# the indispensable travel item: camera, penknife, or equipo de mates?



## Chaska Ñawi

Argentines and Uruguayans, at least in South America, seem to be famous for always travelling with their mate equipment.  Having just spent some time travelling with an Argentine, I can confirm that on arrival at a new town his first action was to find a market and fill his thermos with boiling water, proceed to the plaza, and unpack his bombilla for some mates.  

As a Canadian, my most indispensable travel equipment had hitherto been my camera .... but by the end of this trip I was just as interested in the wellbeing of the equipo de mates as I was in maintaining my camera.

Most of my English relatives never even board a bus without carrying tea bags.

What item is seen by your culture as being the most necessary for travel?  Equipo de mate?  Swiss army knife?   Blackberry?  Lucky shoelaces?  Are you a hoopy frood who always knows where his towel is?  

One note: please remember that we're talking about items representative of a culture, and not about personal preferences.  And now .... let's hit the road.


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## PABLO DE SOTO

I don' t know what happened twenty years ago, but now I 'd say *Mobile phones* for Spaniards.
We need to tell our friends or family where we are, what we have done, send pictures , how is the weather like in our town etc.
Late in the evening , exhausted after a walking day, your girl or boy having a shower ,you can only do two interesting things: watching or trying to watch the international channel of the Spanish television, or call to your family to tell how nice is everything where you are.


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## cuchuflete

I cannot speak for the entire population of my country, don't know what a hoopy frood is, and don't know if you are asking about domestic or international travel.  For the later, those of my generation were trained well, and
always took a pack frame.  I still do when I travel outside the U.S.  This is representative of a portion of my culture, not all of it.


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## alexacohen

Hello,
That question is quite difficult to answer. It depends very much on the way you travel.
Box with surgical spirit, band aids and cotton pads, lantern, Swiss Army knife, and a cream to repel mosquitoes.
No hiker in Spain travels without them.


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## Chaska Ñawi

What fascinated me about the equipo de mate was that it seemed to cross all borders.  It didn't matter whether the drinker was backpacking, hiking, talking about an intercity bus or a train to Cuzco - the mate equipment was invariable for the Argentine.

For Canadians, the camera seems to fill this hole.  It doesn't matter if we're backpacking, driving to work, visiting a time share in Mexico, or staying in a luxury hotel in Marseille - that camera is the common denominator.  It may, of course, be combined with a cell phone.

P.S.  The hoopy frood is a reference to The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy - the true traveller is the hoopy frood who always knows where his towel is.


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## Black Opal

I suspect proper strong tea bags wins hands down for the British, closely follwed by travel kettle.
Anything similar abroad that calls itself tea pales in comparison to *name poison of choice*.

I still bring them back each trip by the thousands. 
I'll get arrested one day


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## mirx

Pablo de Soto's response (post number 2) pretty much englobes what the Mexican attitude is while travelling, keep in touch with family and friends at all costs!

Many -and by many I mean really a lot- Mexicans will bring a Mexican flag with them, since this turns out to be quite unpractical, people tend to dress with whatever that says "MEXICO" on it.

And a sandwich, you never know when you'll get hungry. In general I'd say that we love our own food, and we'll do anything to bring it with us


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## Etcetera

A camera, undoubtedly. It has become an indispensable part of a tourist's equipment. Anything else can be bought in any shop. A camera is something you *must not *forget to take - you wouldn't buy a new camera in each new city you decide to spend a lovely weekend in, would you?..

As for bringing food with you, it's seen as absolutely necessary by most of the population. Most people take sandwiches or fruits. Speaking of tea bags, they aren't popular among travellers here: people usually make tea at homes and take thermoses with them. That's what I sometimes do when it's about two hours before my train leaves and I'm feeling a bit under the weather.


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## kinia22

I don't think that travel equipment depends on your nationality, it depends on people. In my opinion the most important is water or something else for drinking and sime handkerchieves


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## Jocaste

The Scrivener said:


> Vive la France!


Obviously 

For a lot of people I know, an indispensable travel item would be a book (to read I mean) and a notebook to write their thoughts, to draw what they see during the travel. A sort of travel-diary I'd say. Most of my (French) friends brought a notebook with them. I don't know if it might be seen as an item representative of the French culture, though. But I like having some drawings of what I saw.


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## gotitadeleche

Cuchu, what's a pack frame?


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## cuchuflete

Hola Gotita,

A back pack with a very light weight metal or plastic frame.  One can live with its contents for months, as I have done.  Here's a picture of one:

http://mirror.altrec.com/images/shop/photos/OSP/29183_m.jpg

Tomorrow I'm taking visitors from France on a boat ride and hike on Monhegan Island, and the pack frame will
carry lunch, drinks, camera equipment, sweaters, and assorted other junk, and will leave my hands free for
climbing rocks and using a walking stick on slippery trails.


