Packed, Set and Ready To Go...

By Frank

When it comes to long distance travel, I don't take chances with my travel items. And this trip to South Africa being my furthest away from home for about 2 weeks, nothing should be taken granted. And as usual for any of my far far away trips, I will always prepare packing list. For those who knows me and have read my previous long adventure, my way of listing down my packing list can be all down to details, systematic at least in my way so that I won't be screaming my lungs out far away from home for forgetting to bring along that particular item.

My packing list. Like moving "kampung" you say...

For this adventure, I will be flying on board Singapore Airline which only allowed 20KG check-in luggage and also 7KG hand carry. Maximum I can go till for check-in luggage is actually 32KG but anything after 20KG, there will be of course extra charges which, I do not wish to pay. 20KG is really little compared to other major airlines. Sad to say, but no choice to acknowledge it as I am paying a much lesser compared to others. So it's pack pack pack, squeeze squeeze and squeeze for me, till everything goes in and hopefully, it does not exceed 20KG else I will have to pay extra!

Looking at my packing list, there will be extras that I will need to bring over for my Malaysian and Singaporean food deprived friends there. Basically Old Town White Coffee for Chee Kong, and Lipton Instant Teh Tarik and Nissin "Chu Chien Yi Ding" noodles for Phil. And why am I bringing 2 tablets there, should you be wondering why? Well, the Samsung is mine, while the New iPad is actually just recently purchased by Chee Kong via the online Malaysia Apple store which is then delivered to me. Reason is simple. Apple products over at South Africa is really expensive and I understand Chee Kong's wish to have it purchase back at home. Well, at least I can play with it first.

"Extra baggage" for my Malaysian and Singaporean friends working at South Africa...

And also some new toys for myself which I just got for myself yesterday. A new camera, the Panasonic Lumix FT4 to be carried along with me during the Comrades Marathon and also The Old Fisherman Trail Challenge, and also a new flashgun the Canon Speedlite 430 EXii to be paired along my Canon EOS 7D. Both I've been wanting to get them since early this year but waited till the very last minute as the former wasn't available back then (it was just launched a month ago) and the announcement of a replacement model for the latter which did not happen. So I be hoping to take some really nice memorable photos from South Africa.

New toys hoping to capture some nice memorable photos of South Africa...

Back to my packing, most important will of course be my race essentials for 2 events there, being the main one at Comrades Marathon and the happy go lucky one, The Old Fisherman Trail Challenge. The latter, I will have extra things to buy over there as the race organisers demand for it. The others are pretty basic and I hope I will extra space in my baggage too actually bring home some gifts and souvenirs. Yeap, some of you will be getting it and some will be getting the famous South African biltong! Those getting it, you cannot say "No" ya! Hehehe...

As for my luggage bag, the every famous BBB (Big Black Bag) makes its return. An expandable 24" trolley bag, this will be my main luggage bag followed by a K-Swiss duffel bag and a K-Swiss backpack. And of course a Deuter waist pouch for my important documents. With all the gargantuan sized luggage, I think I will be clumsy walking around with them. I just hope the weight won't be issue though. But once everything is settle, only my backpack will be travelling around with me at South Africa leaving the 2 bigger ones back at the hotel.

My luggage all set to go, of course after squeezing the Malaysia flag into one of the bags. BBB is the one on the far right, just in case you are wondering which is the "famous" bag...

So yeah, with 9 days till race day and 4 days till my flight for South Africa, I'm all packed and ready to go!  Now am just wondering how heavy is that trolley bag? Hmmm...

* There will be a simple gathering on 29 May 2012, 5.00PM at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, KL Sentral just before I leave. Will proceed to the KLIA Express check-in counter at 6.00PM. Come join me for some photo session together should you be around that area. I will leave for the airport on board the express train at 6.45pm.