PAX_fips

If you go camping, this mini-tool might be better than the plain pocket knife.
https://www.leatherman.com/squirt-ps4-22.html

Nice trip planned!

Romelle

I'm thinking you are relatively young? At a young age my medicine chest usually only included a couple bandaids and aspirin. Now, as a senior it also includes Tylenol/Excedrin, Tums, antihistamine, thermometer, Imodium and Pepto-Bismol. On more remote treks I've even gotten my doc to give me an all-purpose oral anti-biotic like Cipro.

Other items you may well need, but could buy in Sweden:

A compass (if you are used to using one)
Adapters (if you need them from Romania to Sweden) and chargers
Nail clippers
Bug spray
Sunscreen
Cough drops
Hat
Sunglasses

TheHouseElf

Hey, thank you for your contribution! This little thing looks pretty handy! Right now I'm trying to reduce the costs of my gear (I would like to find a cheaper backpack at least), and from the price difference I think I will be able to buy this little beauty.


Yes, I'm relatively young. I'm in my 30s, but had some nasty health issues at the beginning of my 20s that still have some negative consequences, so I usually like to be prepared for worst case scenario as well. Thank you for the tips, Romelle! They are really helpful!

Romelle

I use this for a backpack:

https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/p/appenzell-day-pack

It is maybe 2/3 the size of a real one. I originally bought it for grandkids, but took it on a trip once and it worked well. Moderate hiking - Hadrian's wall in England and similar. 10-11 miles a day. Tight getting everything in it, but really keeps me from taking too much. It needs a chest strap, so I sewed on on it.

You might browse the Travel Products forum on this site. Lots of discussion about all sorts of travel equipment.

Romelle

TheHouseElf

Thank you for the feedback (again )! I will pass on this expensive backpack, and will look for something at the local trekking gear vendors. They mostly have Quechua stuff. If anyone has some experience with this cheap brand feel free to share it with me, but I definitely hope that a Quechua backpack will be good enough to resist those 2 weeks while I'll be in Sweden. Even if I will have to buy one after this trip, it will be still worth it.

GUWonder

Buying Lifemiles.com miles and using them for an award ticket to get where you want in Sweden?

PAX_fips

Never heard of this brand. In bang-for-buck I'd bring up 'deuter', 'Vaude' and 'The Northern Face' where such a backpack would be some 100E less than the Osprey (which is a very good brand). Reducing size from 65 to 50l can save money, too (w/o sleeping bag, tent and mat I "survived" 12d Scotland with a 35l).

I cannot recommend a "throw away" option - it'll break 2-3 days BEFORE returning home, messing up all the fun .
And really consider a cargo bag, which can be used as a light raincover, too.

Romelle

Ah yes, sideways wind-driven rain, and rain dripping down collar behind backpack, and ...

When trip date gets close, check something like www.wunderground.com for weather forecast for your various destinations. If rain even hinted at, consider this:

Throw some papers and a couple sacks of flour or similar in the backpack. Something in all backpack and other pockets you plan to use. Go outside. Stand under a sprinkler or get somebody to hose you down. See what gets wet.

Rework plan as needed.

Some ponchos are big enough to go over head and over backpack. Then a billed hat under the poncho will keep your face clear.

PAX_fips

Good advice with poncho: check that they can be front/back connected down below, otherwise it'll be useless in windy conditions faster then you like (It'll just flip upside down like / invert like an umbrella).

+1 for wunderground.

big_mac

It's one of the 'own brands' of Decathlon, which is a very large sporting retailer in Europe (e.g., they have more than 50% market share in France, where they are based.)

Their own-brand equipment seems to be generally quite good, and inexpensive. Seeing as this is the budget forum, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.

Romelle

You haven't mentioned gloves? Waterproof, easy on and off, warm.

If you really will be camping:

Tent?

Sleeping bag?

Mattress pad? Something along the lines of REI's Therm-a-Rest.

Spork

Something waterproof for any electronics and paper. I favor heavy duty freezer type Zip-locks, but there are commercial products with more features.

Electronics like tablet, phone, GPS device plus chargers/adapters.

TheHouseElf

I haven't thought about gloves. Are they really important in August?

Gosh, I can't believe I forgot to write about the tent and sleeping pad and stuff. Initially I wanted to go with a bivy sack and a tarp. This combination seemed a cost efficient solution, but I gave up on it, because I never used bivy sack until know, and have no idea how it will be. After getting frustrated with all the thinking and searching, I found a Marmot Limelight 2P Tent, and decided to buy it. I hope it will be ok. The sleeping pad I want to buy is the Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol Mattress. It is a foam pad, because don't trust the air pads...

The kitchen stuff will be totally minimalist and cheap, and I will have only my phone and a charger with me.

The backpack will be a 50 l Quechua backpack.

Thank you again for the feedback!

Romelle

Come to think of it, if you plan on walking rougher terrain, a walking stick can be good.

Gloves - partly depends upon the weather forecast. Plus maybe a better grip on walking stick. Protection from rougher stuff like maybe nettles or gathering firewood. You know better what you might be doing.

Back-up battery for phone? Again - depends upon how remote you expect to get.

Someplace in here you need to weigh the cost of all the camping stuff vs the cost of several nights in B&Bs along the way. Different equation if you think you might be doing more camping in your life.

Maps, or is your route something well marked? Compass?

big_mac

50l is pretty small if you have a tent and sleeping mat in it - that's probably 20l gone.

I have had a 50l Quechua backpack for a few years, but I don't use it for long trips. It's big advantage is that I can take it as hand luggage.

A therm-a-rest (or similar) self-inflating mat will pack smaller and be much more comfortable than a foam pad, but it will be a little heavier and cost more. There can also be punctured if mistreated, but a repair is quite easy.
I have never slept well on a foam pad, and wouldn't even consider it any more, but I guess you are hardier than I am!

TheHouseElf

Thank you for the tips!

I still don't have my backpack, so it is not late for me to reconsider this 50l decision. I may go for something bigger, but just couldn't find anything, that I really like. Something like this happened to me back when I was preparing for my firs (and until now last, but lets hope it won't stay that way ) El Camino. I just couldn't decide which backpack to buy, so in the end I left for Spain with my old backpack (a very very simple, not even waterproof 50l backpack). But back then I had no tent with me, only a sleeping mat and a sleeping bag.

Usually I tend to fasten larger things (like the sleeping mat and the tent) on the outside of my backpack, so I don't lose space.

I think I'm used to sleeping on harder surfaces, so I don't have any problems with the foam sleeping pads. What I really need when sleeping in a tent is good sleeping bag, because I tolerate the cold very badly.


I found some cheaper, but good quality trekking poles, so that part is checked. Maps and compass will be alright, and now that it seems that I can save some money on my equipment, I won't be hesitating to chose to stay in B&Bs for some nights if I will feel that I need some better conditions.