Travel tips

Gear to arrange prior to departing

Passports (check expiry date as you book flights, you need six months validity on your re-entry date)
Visa (contact embassy's with enough time to get documents)
Vaccinations (check immunity for tetanus, typhoid, diphtheria, rabies, hepatitis A, hepatitis B. Some of those jabs can be combos, so shop around.  Maybe take out a mortgage to pay for them too.)
Doctors prescription for anti-malarials (doxycycline is taken each day, and no negative side effects yet.)
Doctors prescription for anti-nausea pills, oral anti-biotics, antiseptic cream for cuts and grazes (important for motorbiking)
Get an appropriately-sized backpack and have it fitted (60 litres is a good size for long term travel)
International license (in NZ, obtain this at AA)
Credit cards (check expiry dates, I've found Visa to be accepted in more places than other credit cards)
Foreign currency (American dollars in small denominations as backup, plus local currency)

Gear to pop in your travel bag

Sleeping bag
Silk sleep liner (easy to wash and great in warm climate)

Clothes (less is best.  I have 4 sets of interchangeable tops and bottoms. Plus a couple extra undies. Plus warm layers for when we go to Nepal's colder climate.)
Shoes (we have jandals, sports shoes and hiking boots)

Normal bathroom bag items

First aid kit (also pack a few plasters and Panadol into an easily reached pocket in your daypack)
Tea Tree oil (antiseptic for skin irritations, mosquito repellant)
Activated charcoal (for upset stomachs)
Pawpaw cream (for skin irritations, and for preventing cold sores)
Multi-vitamins (need to be taken at a different time than anti-malarial pills)
Swiss Army knife
Container to store electronic cords, ear phones etc (compartmentalised is helpful)
Mini carabiners (helpful for all sorts of things!)

We've taken the following gadgets, which has been ideal for us:
iPad (we're taking blog photos on it, which means making the blog is quick and easy)
iPhone (we bought a Viettel SIM card for $6NZ.  Useful for GPS and for using 3G internet en route)
Camera (our camera is pretty flash, and it has seemed safe to have it on us so far)