Help me help my Dad live in the rainforest
March 17, 2016 6:09 PM Subscribe
My father is moving to a tropical island for a year to work. What can I do to make his trip better?
My dad is moving to Pohnpei for a year to work. He lived there for a few years decades ago so he has some idea of what to expect, and I'm sure he'll get used to the changes quickly. He will be living in a rural area with sporadic electricity and wifi, and no running water. I'd like to make sure he has the right gear to stay healthy in a hot, humid, sunny climate, have fun, and hit the ground running in his new job. And that he can carry all that gear easily on all the flights he'll take there and back (~4 flights each way).
We've thought of local phones, silica packs to keep medicines from the humidity, wicking shirts, plenty of camera data cards, journals, and comfy carry-on bags. What haven't we thought of? Is there any other gear or personal advice you recommend for a tropical climate far away from home, or for Pohnpei/Micronesia in particular? Any shoes that are professional and comfortable for a while in hot, humid weather? Would solar chargers make sense? What can his loving family do to support him and keep in touch this year?
My dad is moving to Pohnpei for a year to work. He lived there for a few years decades ago so he has some idea of what to expect, and I'm sure he'll get used to the changes quickly. He will be living in a rural area with sporadic electricity and wifi, and no running water. I'd like to make sure he has the right gear to stay healthy in a hot, humid, sunny climate, have fun, and hit the ground running in his new job. And that he can carry all that gear easily on all the flights he'll take there and back (~4 flights each way).
We've thought of local phones, silica packs to keep medicines from the humidity, wicking shirts, plenty of camera data cards, journals, and comfy carry-on bags. What haven't we thought of? Is there any other gear or personal advice you recommend for a tropical climate far away from home, or for Pohnpei/Micronesia in particular? Any shoes that are professional and comfortable for a while in hot, humid weather? Would solar chargers make sense? What can his loving family do to support him and keep in touch this year?
Best answer: We have these inflatable solar-powered LED lanterns that we use for camping and in earthquake kits. They pack flat and hold their charge well and give good light; there are different sizes and light colors. And yes to solar-powered rechargers for gadgets!
posted by rtha at 6:39 PM on March 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by rtha at 6:39 PM on March 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
Giant USB battery packs.
Kindle Paperwhite - has super low energy usage because of e-Ink display, but has a backlight.
posted by BrandonW at 6:42 PM on March 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
Kindle Paperwhite - has super low energy usage because of e-Ink display, but has a backlight.
posted by BrandonW at 6:42 PM on March 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: A headlamp (or three, they're easy to lose) for when the electricity goes out at night. Eagle Creek and Patagonia make great travel packs (backpacks and suitcases) in my experience .
What will his laundry situation be like? I think that will play a big role in what kinds of clothes he brings. If he will be able to have a local woman do his laundry (pretty common in developing countries), then cotton things will probably be the best for a balance of comfortable and presentable. If not, and he's dealing without running water or reliable electricity, then he may want to buy clothes specifically made for traveling, as they will be moisture-wicking and won't need to be ironed (as much). Also, little sachets will help his clothes stay smelling nice between washes (though he'll have to watch to make sure they don't get damp/moldy).
For footwear, how professional does it need to be?
This is not about living in a tropical climate, but he may want to think about bringing small gifts from his home city to give to people who show him hospitality. What is appropriate varies by country, but I've had a lot of success with postcards (so light and portable!), magnets, and small shelf-stable food things like chocolate.
posted by lunasol at 6:55 PM on March 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
What will his laundry situation be like? I think that will play a big role in what kinds of clothes he brings. If he will be able to have a local woman do his laundry (pretty common in developing countries), then cotton things will probably be the best for a balance of comfortable and presentable. If not, and he's dealing without running water or reliable electricity, then he may want to buy clothes specifically made for traveling, as they will be moisture-wicking and won't need to be ironed (as much). Also, little sachets will help his clothes stay smelling nice between washes (though he'll have to watch to make sure they don't get damp/moldy).
For footwear, how professional does it need to be?
This is not about living in a tropical climate, but he may want to think about bringing small gifts from his home city to give to people who show him hospitality. What is appropriate varies by country, but I've had a lot of success with postcards (so light and portable!), magnets, and small shelf-stable food things like chocolate.
posted by lunasol at 6:55 PM on March 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Quick-dry towels. Tea-tree oil soap.
posted by naturalnumbers at 7:03 PM on March 17, 2016
posted by naturalnumbers at 7:03 PM on March 17, 2016
I would hope his employer has this covered, but maybe an emergency/backup Lifestraw or similar product.