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## samanthalee

Strangely enough, camera is "not a necessity" for our travels. It is common for us to bring on our travels 3 things: chilli paste, medicine for food-poisoning, and an extra empty luggage for bringing back souvenirs in.
We can't live without our own favourite kind of chilli paste. Food-poisoning medicine in case our delicate stomach gets home-sick before we do.
And the extra luggage is because we are obsessed with shopping.

For the older generation, they usually will bring some packets of instant noodles, just in case they get sick of the "foreign food". Instant noodles is considered a good enough substitute for the Asian food they miss when faced with steaks and breads and pasta all day long.


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## Horazio

"Equipo de mate" is a big NO NO outside RiverPlate.... People could get some weird ideas


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## gotitadeleche

Ohhh. Thanks Cuchu for the explanation. Have a good day with your visitors!




cuchuflete said:


> Hola Gotita,
> 
> A back pack with a very light weight metal or plastic frame.  One can live with its contents for months, as I have done.  Here's a picture of one:
> 
> http://mirror.altrec.com/images/shop/photos/OSP/29183_m.jpg
> 
> Tomorrow I'm taking visitors from France on a boat ride and hike on Monhegan Island, and the pack frame will
> carry lunch, drinks, camera equipment, sweaters, and assorted other junk, and will leave my hands free for
> climbing rocks and using a walking stick on slippery trails.


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## The Scrivener

I can't speak for the whole of the UK, but I always take a corkscrew, a small pair of scissors, needle and cotton, penknife and notebook.


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## Vanda

Gaúchos would certainly carry their mate equipment wherever they go. The rest of us, nowadays, would take our camera. Some of us would take coffee - most of the times , I do. The rest of the items would fall in the personal category, I think.


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## scotu

For more than thirty years I never went anywhere without my Swiss Army Knife. Unfortunately this wonderful tool has fallen victim to our fear of terrorists. I lost my last one by forgetting to take it out of my backpack before getting on a plane. 

If you are going to be traveling in Mexico you will that find Imodium and toliet paper will come in handy.

scotu


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## etabetapi

I have been told that some people is amused that Singaporeans always carry an umbrella with them whenever they step out of their home, regardless of the weather forecast.

It is true that most Singaporeans wouldn't leave home without their trusty umbrella.

I've also been told that Korean women would never dream of leaving home without putting on makeup. (Please correct me if this is wrong )

What is it that your countrymen (and women) won't leave home without? We are talking about a general trend; something that applies to most people in your country (or in your city or state/province or within your race or ethnic group or cultural circle).


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## danielfranco

It's difficult to generalize in a country like mine. First, there are many different customs because we are a very metropolitan area here, in North Texas, where people from many parts of the world live together, bringing their own traditions to the mix. Also, this is a very, very, very large country, and some of those indispensable items could be related to the region. But, if I must, I would guess that here in Dallas we never leave home without hopping into our motor vehicles. We don't even go to the corner store without driving some sort of transport.

And as far as it goes for my former home in Mexico City, back then we never went outdoors without a sweater or jacket. Even in summer.

Bueno, bye.
D


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## alexacohen

etabetapi said:


> What is it that your countrymen (and women) won't leave home without? We are talking about a general trend; something that applies to most people in your country (or in your city or state/province or within your race or ethnic group or cultural circle).


My countrymen who smoke won't ever leave home without a supply of cigarettes and a lighter or two.
If travelling abroad that would mean up to 200 cigarettes, the maximum number one person can take out (or bring into) any country.
Though I'm not quite sure if smokers are to be considered an ethnic group or a cultural circle.


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## Qcumber

I've just discovered this link, and I must confess it took me some time to understand what _equipo de mate_ was. As italics were not used, I wondered what sort of mates, he was talking about.

So _mate_ is just a beverage, a sort of tea. It's got nothing to do with cameras, knives, mates, etc. The question should be "what beverage do travellers usually take with them in your country?"

US kids carry big bottles of mineral water.
European travellers generally take no beverage with them as they are available on trains, planes and pubs along the road.


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## tvdxer

Chaska Ñawi said:


> Argentines and Uruguayans, at least in South America, seem to be famous for always travelling with their mate equipment.  Having just spent some time travelling with an Argentine, I can confirm that on arrival at a new town his first action was to find a market and fill his thermos with boiling water, proceed to the plaza, and unpack his bombilla for some mates.
> 
> As a Canadian, my most indispensable travel equipment had hitherto been my camera .... but by the end of this trip I was just as interested in the wellbeing of the equipo de mates as I was in maintaining my camera.
> 
> Most of my English relatives never even board a bus without carrying tea bags.
> 
> What item is seen by your culture as being the most necessary for travel?  Equipo de mate?  Swiss army knife?   Blackberry?  Lucky shoelaces?  Are you a hoopy frood who always knows where his towel is?
> 
> One note: please remember that we're talking about items representative of a culture, and not about personal preferences.  And now .... let's hit the road.



