Whether you prefer backpacks or rolling suitcases, airline luggage limits force us to reign in our pack rat tendencies. Plus, there are few things as annoying as getting halfway across the world to realize that you will never wear or use half the stuff you just schlepped from home. So, when I set off for a nearly month long trip along the Trans-Siberian Railway, every item in my luggage had to be vitally important, or be left behind.
With the average checked baggage weight allowance being around 50 pounds, you want to come in below that as you depart, while leaving space for things you will certainly buy along the way.
Essentials:
• Clothing: Choose a common color palette for your clothing so you can mix and match ensembles without feeling like you're wearing the same thing over and over (despite the fact that you really are). Choose layers, especially if you are traveling between seasons. For 23 days, I packed 5 sets of clothes and washed what I needed along the way in train and hotel sinks.
• Shoes: Whatever footwear you pack needs to be well broken in already. No new shoes! I generally pack a good pair of walking or hiking shoes, one pair of nicer shoes and some flip flops.
• Toiletries: Unless you are using prescription shampoo or lotion, I find it best to pack a small amount of shampoo, conditioner and toothpaste, knowing it's easy to pick up replacements along the way. I took a jumbo pack of baby wipes with me on my train adventure and they proved invaluable (not only to me, but also to fellow passengers). Good quality facial cleaning wipes took the place of my usual cleansing regimen.
• Color Photocopies of Travel Documents: Passports, visas, itineraries, tickets, maps, prescriptions and anything else that you could potentially and realistically be lost without. I also keep a copy of everything in Google docs, and have friends that use Evernote for the same purpose.
• International SIM Card: I used OneSIMCard for my travels, but I'm sure there are better deals to be had, if you do your research. My mobile carrier is Sprint, and it was simple to call and ask them to unlock my iPhone for international use. Switching out the micro SIM took about 30 seconds.
• Converters: I bought a really inexpensive power plug adapter on Amazon that was good for Europe and Asia. It worked perfectly and was very compact. Don't forget to pick up a converter, too.
• Cash: When I get to the airport, I always exchange some dollars for currency of whatever country I'm heading to. Sure, you can hit an ATM in your arrival airport, but after a long flight I usually just want to get directly to my hotel. I always keep a couple of $20 bills handy in the back of my wallet for emergencies.
• Money Belt: I was always suspicious of these things in past travels, but was thankful that I had one when I caught a woman on the Moscow Metro with her hand in my bag. Since I only had a guidebook and scarf inside, she wasn't able to grab anything before I slapped her hand!
• Hat and Sunglasses: Unless you're traveling somewhere that doesn't get sunlight, you want to be prepared. Plus, these pack small and the hat will hide the inevitable bad hair day.
• Medications: Any prescriptions you take regularly. Also consider any allergies or other conditions that may arise. I always carry Imodium and Chinese "curing pills" for potential stomach issues.
Optional:
• A Multi-Tool: Incredibly helpful for peeling fruit or opening bottles of wine and beer — just don't try to pack it in your carry-on. I found an old Russian military set that had a knife, spoon, fork, corkscrew and bottle opener.
• Quick-dry Camping Towel: Great for freshening up after overnight train rides.
• Inflatable Travel Pillow: REI's self-inflating travel pillow compressed into a small carry bag and was one of the best things I took with me.
• Eye Mask and Ear Plugs: You never know what the noise and light situation are going to be until you reach your destination. These saved me when I realized there was a dance club on the floor below mine in Ulaanbaatar.
• Music and Apps: Once I had the SIM card situation sorted, I just had to update the playlists on my iPhone. While in Moscow and Beijing, apps for their respective public transportation systems proved invaluable and well worth the $2 or $3 per app cost.
MORE PACKING TIPS ON APARTMENT THERAPY:
• Secret to Successfully Packing Light: Pick a Palette
• Well Designed Travel: How to Pack Lightly
• Tips: Making a Packing List
• The Top 10 Things To Carry With You When You Fly
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Speaking of light situations, don't forget a flashlight or headlamp, also good for reading in bed where there is only an overhead light.
I made one of these for a last minute trip when I knew I'd have to do laundry along the way and it worked well. Easier to pack a bunch of rubber bands than more clothing.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-a-Rubber-Band-Travel-Clothesline-for-Less-T/
A major item to include - your doctor's phone number.
Put things in ziplock bags, and pack a couple of extra ones. They come in handy for corralling small items or containing wet things.
