Trip Preparation

Kellen Smetana
It seems like the organization of this endeavor has paralleled the timeline of human evolution.  The first million years, a tiny bit happened.  The next million years, a tiny bit more happened.  And in the last couple thousand years (or in this case couple thousand hours), everything happened.  Like any good consultant, I put together a workplan for the trip.  I’m crazy but not crazy enough to do something I can’t prepare for, and it is here that living in the age of the internet has proven to be quite a catalyst.  There are pages and pages of information on trip preparation, route ideas, gear lists, and inspiring stories of other people who have worked with the World Bicycle Relief.  I want this site to serve that purpose as well, so I have outlined some of the trip preparation activities in detail below:

Vaccinations & First Aid

First Aid training at the kitchen table

Living with a medical student means I sometimes have to catch glimpses of appalling textbook photos and the responsible surgical instruments, though it also allows me certain benefits.  One of those is a personal crash-course in survival first-aid training.  Navneet, my roommate, spent an evening going through the various situations and remedies I may encounter on the road: setting splints, proper wound cleansing, and even suturing techniques.  Better safe than sorry!

It’s a wide world out there, and it seems there are plenty of diseases to fill any void.  Fortunately, we have vaccines for some of these.  CDC.gov has been very helpful in understanding the health risks in various countries.  Below is a list of vaccines I either had or have gotten for this trip:

- MMR             - DPT               - Polio              - Hepatitis A           - Hepatitis B            - Typhoid            - Rabies

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Mechanic Training

I have been around bikes for a while but haven’t always been the most proficient when it comes to their inner workings.  So before the trip I solicited the help of some friends at the Hub of Detroit, a wonderful bike collective I got involved with in Detroit.  In exchange for helping a little around the shop, I have spent time with Darrin Brouhard and company every Sunday to get a healthy course of bicycle maintenance and soak up some knowledge from Darrin’s extensive bicycle touring experience.  Check out the Hub of Detroit and Back Alley Bikes at their website.

Darrin waxing poetic about derailleur cables

Visas

One week turnaround time for a Chinese visa – much less painful than I expected!  As for the others, I bite my lip for another time…  Entry dates are variable and we will have to get these en route.  All signs points to quite the quagmire; I’m sure there will be more on this to follow.

Visas Needed                          Countries Avoided Due to Visas                         Countries Avoided Regardless
- China                                      - Turkmenistan                                                     - Iran
- Kazakhstan                             - Russia
- Kyrgyzstan
- Uzbekistan
- Azerbaijan
- Turkey

(Thanks EU!)

Maps

Everyone loved spinning the globe as a kid, building the list of places they would one day visit.  It’s no different opening detailed maps for a trip like this.  I have half a dozen large scale maps for plotting the route.  The more detailed, day-to-day maps will have to be purchased abroad.  They will be cheaper, much more readily available, and being in the local language, they will help in deciphering street signs and asking for directions.

These may be handy

Gear List

It’s been fun piecing together my pack from stuff I owned and needed to get.  Visit the Stats page for a full list.

Tanning

I’ve been hitting the tanning beds to get a nice base down so I don’t burn at the start of my trip…

Totally kidding on this last point.  I had you going though.