For Americans traveling domestically, it's definitely the cell phone and the camera (usually digital today, at least for younger people).  And for those under 25, the i-Pod.

Internationally, American cell phones don't work too well outside the U.S. and Canada (I'm not even sure about Mexico), so if one calls home it's probably using a phone card.  But the digital camera and i-Pod rule still applies.

Many like to bring their laptops or Blackberries away from home or abroad today as well, to keep up with business at home.  This is probably a true American thing.


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## alexacohen

tvdxer said:


> Many like to bring their laptops or Blackberries away from home or abroad today as well, to keep up with business at home. This is probably a true American thing.


Not quite. 
My very British uncle, who is a lawyer, has been taking his computer to the beach for years now. He's now on a six month _pleasure_ trip all around Australia and, you bet, the laptop, the cell phone, the Blackberry, his old PDA, and countless chargers are travelling along with him. 
And I carry my laptop everywhere, but, well, I have to: I'm a WR freak.


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## Vanda

I've forgotten a very special item for a mineiro - a person living in the state of Minas Gerais - when traveling abroad to visit friends: polvilho doce (a special flour made of cassava) to prepare our famous pão de queijo (cheese buns/breads). The problem is that the texture and color of the flour make it difficult nowadays to convince customs' officer it is not drug. One acquaintance of us spent hours trying to explain an officer that was not cocaine.  To tell the truth, after these whole new procedures in airports I don't know if someone can get away with it.


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## etabetapi

etabetapi said:


> I have been told that some people is amused that Singaporeans always carry an umbrella with them whenever they step out of their home, regardless of the weather forecast.
> 
> It is true that most Singaporeans wouldn't leave home without their trusty umbrella.
> 
> I've also been told that Korean women would never dream of leaving home without putting on makeup. (Please correct me if this is wrong )
> 
> What is it that your countrymen (and women) won't leave home without? We are talking about a general trend; something that applies to most people in your country (or in your city or state/province or within your race or ethnic group or cultural circle).


 
I see my thread is merged with this "travel" thread...Blame it on my bad title.
Actually what I'm asking is: When you are *going to the Grocer's* or just *visiting your doctor*, what do you absolutely have to take with you?


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## alexacohen

etabetapi said:


> I see my thread is merged with this "travel" thread...Blame it on my bad title.
> Actually what I'm asking is: When you are *going to the Grocer's* or just *visiting your doctor*, what do you absolutely have to take with you?


But that would be a personal choice, not a cultural trait, wouldn't it?


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## etabetapi

alexacohen said:


> But that would be a personal choice, not a cultural trait, wouldn't it?


 
It can still be a cultural trait. For example, I had said most Singaporean would always bring an umbrella regardless of weather forecast. Korean women would always put on makeup before stepping out of the door. Danielfranco had said that in Dallas, they never leave home without driving some sort of transport, even if they are just going to the corner store. He also mentioned that in Mexico City they never went outdoors without a sweater or jacket; even in summer.

These are things that are not universal but are practised by the majority in some regions.


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## avok

I admit that this may not be an ideal answer or my own practice but I think indispensable travel items should be:

*a credit card that you can use all around the world
*condoms
*lots and lots of toilet paper


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## JazzByChas

I am always happy to travel with my camera (and, as has been said above, these days it is usually a digital one), plenty of money and hotel reservations...<grin>

Although I am not of the generation that uses iPods, I can see younger Americans doing this...music is a universal thing.

However, excuse my ignorance, but what exactly is "*equipo de mates" ?*

Gracias

{EDIT:} Apparently, 'Equipo de mates" is a set of utensils used for making tea.  Well, I don't think most Americans travel with their teapots, even the Coca Colas ... although they might look for a Coke wherever they go.


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## sokol

There's no real indispensable travel item for Austrians - but there's one which is sometimes mentioned to describe Austrian travellers, to stereotype them: this is the Birkenstock-Schlapfen (I only realized this when I saw the other thread).

It is said that a typical middle-class Austrian traveller never goes anywhere without his "Birkenstock". (That is: sandals for use in the flat, or on the beach, etc.)
But this of course is not true.


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## Maeskizzle

For travelers from the U.S., I think bringing waay too much luggage on a trip is pretty typical.  For Americans who will be camping or backpacking, I find the Nalgene bottle to be pretty typical, maybe duct tape as well.  This doesn´t mean all U.S. citizens bring these things, but I think these are typical travel items of a fair amount of people from the states.


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