| Travel gear.

What should I take on a trip?

What do experienced travellers take with them on vacation? Just the necessities. You will be traveling light, and you cannot lose what you do not bring. I used to travel with one of those extra large suitcases until Annabella showed me the way to efficiency. We still travel comfortably on week long trips.

Before packing for your trip, ask yourself if you really need to place everything from your armoire into your suitcase. Can you get by with one pair of shoes instead of three? Can you wear your clothes more than once by alternating them? Who will you impress with your expensive gold watch and jewelry, or will an inexpensive digital watch work? Are you really going to read that entire works of William Shakespeare in hardcover?

I am not perfect at this skill and occasionally bring along an item that never leaves the confines of my carry-on. We frequently travel with one small suitcase and one backpack or purse. We rarely check our luggage with the airline to save time and the hassle of lost or stolen luggage. Rather than have his and hers suitcases, we divide our items between our luggage so that if one bag is lost we each still have clothing in the other’s bag (if traveling with a platonic companion, consider putting one outfit in each others’ bags).

So what are the necessities? Below is a list of items we take with us:

• Passport – keep your driver’s license in a separate wallet just in case of loss or theft
• Copies – of the inside cover of your Passport – showing your photo and information. Place one copy in your wallet/purse/money belt, give another copy to a travel companion
• Moneybelt – or other hidden wallet (such as a neck pouch)- needed for your Passport, credit cards, cash, other valuable documents; there are watertight neck pouches available for beach holidays
• List of important phone numbers – of your hotel, travel agent, local credit card office
• Backpack – for holding water, snacks, important items, souveniers, any items for day trips
• Towelletes – for cleaning up after touching icky stuff
• Small dictionary – to help with the language barrier
• Watch – preferably inexpensive that can be read in the dark
• Mini flashlight
• Hat/Cap – to protect sensative skin or bald scalps (like me)
• Sunglasses
• Medications – need to be labeled in case you are stopped by customs officials
• Toiletry kit – that includes dental and body hygiene items, razors, bandages and placed in a plastic bag in case of leaks
• Extra pair – of socks and undergarments in your carry-on; these are saviours in the event of lost luggage
• Mix and Match Wardrobe – if most of your tops match most of your bottoms, you can create many different outfits without packing excess items

Extra items that can be useful are :

• Journal – to record all of your adventures
• Sketch Book – even if you are not an artist, sketching is fun and invites conversation
• Paperback books and magazines – to read and leave behind for other travellers
• Noise Cancelling Headphones – this is my only luxury on long flights
• Pens – for taking notes, writing directions, filling out customs forms, giving to children
• Email Account – to communicate with home, web accessable is best. I would use an account different than work or home

Leave your icepicks and meat cleavers at home to avoid delays when going through airport screeners. A complete list of approved carry-on or checked items is available here: www.ntsb.gov