It’s advisable not to think too much about what to pack for such a caper. Not, at least, until you’ve selected and purchased a load of stuff which, in either one tremendous swoop or several expeditions, you’ve picked up because you have a vague hope that, at some point, it “might come in handy,” while realising it actually won’t. The first thing I dusted down was my combined knife, saw, tweezers, toothpick and bottle opener Swiss Army app. I put it away again, on remembering it’s on the list of gizmos not allowed - NO WAY - to take onto the plane (or ANY plane) as hand luggage.
A shame.
Still, I was able to pack my convertible trousers which I bought from a swank arcade after being drenched in Llandudno a couple of summers back. They’re a garment precisely invented for my demographic - unzipping legs and light fabric give the illusion of adventure, and conceivably a head start in the necessity, should it arise - and you just never know - of off-road wading through Balkan swamps. The detachable legs could also serve as emergency tourniquets. All in all, these Welsh strides are excellent, and not only on account of their swamp wading and tourniquet applications; they don’t chafe, have a wonderful and generously expandable waistline and don’t show the dirt.
Otherwise? Well, a check of my Ordnance Survey maps found me short on ‘that sort of thing,’ (my collection being confined to Luton & Stevenage, one or two of the adjoining maps and one or two from UK holidays), so I bought guides for Belgrade (Vladimir Dulovic, Komshe) and Sofia (Thomas Cook mini guide). Dulović was excellent; T Cook dreadful. More of which later.
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