Packing List & Packing

Here is a fairly complete packing list that we have put together, and it includes items for all types of locales and weather situations. There are sections for carry-on flight bag, luggage, and daypack. Edit the list to your liking by selecting/cutting & pasting the items you feel are necessary, and then print out a personalized list with which to pack (and it might be helpful for insurance purposes later if your luggage gets lost). Carry the list with your other documents. It’s also a good idea to take some snapshots with your camera of an exploded view of your luggage contents. If everything goes south and your bag disappears, it will prove invaluable when documenting the contents for the airline and your insurance company. Above all, try to pack light. You are going to become intimately familiar with the weight and bulk of your luggage during your trip. An old travel adage is to lay out everything you think you might need….and take half.

On Your Person (using a concealable neck or waist pouch, and pockets)

Passport

Plane tickets

Driver’s license.  Note: if you plan on renting a car you will need to have an international driver’s license (obtainable from your local branch of the AAA for a small fee), and if you plan on renting a motor scooter you might be expected to have a driver’s license that is certified for driving a motorcycle (though the chances for this are slim).

Money & change (if an international return flight, only the foreign currency amount needed for airport incidentals, departure tax, and taxi; carry some US cash with you for when you arrive back Stateside)

Polarized sunglasses, glasses, extra pair if you have them, & a copy of          your prescription

Currency, ATM, & credit cards

Cell phone (if taking)

Phone card & phone access code list

Immunization card

Insurance card, travel insurance documents

"All types of lighters are banned from sterile areas beyond security checkpoints at airports and aboard all planes. That includes butane, absorbed fuel, electric powered and even novelty lighters. " Oddly enough, matches are still allowed.

Luggage

Locks for all bags (and spare keys on house/car key ring, if applicable)…a word on whether to lock or not: US airport policy now is to leave the bag unlocked for possible inspection, so what some travel supply companies recommend is to use a plastic seal or a plastic ziptie that can be easily broken should they need inside…see travel supply web sites for details. You will still need some type of luggage locks once you get to your destination for in-room security.

Some companies now sell TSA -certified locks that can be opened by the TSA security employees for inspection. Expect to come back with fewer locks than you left with. Allow me to rant: my last three international trips have resulted in loss of TSA -certified locks presumably removed and never replaced by TSA employees or US Customs agents, as they all disappeared in the States on my return legs…take extras along just to be safe.

Plastic bag(s) for shoes

Empty resealable plastic bags for miscellaneous uses

Dirty clothes / laundry bag (or a bag that can be adapted for same)

Collapsible umbrella situated for easy access

Unique baggage carousel luggage-spotting device (bandana, colored strap, etc.)

Address label tags (w/business address) & business cards, on & in every bag…you want to use your business address on your luggage name tags. Otherwise, assuming a thief got your bag, they would: 1. know you are not at home…you’re traveling, and 2. they would have your home address.

Digital exploded-view photos of all bags before packing and closing - to be used for insurance purposes in the event the bags become lost…for the truly anal traveler only…or maybe not so anal after all, these days.

Carry-on / Daypack

You might want to assume that your checked luggage could be misplaced. If that were to happen, consider what you might need to get you through the night, or the next day or so.

In-flight Usage

Photocopy of passport, DL, credit cards, plane tickets, insurance card

Music: CD player & CD’s, or MP3 player, spare batteries headphones

Camera(s), film/flash cards, batteries

Film x-ray bag (if using conventional film cameras)

Reading material, guidebooks

Spare shirt (your insurance against any potential spills in-flight)

Change of socks and underwear

Toiletries bag (or at the least, a toothbrush and paste… if you carry your toilet supplies with you there’s no need to worry about aerosol pressure explosions or rough handling of plastic bottles)

Medications

Writing materials: pens, pencil, small notebook, journal

Personal digital assistant & batteries, or address book

Neck support collar pillow

Earplugs or noise-canceling headphones

Blindfold for sleeping

Sunglasses/Glasses

House, car keys

Gum, candy, etc.

