Packing is different for everyone, and what is essential for one person, is completely unnecessary for another. That being said, this is what I include in my basic trip bag:
- 2 pairs of shorts
- 1 pair of light pants
- 1 pair of capris
- 1 dress/skirt (lately I’ve been including ‘hipknoties’ midi in lieu of skirts/dresses. They can be a dress, a skirt, a scarf, a headscarf, a belt, basically anything you can dream up!)
- 5-6 shirts/tank tops
- 1 long-sleeved shirt
- 1 light jacket/sweater
- 6 pairs of underwear
- 2-3 bras
- 4-6 pairs of socks (depending on how often you expect to wear sandals)
- 1 pair of lightweight running shoes
- 1 pair of sturdy, but lightweight sandals (Teva’s!)
- 1 pair flip flops (handy for beach days, hostel showers, etc)
- 1 swim suit
- 1 travel towel (super lightweight, microfibre is best – this can be useful for showering, but also laundry drying, an extra bed sheet, privacy screen for hostel beds…)
- 1 packable day pack (I’ve used a cheap Gonex bag for years without a problem. I’m also a fan of tortuga bags, and they make a great one!)
Toiletries:
- shampoo/conditioner (if you can do with using 2-in-1, great!)
- dry shampoo (brunettes can use cocoa powder fairly efficiently!)
- Sunscreen
- After-sun lotion
- toothpaste/toothbrush
- Lip chap with SPF protection
Small first aid kit. While its definitely possible to get most of this just about everywhere, it’s much easier to have with or near you, rather than half to walk/hobble to the nearest pharmacy (like the time I twisted my knee and had to walk down and up two flights of stairs…).
- antibiotic cream – polysporin
- a few different sizes of bandaids, including a butterfly band-aid
- a few safety pins, paracetamol/ibuprofen, antihistamine (Benadryl!),
- gravol (probably give this a skip if you don’t get motion sickness…but one 24-hour bus ride spent in a narrow toilet will probably convince you to carry some everywhere.)
- moleskin
- antiseptic towelettes and hand sanitizer
- and my current preferred cold/flu night/day tablets
- this goes without saying that you should bring any prescribed medications you may need to take, as well as a doctors letter describing exactly what they are and why you need to take them!
While you will be able to find just about anything you need for sanitary protection, I also throw in several of my home-brand to last until I can get to a store.
Random Items:
sunglasses, hat (especially for warm/summer destinations)
Duct Tape (I wrap this around a pen or pencil. I’ve only had to use it once on a trip…but I will always have it just in case!)
Small battery-operated flashlight. (While in most cases, your phone can double as a flashlight, sometimes its just handy to have an extra…like when your phone dies).
Small notepad/journal. Much of my blogging is done on my laptop or phone, but having a notepad is great for jotting down directions, language translations, or eating alone in a restaurant when you may not want to advertise your expensive electronics
Electronics:
- cell phone (I actually carry two cell phones, my smartphone I use for wifi, blogging without my laptop, map information, walking tours, etc, and then a smaller, cheaper (read: replaceable) phone I use as an emergency number or to call and get information when wifi is unaccessible).
- laptop
- kindle
- portable back-up battery
- iLeef storage (I was a cheap when I bought my iPhone with its 16gb of storage, so I am one of those unfortunate souls who is constantly battling storage issues. The iLeef storage is a recent purchase. So far, so good; stay tuned for a future review!)
- For more details on exactly why these electronics have claimed space in my luggage
Finally: depending on where I am venturing, I will toss a few granola bars or fruit snacks in my pockets, as well as a few packets of my favourite tea from home. While its true that these items can be purchased most likely everywhere in the world, you never know when it will come in handy when you arrive at your destination in the middle of the night with nothing open anywhere nearby.
Leave a Reply