With so little space in a backpacker’s portable closet, every item must be picked, purchased and stashed wisely. The right travel packing list is key to a light bag and a successful trip. It doesn’t matter where you go, as long as you’re prepared for the journey.
“Flies sure are friendly here.” A customer in the Nundroo shop drops his credit card to swat at the interrupting bugs. Frustrated curses follow their lazy retreat.
“Wait until summer,” I warn, as one fly beelines for my own face, “they’ll get worse.”
Friendly is not how I’d describe the population around this remote, South Australian roadhouse. Friendly as a zombie army of never-ending foes that fail to die. For every one you swipe away, twenty more buzz resolutely towards you. Each is desperate to dive into your nostrils, drown in your drink bottles and birth wiggly, disgusting maggot babies over every inch of dusty surface.
Fly fun facts:
- There are over 120,000 species of fly in the world, and 30,000 of them are found in Australia!
- Most flies only live to be 21 days old. This is just long enough to drive you insane.
- Flies smell with their feet. The average house fly’s ‘toes’ are 100 times more sensitive to the taste of sugar than a human tongue. Rumor has it, the sweeter you smell, the more you will attract.
- Leprosy, typhoid, dysentery, salmonella, sleeping sickness and tuberculosis are just a few of the diseases transmittable by flies.
Whether you’re planning a bush trip through the Outback, preparing for an Amazon trek or heading to the center of Africa, one necessary item on every long-term travel packing list is a proper flynet.
When purchasing a fly net, ignore fancy stitches and chemical repellents. The most effective blockade is one that simply keeps the pests out; so, look for a net that drops down to your shoulders and contains some sort of tie or elastic chord around the bottom. These two factors will allow you to tighten the net securely and ensure full protection of your head.
My simple Great Aussie Flynet was purchased out of sudden necessity at the Nundroo shop. The cheapest option available at $8.60 AUD, it is not attached to a wide-brimmed hat but merely a piece of netting that can be worn over (or under) any type of head gear. But “she’ll be right”, as the Aussies say, meaning that this inexpensive rigging will get the job done. While many flynets do come connected to light-weight hats, the plain net allows for more flexibility in usage.
Unfortunately, no amount of bug spray, imagery or special fabrics will eliminate the irritating mob of flies. All a person can do is veil up and learn to ignore them. The relative comfort of talking without a mouth full of wings is a smart choice for the well-packed, long-term traveler.
~ Until the next adventure! ~ Kelli