We are continually adjusting our packing list. We want it to be
lightweight but we also want to make sure we have what we need. This list
is based on v2.13 of our packing list. Hopefully, it's helpful.
On Person
- ATM card. Best way to get money, overseas.
- Cell phones (GSM)
- Compass (great, even in the city)
- Credit cards (each person takes 2 of their own plus 1 of someone else's)
- Driver`s license (surprisingly useful, overseas)
- Jacket
- Security pouch
- Traveller's checks ($100 per day, rarely used)
- Watch. A damn-fine travel watch: The
Timex Expedition Digital Compass .
It has mutliple time zones and multiple alarms. It's also cheap enough to not
destroy a trip if it's lost or stolen.
The Timex Expedition with Chronograph and Alarm is a little cheaper, still.
Carry-On
Carry-on liquids must be in a 3 1/2 oz (or smaller) container. Everything
must fit in quart ziplock (use the freezer kind -- they're stronger).
Bum Packs
- $20 (in $US)
- Afrin
- Benadryl and Claratin (for allergies)
- Chapstick
- Deoderant (in ziploc)
- Dramamine (to sleep, not for motion sickness)
- Emery Boards
- Glasses Case (for normal glasses)
- Hand Lotion
- Hand Sanitizer
- Language books
- Lens paper
- Maps, guidebook
- Notebook / Journal
- Novel
- Pens (inc./Sharpie)
- Reading glasses w/case (we're getting to that age)
- Scopace (for motion sickness)
- Shirt, socks, underwear, 1 set (in case they lose your luggage)
- Snacks
- Sudafed
- Sunglasses. The perfect travel sunglasses:
Julbo Sherpas.
- Tissues (great when there's no toilet paper)
- Towelettes (great for fixing heinous toilet seats)
- Tylenol / Advil
Medicine Bag
Everything in original bottles. Check expiration dates before you go!
- Afrin
- Antibiotics. We're pretty careful with these -- only take them when we're
pretty sure we're being attacked by a bacteria. Take the whole course once we
start one. Cipro is good when traveler's intestinal problems get way out of
hand.
- Aura dry
- Bandages. Assorted sizes, water-proof.
- Benadryl (1/day)
- Bonine
- Butterfly bandages
- Claritin (1 1/2 /day)
- Cortisone cream
- Dental Fix-it Kit
- Desinex
- Gas-X (1/day)
- Imodium
- Laxitive
- Malaria Pills (if applicable)
- Pepsid Complete (5)
- Pepto (tablets)
- Sting Ease
- Sudafed (1 1/2 /day)
- Thermometer
- Transderm Scop
Misc
- Copy of drivers' license.
- Copy of passport (main page).
- Credit card cancellation numbers
- Embassy addresses
- Exchange rates
- Itinerary w/ reservations (in a large envelope)
- Language card
- Packing list (make modifications for the next trip)
- Passport and visas
- Passport photos (extra)
- Tickets
- Traveller's checks receipts
- Wave machine (we snore, plus there's noise around hotel rooms)
- Yellow vaccination certificate
Camera Bag
- 2 memory cards per camera
- AC adaptor
- Asus Eee PC for backup and Photoshop.
These are light, inexpensive, and low-power netbooks.
- Batteries (rechargable, camera)
- Battery charger
- Camera
- Camera Manual
- Electric converters
- Light Tripod. Something like the Gorrilapod.
- Memory card adaptor for PC
works)
Checked Luggage
Our Bags
Different bags are good for different trips. Here are the ones we use.
Backpacks. These should have an internal frame and a waist strap.
Ones with two sets of zippers are easier to lock. We use Eagel Creek Solo
Journey bags but they don't make that model anymore. They're holding-up really
well, so I don't know when (or even if) we'll have to replace them.
Luggage. We have some large duffels we use when we have too much
stuff to shove into a backpack (SCUBA comes to mind). We prefer large, tough,
rolling duffel bags. We used to use Eagle Creek Tanker Trunks and Steamer
Trunks but, you guessed it, they don't make those anymore. We recently bought
REI Wheely Beast (35"), which
can hold 7200 cubic inches.
