How to pack the luggage?
This packing list suggests all kinds of things you might want to take on holiday with you. Each type of possession is divided into three types:
- Essential: items you will be unable to travel without, will have to purchase during your trip, or will at least miss a lot if you forget.
- Very useful: items that you may miss or need to purchase if you forget them, and which you will find surprisingly useful.
- Optional: items that you might find useful depending on your needs, the type of trip you're taking, and how much you like to prepare for disasters.
The list is fairly generic and doesn't cover some things you'll need for particular holidays: for example a skiing holiday, or a hiking trip.
Although many of the things in this list can come in handy, you should consider that carrying a light backpack adds a lot to the flexibility of your trip, especially for the low budget traveler. Travel in warm countries only needs around 5 kilos to cover the essentials, going up when temperature rises or for special activities.Anything marked checked luggage only is something you will not be able to take on board an aircraft in your hand luggage. If you check your bags in without these items, and you carry these items in your hand lugguage, you'll probably have them confiscated from your hand luggage at security.
Money
Note that some countries -- China and India, for example -- have government controls on foeign exchange transactions, and in some places it is difficult to use cards or to exchange travellers' cheques. Check the entry for your destination(s) for details before deciding what to carry.
Essential
One or more of:
- Cash
- Travellers Cheques
- Credit cards
- ATM cards
Memorise PIN Numbers for Credit Cards and ATM Cards (never carry written PIN numbers with your cards; even better, learn them by heart and destroy any written record of your PIN numbers. Writing PIN numbers down could invalidate your insurance or the bank's cover if your written PIN numbers and cards are stolen. Some people record PIN numbers on their mobile phones; this is relatively safe if the numbers are disguised as part - e.g. the first or last few digits, or alternate digits - of phone numbers of fictitious people. Storing the PIN numbers on the phone under a name such as 'PIN', 'ATM' or the bank's name is, of course, risky.)
If you're relying primarily on cards, having at least two, each on different networks, is extremely useful.
Documents
Essential
- Itinerary
- Name, address and telephone number of where you are going (also in local script)
Tip: Consider scanning documents and keeping an electronic copy either in your webmail account inbox or in an online storage folder. If you lose (or are separated from) hard copies, you can download and print these from any internet cafe or office.
Very useful
- Passport
- Copies of all documents (store separately)
- Driving License (International Driving Permit)
- Eye prescriptions and medical prescriptions
- Phone cards or reverse charges numbers
- International Student Identification Card, International Youth Hostel Card
- Address of your country's embassies.
- Guide Book
- Maps
- Pocket Dictionary, Phrase book and Pocket Atlas.
- Extra passport photos
- Emergency phone numbers
- Medical History (Blood Type / Eye etc.)
Optional
- Diary / Organiser / Address Book
- Hertz / Avis / AAA Card
- Social Security Card / Employement Card / Tax Card / PAN Card or any other Id. Card. (as a photo id.)
- Business Cards
- Resume in a stiff paper folder (don't bring this if entering countries as a tourist or on a tourist visa, if it's found there's a chance you'll be turned back at the border)
- All lists
- Other business documents
- MCU / AT & T access info cards.
- Credit Card access info cards and companion booklets.
- International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers
- List of recipes (in case you happen to stay in places like Homestead, Extended stay America etc etc where kitchennetes are available)
Food
Very useful
- Bottle of water
- Snacks for long waits (chocolate, nuts, energy bars)
Clothes
Essential
- Shirts
- Trousers & Khakis
- Jeans & Cargo Pants
- Business clothing (for a business trip)
- Socks
- Underwear
- Shoes (Black / Tan / Sneakers)
- Thermal Wear (for colder locations)
- Jacket (for colder locations)
- Woollen Sweater (for colder locations)
- Monkey Cap, Gloves & Scarf (for colder locations)
Very useful
- Handkerchiefs
- Bermudas
- T-Shirts
- Towel (consider a travel towel, made of material that will dry in no time)
- Rubber thongs/flip-flops for showers
- Belt
- Swimming trunks, jogging shorts or exercise shorts
- Hip pouch or money belt
- Cap
Optional
- Dual time watch (to call home)
- Vests and Briefs
- Slippers
Medical supplies
Essential
- Prescription glasses or contact lenses with cleaning fluid (if you need them).
