Lista del materiale per il mio viaggio

Alcune considerazioni introduttive:

• Peso totale delle borse: 15-20 kg, a seconda della quantità di cibo e della stagione (ho lasciato alcune cose a casa nelle 2 pause di dicembre-gennaio e di aprile).
• Potrei aver dimenticato qualcosa nella lista.
• Dato che l'obiettivo principale del viaggio era quello di conoscere persone ed entrare nella cultura dei posti visitati, ho deciso di partire senza tenda e senza cucina da campo. (In totale 120 notti come ospite, 57 notti in ostelli/camere. Più dettagli a riguardo prossimamente.)
• Grazie a coloro che mi hanno aiutato con il materiale prima e durante il viaggio: oltre all'ovvio vantaggio economico, mi hanno dato anche una spinta morale per portare a termine questo progetto. Un grazie particolare a Giampaolo per il supporto.

Ecco la lista:

Documenti

Carta d'identità e passaporto (mai usato)
Tessera sanitaria
Tessera universitaria
Soldi e carte

Farmacia

Paracetamolo
Benagol
Aspirina
Nimesulide
Spray di propoli
Cerotti
Benda elastica
Disinfettante
Burrocacao

Igiene

Docchiaschiuma
Deodorante
Spazzolino e dentifricio
Detersivo in polvere
Rasoio
Forbicine
Fazzoletti
Spray deodorante per scarpe

Tecnologia

Telefono (Nokia Lumia 620 con mappe stradali gratuite utilizzabili offline)
Macchina fotografica + scheda SD
IPod Touch
Laptop
EyeCam
Cavi per ricaricare tutte queste cose
Chiavetta USB

Vestiti

Giacca a vento
Gilet Sportmarket
Giacca Sportful Hot Pack ultralight
Giacca da sci di fondo Sportful
Felpa
Maglia di lana maniche lunghe
2 maglie sportive invernali maniche lunghe
2 magliette Duerocche e Delineodesign
3 magliette traspiranti sportive

Pantaloni invernali sportivi Salewa
2 pantaloni leggeri con zip al ginocchio (corti/lunghi)

Mutande: 2 imbottite da ciclismo + 5 normali
Calzini: 6 paia (3 di Elite)

Scarpe: SCARPA Enduro Gtx
Ciabatte

Guanti da sci di fondo Sportful
2 bandane Buff
Berretto


Materiale per la bici

Pompa
Camere d'aria
Raggi
Tiraraggi
Chiavi a brugola
Cacciavite
Viti e dadi vari
Pinza
Olio
Corda estensibile
Filo di ferro
Nastro adesivo
Lucchetto


Altro

Occhiali
Occhiali da sole
Asciugamano in microfibra
Sacco a pelo

Casco

Giacca catarifrangente

Lampada frontale Petzl (grazie a Sportmarket)

Fischietto

Coltello, cucchiaio e forchetta

Sasso, carta e forbice

(Mappe)

(Dizionario di greco/francese/spagnolo)

Cibo

Borse

Anteriori: Ortlieb Front-Roller Classic

Posteriori: Ortlieb Back-Roller Classic

Manubrio: Ortlieb Ultimate6 Classic

Zaino: Ospreys Manta 28 (grazie a SCARPA)

Equipment list for my European journey

A few introductory notes:

• Total weight of all the bags: 15-20 kg, depending on the amount of food and on the season (I left some things at home in each of my 2 breaks in December-January and in April).
• Although I have checked it a few times, I might have forgotten something in the list.
• Since the major goal of my trip was to meet people and fully experience the culture of the places I was visiting, I decided not to carry a tent and cooking equipment with me. (sleeping: 120 nights hosted, 57 nights in hostels or rooms. More details in another post in the future)
• Thanks to those who supported me with materials before and during this trip: besides the obvious economic advantage, they made me more confident in the possibility of completing this project. Special thanks to Giampaolo for the huge help.

Now the list:

Documents

National ID + Passport (never used)
Italian Health Insurance Card
University Card
Money and cards

Pharmacy

Paracetamol
Strepsil
Aspirin
Nimesulide
Propolis spray
Bandages (adhesive and elastic)
Disinfectant
Lip balm

Hygiene

Shower gel
Deodorant
Toothbrush and paste
Washing powder
Razor
Little scissors
Pocket tissues
Shoe deodorizer spray

Tecnology

Phone (Nokia Lumia 620: free maps to download and use offline)
Camera + SD card
IPod Touch
Laptop
EyeCam
Chargers for all of the above
Pendrive

Clothes

Wind jacket
Sportmarket sleeveless jacket
Sportful Hot Pack ultralight jacket
Sportful cross-country skiing jacket
Sweatshirt
Long sleeve woolen shirt
2 warm long sleeve shirts
2 t-shirts Duerocche and Delineodesign
3 sport t-shirts

Heavy trousers
2 lightweight trousers (with zip to make them long/short)

Underwear: 2 for cycling + 5 normal
Socks: 6 pairs (3 by Elite)

