We've bought loads of stuff with us - possibly far too much, but we can always chuck out, swap or give away the things that we find that we don't use. This section will detail some of the things that we brought which we think are excellent, and some of the things which are either not needed or have proven to be rubbish when used.

Updated 27 August 2005.

As we come to the end of our first camping phase (there's not much scope for camping in Iran and Pakistan), we thought that we would give our opinions on some of the things that we bought with us. These are our own opinions based on our experiences so far, and we hope that they be of use to anyone else thinking of a similar trip.

Below is our original kit list - since the above message we've chucked out even more stuff that hardly ever gets used (for example, the axle stands went to a new home in Nepal. When we've finished our trip we'll update the list to show what we ended up with!

Camping

Cost

Got?

Description/comments

Kitchen Items

Cost

Got

Description/comments

Tools

Cost

Got?

Description/comments

Spares

Cost

Got?

Description/comments

Electrical

Cost

Got

Description/comments

Other

Cost

Got

Description/comments

Kitchen Table

£35.00

Y

Aluminium job, with different levels. Works & is light.

Dual Fuel Stove

£ 60.00

Y

Coleman Dual Fuel camping stove. Runs off kerosene and unleaded.

Socket Set

£60

Y

From Halfords - appears to do the job ok. Have added a separate driver (free gift from difflock.)

Assorted Nuts

?

Y

For everything from wheel nuts to seatbelt retainers.

Lap Top

?

Y

Hewlett Packard "I-go". No problems so far. Allows us to store our photos, surf the internet and update the website on the move.

Binoculars

£ 120.00

Y

Dowling & Rowe. Bought these when went to South Africa - very good

Chairs x 2

£24 for 2

Y

Swish Triangular folding jobs with cup holders. Comfy but take up quite a lot of room. Not sure how robust they'll be

Small pan

£ 5.00

Y

"Prestige" - Stainless Steel, riveted on handles, came as a 5 piece set from HoF - reduced from £100 to £25! Bargain!

Spanners

Were my dads.

Y

3 separate sets, mixture of imperial, metric and Whitworth…haven't found anything they don't fit yet

Assorted Bolts

?

Y

As above

Digital Camera

£ 310.00

Y

Canon Ixus 500. Fantastic little thing that takes movies as well as photos.

Pack of Cards

?

Y

So we can play snap.

Vaude "Drive Base" vehicle tent.

£210.00

Y

Excellent bit of kit, and perfect for our configuration. Ordered trough "Altimus" camping shop. Weighs 5kgs.

Medium pan

£ 5.00

Y

"Prestige" - Stainless Steel, riveted on handles, came as a 5 piece set from HoF - reduced from £100 to £25! Bargain!

Needle nose pliers

Were my dads.

Y

Old, with plastic handles, are very useful

Gaffer tape x 3

£ 6.00

Y

So handy. One kept in the cubby box, one in the tool kit and 1 in the general boxes

Battery Charger

N

For charging our batteries. Runs off the invertor.

Blank CDs

£ 10.00

Y

To copy photos and movies onto, which we can then post to people back home.

Groundsheet/ Tarpaulin

£10.00

y

Largest we could find - Eurocamping made.

Large pan

£ 5.00

Y

As above

Adjustable wrenches x 2

Were my dads.

Y

Old, solid and sturdy. One large, one smaller

EP90

?

Y

For topping up the transfer box.

GPS System?

£ 109.00

Y

Small handheld Garmin GPS. Handy for knowing where East is.

"Business Cards"

?

Y

To give out as we go along. Have proved very popular!

Head Torches x 2

Presents

Y

One "Black Diamond" and one "Pezzo" - both work well

Frying Pan/Wok

£ 5.00

Y

As above

Wire Cutters

£ 9.00

Y

Came with various electrical connectors.

ZF Fluid

?

Y

For topping up the gearbox

Calculator x 2

?

Y

To work things out with.

Carnet de Passage

Lots

Y

Hector's passport.

Lamps

N

Will manage somehow - couldn't make our minds to go for fuel or electric.

Mugs x 2

freebie

Y

Came with the cubby box. Insulated, lidded stainless steel jobs.

Wheel Brace

£11

Y

L Handle and 27mm Socket from Difflock.com - good quality kit

Engine Oil

?

Y

15W40. 3 litres. Not enough for a full change, but enough for topping up etc.

Mobile Phones and chargers

?

Y

1 Nokia and 1 Sharp. Cost a fortune to use abroad, but good to have for emergencies.

Passports - 48 page

£54

Y

Need extra pages for all the Visas

Kukhuri

Gift

Y

Given it when in Nepal. Seriously sharp. For chopping stuff up and "homeland security"…

Beakers x 4

66p for 4

Y

Blue plastic ones. Lasting well from Tescos.

Feeler gauge

£9

Y

Again, good quality stuff ordered from difflock. Needed when setting the tappets every 6000 miles.

grease

£4

Y

Ordered at the same time as the grease gun from Difflock.

Polaroid Camera

?

Y

To take people's photos with, and then give to them.

Passport Photos x 20 each (some with headscarf)

?

Kind of

Can never have too many of these.

