On the road

The Road Chose Me Volume 2 OUT NOW!!
The Road Chose Me Volume 2: Three years and 54,000 miles around Africa

In five minutes, I’m heading out the door on my adventure – I’ve never been more excited in my life.
Thanks to everyone for the comments and suggestions – they are greatly appreciated and I will take them on board.

Lots of people have been asking about my preparations for the trip and what I’m taking with me. Below are the lists that have been on my bedroom wall for the last 7 months detailing all the things that needed to be done before today.
Also checkout the hood of my Jeep, a blank slate ready to be filled in.

Blank slate ready to be filled in

Jeep Spares:
I wanted to carry enough spares so I could fix something enough to limp to the next town. If i drop a valve or drive shaft, I’m walking.

• Oil filter X 2 (I’ll probably get more before I leave North America)
• Air filter X 2
• Serpentine belt
• Top & bottom radiator hoses & hose clamps
• Top & bottom heater hoses
• Front swaybar link (It was free and I’ve already broken one)
• Oils for engine, transmission, transfer case and diffs
• Wiper blades X 2
• Radiator coolant
• Lots of fuses & wire

Tools:

• A Canadian Tire 160 piece tool kit (metric & imperial sockets, ratchets, ring spanners, allen keys, torx bits, etc, etc)
• Hammer, Pliers, Hacksaw, C-Clamp, File, Letherman multi-tool
• Multi-meter & wire strippers
• 12v air compressor & puncture repair kit (the cheap, crappy kind)
• WD 40 & duct tape

Work I’ve done to the Jeep lately:
I wanted to do a ton of work to the Jeep – partly because it had to be done and partly so I would be familiar with it on the road.

• New plugs, leads, distributor cap & rotor
• New serpentine belt
• New raditor & heater hoses
• Flush raditor and new coolant
• New rear brake shoes & handbrake adjustment
• New Front brake calipers & pads
• Brake bleed and fluid flush
• Diff overhaul front and rear (pinion seals & new synthetic oil)
• Transfer case oil (synthetic)
• Transmission oil (synthetic)
• New tires including full size spare
• Engine oil, filter & air filter

Immunizations:
Only Yellow Fever was a must have for a couple of countries.

• Yellow Fever
• Hepatitis A & B (Twinrix)
• Typhoid
• Tetanus & Diphtheria
• Rabies

First Aid Kit:

• Fox 40 whistle
• Saliene eye wash
• Compass
• Sterile spliter (Sliver) removers
• Healing gel (burns, etc)
• Lighter
• Scissors
• Sterlie bandage pads X 10
• Band Aids
• Medical tape
• Paracetamol tablets
• Alcohol wipes X 2
• Emergency poncho
• Compression bandage
• Emergency space blanket
• Needles as follows
  • 5-0 nylon suture w/needle
  • 1cc syringe w/needle
  • 3cc syringe
  • 25ga. x 5/8″ needle
  • 21g. x 1.5″ needle
  • 18g. x 1.5″ needle
  • 18g. intravenous catheter
  • Sterile gloves X 2
• Mini flashlight (key chain type)
• Big sewing needle
• Ice pack X 2 (the chemical kind)
• Heat pack X 4 (the chemical kind)
• Thermometer
• 90 Malarone tablets
• Altitude sickness tablets
• General “upset stomach” prescription antibiotic tablets.

Camping gear:

• 2 man, 4 season tent
• -7 deg C mummy sleeping bag & liner
• Thermarest & pillow (yeah, it’s car camping)
• Trangia lightweight hiking stove & fuel
• Headlamp, camping chair
• Clothes & thermals (I have too many clothes right now, I’ll have to cull it soon)

Electronics:

• Dell mini 9 netbook & 12v charger
• Fuju FD6000FD camera
• AA battery charger modified to run off 12v
• iPod loaded with “learn Spanish” audio books

Misc:

• Guitar
• Hot springs books
• Other reading books
• Maps
• Tripod
• Disc golf discs X 3
• Ultimate Frisbee

-Dan