It might seem strange to plan your exit before you arrive, but for the sake of friends, family and your own sanity, it is a very good idea.
/GRAB BAG
Also known as a ‘sac d’evac’ or ‘crash bag’, this is the bag you will grab when the bombs are raining down and you head to a bomb shelter. It is the only thing you will have with you if you are evacuated in a rush. It is the one bag you will put in a safe or a friend’s hotel room if you think someone uninvited might be coming into yours when you pop out for dinner later.
Nick Toksvig recalls how important this bag can be: ‘During the Russia–Georgia conflict, a car with four Sky News people was stopped by armed men. They were forced out and the car was stolen. Inside was their luggage and camera equipment. One guy had got out with his shoulder bag still around his shoulders. It contained money, passport and water. It got them out of there.’
A grab bag is not optional. Everybody needs one. It can be as small as a bum bag, but it had better be bloody good. The stuff you put in there can save your life. You should check it every evening before you go to bed. You should put chargers and passports straight back into their assigned pocket the moment you have used them. You might also decide to put a packet or two of cigarettes in there, or a book; you’ll have your own priorities.
I went into Baghdad with a backpack full of ugly baggy clothes, a book about Iraq by Dilip Hiro, a lot of tampons, a very good Berlitz Arabic phrasebook, a head-torch, a corkscrew/bottle opener (I never travel anywhere without a corkscrew) and a couple of hundred dollars. They all came in useful at one time or another. Having been in the army, I am pretty good at packing a lot into a small space.
I thought I was well prepared, but if I had thought for a bit longer, there was so much more I could have done to help my journey. It is better to carry more than less if you can. The most experienced people in war zones tend to come with a house-load of stuff and then dump it all in an emergency. Of course, the amount you take also depends on your mode of transport. The not-so-funny stories I have heard about people getting killed on the way to buy a razor, or getting pregnant because all the local condoms were out of date should be a lesson to all.
On top of these essentials there are some other bits and bobs I always take along on any trip to make life a little easier:
• Baby wipes – several different brands so that no particular smell becomes associated with a bad time. If that happens, it will limit your choices next time.
• Couple of sarongs – as quick-dry towels, emergency headscarves, skirts (manly ones too, as per David Beckham), dresses, cover-ups, pillows, curtains, extra blankets, useful medical equipment for bandaging and tying on splints, and a crucial layer between you and dirty, smelly hotel sheets when you need one.
• Space blanket – useful to stay warm, and the orange-gold side can be used as a signal (that colour doesn’t occur naturally in the wilderness). Plus, they fold to the size of a hankie.
• Hot-water bottle – can be your best friend in a cold climate. Boil up your water, wait 30 seconds, then pour it into the hot-water bottle. When you wake up in the morning you have water that is safe to drink and at body temperature rather than freezing cold.
And, depending on where you are travelling, some other useful things that can be difficult to find in a hurry should also go in your bag:
• Tin opener
• Duct tape
• String
• Bin bags
• Puritabs/water sterilizing tablets
• Toilet paper
• Vaseline or the cure-all Australian remedy Lucas’ Pawpaw Treatment
• Tweezers
• Eyedrops
• Soap
• Candles
• Washing liquid
• Sewing needles (of different sizes) and thread
Whether you are a girl or a boy, there are some quick lessons to learn about underwear under fire. You need to be able to get up and go straight from your bed to the fire escape if necessary. Leave your posh pants at home. Stefanie Dekker, an Al Jazeera English producer, remembers: ‘I was in Kurdistan and in most of the hotels guys do the laundry. I put all my pretty G-strings in the laundry and came back to my room to see them lined up, drying on my windowsill. Then two guys arrived at my door, one of them from the laundry, big grins on their faces: “Anything else you need, madam?” It felt very awkward. Now I travel with only big pants.’
Stefanie also notes: ‘Remaining professional-looking can be a struggle when there is little water to wash with for weeks on end. I usually take dry shampoo with me. It is a powder spray, which absorbs all the dirt and gives your hairdo a little extra oomph. It’s like a shower in a can!’
There are plenty of other optional extras, not so much for your grab bag, but equally important for remaining safe and sane. Here are some tips from the top.
‘Good pair of sunglasses.’
‘iPod – being able to take photos of family and music on my travels has changed my life.’
‘Books – lots of them. Also cigars and good whisky.’
‘Plenty of aspirin and painkillers.’
‘Cheque book. This works a treat with the hawala system [an informal money-loaning system based on honour and found mainly in the Arab world]. Go to a money-changer and write a cheque – just the sterling amount and a signature are required; the payee and date are left blank – and you are given the equivalent in US dollars. The system works across south Asia and much of the Arabic world.’
‘Penicillin, two passports and a means of communication.’
‘Booze – great for winding down after a day of human suffering and hopelessness. Also Vegemite – it makes anything taste better.’
‘Sat nav and maps, but leave the sat nav behind if you are off to somewhere sensitive. Small generator that produces 220 volts of electricity. Gifts to win people over: chocolate is great for kids, while small solar-powered panels to charge mobiles are cheap and priceless to adults. Camelbak-style water container. Torches with plenty of batteries for when the electricity is down.’
‘Condoms, peanuts, water-bottle, torch, long- and short-sleeved shirts, anti-mosquito repellent, a small bottle of gin or vodka that will not get spotted in a Muslim country where booze is forbidden. Vodka in an IV bag is the best!’