Dry bags for stuff and electronics.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:18 PM on March 17, 2016
Dry bags for stuff and electronics.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:18 PM on March 17, 2016
Best answer: He'll know what's available or not, but some dried/ dehydrated food can really be wonderful when it's too hot to cook. I've loved camping meals and dehydrated veggies to improve my diet abroad.
posted by raccoon409 at 8:03 PM on March 17, 2016
posted by raccoon409 at 8:03 PM on March 17, 2016
Oh and for no running water I've appreciated little plastic or metal taps and O-rings so I could turn some garbage cans into hand washing stations/ taps.
posted by raccoon409 at 8:08 PM on March 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by raccoon409 at 8:08 PM on March 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
Microfiber sport towels that dry quickly. I have this one in beach towel sizes. These are the only towels that we own which do not immediately get musty living on the coast. Plus, they dry you off super fast.
posted by 26.2 at 8:18 PM on March 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by 26.2 at 8:18 PM on March 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Pohnpei's delightful, your dad should have a good time. It is both state capitol and national capitol. In Micronesia the locals say that if a man is barefoot he's from an outer island, if he wears zories (flip-flops) he's from the main island, if he's wearing sandals he's with the Peace Corps and if he wears shoes he works for the government. I think he'd do well with a couple of pairs of light weight canvas or synthetic fabric shoes so he can allow one pair to dry, as much as they can, while he wears the other pair. Columbia sports wear has a lot of options for pants and shirts. I don't think he'll have a problem getting his laundry done or going to the laundry himself.
My niece is currently living and working on Majaro RMI where she's been for a year and a half. The island hopper flight between Hawaii and Guam stops at Kwajalein, Majaro, Pohnpei, Chuuk and Yap. I have a guide for first time visitors to Micronesia written by a friend who has spent a lot of time on Pohnpei. Send an email to the address in my profile if you'd like a copy.
posted by X4ster at 11:02 PM on March 17, 2016 [4 favorites]
My niece is currently living and working on Majaro RMI where she's been for a year and a half. The island hopper flight between Hawaii and Guam stops at Kwajalein, Majaro, Pohnpei, Chuuk and Yap. I have a guide for first time visitors to Micronesia written by a friend who has spent a lot of time on Pohnpei. Send an email to the address in my profile if you'd like a copy.
posted by X4ster at 11:02 PM on March 17, 2016 [4 favorites]
Silvadene topical ointment if his Dr. agrees. A very thin coating 1/day times 2 days can stop a rash below the belt buckle from becoming painfully infected. Test for adverse reactions before leaving the U.S. (It's a silver-sulfide antibiotic)
posted by ridgerunner at 11:27 PM on March 17, 2016
posted by ridgerunner at 11:27 PM on March 17, 2016
Second the (treated) mozzie net. Snorkel gear and reef shoes.
Dry bag to keep his electronics in.
posted by nvly at 12:50 AM on March 18, 2016 [1 favorite]
Dry bag to keep his electronics in.
posted by nvly at 12:50 AM on March 18, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Hi! I've spent much of the last four years working in very humid, tropical environments in similar conditions. He's going to a developed island, so I don't think he needs survival gear or anything -- no running water does not necessarily mean he's far from civilization.
His laptop is most likely going to die. This is just the reality of working in a tropical climate. A solid state hard drive in the laptop will help, but is not a failsafe. A couple solid state hard drives to back up his data would be a good idea, as I'm assuming his company will get him a new computer if (when) the damp eats the one he currently has. If there is an air-conditioned place to store those external drives, even better. Tell him to ask for a lock box at a bank, if nothing else. Sometimes the local UPS/DHL office has this service.
Injectable B12 makes you more or less invisible to mosquitoes, or at least brings infestations down to tolerable levels. Enough ampules and syringes for a year would make a world of difference.
Solar chargers are awesome! Get him one that has enough oomph to charge a laptop.
If there is cell data anywhere around, he can probably get a USB modem stick with a cell data plan so you guys can Skype and so on.
Tell him to take the insoles out of the pair of shoes he's not wearing so it dries faster and doesn't mildew.
Silica packs are only going to do so much for so long. He needs to be prepared to be able to refill his scripts at a pharmacy there. Calling first might be a good idea.