- Sun protection cream
- Prescription medicines, together with their prescriptions. (Do check that they're legal at your destination.)
- Sunglasses with UV protection
- Mosquito repellent (for any tropical country, especially where malaria is endemic.) Remember that bringing aerosol cans on airplanes may be prohibited.
Very useful
- Cracked heel cream and/or pumice stone
- Chapstick (Lip Guard)
- Antifungal cream
- Water purification tablets
- Spectacles Repair Kit
- Paracetamol/aspirin or other pain relievers
- Anti-diarrhoeal medicine
- Anti-bacterial cream or fluid, for cuts or scrapes
Optional
- Vicks
- Nasal spray
Toiletries
Essential
- Tooth brush with cover
- Toothpaste
- Dental Floss
- Deodorant
- Soap & Shampoo
- Face towel
- Moisturizer
- Feminine products - not always readily available in some countries
- Water-free hand soap
Very useful
- Razor, blade, brushes and shaving cream/foam/oil (if you shave). (Checked luggage only.)
- Mouthwash
- Comb & Comb Cleaner
- Nail Cutter, cuticle trimmer, nail file/emory board, toe nail cutter. (Checked luggage only.)
- Tweezers (Checked luggage only.)
Optional
- Make Up Kit
- Tongue Cleaner
- Mouth Freshener Spray
- After Shave & Cologne
- Perfume
- Cold Cream
- Ear Buds (Qtips)
- Wet Cleaning Tissues
- Tooth Picks
- Hair Styling Gel
- Small Mirror
- Cotton buds
Electrical equipment
Essential
- Wall socket adapters (if travelling to a country with sockets that won't match your plugs)
Very useful
- Camera, with spare film or digital storage, and spare batteries
- Laptop (for business travellers and computer junkies)
- Torch (Flashlight)
Optional
- Walkman / Discman / radio / MP3 player
- Portable iron
- Digital Diary / Palmtop
- Battery Recharger with Rechargeable Batteries
Other
Essential
- Chain Lock for securing luggage, combination Lock & Key, zip locks, pad locks for doors
- Door wedges, either wood or strong rubber
Very useful
- Scissors, pocket knife, swiss knife (Checked luggage only.)
- Extra shoe laces
- Extra buckles for luggage
- Alarm Clock (or mobile phone)
- Universal rubber plug (for doing laundry in bath tubs and sinks without plugs).
- Mosquito Coil and match box (useful in India - but very cheap to buy there)
- Duct tape for major equipment problems
- Plastic Carry Bags and Garbage Bags to cover luggage during rains
- Rubber bands, Safety Pins & String
- Extra batteries
- Travel umbrella
Optional
- Shoe Polish (Black, Tan, Neutral), polish dauber, brush, shine Cloth, shoe shampoo.
- Washing soap, detergent & brush
- Paper plates
- Plastic spoon & fork
- A small Styrofoam tumbler or a small plastic cup (this is a must unless you are used to a toilet paper)
- Sleeping mask
- Book or Magazine for reading during the journey.
- Newspaper (for wrapping wet soaps etc..)
- Inflatable neck support or air pillow
- Compass
- Plastic rope line for drying laundry, tying broken luggage etc.
- Small Candle
- Beige masking tape for peep holes, broken luggage etc.
- Ear plugs (for bus speakers) in film containers.
- Board games or video games to kill waiting time at stations.
- Plastic hooks (the one with adhesive on one end that can be stuck on walls)
- Rubber door wedge
- Small tear spray gas can to ward off attackers (this may be illegal in some countries).
- Laundry clips for holding clothes
- Sewing Kit
- Cardboard tube to roll up art souvenirs
- Floppies
- Scribble Pad, Sticky (Post It)
- Pen, Highlighter, Correcting Pen, Pencil, Eraser, Lead & Indelible marker
- Time table
- Envelopes
- Stapler and pins, paper clips
- Glue Stick
- Photos of home and family ;-)
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