Moisturizer and lip balm

Small bottle of saline spray to prevent nostrils from drying-out

Food, if a meal isn’t served in-flight

Deck of cards to combat boredom, perhaps a lightweight set of poker chips for a game on your row of seats

Non-flight / Daily Usage Daypack

Small calculator for shopping (to show your price bids while bargaining) & for currency conversion

Photocopy of passport, driver’s license, credit cards (both sides), plane tickets, insurance card, immunization card, etc.

Camera(s): film (or equivalent), batteries

Binoculars, lightweight

Writing materials: pens, pencils, small notebook, journal, post-its

Sunglasses, glasses, & copy of prescription

Stomach distress meds: antiacid tablets, Immodium®/ Lomotil®,

Noroxin®/ Cipro®/ Xifaxan®

Aspirin, pain relievers, medications, etc.

Insect repellents

Small unit of sunscreen & lip balm

Maps, guidebooks, daily itinerary

Compass: indispensable when trying to get oriented in unfamiliar territory…fits nicely in a neck pouch, and is always accessible

Personal digital assistant or address book (if you plan on writing/mailing any postcards that day)

Collapsible shopping tote bag (if you might hit a market or go shopping that day)

Toilet paper, in a resealable plastic bag

Spare resealable plastic bags

Bandana(s): sweat rag, doo rag, glasses cleaner, dust, etc.

Facial tissues, small pack

Disposable antiseptic wipes, small packs

Sun hat

Brush or comb for hair

Collapsible umbrella (if rain possible, or for sun)

Lightweight, foldable poncho

Small flashlight

Small pocket knife

Corkscrew

Hotel room keys

Gum, candy, etc.

Water bottle

Music (if taking along)

Cell phone (if taking along)

Clothes (organized & stored in zippered mesh cubes when possible)

A note about clothing: you should bring along clothing that is, above all, comfortable. Clothes should not draw attention to the person wearing them, and in foreign countries it’s usually better to blend in than stand out. You don’t necessarily want natives to pick you out as a tourist, or an American. Clothes should also have few tricky laundering requirements (unless you plan on hand-washing them yourself). It’s best to assume that hotel staff will do most laundering, and they will be familiar with standard fabrics. Every one of our Atlas Culinary Adventures meals at dinner will be relatively casual, and there should be no reason to get formally dressed up. The dressiest you will need to be is perhaps long pants and a nice looking shirt, or a long skirt and nice blouse or sweater. Think comfort, practicality, packability, and versatility above all.

Clothing will pack tighter, and stay less wrinkled if it is rolled up to pack it, instead of packing it flat. The exception is a unit made by Eagle Creek especially for collared shirts and blouses. It has a folding board and specific folding instructions that leave the shirts/blouses tightly packed and relatively wrinkle-free. We prefer Eagle Creek’s Packing System: a series of zippered mesh cubes in varying sizes that allow you to see what’s inside without undoing. For more formal attire, such as dresses or suits/jackets, placing each inside a plastic dry cleaner bags helps to ward off wrinkling.

When packing a suitcase and you’re not using packing cubes, make use of dry cleaning and other plastic bags to separate layers, whether you fold or roll your clothes. Using bags helps to prevent major creases by decreasing friction, and helps to protect packed items from extraneous spills or liquids. It also enables you to grab something from the bottom of your bag without disturbing all of the layers.

Pants:

Shorts

Long pants

Belt(s), suspenders

Zip-off pants/convertible shorts

Sweatpants

Gym trunks

Bathing suit/Swim trunks (if applicable)

Shirts:

Polo-style pullovers/casual shirts

Tee shirts, short and/or long sleeve

Long sleeve shirts (& dress shirts, if applicable)

Insulated/cold weather shirt options (if applicable)

Underwear: (technical fabrics such as Coolmax® are the most comfortable and fastest-drying…Coolmax® allows one to take fewer pairs, as they can be washed nightly and will dry completely in short time)

Panties

Bras/Sportsbras

Lingerie

Boxers/whitey-tighties

Long or insulated underwear

Evening Attire:

Sportcoat or suit(s) (if applicable)

Dress belt/Suspenders

Ties

Evening dress(es)

Handbag

Wrap, scarf, etc.