***Do not put anything electronic, especially a laptop, into a drybag if it's not actively in danger of being dropped in water. *** I know it seems like a great idea, but when it's super humid, drybags will trap accumulated moisture in your gear. Yes, even if you just open them long enough to take stuff in and out. The best thing you can do for electronics is to use them daily, for enough time that they heat up sufficiently to dry out with their own heat/fans. Hard to do with sporadic power, which is why he probably needs a solar charger.
posted by ananci at 1:54 AM on March 18, 2016 [8 favorites]
His laptop is most likely going to die. This is just the reality of working in a tropical climate. A solid state hard drive in the laptop will help, but is not a failsafe. A couple solid state hard drives to back up his data would be a good idea, as I'm assuming his company will get him a new computer if (when) the damp eats the one he currently has. If there is an air-conditioned place to store those external drives, even better. Tell him to ask for a lock box at a bank, if nothing else. Sometimes the local UPS/DHL office has this service.
Injectable B12 makes you more or less invisible to mosquitoes, or at least brings infestations down to tolerable levels. Enough ampules and syringes for a year would make a world of difference.
Solar chargers are awesome! Get him one that has enough oomph to charge a laptop.
If there is cell data anywhere around, he can probably get a USB modem stick with a cell data plan so you guys can Skype and so on.
Tell him to take the insoles out of the pair of shoes he's not wearing so it dries faster and doesn't mildew.
Silica packs are only going to do so much for so long. He needs to be prepared to be able to refill his scripts at a pharmacy there. Calling first might be a good idea.
***Do not put anything electronic, especially a laptop, into a drybag if it's not actively in danger of being dropped in water. *** I know it seems like a great idea, but when it's super humid, drybags will trap accumulated moisture in your gear. Yes, even if you just open them long enough to take stuff in and out. The best thing you can do for electronics is to use them daily, for enough time that they heat up sufficiently to dry out with their own heat/fans. Hard to do with sporadic power, which is why he probably needs a solar charger.
posted by ananci at 1:54 AM on March 18, 2016 [8 favorites]
Best answer: If you're going to get him external hard drives, maybe load them up with stuff to watch and listen to? Assuming internet access will be less convenient.
posted by XMLicious at 5:25 AM on March 18, 2016
posted by XMLicious at 5:25 AM on March 18, 2016
Baby powder, flip flops, a sarong.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 5:36 AM on March 18, 2016
posted by TWinbrook8 at 5:36 AM on March 18, 2016
Best answer: A pack of el cheapo white handkerchiefs for the sweating (so much sweating) and also for hand-drying. Depending on the toilet situation, he may wish to designate a couple of them for butt-drying (seriously - when I spent time in the tropical rainforest in Thailand, the only thing in the bathroom was a little handheld butt sprayer and I never did figure out how people got their arses dry after using it. I marked a couple of my handkerchiefs with sharpie and ended up using those.)
Depending on the mosquito situation: I was in a pretty dangerous area wrt mosquito-borne diseases and so I took shitloads of mosquito repellent. I carried three strengths: A super extra crazy high strength to spray on my clothes, the strongest skin-safe option to put on skin around the openings of my clothes, and a milder one for my face and hands. I also took malaria prophylaxis.
My dad and I both swear by prophylactic pepto-bismol (chewable tablets) until he gets used to the local microbia. He certainly shouldn't need it for the whole year, but it might help with the adjustment period for the first few weeks.
A couple of packs of dental floss and some needles. You can sew just about anything back together with dental floss (maybe a standard sewing kit to fix clothes, but if a duffel bag goes kaput you want dental floss). Similarly, some duct tape, but don't take the roll - wrap it onto a little piece of cardboard so it's flat.*
A couple of sturdy, carry-able water bottles.
My communication home was via internet shops in town, where I got to go about once a week. There was internet available at the tourist bureau, but around the corner there was a much cheaper internet shop with about 30 computers that was always *packed* with schoolboys playing Cross-fire. The lady that ran it was really nice - when I came in she'd always collar a couple of boys and drag them off to open up a computer for me.
Agreed that small trinkety gifts will be muchly appreciated by locals, but don't take chocolate, that's asking for a melty disaster. Postcards are good, maybe some travel size bottles of liquor. Maybe some kind of maple candy, and tell them it's your local specialty. When I was in Thailand, I thrilled the local kids by giving them a few American coins each.
*It's highly unlikely your dad will need to do this but my dad and his paleontology crew once lost the radiator cap on their '70s-era Toyota Land Cruiser at a gas station, realized when the car broke down 200 miles into the Gobi desert, and repaired it with (I shit you not) duct tape and melted asphalt they scraped off the road. And of course the last of their drinking water.
posted by telepanda at 7:23 AM on March 18, 2016 [2 favorites]
Depending on the mosquito situation: I was in a pretty dangerous area wrt mosquito-borne diseases and so I took shitloads of mosquito repellent. I carried three strengths: A super extra crazy high strength to spray on my clothes, the strongest skin-safe option to put on skin around the openings of my clothes, and a milder one for my face and hands. I also took malaria prophylaxis.
