Rockrivr1

So I need your help! I'm about to embark on a 10 day 500 mile MTB adventure through the jungles and villages of Cambodia with 30 other riders. We'll be provided mountain bikes once we land in Siem Reap, but I will be bringing my own saddle and pedals. This is being done for Charity to support three orphanages called Sunrise Village that my company created. I will be leaving in the very near future so I want to start getting everything together now.

During the ride there will be a SAG van with us to provide bike repair in addition to providing clean food and water. They will also do emergency transportation and hauling our back packs as well. All other items are up to us to get together and bring. They have given us a list of the basics, but I want to make sure I have a complete pack coming with me. Below is a list of what I have so far and I'm open to all suggestions on what I might be missing. We'll be staying in hostels at night.

I'm bringing:

Light Sleeping Bag
Osprey Raptor 10 Hydration Pack
Surefire Flashlight
iPhone w/ Charger
Electrical conversion plug
MultiTool
Knife
First Aid Kit
Deep Woods Bug Spray
Permethrin for cloths (More bug spray type stuff)
Sunscreen 30spf and water/sweat proof
2 boxes of Imodium
1 box of pain reliever (Tylenol or Excedrin)
Prescription Antibiotics from Travel Clinic
Antibiotic cream w/ pain killer
Mole Skin
5 tubes of electrolyte tablets for water (Probably Gu2O orange flavor)
Assorted Cliff bars, Gu, Cliff Shots and Beans (More Cliff bars in case I need a steady diet of them)
Hammer Electrolyte pills (Solid Gold!)
Shower Kit (Soap, Razor, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, tissues(TP alternative for the road), etc'
Handy wipes
Laundry Soap (wash cycling gear in sink as needed)
Assorted civi/biking cloths with a pair of sneakers, flip flops, sun glasses, etc'.
Location and contact numbers for the American Consulate

All of this will be put in a LL Bean White Mountain large capacity backpack. I'm sure I'm missing something so any help will be appreciated.

Northwestrider

Bandana for use under your helmet to cover your neck while riding. IMO it's a far better solution to sun screen.

Chris Pringle

I would suggest to replace the handy wipes by baby wipes to clean yourself in areas with little to no water -- basically a dry shower. Bring an antibacterial gel for your hands instead.

I find that Gu tends to make me really thirsty in hot and humid climates, like where I live. I would recommend some sort of powder electrolyte to add to bottled water, or simply pack magnesium and potassium pills from GNC and take every couple of hours with water.

saddlesores

"must bring to survive"? you're kidding, right?

you got a group of 30 riders, you've got sag wagons. you're staying in hostels.
you'll be on either newly-paved highways, or just about to be paved smooth
as silk pressed clay roads. jinkies, you don't even need to carry your own food
and water. plus, anything you've forgotten (gray poupon perhaps) can be fetched
within a few hours by one of the sag wagons.

don't worry, be happy, dude. just have fun. nothing to worry about. on second
thought, don't forget to bring a supply of chupacabra repellant.

fietsbob

Nixon is dead you are safe from carpet bombing , now..

3speed

^ What saddlesores said. Sounds like a neat, basically all inclusive jungle vacation. Sounds awesome. I wish I could go.

axolotl

I wonder how I managed to survive touring in SE Asia without half of that stuff (especially the food & drink) and no support vehicle? I've yet to find a place in SE Asia where it was difficult to find tasty food & drink.

valygrl

(removed link to punk song with a bad word in it)

fairymuff

1. Don't stray off the road.
2. Don't forget your Malaria pills.
3. Allow 5 day to visit Angkor. It's amazing.
4. Don't stray off the road.


Seriously: I'm sure you'll have been told this, but unexploded ordnance is a serious problem in Cambodia. Don't stray off the road.

Rockrivr1

I wish it was nice silky new paved road. We've been told we'll not be seeing any paved road. Mostly dirt roads and trails. Definitely looking forward to it. Oh and yes, I'm kidding about the "survive" part

mev

Assume there is a passport and visa, just not on the list.
Any rain gear?
Depending on how soundly you sleep, ear plugs can be handy for snorers.

I've taken a supported ride in Cambodia (w Spice Roads). Even in that case, when they were providing the bikes, I brought my own cycling gloves and my own pump/minimal patch kit. One can wait for support vehicle to catch up, but I liked being able to fix things myself as well.

axolotl

Glad to hear you were joking about "survival".

I compared your list with what I took on my last (unsupported) tour in SE Asia, specifically to Laos & Thailand. I noted the things on your list which I didn't take.

I did bring a very lightweight mosquito netting "tent" which sits on top of a bed. Weighs less than 1 lb. I used it once in a dodgy place in Laos when there was no better accommodations available. I brought a very lightweight nylon sheet I used in the same dodgy place.

I also bring some Pepto-Bismol tablets when I travel. It's less harsh to the system than Immodium. I didn't need to take either one on 3 trips to SE Asia.

Like someone else suggested, I always travel with earplugs.

A small flat rubber thing which keeps a sink from draining, for hand-washing clothes. Lots of places around the world don't have drain plugs.

A phrasebook, which I successfully used a few times.

Dental floss.

Some bike tools, since I had no support, and I was touring on my Bike Friday folder which I had to put together and later pack in its suitcase (which I left in a guesthouse while I was touring).

beerbaron2002

Must bring item

An Abrams main battle tank and a support crew

The hell would you wanna go to Cambodia for anyways? Place is a ****hole go to the Czech Republic or some place nice.

Sharpshin

In the Peace Corps (Ghana, West Africa) back in the 80's, us Volunteers would not even consider taking to the road without a large supply of Paregoric (a trace of opiates plus powdered clay) to guard against occasional bouts of uncontrollable yellow bubbly diarrhea. But then bottled water weren't invented yet and giardia was a constant companion (not as bad as it sounds, you reach a sort of equilibrium with it after a while) I am much surprised to read here that even regular traveler's diarrhea was not a problem for those visiting Cambodia.

