James:
My wife and I traveled through Israel in 2007. For that occasion a lot of travel research and came upon the OneBag web site.
OneBag proudly announces that there are two kinds of flight luggage: “Carry-on” and “Lost”. This site is a superb resource of tested information on compact and efficient one bag travel for extended periods.
Through them I discovered an excellent US made carry-on/backpack by Mountain Equipment that masquerades as handled carry-on with hidden frame, full size shoulder straps and belly band .
Unzipping side zippers reveals the shoulder straps and belly band. The bag converts in seconds to a comfortable well supported backpack.
On our return from Israel we arrived for a layover in Paris and found ourselves in the middle of a nation-wide transit strike. Off to the side, we converted to back packs and easily hiked the 1/2 mile to the only train running to Gard de Norde and from there into central Paris for our overnight.
I have no relationship to MEI Packs or OneBag. The bags are all they promise. We will be using ours for a return this fall. – Dollardog
Jim;
I enjoyed the Bugging Out Abroad article. J. Has some excellent points and realized his deficiencies regarding where he stands with out precious metals and comms. I to have traveled quite a bit in the past several years, and it is always a learning experience to figure out how to survive different situations in countries where, you are the foreigner and will need special skills if the SHTF while your over seas. Over the past several years I have traveled mostly to countries where I can obtain a reciprocal ham radio license, or obtain a license in country. Ham radio is extremely useful to me doing Missions work. So if you have that bent it is easy to get information and start a licensing process long before you leave your own country, The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) has contact with other national clubs around the world where you can actually contact other Hams to help you out. Hams around the world are always gracious and helpful, and wish to meet there fellows from other parts of the world. Whether I get my reciprocal or not, I always carry a 12 volt DC 100 watt HF rig with me,one of my radios fits nicely into my Bible zipper bag, It helps to keep the microphone and Key separate, and an adjustable pre-marked lightweight HF dipole antenna kit with my baggage. If ask about a license, I just show my American license. It usually works and I have only been ask curious interested questions. If I don’t have a local license, I simply tell them I will be going onto a country where my license is good and usually I am.
On carrying Gold and Silver. I never go anywhere overseas anymore without at least 4 or 5 ounces of fractional gold on me and separated in different places. I usually keep at least 2 ounces in fractional with my passport, Just incase the financial balloon breaks that should be enough to get me home.. You will almost always in Asia–Thailand, VietNam, Indonesia etc find places where you can exchange gold for local currencies. Europe, Germany for sure even the banks will exchange for gold.
As noted in James’s novel Survivors other countries are far more likely to trade for it than even here. It is really interesting I had to go to Afghanistan several years ago, and when I got off the plane the first thing I did in the restroom was get my K-Bar out an strap it on under my jacket. I figured if anyone wanted to cut my head off, they were going to have to work for it. That was really a scary place for a solo traveling American. Oh, I managed to keep it on me when I left on the old rattle trap civilian airplane, there was very poor security, and in my mind I’m sure that some of the fellows on the aircraft were terrorists. And the UN employees onboard were useless. Blessings, – Dave of Oregon