Here is the packing list we use whenever we travel:
CARRY ON:
- Toiletteries bags (something lightweight, portable, tough, waterproof – check out the Eagle Creek stuff here).
- Hotel confirmations – especially for the first night
- Passports
- Money belt – we use a money belt that we can hide under our pants/trousers
- Extra film/memory cards
- Sunglasses
- Guidebook
- Photocopy of relevent section of guidebook for your arrival city, so you don’t have to dig out the whole guidebook to consult a map
- Airline tickets, or electronic tickets
- PDA / ipod / etc. (to watch movies, listen to music – remember, even if the plane has a back of the seat entertainment system, half the time it doesn’t work!)
- Recharger for above entertainment device – especially if you have a layover, you can often find power points in airports and recharge
- Hard candy, helps with pressure differences in the plane
- In case you have a cold, Sudafed (pseudoephedrine) decongestant is very helpful with the pressure change in the plane which can be very painful
- Medicines to bring:
- Aspirin/Tylenol (paracetamol, acetaminophen)
- Gravol – Dramamine – motion sickness pills. These can help with not just motion sickness, but are great for calming your stomach for any reason
- Immodium
- And depending on where you’re going.. Malaria tablets
- Any prescription medications – and if your life could depend on them, (i.e. asthma inhaler), have two in two different places in case one is lost/stolen
- Thermometer
- Travel-sized Kleenex. You can put it in your pocket, and can be used as toilet paper when they inevitably don’t have any
- Kleenwipes (moist towelettes – great for cleaning your hands in places where you can’t easily get to a sink)
- Alarm clock – this can be useful for waking yourself up after an airport nap
- Earplugs – might help to sleep on the plane
- US Cash – for emergencies
- ATM cards. We’ve never brought travelers checks, even with all the countries we’ve been to. Check which banking network the countries you are visiting use – and if possible bring ATM cards that work with more than one (Cirrus/Plus/Star…)
- Empty water bottle – once you’re through security you can fill it, or ask the flight attendant to fill it as soon as you get on the plane, so you’re not parched while they taxi for 2 hours.
- Granola/energy bars, again so you can eat when you want
- Cellphone, quad band, unlocked so you can buy a SIM chip cheap in the country you are visiting and don’t end up paying AT&T $5 a minute
- “Cheat sheet” – Sheet with all your personal information written on it – credit card #’s, passport #’s, phone #’s, PINs for credit cards in case you can’t get any ATM cards to work, numbers to call if credit cards are lost (direct/collect call numbers – 1800 numbers don’t work outside US/Canada), emergency contact information. Print it in really small type and keep it in your money belt. Also, keep a copy online (email it to yourself)
- Printed calendar so you know what you’re doing, when, and when your flights are
- Pen/pencil
- Travel blanket -In case you don’t get a blanket on the plane, or the train is too cold to sleep, etc. You can get pretty small, lightweight pack blankets. Down throws also work well.
- Emergency spare clothes – at least the essentials – in case you lose your luggage.
- Cheap wedding bands – In many countries, it’s good for couples, to look married (even if you’re not), without having expensive jewelery on.
Packed luggage:
- Shampoo/Conditioner/hairspray – each in its own ziploc bag, then all of them together in a larger ziploc bag. This way, when the bottle inevitably explodes, at least it’ll only spill its contents to its own bag which you can wash.
- Shaver/Razor
- Pack towels/camping towels – these are lightweight, absorbent, and very fast drying towels that are great for when you don’t want to use the budget hotel’s towels (all of them) or they’re not provided
- Soap – preferably white soap, so you can also use it to do laundry
- Ziploc bags – great to store food for the day, wet clothes, etc. Bring a collection of sandwich sized, freezer sized, and even some jumbos.
- Twist ties
- Elastic Bands (rubber bands)
- Extra glasses/sunglasses – if you lose them, say in a really big wave on a beach in Martinique, it’s really nice to have a spare pair waiting in the hotel room.
- Eyeglasses repair kit – you really don’t want to lose a screw and be wandering around trying to fix it. You can get travel sized repair kits that are tiny.
- Extra batteries for the flashlight and camera
- Sewing kit (maybe someone will teach us how to sew one day)
- Some clothes to sleep in that you don’t mind being seen in, in case the bathroom is down the hall
- Swiss Army Knife
- Spoon – for impromptu picnics
- Fork
- Jackets
- Water bottle holders (a holster for your water bottle) – unless your knapsack/daypack has them
- Flashlight – You never know when you’re going to hit a power outage, or have to find the bathroom or light switch in a dark hall. It’s also useful for exploring the insides of Egyptian pyramids that say they’re lit in the guidebook, but, well, not so much.
- Nylon bag – Before we check them at the airport, we wrap our knapsacks in a large, light, nylon bag we got from REI – it keeps them clean and safe from the luggage conveyor belt
- Power adapter for an electric shaver – even if you’re not going for that long, sometimes shavers can turn themselves on in transit and drain the battery
- Recharger for digital camera
- Recharger for phone
- Power adaptor to adapt the plug to local socket. You don’t need the full on converter, as most electronic devices will auto-adapt 110-220. (check the device and it will be written on it)
- Hats – baseball hats or sun hats
- Sunscreen
- Hair elastics
- Gloves/Long johns/thermals for cold climates. Putting your thermal underwear under light travel pants/trousers is a better deal than bringing heavy pants (jeans) because it keeps you warm while still being very lightweight and it dries a lot faster.
- Flipflops – light, and great to wear in to showers you don’t trust, or on carpets you don’t trust (i.e. all of them)
- Tevas – or sports sandals – good for water, sand, etc.
- Zip pants/combination pants/trousers – Two great reasons: Often the climate will change from morning to afternoon and this allows you to easily change without changing. Also, for modesty in mosques/churches/etc.
- Compass – even if you have a GPS device, a little compass attached to the zip of your backpack is always handy
- Bandaids (plasters)
- Umbrella – one of the tiny ones does the trick, even if it falls apart after just one trip