Equipment
This stage might be the funniest and most exciting one of the preparation. You would better make a list of every item you need if you don't want to buy the whole store. To be sure not to forget anything, we visited many travel blogs and took their advice very seriously, especially regarding the size and weight of items and where they purchased them.
We started shopping in July 2019 (3 months before departure), both online and in retail stores depending on the nature of the items and their availability:
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#DECATHLON for most of our trekking equipment and clothes
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#AMAZON for some traveling / electronic accessories and practical hygiene items
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#DARTY & OTHER COMPUTER STORES for ICT equipment
Initial equipment
PAPERS
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Passport (+ copy)
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Visas when required
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Driving license
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International driving license
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International vaccination certificate
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Blood group card
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Medical prescriptions
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ID photos
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Credit cards (Visa & Mastercard)
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Cash
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Solvency proof
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Insurance certificate
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Emergency list (embassies contact details)
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Travel guide
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Notebook + pens
HYGIENE
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Toothbrush
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Toothpaste
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Hairbrush / comb
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Hairbands
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Roll-on deodorant
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Razors
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Cotton buds & cotton pads
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Eyelash curlers
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Basic make-up
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Makeup remover
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Cleaning wipes
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Sanitary supplies
ACCESSORIES
HEALTH
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First aid kit (bandages, gauze, tweezers, scissors, gloves)
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Hand sanitizer
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Sunscreen
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Mosquito repellent (skin & clothing)
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Anti-malarial treatment
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Disinfectant
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Imodium + spasfon
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Pain killers (Dafalgan)
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Antibiotics
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Moisturizing cream
CLOTHING
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Underclothing
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Long-sleeved shirt / sweater
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Shorts
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Hiking pants (modular)
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Jeans
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Rain coat
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Flip-flops
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Swimming suit & anti-UV shirt
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Cap & neck strap
DEVICES
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Locator Beacon & batteries
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Smartphone (Dual Sim) & charger
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Resistant phone casings
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Laptop (Chromebook) & charger
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Hybrid camera (photo) & charger
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Camera (Go Pro type) + accessories & charger
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Memory cards (phone + camera)
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Memory stick
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Multi-socket
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Headphones
Equipment acquired along the way
Our humanitarian world tour having started in South-East Asia, i.e. with a tropical climate (hot and humid) and where camping is not very usual, we decided not to burden ourselves with warm clothes, the tent and the mattresses. It was planned to have them repatriated from France when family and friends would visit us.
But our itinerary having been greatly modified due to the pandemic, we had to give up camping adept countries such as Chile and Argentina. For the few treks, climbs and bivouacs that we have done, we have therefore preferred to rent the equipment on site (tent, mattresses, thermal sleeping bags, stove, hiking poles) at very reasonable prices. Weight and space savings guaranteed for the rest of the trip!
As for new acquisitions, we again chose DECATHLON, present in more than 60 countries, for technical matters.
For the rest, whether in relation to papers (visas), accessories (sunglasses, waterproof bag), clothing (various), hygiene (various), health (medicines) and electronic devices (phone, camera, headphones, computer repair), we had no trouble finding what we needed directly on site, and often at much lower prices.