Yes to the flashlight and a small compass for your pocket! I also always a pack an inexpensive dark pashmina. This can be used as a basic blanket, a scarf in colder weather, a cover for your head in religious places (a must for women), a small pillow and, of course, a shawl for slightly dressier occasions. The dark color makes it slightly more formal and hides most travel wear. Be sure to pack this in your carry-on!
Toll free phone numbers for calling your bank and the bank issuing your credit cards. If that Moscow thief had gotten your wallet, calling the bank to tell them to freeze the account would have been imperative.
Always have a contact sheet. Major phone numbers for credit cards, emergency contacts, family members, etc. and include your embassy's phone number. If anything were to happen, people would be able to use the sheet.
Check the forecast...pack an umbrella if it's going to rain. I live in Southern California and I always forget that it rains other places. And I've purchased way too many crappy, overpriced, POS umbrellas in a pinch.
If you think you might buy a lot of souveniers, pack an empty duffle in your luggage. It doesn't take up much space, can be used to hold dirty clothes and if you DO overbuy, you can just check a second bag. Not cheap these days, but it beats shipping!
My biggest travel tip: shampoo and lotion bars. Lush makes nice smelling bars (but hold your breath when you go in the store! Whooo, their scents are strong!) but it doesn't look hard to make your own lotion bars, at least. Word of warning on the lotion bars, though: they melt. So if you're going to be somewhere that gets over, say, 90 degrees, skip it.
One other thing to keep in mind: you might be wearing the same thing over and over again, but who's going to know? You aren't seeing the same people over and over, most of the time.
Great list! I'd add: photocopy your prescriptions (from the doc's paper or from the bottle/pack side) and carry those, in case you're caught short or asked to produce proof that your drugs are yours/legit.
Other things I never travel without:
- a deck of cards: Tiny package, big entertainment for one, two, or more.
- a folding hand fan: small but essential for heat or stuffiness - has saved me from nausea more than once
- dupatta or sampur - same reasons as Cathryn and the pashmina above
Hm. I travel in a lot of hot, conservative nations, now that I think about it... ;)
Maybe I'm old fashioned and you do all of this with your phone but I would also bring maps, books (for reading on that long flight/train trip), travel guides, and a basic dictionary. The advantage of bringing all of this on paper is that there are no batteries that will die. Also, my cell phone's data plan is ridiculously expensive overseas so I turn of everything that uses data and I have to rely on old fashioned maps, etc.
As far as money is concerned: If you are planning on getting cash from ATMs, check to make sure your ATM card will work in the country you are traveling to. Also, call your credit card company and let them know where you are going. Some credit card company's fraud alerts will assume the card was stolen if purchases are made overseas.
For clothing: invest in some non-cotton quick drying clothing. It'll be easier to wash in a hotel sink.
that's way too much stuff
I always leave a note in my suitcase in case it gets picked up by somebody else by accident. It gives my contact details and mentions a reward if its returned to me. I also take a picture with my phone of my suitcase just before i close it up so I know if its been messed with by airport staff.
I think a lot of "must-takes" depend on where in the world you're headed. We spend 4-6 weeks trekking about Southeast Asia each year, and in my ready-to-go box I have, among other things: my own earphones with an airline adapter so I can watch the in-flight movies comfortably, special flight socks, a spork, a laminated copy of my passport and residence permit, a shrug (tiny) that rolls up into a tiny packet (handy for temples), a doorstop for those guesthouses that have iffy locks, the usual insect repellents, and a couple of miniature rolls of TP, just in case.
I only take carry-on luggage - one lost checked-in bag years ago converted me - and this little package of necessities takes up hardly any space in my bag.
@HHRI - I agree, for the most part. I usually print all of the public transportation maps from the internet before I go, so I've familiarized myself with where I am and the places I want to go. I don't bring paper books anymore because there's just not enough room for all of them. I can store documents on my Nook Color, use it to check email, and read as many books as I want.
I just got back from five months of around-the-world travel. Three invaluable things that I packed:
Copies of my passport, ID, and credit cards. My wallet was pickpocketed and these made getting replacements so much easier.
In places outside "western" countries: sunscreen! Real, safe, effective sunblock is almost unheard of elsewhere.
A refillable water bottle, such as a Camebak or Nalgene. It gets expensive to buy bottled water and many places abroad don't recycle.
These are actually really good tips. Of course it depends on your destination though. Photocopies of identification and other documents is a must. The sunscreen mentioned in the comment above is a great tip too, especially with summer travel.
Thanks, Michelle. I'm at step 0, as in "renew the passport." Wondering if those Chinese curing pills are for gas and bloating? Or the runs or, magically, both? I couldn't tell from the link.
thx,
e.