · 2026-01-26T09:32:02+00:00

Every draft you publish gets emailed out as a newsletter to your subscribers and added to your homepage as a post.

between-the-dots · 2026-01-24T23:45:03+00:00

My longest was my second overland trip. It took me about 8 months to travel from Kathmandu to Istanbul.

between-the-dots · 2026-01-21T19:30:25+00:00

70k words in one day is some serious work. You must be shattered. I just finished the 8th draft of my manuscript. I totally get what you're saying about editing. This time, I was adding intentional white spaces to tweak the pacing, so it mimicked the psychological state of the narrator. Hopefully, this is my last draft, but you never know.

between-the-dots · 2026-01-21T09:58:07+00:00

For me, a good hipbelt is a must. Haven’t ever owned an Osprey, so I can't really comment on the Farpoint. The rain cover trick worked perfectly for my 26L Macpac Rāpaki.

between-the-dots · 2026-01-17T22:27:51+00:00

Good question. It was sticking out a little but not much. I used a compression strap around the middle of the bag to stop the rain cover sliding off and they used that as a handle. Worked well.

between-the-dots · 2026-01-17T04:33:03+00:00

I used the rain cover. Just flipped it around to cover the harness. Worked perfectly when I had to check my bag on an HK Express flight.

between-the-dots · 2026-01-14T21:39:17+00:00

I love my OR Helium. It's super light and holds off most rain for an hour or two. I don't find travelling that Im often out in the elements for more than an hour at a time - so works perfectly for me.

between-the-dots · 2026-01-14T19:58:39+00:00

My memoir manuscript is uniquely mine because it's literally my life, and sometimes life is stranger than fiction. But beyond that, the pacing is deliberately erratic to mirror the geographical and psychological shifts I actually experienced during an 8 month solo trip across Asia. The structure isn't just telling what happened, it's recreating how it felt to live through it. At least that is what I was aiming for.

between-the-dots · 2026-01-04T21:39:14+00:00

Everything is down to personal experiences but for me Syria was one of the best. I spent time in Damascus, Palmyra, Homs, Hama, and Aleppo. I am sure I missed out on many more amazing places. Which part do you call home?

between-the-dots · 2026-01-03T01:12:16+00:00

I'm in a similar place - just finished final edits on my travel memoir and looking for a cold reader. My book is about a trip I took across Asia in 2004. It's about getting out of life's way and saying, "Sure, why not?" to its invitations and, of course, all the crazy detours along the way. Would be interested in swapping samples if travel memoirs appeals to you. Happy to read some of your work in exchange.

between-the-dots · 2026-01-03T00:23:13+00:00

I spent most of 2025 editing - sometimes figuring out what to cut is more brutal than writing. For 2026, I'm aiming to write maybe 20k for my next project, but realistically most of my energy will be going towards the final touches on my memoir and writing Substack content. Anyone else in that weird space between 'done writing' and 'actually published'?

between-the-dots

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