Packing List: Cambodia

11/6/09

Print this post

6 Comments

Popular Written by David Miller

Stumble It

People’s most transparent writings are often their journals or notes. Even a simple packing or to-do list can say a lot about who you are, how you think. In this new series, we look at people’s actual packing lists as windows into their travel style, and potentially, the places they’re going. We start with Seth M. Baker.

SETH WRITES “The attached packing list photo is from a brief trip I took to Cambodia from South Korea in October. I spent a six days in Siam Reap, visiting the temples, eating amok (fish curry), and getting my feet wet. The main streets were flooded from the same storms that slammed the Philippines only days before. I gave myself a headache converting from Korean won to Khmer riel to USD and back again.”

Seth also put up a sweet visual packing list with notes here.

Here’s a transcription of the list:

-malarone (the script above says ‘Malaria’ in Hangul/Korean writing)
-advil
-toothbrush/paste
-antacid tables
-razor
-deodorant
-DEET
-toilet paper
-anti-diarrhea medicine (the Hangul at the bottom right is the Korean word for diarrhea. Got some laughs from the pharmacist for that).
-[to buy] hand sanitizer
-[to buy] oral rehydration salts

-camera, memory cards, charger, mini-tripod
-ipod, adapter
-Korean cell phone
-travel alarm clock
-electrical plug adapter
-headlamp

Clothing
-1 jeans
-1 shorts
-1 buttoned shirt, long-sleeved
-3 t-shirts
-5 underwear, socks
-hat
-short sleeve shirt

-ziploc bags
-day pack (didn’t take)
-this black book
-pens
-yellow pad
-reading material (Graham Greene novel)
-travel guide
-passport copy
-umbrella
-money belt-
-$700 USD (only took $300)

Community Connection

Do you make packing lists before you go? What’s the strangest one you’ve ever put together? Tell us about it in the comments. Or if you have a pic or scan (or can take one), please send to david at matadornetworkdotcom.

Bigups to Seth Baker for sending this in, and if you’re looking for more on Cambodia, please check out our resources here.

Tagged under: Cambodia, packing list

Stumble It

About the Author

Matador ID: david-miller

David Miller is Founding Editor of the Traveler's Notebook and Senior Editor at Matador . His personal blog is here.

More By This Author

FTC Guidelines Mandating Transparency to Begin Dec. 1
Travel Writing as Punk Rock: 15 Vital Matador Narratives (11 comments)
What makes a photo tell a story? (6 comments)

» view all

Do it while you're young. (13 comments)

Subscription Options

Subscribe via RSS feed

Subscribe via Email

Comments (6)

6 Comments... join the discussion!

Michelle replied on November 6, 2009

Love this series! And I’m excited to see someone I know as the first contributor (hi Seth!)!!!

↵ Reply
Joshywashington replied on November 6, 2009

i love this scan, it looks so much like my travel notebooks; random calculations, symbols, things crossed out…
this gives me itchy feet!

↵ Reply
Candice replied on November 6, 2009

Immodium = always a necessity. I love these private glimpses into another person’s life, handwriting is so underrated!

↵ Reply

Abbie replied to Candice on November 8, 2009

I agree Candice (about the private glimpses)… I feel like I’m looking at his diary or something!

↵ Reply

Matt Loney replied on November 8, 2009

I love the small random calculations in the corners. And the scratched out time-table. Did you cancel your 30 min. jog?

Great idea.

↵ Reply
Seth M. Baker replied on November 11, 2009

Glad everyone enjoyed this little peek into my disjointed (but surprisingly effective) travel preparations.

@Joshywashington: I’ve never given anybody itchy feet before. Isn’t that usually a bad thing?

@Candice and Abbie: I ended up forgetting my immodium, but when I walked into that Cambodian pharmacy with my hand on my stomach, they knew what I wanted. International sign for ‘I think I accidentally ate some bad bush meat.”

@Matt Loney: I did cancel my jog, but only because I’m kind of lazy.

(Hi Michelle!)

↵ Reply