Depending on the climate and weather conditions for your next adventure, packing can be a hit or miss effort. We’ve found that most people usually pack way too much and often the wrongs things. For example, do you really need four pairs of shoes and three pair of Dockers for that week in Cabo San Lucas? Probably not. Take a few minutes to think about where you will be going and what you really want to do during your time there. If it’s hanging at the pool for a couple of days, you can ditch a few clothes and just have a couple of swimsuits and a cover-up. If you’re going horseback riding you may want a pair of long pants instead of shorts, trust me I know! Then again, if you’re going to a nudist camp for the week, a carry on will probably suffice.
Wherever you’re going, just try to be comfortable. Feel free to check out our Packing List, nothing proprietary or even surprising but it may help jog your memory and include a few things you might have missed.
I’m going to assume that you know when a cell has a word like “name” or “quantity” in it, that means your name and how many you’re taking, right? So here are a couple of other points about this list. First, not everything applies to every trip, simply trying to cover as much ground as possible so if it doesn’t apply, don’t take it; second, for items like a “first aid kit” you need to assess what you’ll need for your particular journey, one size probably doesn’t fit all; third, this list includes items such as “itinerary to be left with a family member or friend”. You need to keep someone at home advised of where you are and how to contact you. When Publisher’s Clearing House shows up at your door, you want to know about it! Next, everyone told you to have your phone unlocked so you can use it in a foreign country. Great, now you need to know how to make a call in that country. Do you dial 1+ a number + a number + a number or just dial the local number. You need to know how this works so walk thru the procedure with someone who knows, probably your 12 year old daughter or a tech rep from your service provider. Lastly, don’t pack things like knives, bottles, glass, corkscrews, etc. in you carry-on or you’ll be buying these again once you get to your destination. You’ll also have some up close and personal time with TSA.
Couple of general packing tips:
Zip-lock bags are a must. If you get the 2 gallon size you can pack a full days worth of clothing into each bag. We did this using a backpack that had a zippered bottom that allowed us to stack a weeks worth of clothes in the pack. We pulled clean clothes from the bottom of the pack, reloaded the zip-lock bag with dirty clothes, and put them in the top. Same can work for your suitcase. Zip-locks are great.
When packing, roll up socks, tee-shirts and underwear and stuff them into your shoes. Not only are you using wasted space but you’re also keeping your shoes from being crushed.
For some reason plastic dry cleaning bags keep your shirts and blazers from wrinkling. I don’t know why but if you keep your pressed items in these bags, fold them neatly and place them on top, them tend to stay freshly pressed.
So you’re wondering why you should take plastic grocery bags on your trip. Well couple of reasons, first most countries other than the US charge for grocery bags. If you have your own, no charge! Second, sewer systems in some foreign countries don’t accept anything that wasn’t eaten. In other words, no toilet paper, feminine products, Kleenex, etc. can be put into the toilet. That means those items must be placed in a bag and disposed of in the trash. Considering you will want to empty the trash frequently, using plastic grocery bags works great. Last, plastic grocery bags are just plain good for carrying things. Who would have thought….
Washcloths are not always available in foreign countries. Unless you’re in a hotel, you may not find a washcloth in the bathroom. Not a problem, go to Target or Wal-Mart and pick up a set of 3 washcloths for about $2.00. You can throw them away at the end of your trip or bring them home for the next time. Not a bad idea to carry one in your purse or day-pack while touring Rome in August, for those times when you want to wash your hands or cool your face.