My dad and I both swear by prophylactic pepto-bismol (chewable tablets) until he gets used to the local microbia. He certainly shouldn't need it for the whole year, but it might help with the adjustment period for the first few weeks.
A couple of packs of dental floss and some needles. You can sew just about anything back together with dental floss (maybe a standard sewing kit to fix clothes, but if a duffel bag goes kaput you want dental floss). Similarly, some duct tape, but don't take the roll - wrap it onto a little piece of cardboard so it's flat.*
A couple of sturdy, carry-able water bottles.
My communication home was via internet shops in town, where I got to go about once a week. There was internet available at the tourist bureau, but around the corner there was a much cheaper internet shop with about 30 computers that was always *packed* with schoolboys playing Cross-fire. The lady that ran it was really nice - when I came in she'd always collar a couple of boys and drag them off to open up a computer for me.
Agreed that small trinkety gifts will be muchly appreciated by locals, but don't take chocolate, that's asking for a melty disaster. Postcards are good, maybe some travel size bottles of liquor. Maybe some kind of maple candy, and tell them it's your local specialty. When I was in Thailand, I thrilled the local kids by giving them a few American coins each.
*It's highly unlikely your dad will need to do this but my dad and his paleontology crew once lost the radiator cap on their '70s-era Toyota Land Cruiser at a gas station, realized when the car broke down 200 miles into the Gobi desert, and repaired it with (I shit you not) duct tape and melted asphalt they scraped off the road. And of course the last of their drinking water.
posted by telepanda at 7:23 AM on March 18, 2016 [2 favorites]
Gold Bond Powder, and lots of it.
Bandanas to wipe the sweat out of his face.
Mosquito netting.
A good hat, to keep the sun off his face and neck.
Long sleeve sun shirts that are vented.
Pants that don't hug the junk (chafing).
If he has room for it, you can find battery-powered bug zappers that look like tennis rackets. It's a fun way to spend the evening.
Booze- if you drink enough, the mosquitoes won't bother you as much.
Steel-toed rubber boots (snakes).
The above list is just what you need to survive in Louisiana.
posted by myselfasme at 8:47 AM on March 18, 2016 [2 favorites]
Bandanas to wipe the sweat out of his face.
Mosquito netting.
A good hat, to keep the sun off his face and neck.
Long sleeve sun shirts that are vented.
Pants that don't hug the junk (chafing).
If he has room for it, you can find battery-powered bug zappers that look like tennis rackets. It's a fun way to spend the evening.
Booze- if you drink enough, the mosquitoes won't bother you as much.
Steel-toed rubber boots (snakes).
The above list is just what you need to survive in Louisiana.
posted by myselfasme at 8:47 AM on March 18, 2016 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Seconding a dry bag for electronics. Keeps out not just water and humidity, but also sand and grit. And a quick dry hat that has a rollable flap that will cover your ears and neck.
And cotton bandanas x1000. I lived in Miami for five years, and bandanas were my life nine months out of the year.
posted by jeff-o-matic at 10:03 AM on March 18, 2016
And cotton bandanas x1000. I lived in Miami for five years, and bandanas were my life nine months out of the year.
posted by jeff-o-matic at 10:03 AM on March 18, 2016
Best answer: What work will your father be doing? Wondering if this article might be of interest to him; Sustainable Human Development in the Federated States of Micronesia. Link is to a Micronesia Seminar page.
posted by X4ster at 10:20 AM on March 18, 2016
posted by X4ster at 10:20 AM on March 18, 2016
Response by poster: Thank you, these comments have been really helpful and have jogged some ideas for me as well- cord for hanging clothes, cribbage board, leatherman-style thing. Any more ideas are welcome.
posted by slanket wizard at 8:25 AM on March 19, 2016
posted by slanket wizard at 8:25 AM on March 19, 2016
A friend who does research in tropical areas swears by 100% DEET (dangerously strong, like probably not safe for skin) bug repellent... which you can get on Amazon.... but warns that it will dissolve some plastics, like if you have it on your skin and touch a plastic tablecloth, it will strip the decorations off the tablecloth or even leave a hole. So, maybe something to look at.
posted by LobsterMitten at 8:31 AM on March 19, 2016
posted by LobsterMitten at 8:31 AM on March 19, 2016
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by stormyteal at 6:25 PM on March 17, 2016 [1 favorite]