Travel Essentials
Originally uploaded by JonoGurney

When I came to Murdoch there were a few essential items that I brought with me that I am now gathering together in preparation for my holiday.

Notebooks

I usually travel by myself so in a bid to keep myself sane I tend to write an awful lot. This free-form writing can take many forms and I don’t show people the result out of shame for how bad it is. This year I’ve bought two notebooks and they will serve two unique purposes. The black notebook will be used to record my vacation in the event I contract amnesia, the red notebook will be used for my free-form writing and I don’t plan on showing it to anyone.

Passport

Everyone always says “Jono don’t forget your passport” but honestly how much do I really need a passport? I’m sure if I asked nicely customs and immigration would have no problem letting me into another country. I think I will take it anyway but that’s just because I think it’s a nice travel accessory.

Earphones & Headphones

I actually do need 3 pairs, extravagant though that sounds. The earphones are obviously for travel as they are convenient and I take two pairs in case the first pair has an accident. The headphones are a little sentimental to me as they’ve accompanied me on my major journeys and I find it really relaxing to listen to music on them while I write. They are Stagg headphones according to what’s written on the side of them.

iPod Touch

I came to Australia with a 30 GB iPod which I’d bought in the UK the year before. It was a faithful companion on most of my trips and it kept me entertained in a variety of situations, which is why I was sad when it eventually gave up the ghost a few months ago. The iPod that has replaced it has quickly found a place in my heart because of its least touted but most important feature, the ability to read books on it. If I didn’t have that ability the photo above would have a veritable library of books I would be taking with me to read on the trip.

iPod Cable

This is essential so that I can charge the iPod. Duh.

Batteries

The stack of batteries is for my camera (not pictured for obvious reasons) so that I won’t run out of juice at a vital moment. I’m hardly a photographer but I know the frustration of missing an important moment because my batteries died.

Spare SD Card

This is a small, 32mb, card for my camera. I generally use a 2GB in the camera which can hold about 400 photos or 20 minutes of film at highest resolution. I like to keep a spare around in case I run out of room when photographing something important but to tell the truth 32mb is not nearly enough and I will probably be buying a card with more space sometime this week

Mobile Phone

I think the most crucial piece of equipment is the one that allows me to stay in communication with people who can come and rescue me if needs be. Sim cards are pretty cheap the world over so I don’t foresee many problems with picking getting one for the duration of my trip.

Pens

These are as important to me as the iPod. The parker pen I have had since I arrived in Australia as I bought two to take notes and stupidly left one in the Lecture room. Since then I have kept its brother safe. The second pen was actually a gift to me on my twenty first Birthday a few weeks ago from my Uncle and Aunt who live in Australia. I usually remain pretty loyal to the parker pen but this new pen has earned its place in the photo.

So that is pretty much what I will be taking with me to the UK and Zimbabwe. I’ll probably take some clothes and stuff as well but really these are the only important items.