Have vaporub, will travel
- Susannah Sutton
- Mar 26, 2016
- 2 min read
We've landed in the Southern Hemisphere and the sky and sea are as blue as all the holiday brochures would have you believe. What's a sailor to do? Go for a swim... oh, hang on...
As much as we'd like to show off our superior swimming speed, we'd hate to show the sharks up, so instead we decided to do our bit for public service and answer one of the £64,000 questions we are asked as professional sailors.
"How do you pack within 20kg luggage when you are off to sail for many, many months? What kind of wet weather gear is the best? How much underwear do I need? What kind of bag is good?"
So here it is, a real sailors guide to packing a bag...
As this is only post #2, we are focusing on two things - what is a bag and why the first thing to put in it is vaporub.
THE BAG - you do not want one of those lovely square wheelie suitcases, they take up too much room, they don't fold down and the wheels can ruin the deck of a boat. Plus, they take up too much of your luggage allowance! Find yourself a bag that's easily foldable, water resistant if you can, or maybe even just a complete dry bag.
This one holds up to 145 litres, and it folds down to virtually nothing. It's got rubber wheels (so no damage to deck), weighs hardly anything, and it's water resistant! Even better, it was super cheap. “New Rebels” is the brand of choice.
VAPORUB - there is nothing this stuff cannot do. Aside from cook, play the guitar and sail the boat.
Insect repellent - mosquitoes and flies. Dab it on your clothes and your neck, inner elbows, knees and behind your ears. Might repel any potential love interests as well. Having a picnic? Have the pot open on the table and nothing will fly near your food either.
Fix nasty physical side effects of too much sailing - it fixes cracked heels, tennis elbow and other aching muscles, plus athlete's foot, and fingernail and toenail fungus. Just apply it liberally to the affected area. It also heals splinters and cuts, and dissolves bruises quickly.
Address cold and flu ailments - this is probably what it is best known for and while this may seem obvious, it is very important. If you are on a long delivery and get a cold, you don't want to be on watch suffering the sedative side-effects of many over the counter cold and flu medication. Hence, vaporub on your chest and nostrils can make you feel better without compromising your thinking capacity. That in itself is worth packing 3 pots at least.
As for the rest of the bag? That's the next blog post! Stay tuned funseekers...
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