The varied climates and situations we experience require you to have all items on the first day of your trip. Forgotten items will be purchased with your pocket money. Do not pack more than is on the list. Remember to leave space for items you buy in Australia!
____Duffel: You are allowed one duffel. While engaged in one activity, excess clothing is left in your duffel locked in the van. We suggest a tough, flexible soft-sided bag approximately 34’ x 16” x 16” or smaller.
____Daypack: Bring one large “school type” daypack, to be used during the day to carry personal items like water, rain jacket camera, etc.
____Sleep Sheet: When traveling, sleep comfy, cool and cozy. Lightweight (6 oz, 7’9’” long w/pillow pocket) & drawstring bag. Use as a liner to sleep in your hotel or hostel bed. http://www.rei.com/product/690012/cocoon-coolmax-travel-sheet
____SCUBA/Snorkel Gear: Mask, fins and wet suits are provided. Many students bring their own. Personal snorkel gear, when not on the boat, is useful but not required
TRAVEL GEAR
____VISA (REQUIRED for Australia)
____Passport
____2 sets of photocopies of your passport and flight tickets; one to hand to your Trip Leader upon arrival and one to keep with you
____“Therm-A-Rest” or foam ground pad for sleeping
____2 backpacking type water bottles, and/ or a 1 liter minimum Camel Back type hydration system
***Students who are PADI certified will need to bring their PADI CERT card for advance dive course.
CLOTHING
(synthetics instead of cotton is recommended for all clothing). You need a one week supply of clothing. If you bring too much it gets in the way. Bring lightweight clothes that wash and dry easily. We will wash laundry at least once on the trip. Do not bring any jewelry or expensive, showy things.
Inner layer
____One week supply of underwear
____1 set thermal underwear top and bottom; polypropylene or similar synthetic fabric is required
____Pajamas: boxers or sweatpants and a t-shirt
Middle layer
____3 pairs of lightweight shorts
____1 polar fleece jacket; the fuzzy synthetic stuff
____5 short sleeve shirts
____3 long sleeve shirt
____2 pairs of jeans/pants
____2 swimsuits
____2 sweatshirts
Outer layers
____Medium weight rain proof jacket; breathable (Gortex or similar) type is best
____Lightweight rainproof pants (optional)
HEAD AND HANDS
____Baseball style cap
____Fleece or wool hat
____Gloves
FOOTWEAR
____5 pairs of lightweight, athletic socks
____2 pairs of hiking socks; a wool, synthetic blend is preferred.
____Water sandals which secure around your ankles (Tevas, Chacos, Nike)
____Sneakers/running shoes
TOILETRIES
____SPF 30+ sunscreen, chapstick with SPF
____Personal toiletries, medications, prescriptions, bandanna, etc.
____Mole skin or end skin for blisters. Buy at pharmacy
____Two medium towels
____Laundry bag and small camping pillow
____Insect repellent
MISCELLANEOUS
____Headlamp or lightweight flashlight
____Camera (Phone and camera must be separate devices!), batteries/ charger, plug adapter for charger
____Stationary, stamps and journal
____Cheap watch
____If you wear glasses or contact lenses, bring a spare pair of glasses, including a protective case. Wearing contacts is okay!
____Sunglasses with secure strap (Chums or Croakies)
____Suggestion: small, colored nylon “stuff sacks” for organization.
Important Information Regarding Your Trip---PLEASE READ THIS!
Weather: Be prepared for varied conditions. Temperatures will vary between 40°F - 80°F. It is winter while we are down under but weather is equal to Southern California/Mexico in the winter, less sunlight (shorter days) and cooler weather.
Passport: A passport and visa are required when going through customs in the US and Australia, to check in flights and to cash travelers checks. During the trip your Trip Leaders will hold your passport for safekeeping. A Travel Permission Slip is MANDATORY (available online 3 weeks before your trip).
Visa: A VISA IS REQUIRED TO VISIT AUSTRALIA. Your travel agent or airline will automatically issue you a visa when you book your flights. Make sure this is taken care of LONG BEFORE you go to the airport.
Time: Australia’s time is 18 hours ahead of Los Angeles, California which is in the Pacific Standard Time Zone.
Spending Money: EVERYTHING IS INCLUDED. Spending money is needed only for personal expenses and gifts. We suggest bringing a maximum of $75 per week. If you run out of money, you have spent too much. It’s a good idea to bring cash and a debit or credit card. Bold Earth will not advance money. Exchanging money in Australia is easy.
Health Notice: Giardia, a water borne illness is common. We treat all natural water sources but it still sometimes gets through. If after the summer you have diarrhea, contact your doctor. Giardia is easy to treat. As with any illness, especially involving travel, contact your doctor if need be.
Laundry: You wash your own clothes once a week along the way. We provide the suds, coins and know-how. Many participants have identical jeans, socks, hiking boots, etc. A good practice is to put your name on items which are not unique to you.
Trip Journal: Bring along a notebook to record the challenges, prides and successes of your adventure.
Reading List: The people, places and activities you will encounter on your trip are diverse and incredible. These are a few books offering background information. We suggest you consider reading these books before, during or after your adventure. Also, you might like to read Outside Magazine, Backpacker Magazine or Trilogy Magazine, available everywhere. For more adventurous reading, check out Extreme Classics: The 100 Greatest Adventure Books of All Time.
Tracks, by Robyn Davidson. Robyn Davidson walks 1,700 miles across the Australian desert accompanied by four camels. She captured wild camels, trained them and then crossed the wester Australian desert with them. Tracks is a quintessential adventure, yet the adventurer's relationship to her own quest is ambivalent and nuanced. Her ultimate confrontations are with her own rage and desperation, with the personal and cultural repercussions of racism and misogyny in her own experience, and with the paradoxical ugliness and beauty of the rural Australia she encounters.
Cooper’s Creek, by Alan Moorhead. The first fully documented story of the strange drama - familiar to every Australian child - that took place in the remote interior of Australia 150 years ago. More than any other incident in Australia's history the story of Burke, the dashing but inexperienced expedition leader and Wills, his heroic second-in-command, evokes the memory of the early settlers and the seemingly insurmountable odds they sought to overcome. From the days the expedition set off from the rich, gold-rush town of Melbourne through the triumphant crossing of the continent to the heartbreaking return to base camp at Cooper's Creek, this is an epic adventure in the grand manner told by a master.
In a Sunburned Country, Bill Bryson. Despite the fact that Australia harbors more things that can kill you in extremely nasty ways than anywhere else, including sharks, crocodiles, snakes, even riptides and deserts, Bill Bryson adores the place, and he takes his readers on a rollicking ride far beyond that beaten tourist path. Wherever he goes he finds Australians who are cheerful, extroverted, and unfailingly obliging, and these beaming products of land with clean, safe cities, cold beer, and constant sunshine fill the pages of this wonderful book. Australia is an immense and fortunate land, and it has found in Bill Bryson its perfect guide.
LEARNING • SERVICE • LEADERSHIP