Shoes: SCARPA Enduro Gtx
Flip-flops

Sportful winter cross country skiing gloves
2 Buff headwear
Cap


Bike equipment

Pump
Tubes
Spokes
Spoke wrench
Allen keys
Screwdriver
Screws and nuts
Pliers
Oil
Stretchable rope
Lock


Other things

Eyeglasses
Sunglasses
Microfiber towel
Sleeping bag

Cycling helmet
Reflective jacket

Petzl headlamp (thanks to Sportmarket)

Whistle

Knife, spoon, fork

(Map)

(Greek/French/Spanish dictionary)

Food

Bags

Ortlieb Front-Roller Classic

Ortlieb Back-Roller Classic

Ortlieb Ultimate6 Classic

Ospreys Manta 28 Backpack (thanks to SCARPA)

Back home, but the journey will never end

The blog hasn't been updated at all recently. I figured that the Facebook page is more visited and works better for the type of communication I wanted to carry on while travelling.

Anyway, I also kept my own diary with notes, comments and memories of the journey. It will take some time (a few months, at least) to reorganize it and obtain some decent material to share, but right now I'm motivated and willing to do it, with no hurry. Stay tuned :)

The moral duty of a traveller

I read some interesting thoughts about travelling and education on the Out of Eden Walk's blog. I already talked about this project a few weeks ago on this post.

Here is my take about travelling, education and how the two things are related.

Besides posting nice pictures, giving tips on places to see and writing how cool travelling is, I deeply believe that travellers have a very important task and a moral duty.

Even though it's easier than what most people think, travelling is not for everyone, because of possibilities, attitudes, personal problems and other impediments. For this reason, travellers are lucky to be able to live some experiences (unforgettable meetings, discovery of new cultures, breathtaking views, etc.) that are precluded to those who cannot travel. Travelling means learning, extending one's knowledge, making connections, widening perspectives and, at the end, developing a global consciousness.

We are lucky enough to have technologies that allow people to spread information as never before. While sharing travelling stories through a screen doesn't give the same emotions as going on a real journey, it can surely inspire other people. The least a traveller can do is saying "look, the real world is different than what you might imagine, there's a lot to discover out there, the people we call foreigners are not as bad as they make us think, go check it out yourself if you can". In this way, the traveller's individual growth is extended to the society around him.

In my opinion, travelling and education are strongly connected.

Go, learn, understand, share: that's the moral duty of a traveller.

A hundred times a day I remind myself that my inner and outer life depend on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the measure as I have received and am still receiving. (Albert Einstein)

Migration: Paul Salopek's Out of Eden Walk

December 18 is International Migrants Day.

Migrations have frequently occurred in the recent history of mankind, almost everywhere around the world. Now, since the world is becoming smaller and smaller, the migration routes are becoming big highways: today more than 200 million people are migrants, according to the data of the United Nations.

Yet, migration is far from being considered a normal phenomenon, especially when it comes to seeing foreigners arrive in our own country. Immigration and emigration have changed the history of many European countries, with some dramatic cases standing out: around half of the Albanians live away from their countries of origin (Albania and Kosovo).

Millions of Europeans left in search of a better life in North and South America, and it's been only after World War II that Europe has started receiving a considerable amount of immigrants.

But... Where did it all begin? Africa, Rift Valley. After wandering around the Continent for a while, our common ancestors decided to walk around the globe and set foot on most of the lands of this planet.

Now, in 2013, the journalist Paul Salopek (read biography here) has decided to walk on the pathways of the humans who first colonized the world: he started an awesome, mind-blowing 7-year journey by foot, beautifully documented in his project called Out of Eden Walk.

Give a look to the website and to the related contents: simply amazing!

http://www.outofedenwalk.com/

(also on Facebook, Twitter, National Geographic, NY Times article...)

"The guiding star of the walk’s storyline isn’t me. It’s the journey itself, the swarm of ideas and people encountered along the road. The opportunities to link the ambulatory journalism to education are nearly limitless." (Paul Salopek)

Out of Eden Walk Trailer from Out of Eden Walk on Vimeo.

About bike travelling: finding inspiration

It's hard to give a definition of what is bike travelling, and it's even harder to explain the sensation of looking at new places from the top of a saddle.

A 1-day trip at 15 km/h can be the greatest of all the travels. On the other hand, a cyclist completing the Tour de France hardly sees something of the places he bikes through.

Bike travelling is a state of mind. I think there are some bike travellers who have been able to transmit this state of mind through videos, diaries or interviews. Here I collected some of my favourite ones, hoping that they could "inspire" somebody:

- Dino Lanzaretti biked across Tibet. (video in Italian)

- Gabriele Saluci travelled from Turin to Iceland in 2011. (video in Italian)

- "Pedalar é preciso", a 1-year journey across Brazil. (video in Portuguese)

- Frank van Rijn, on the road since he was born... almost! (interview in English)

...50-60 days to the start. Deciding the gear, buying clothes and other stuff, looking for sponsors, planning the route in detail, and more... Organizing it might be as challenging as riding it.