If you are looking to get an mp3 player that is really good and worth the investment, I suggest the apple ipod. Those are probably the nicest mp3 players that you can get out there and they have much larger storage capacities than some of the other brands.
I know that they just came out with the ipod mini which has 4 gb of storage (10,000 songs) and a battery life of 8 hours for $250 but I know you can find the origianl ipod's on e-bay for all kinds of prices. Plus you can buy the iTrip FM Transmitter ($30) and play your ipod through your car/home stereo.
Of course this is if you have $250+ laying around...
By the way have a great time on your trip and please bring some of the warmth back home...
-Rich