Large Maglite

Birthday present

Y

large, Blue, useful

Plates x 4

Gift

Y

Blue plastic ones - Very Good, do the job…

Drill

£ 15.00

Y

A bit crap this - battery powered "Mckeller" drill is really a glorified powered screwdriver. Didn't take it in the end.

fuel filter

?

Y

Champion

Polaroid Film

?

Y

For the above.

Vehicle Registration Documents

?

Y

Need to show these at most border crossings after Austria.

Maggiolina Awning

Came with tent

Y

Attaches to the upper lid of the tent. Keeps the sun off. Bulky and heavy. Not sure if we'll take this - in fact, we didn’t!

Bowls x 4

66p for 4

Y

Blue plastic ones from Tescos.

10 tonne bottle jack

£21

Y

From Machine Mart. Works and is compact.

air filter

?

Y

Champion

International Driving Permits

£ 12.00

Y

From the RAC. Need these to drive in Iran.

Clothes Line

£1.00

Y

From Tescos - longest we could find. Plastic coated wire.

Knifes x 4

Gift

Y

All part of a set stored in its own neat container.

Axle Stands x 2

£30

Y

Rated to 6 tonnes, weigh about 22kgs between them, solid cast iron…don't want Hector dropping on me…

Spare Wiper blades

Y

From Halfords.

Personal Insurance documents

£340each

Y

From Navigator, who we found to be the most helpful of all the people we contacted.

Clothes Pegs

£0.50

Y

Wooden, lots of.

Forks x 4

Gift

Y

All part of a set stored in its own neat container.

Chocks

N

Plenty of rocks by the road side…

Spare set of belts

Y

Shouldn't need these as all belts and hoses were new when the engine was put in, but you never know…

3 verified copies of all of the above - 1 set lodged with parents in UK.

-

Y

Also one set scanned onto the laptop.

Canoe Bag

£15.99

Y

To act a washing machine when filled with clothes and soapy water and tied to the roof. Also serves to store dirty clothes as is airtight. From Snow & Rock

Spoons x 4

Gift

Y

All part of a set stored in its own neat container.

Grease Gun

£13

Y

With extension hose, from Difflock.

Track Rod End

Y

no idea how to replace one, but at least we can give it to someone who does!

Immunisation Cards and certificates

-

Y

From our doctors.

Bikes x 2

N

Decided not to take these - glad that we didn't.

T spoons x 4

Gift

Y

All part of a set stored in its own neat container.

Truck-air compressor

£ 50.00

Y

Ordered from Dave Bowyer (I think). Allows us to inflate and deflate the tyres in the middle of nowhere.

Wheel Bearings

Y

Just in case

Address Book for contacts

-

Y

So we know where to send the postcards.

Sewing Kit

Free

Y

Collected a few of these from various hotels.

Large Kitchen knife

£ 12.00

Y

Had for ages - general purpose kitchen knife.

Puncture Repair Kit

Not sure

Y

From Frogs Island. Contains all the stuff needed to repair a puncture in a handy case.

Fuses

Y

From 2 amp to 30 amp.Lots of these.

Map Europe

£ 12.50

Y

Michelin. Not very good. Small pages and varying scales make it hard to visualise routes and distances. Much better to get large scale maps by country.

Universal Bath Plug x 2

£2.50 EACH

Y

From"Lifesystems". You need these.

Small kitchen knife

£10

Y

From Sainsburys. This gets more use than the large knife.

Spade

£ 9.00

Y

For digging us out of trouble, dunny digging and making sandcastles. Folding metal job by Black Rat.

Electric Wire

Y

Of various grades and lengths.

Map Eastern Europe

various

Y

Got per country from Stanfords. You can also buy very good "Frei und Berntag" driver maps en route. Especially recommended are their city maps.

Sleeping bags x 2?

N

We've taken a duvet instead, which is stored in the roof tent. Very comfy!

Wooden Spoon x 2

.50p

Y

All part of a set from House of Fraser

Multi Meter

£ 15.00

Y

From Machine Mart. At the moment I mainly use it to keep an eye on the current being generated by the solar panel.

Cable Ties

Y

lots of these of varying sizes

Map Turkey

£ 6.95

Y

"Geocenter" map - very good and has put up with a lot of abuse so far.

Liners x 2?

N

See above.

Spatula

.50p

Y

As above

Leatherman Charge Txi

Was Xmas present from brother

Y

Wonderful thing, really well made and v. useful.

Brake Master Cylinder repair kit.

Y

Map Iran

£ 9.95

Y

"World Mapping Project" map. Printed on non rip plasticated paper.

Pens x lots

£2 for 20

Y

For writing with, and for giving away to kids.

Ladle

.50p

Y

As above

Drain plug socket

£3

Y

Special sized socket to fit - from Difflock.com. Unfortunately it doesn't fit any of my drivers!

"One Shot" swivel grease x 2

Y

Map Pakistan

£ 12.00

y

Diaries

Christmas presents

Y

Blank - to record stuff in.

Sieve

£ 1.50

Y

To drain past and rice with.