Does immodium really work on tropical diarrheas?

I would underscore the advice not to ignore malaria if such is a risk where and when you will be there.

Also, of all our many immunizations, the quarter-annual gamma globulin shots of hepatitis antibodies were probably the most vital. I'm not sure what they do for this today.

Otherwise I am assuming a camera is on your list but not mentioned?

I am a serious bird watcher and would not even consider going without a good pair of compact binocs (prob'ly 8x30). Birds aside, they can still be a useful thing to have, if only for stargazing.

Mike

wheelinthai

I've ridden from Kratie province, to Siem Reap. Which way are you heading? No matter what, be warned that food poisioning and diarhoria are serious threats. Even at first class hotel, buffet tables are infested with flies. I don't want to alarm you, but most of 30 bikers in our group got seriously infected. Ask you physician for recommendation.
BTW the Khmer ruins in Siem Reap is spectacular. It's one of the seven wonders of the world. You'll be awed

Chris Pringle

We visited that beautiful part of the world last year: Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. We only biked in Laos: from Luang Prabang to Vientiane through mountainous terrain (although mostly paved.) Being our first time to that part of the world, we also hired a local tour company to guide us. I don't blame the OP for his preparedness -- Better to be safe than sorry! The food is indeed delicious and quite abundant, but it is perfectly OK the take the necessary precautions to avoid getting ill in such exotic part of the world. It is a big change to anyone's system. As mentioned, hygiene standards are not the same. We thankfully never got sick. One of our Laotian tour guides, however, got very sick on our third night of our tour from a lunch he decided to have at a random stand by the side of road. The next day he was horribly sick and had to ride in the truck the entire day. We were forewarned by the tour company that if we were to get very sick or suffered a bad accident while in Laos, we would have to get medivac'd to Thailand where they have much better hospital facilities. I wouldn't be surprised if they do the same thing in Cambodia.

I think riding in a large group has its pros and cons. I hope the touring company will discuss with everyone the protocol to follow if someone suffers an accident, gets terribly ill, etc.

Our hotel experience in Siem Reap was one of the best in SE Asia. No issues with the food or anything, but this could vary greatly at each hotel, time of the year (it was dry), etc. Look for dishes that are served HOT. They are usually a safe bet. Be very careful with rice. A few years ago we were told by a chef friend of ours here in Mexico that rice is the cause for a lot of food poisoning here in the summer. It quickly grows bacteria while sitting out at room temperature. The weird part is that it might still taste OK, but it will wreak havoc with your stomach. Look it up.

axolotl

I have had no health problems at all during 3 independent bike trips in SE Asia, though as I wrote above, I brought both Immodium and Pepto-Bismol, just in case. I ate lots of street food and market food everywhere. I honestly think it is a safer bet hygiene-wise than a restaurant buffet in a fancy hotel (which I never stayed in, anyway). You can see the food being prepared, unlike in a restaurant, and make a more informed judgment. A buffet in a tropical climate is a recipe for food poisoning, IMO. On one of my trips in SE Asia, the friend I was biking with got very sick (but for only 24 hours) following a restaurant meal. We usually ate in outdoor "night markets", not restaurants.

fairymuff

I think a lot depends on how well-traveled and adventurous the OP is.

Cambodia as a country is very poor, and medical facilities are virtually non-existent. Siem Reap however, is the gateway to Angkor Wat, which is (probably) the biggest tourist attraction in South East Asia (it's on a par with the pyramids in Egypt). Facilities in Siem Reap reflect this popularity and the OP will be spoilt for choice regarding accommodation and meals. Siem Reap also has an airport with regular flights to larger cities outside Cambodia. If there's a medical emergency, it'll be easy to be airlifted to Bangkok, though I'd expect Siem Reap to have decent medical facilities.

This will not be the case once you leave Siem Reap, and the standard of accommodation and hygiene are likely to fall quickly. The advantage of a guided tour is that the organisers will know the area, and can avoid the worst fleapits. Then again: since you're on a bike, you're not going to cover long distances, so choice for accommodation and food will be limited.

Some traveller's diarrhea is to be expected, if only due to the change in climate and food (though Cambodian cuisine is a little bland compared to surrounding countries). As said: make sure food is hot. Also avoid uncooked vegetables or fruit (unless freshly peeled), ice cubes and water that isn't bottled. Brush your teeth with bottled water.

I think having support is quite sensible when biking in a place like Cambodia. It may be a little less adventurous, but the local knowledge can help avoid a lot of problems. I'm sure the OP will have a great trip. I'm jealous already.

fietsbob

100 years later the Belgians still are un earthing un exploded WW1 ordinance ..

fairymuff

It's mostly land mines in Cambodia, and they're slowly being removed by playing children and grazing cattle (as well as trained professionals). It's not as big a problem as it once was, but it's ill-advised to take a random stroll through the fields.

fietsbob

our export product .. still the US will not sign a treaty banning the manufacture of Land mines .

wheelinthai

Dear OP, I did cycled through much of Cambodia, and I consider my ride very bland.
The Chris Pringle's "biked in Laos: from Luang Prabang to Vientiane through mountainous terrain (although mostly paved)." is what I'd consider a must bike trip in SE Asaia, closely followed by ChiangMai => MaehongSon loop in Thailand.

IronMac

There is one thing that I don't see and that is make sure to bring a whack of USD in small, clean notes. You'd be surprised at how things go much easier when you're able to wave a couple of greenbacks around.

alan s 

Why don't you just send them the money you would be spending, rather than go to all the trouble?

wheelinthai

+1