Here’s what I brought, with X marked next to things I actually used on the trip:

Bug stuff
————
permethrin X
deet off X

Tech stuff
—————
flashlight X
2-way radio X
gps X
extra batteries X ( about 1/2 of them )
camera X
lens X
film X (4/5 rolls)
cd player X
cds X
pens X
sharpies X
knife X

Health & Meds
——————–
immodium
first aid kit X
mefloquine X
cipro
ibuprofen X
sudafed X
benadryl X (abused it for it’s sleep-inducing side effects when traveling, too)
lip balm w/ sunblock X
calamine lotion tea tree oil X
multivit. X
superglue

Food
——-
food from amanda X
trail mix X
gum X

Clothing
———–
hat X
doo-rag X
travel belt X
4x pair underwear X
2x pair pants X
sandals X
emergency sewing kit
poly blend shirts (coolmax) X
nylon belt X
watch X

Outdoor Equipment
—————
sleeping pads X
tent X
groundcloth X
black garbage bags X
zip-loc bags on everything X
spare ziploc bags X
day pack X
nalgene bottles X
pack rain cover
bungee cord X
cable ties X
mess kit
eating utensils
chopsticks

Toiletries
————
toothbrush X
toothpaste X
dental floss X
tp X
hair brush X
clippers X
pack towel X
contacts X
lens solution X
glasses X
glasses case X
spare lenses X
lens case X
razor X
shave soap X
mirror X
sunglasses X

Documents
—————-
travel journals X
passport copies
passport X
us embassy in niger info
jetblue out X
RAM out (casab) X
RAM out (niamey) X
RAM back (casab) X
RAM back (ny) X
jetblue back X
copies of each ticket
sos medevac info
health book X
leisure books X
index cards X
hausa printouts X

Metronidazole is making me feel ill. I’m going to stop taking it, since it’s been 6 days at least, and just get checked for amoebas at the student health center. I think I should be clean by now.

I’m flipping through the waypoints I took on my GPS during the trip to Niger. Once I get my film developed (to Photo CDs) I’ll post the pictures on Flickr with coordinates. For now, this map shows where we stayed in the bush for 8 days, and where Amanda lived for 2+ years during Peace Corps.

I’m trying to stay awake as long as possible so as to sleep at a normal time. Right now, my body thinks it’s 10 PM, and I got about 3 hours during one period and 2 hours another last “night.”

To distract myself, I’m sorting through the RSS backlog from while I was gone, and I found Airborne Cats (flash Flickr slideshow) via Bitch, Ph.D..

Neat pics — enjoy!