Heavy Duty Jump Leads

£15

Y

Had some bog standard Halfords ones which weren't up to the job…these on the other hand are quality…

Oil Filter

Y

For the first service

Map India/Nepal

£ 12.00

y

Funnel x2

£2.00

Y

1 for diesel and 1 for water. Different colours so we don't get them mixed up. Also bought 1 for oil, for the top ups.

Washing up bowl x 2

N

Didn't bother in the end - took up too much room.

Flat Head screwdrivers

No idea

y

Had for ages - assorted makes and size.

U Bolts

Y

Various

Map Singapore/SE Asia

£ 5.00

y

Length of hose x2

N

Scouring Pads

£ 2.00

Y

You know what these are…very useful too!

Philips screwdrivers

No idea

Y

As above.

Universal Joints

Y

1 large, 1 small

Map Australia

Washing Powder

Y

Washing up liquid

£ 1.99

Y

Fairly liquid

Haynes Manual

£11

Y

From Halfords. You need one of these.

Puncture sealant

Y

A green goo stuff that came highly recommended as a "get you home" emergency remedy

Book of Campsites

free

Y

Large Cooler Bag to act as fridge

Gift

Y

The freezer freezes things like meat and ice-cream and cooler blocks. The cooler blocks go in the bag where we keep our milk, fruit, butter etc etc. The system works well as long as you remember to swap over the blocks every morning.

Scales

N

Again, a pain to pack, so missed out. Haven't noticed their absence yet.

Workshop manual

£11

Y

From the LRE bookshop.

RadWeld

Y

In case of leaks from the radiator.

"Walking stick" Umbrellas

?

Y

You wouldn't believe how useful these are - learnt this in Nepal…

Freezer block things to cool the cooler bag

£3.00

Y

See above.

Potato Peeler

£ 0.75

Y

Torque wrench

£ 12.00

Y

From Machine Mart. Used to make sure that things are done up to the correct torque. Can also use with a socket to do/undo the wheel nuts.

Spare Bulbs

Y

From Halfords

International Certificate for Motor Vehicles.

£ 12.00

Y

From the RAC. Lists all of Hectors distinguishing features in a variety of languages.

Scissors

£ 2.00

Y

Good quality kitchen scissors.

Oil filter pliers

£ 3.50

Y

Again, you need these otherwise you'll end up sticking a screwdriver through the old filter and getting oil all down your arm.

2 Spare wheels

Y

mounted on the back

"Office" pencil case - pens, paperclips, stapler etc

?

Y

Very handy.

Teatowls x 2

Had for ages

Y

With a picture of Winnie the Pooh on.

1/2 inch drive ratchet.

£ 12.00

Y

Need this to fit some of the larger sockets, as well as the transfer box, gear box and axle drain plugs.

Locking wheel nuts

Y

5 of these. Require a special socket to remove, which we'd best not lose!

Assorted reading books, including the Tom Shepherd Classic "Vehicle Dependent Expedition Guide."

Y

To read, swap, give away.

Salt Cellar

N

Just took the container that the salt came in.

Safety Goggles

£ 1.00

Y

Stops rubbish going in your eyes when under the Landy. Also good in sand storms.

Coolant

Y

For topping up

CD Repair Kit

£ 4.00

y

Supposed to remove scratches from CDs. Seems to work ok.

Pepper Grinder

Y

Again, the pepper corns came in this.

Wire Brush

?

Y

To clean stuff off the wheels, clean up old threads etc.

CDs - Lots

?

Y

To listen to, and again swap etc.

Tin Opener

£ 2.00

Y

From the HoF sale.

Rubber Mallet

£ 4.00

Y

Helps when splitting the rear drums. Also good for knocking in tent pegs.

Thank you cards

£ 2.00

Y

To send to people who have been especially helpful.

Bottle Opener

£ 2.00

Y

Most needed (and used) implement.

Hammer

?

Y

2 of these.

Ashtray

E9

Y

From Kaisersburg

Corkscrew

As above

Y

As above

Latex Gloves

£ 2.50

Y

Much easier (and safer) to get these covered in old oil, brake fluid, EP90 etc then chuck them away.

Small sized Monopoly game

Gift from Amy's brother and girlfriend

Y

Very good on those rainy days.

Wine Glasses

N

Too risky. Use stainless steel stirrup cups instead to great effect.

Overalls

Present from Amy

Y

Stops you getting filthy when lying under the Landrover trying to fix stuff.

Bin Bags x Lots

£ 1.00

Y

Very useful.

Cooks Matches - lots

?

Y

To light our stove with. Extra long.

Lighters

?

Y

To light the stove and our cigarettes with.

Chopping boards: 1 large 1 small. Plastic

£ 2.00

Y

Haven't really used the large board, but the smaller one is very handy.

Detol

£ 2.00

Y

Very useful for keeping stuff clean and germ free.

Kettle

£ 4.00

Y

Large stove top whistling kind - much better than the lightweight campers thing we had before.

Kitchen Towels

£ 1.00

Y

Paper ones - very handy.

Small plastic food bags (i.e. freezer bags)

?

Y

From Tescos. Very handy for storing things like leftovers in.

Tupperware boxes

N

Not much to put in these.