Light, waterproof, breathable hooded jacket or foldable poncho

Cold weather layering items (if applicable):

Fleece: best weight-to-insulation ratio, and low bulk

Sweaters

Gloves

Warm hat

Scarf

Winter coat

Overcoat

Shoes:

Sneakers

Walking shoes

Dress (if applicable)

Sandals (always good for showers in dubious quarters, and something to walk in if your shoes get soaked in a rainfall)

Boots (if applicable)

Socks:

Athletic

Dress (if applicable)

Hosiery

Sleepwear:

Pajamas

Robe

Slippers

Negligee

Toiletries                  

Note: It’s probably best to carry these in your daypack inside the cabin during the flight to prevent mishandling, spillage, and pressure explosions. Place any bottles holding liquids in a resealable plastic bag and tape over any spouts to contain accidental spillage. Some airlines will remove and exclude aerosol cans placed in any checked luggage that will be carried in the cargo hold. Remember that any item that could be considered a weapon probably will be, and should not be in your carry-on.

Comb, brush

Shampoo, conditioner (in small, clear, screw-top Nalgene® bottles)

Toothbrush (in holder), paste (tube in resealable plastic bags)

Floss, toothpicks

Razor, blades    *pack these in your luggage, do not take on board

Shaving cream

Moisturizer, hand lotion

Small hotel soaps (in resealable plastic bags)

Deodorant

Talcum/body powder

Q-tips®

Feminine hygiene products

Corkscrew, small hair scissors, fingernail kit (w/ tweezers)  * must be placed in luggage…cannot be carried on board

Small plastic Nalgene® bottles of laundry detergent and spot remover, a flexible universal sink stopper, and a small diameter nylon rope for a clothesline for emergency laundry duties              

Packtowel®: these are amazingly compact, yet they hold enormous amounts of water…we prefer to have a large one for drying use if necessary, and take along a small one in our day bag for sweat- mopping or clean-up during the day.

Make up kit (for the ladies)…I’m at a loss here…you know what you need

First aid kit:

Vitamins in small containers

Elastic sterile bandages

Triple antibiotic cream

Hydrocortisone anti-itch cream

Antiseptic wipes

Aspirin, Naproxen®/Aleeve®, Advil®/Motrin®, etc.

Gauze pads, waterproof tape

Cold & sinus pills

Condoms, birth control

Copies of any prescriptions for meds & eyeglass prescription

 Miscellaneous

GPS or compass

Travel alarm clock

Electrical current converter

Electrical outlet adaptor (s)

Electrical spike protector

Phone jack adaptor

Battery chargers (camera, laptop, etc.)

USB cords for downloading from camera to hard drive or web

Photocopy of passport, driver’s license, credit cards, plane tickets, etc.

Manila envelopes for holding receipts, misc. papers

Swim stuff: goggles, fins, snorkel

Sports gear: skiing, golf, fishing, hunting, etc.

Travel camera mini-tripod

Camera manual, if necessary

Extra suitcase filled with rolls of bubble wrap and duct tape (if you anticipate heavy shopping)

Copy of your packing list, in case you think you left something at home…you can double check your packing list and see if you included it, and it might come in handy if your luggage gets misplaced.

Laptop Computer

Battery charger / wall plug adaptor / spike protector / phone jack adaptor

Mouse & pad

Floppies

Blank CD’s and holders

Portable storage devices    

USB cord(s) for connectivity

WIFI locator

* Note: if you are packing several books (or other dense, flat objects) in a suitcase it’s best to not bundle them all together; instead, spread them out.  The x-ray screening machines have a difficult time scanning them when bunched, and you’ll guarantee a hand search.

Cash: Have enough with you in the respective foreign currency when you depart for airport departure tax (most foreign airports will levy a departure tax on you when you leave the country, and it’s normally required in the currency of the region), snacks, reading material, drinks, etc.  It’s also a good idea to have some U.S. currency in your carry-on for when you land back in the States (snacks, drinks, food, newspaper, taxi, etc.).