1. Travel light.
2. Consider a two-bag maximum.
3. Wheels will be appreciated during your trip.
4. Clean your suitcase, before and after your trip.
5. Ensure that your luggage is labeled with your name, and phone number (work phone
number will do).
6. Avoid tags with your country’s flag. This will identify you as a tourist.
7. Tie coloured ribbon on your luggage handles to make it easier to spot on the luggage carousel.
8. Place a Fragile sticker on your luggage. It may lead to gentler handling. It may also be one of the first out of the baggage claim since it will be placed on top of other luggage.
9. Never leave your bag unattended. Ever.
10. You can always buy smaller items such as toothpaste. And exploring a grocery store can tell you a lot about a city. Santiago, Chile? Lots of soda pop. France? Lots of bread, meats, cheeses, and wines. Kuwait? Lots of grape juice - bought to make homemade wine.
11. Hoodies are great for flights. Retreat into the hood to block out the world.
12. Pack only essential, clean clothes. This is such a tough category for recommendations because the purpose of the trip and the style of the person traveling can vary greatly. I have seen one lady drag two large suitcases for a weekend vacation. That is overkill. The general rule is to have lots of underwear and socks and the basic pant/short/shirt combination that can be mixed and matched. Clothes that do not need ironing are a plus.
13. Roll your clothes to avoid wrinkles and save space.
14. Pack large items first and smaller around those items.
15. Ensure that you can lift your carry on over your head (if you are flying).
16. Good shoes that are broken in already. Comfort takes precedence over style and looks. A bad pair of shoes and blisters will ruin a holiday.
17. Pack an extra set of clothes in your carry-on bag. I did not do this once. My luggage went to a different continent and someone vomited on me in the customs line. I had to go shopping for clothes. I also got food poisoning on the flight but it was still a great trip.
18. Pack clothes in a hanging organizer. Place in your suitcase. When you arrive at the hotel, it is easy to place in your hotel’s closet, all sorted.
19. Clothes to consider:
•Athletic clothes
•Beach cover up (sarongs are great since they can act as a towel or a hat as well)
•Belt
•Bras
•Dress shoes
•Dress(es)
•Exercise clothing
•Gloves/Mittens
•Hangers
•Hat
•Hiking boots
•Jacket/Fleece
•Jewelry (If you can’t stand to lose it, do not pack or wear it)
•Long underwear
•Pants
•Pajamas Or Sleep Ware - some hotels can get pretty cold at night.
•Rain Boots
•Raincoat (Garbage Bags Work Well)
•Sandals
•Scarf
•Shirts (pack belt in collar shirt to avoid crushing of the collar)
•Shorts
•Shower Shoes
•Slippers
•Sneakers
•Socks
•Suit and Tie (pack suit inside out to keep from creasing)
•Sweater
•Sweatshirt
•Swimsuit
•Tights/stockings
•T-shirts
•Underwear
•Walking shoes that are already worn in
20. First aid equipment you may want to consider packing. Please note that you may be questioned at customs on some of these items.
•Adhesive bandages
•Allergy pills
•Antacid
•Anti-itch cream
•Antibacterial ointment
•Antibiotics (with prescription)
•Antihistamine
•Band aids
•Cold medicine
•Contact lenses
•Contraceptives
•Cortisone cream
•Cotton balls and swabs
•Decongestant
•Diarrhea medicine
•Eye drops
•First aid kit
•Gauze and adhesive tape
•Hearing aid battery
•Herbal supplements
•Hydrocortisone cream
•Ibuprofen
•Insect repellant
•Laxative
•Malaria tablets
•Medication (with prescription)
•Moleskin for blisters
•Motion sickness meds
•Nausea and diarrhea medication
•Pain relievers
•Sanitizer and wipes
•Sleep medications
•Spare pair of eyeglasses
•Sunscreen
•Thermometer
•Throat lozenges
•Tweezers
•Vitamins
•Water purification tablets Personal Items and Hygiene
21. Personal hygiene items to consider packing.
•Comb
•Conditioner
•Cosmetics (contact containers are useful here)
•Cotton Swabs
•Curling iron or hair straightener (check to ensure that voltage will work)
•Deodorant
•Electric razor (check to ensure that voltage will work)
•Face wash
•Feminine hygiene products
•Floss (for teeth, shoelaces, clothes line, hair ties, and more)
•Glasses
•Hair Dryer (check to ensure that voltage will work)
•Hairbrush
•Lip Balm
•Lotion
•Mouthwash
•Makeup remover
•Nail file
•Nail polish remover
•Nail trimmers
•Perfume or cologne
•Razors and shaving cream
•Saran wrap (screw lids over top of saran wrap to prevent liquids from spilling)
•Shampoo
•Soap
•Sunscreen
•Tissues and/or paper towels
•Toiletry Bag (plastic bags work well)
•Toothbrush
•Toothpaste
•Towel or washcloth
22. Miscellaneous items you may want to consider packing.
•A dryer sheet in your suitcase will remove static and help to make your clothes smell nice
•Air mattress
•Antifreeze
•Baby wipes are great, even if you do not have children
•Beach bag
•Binoculars
•Camping stove/fuel
•Can opener
•Compass/GPS
•Corkscrew
•Cutlery/dishes
•Diary, Journal, and/or notebook
•Drinks
•Driving directions
•Duct tape
•Flashlight
•Highlights
•Ice scraper
•Insect repellent
•Jumper cables
•Keys
•Lighter
•Lint roller
•Maps
•Motor oil
•Pens
•Pillow and blankets
•Plastic bags
•Radio
•Sewing kit
•Sleeping bag
•Snacks
•Spare tire or donuts
•Sunglasses
•Sunscreen
•Swiss army knife
•Tent
•Towels
•Trekking poles
•Umbrella
•Universal sink stopper
•Watch
•Water bottle
•Water proof money belt (you are going to sweat with it on but it is worth it)
•Windshield wiper fluid
23. Children or family items to consider packing.
•Baby food
•Baby powder
•Baby shampoo
•Bibs
•Birth certificates
•Changing pad
•Chewing gum
•Child toilet seat
•Children’s books
•Children’s pain reliever
•Colouring book
•Cooler
•Crayons/markers
•Diapers
•Dolls/toys
•Drinks
•DVDs
•Extra clothes
•Formula
•Highchair
•Infant carrier
•Nursing pads
•Pacifiers
•Playing cards
•Portable crib
•Portable DVD player
•Portable playpen
•Sippy cup
•Snacks
•Stroller
•Stuffed animals
•Sun hat
•Swim diapers
•Travel games
•Video games
•Waterproof sheets
•Wipes
24. Electronic items you may consider packing.
•Camera and charger
•Cell phone and charger
•Converter and/or adapter
•E-Reader
•Extension cord(s)
•Extra memory or flash cards
•GPS
•Laptop and accessories
•MP3 player
•PDA
•Radio
•Spare batteries
•Tablet
•Video camera and charger
•Walkie talkies
25. For the Plane/Bus/Train
•Books and/or magazines
•Earplugs
•Eye mask
•Headphones
•Inflatable pillow
•Luggage lock (note: some airports may cut them)
•Protein or granola bars or other snacks
•Sleep mask
•Travel blanket
•Water
26. Handy storage containers
•Tic Tac container
•Pill container
•Plastic, zipped bags
•Contact lenses case for makeup
•Press wrap will prevent jewelry from becoming tangled
•Plastic soap case for camera
•Chapstick tubes for money or valuables
•Sunglass cases
•Eyedropper for toothpaste or other creams
•Weekly medicine container for valuables
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