Possibly the perfect bags, though, are
Transworld 6285 Roller Bags.
Disposable Luggage. We
recently made a trip to some remote islands and the inter-island flights had
very tight weight and size restrictions (especially for SCUBA divers). Our
regular luggage was a little too heavy and way too big, so we bought some
really cheap, really light, bags, two each, that exactly fit the size
requirements. All this, and wheels, for $20 per bag. This worked out so
well, we'll probably go
that route, again. It may be the beginning of a whole new packing philosophy.
Oh, and the bags survived the trip so they weren't
exactly disposable.
Clothes
Regular Clothes (5 days worth)
- Underwear
- Bras
- Socks
- Pajamas
- Pants
- Shirts. The perfect travel shirt: RailRiders Expedition Shirts.
They're wrinkle resistant, quick drying, not too stupid looking, not too
expensive.
Warm Weather
We have a whole different list for SCUBA trips.
Cold/Wet Weather
- Boots. The perfect cold weather boot:
Sorel Timberwolfs. They are
pretty hard-core warm.
- Gloves (in really cold climates, I like an inner glove and an
outer mitten)
- Hat, warm. The perfect cold weather hat:
Mountain Hard Wear
Dome Perignon.
- Jacket, fleece
- Neck Gaiters (with wind stop)
- Rain coat (Gore-tex for breathability)
- Rain hat
- Rain pants
- Socks, warm (with liner socks if you're going to be in very cold
climates).
- Thermal Underwear
- Umbrella
Dopp Kit
Damn fine dopp kit: We use an Eagle Creek Pack-it cube but I'm sure there
are lots of choices, here.
- Bobby Pins (in ziploc)
- Chapstick
- Cutter Outdoorsman Stick (Deet - 28.5%)
- Dental Floss (in ziploc) -- the thread-like kind so that, in a pinch,
we can use it to sew something.
- Deoderant (in ziploc)
- Echinacea
- Hair Brush
- Hand lotion
- Motrin
- Mouthwash (to clean toothbrushes on hotel exit)
- Nail Clippers
- Neosporin
- Q-Tips
- Razor w/ 2 new blades
- Soap (ziploc, 1 Coast = 1 person x 8 weeks)
- Sunscreen (1/2 bottle /person /week + 1/2)
- Toothbrush (in box)
- Toothpaste (.85 oz /person /wk)
- Tweezers
- Tylenol
Laundry
- Clothesline (stretchy braid)
- Dirty clothes bags
- Flat sink-stopper
- Woolite (or equivalent) packets (1 1/2 / day + 6)
Misc
- AA batteries (mostly, we use rechargables)
- Cell phone charger
- Conditioner (1 oz/week, in Ziploc)
- Daypack (extraordinarily lightweight)
- Duct Tape (wrapped around a pen to conserve space)
- Electric converters
- Extra glasses
- Extra shoelaces
- Eyeglass repair kit
- Flashlight. The perfect tiny travel flashlight: the
Photon Freedom light -- it's really
bright but small and light.
- Hand sanitizer
- Leatherman (PST II or Squirt --
I like the ones with scissors, knife, pliers, and screwdrivers).
- Safety pins (2/person)
- Sewing repair kit (w/needle that can handle dental flos)
- Shampoo (1 oz / person / week, in Ziploc)
- Shaving scissors (I have a beard)
- Souvenier bag (a small, light duffel that we can pack if we get
over-zealous)
- Tampons
- Tissue Packets
- Toothbrush (extra set)
- Ziploc (extra, 2 sizes)
Stuff To Do Before Travel
3 Months Before
- Get vaccinations (some require 2 boosters)
2 Months Before
- Make sure passports are up-to-date.
- Check on visas.
1 Month Before
- Make itinerary
- FAX hotels for reservations.
1 Week Before
- Pay all bills that may come due while you're gone.
- Get travelers checks
- Email Stuff To Relatives.
- Itinerary
- Flight numbers
- Travellers checks numbers
- Passport numbers
2 Days Before
- Confirm flights
- Cut-off mail through
Post Office.
- Make Airport Van Reservations