There is always that horrifying moment of realisation as you are finally off on an adventure that you remember not packing that thing that you really needed. That thing that was really important and useful and well you were meant to pack it. That thing that you told yourself don’t forget this. Thankfully for most of us that one thing was packed and is safely tucked away in your bag. I’ve experienced this feeling first hand and the reality of having not actually packed that one really important thing.
For me it was sunglasses for my trip to Guyana. As someone with sensitive eyes sunglasses are a must for any expedition outside of the house. On arrival in Georgetown we where whisked off to our training camp and there was no chance at all for a trip into town to buy anything. I spent the first three days squinting and stumbling around. Thankfully someone else had packed a spare pair and was generous enough to part with these.
For most of us, a stop over in a major airport, city or small town will allow us the opportunity to purchase the goods we have forgotten. Which may come at a rather hefty price.
This is the first pack of our Packing like a Pro series. We’ll be taking a look at what items to consider packing, how to choose the right bag to pack and how to easily and comfortably pack a back pack to name a few.
The following isn’t a definitive list of all the things that you must take or a magical list that will take care of you no matter what happens. Just like purchasing any financial advice you should consider if this advice is suitable you. This will help you start thinking about what you need to have a good trip.
Our first thing to consider is where am I going and how am I getting there? For most Australians travel means hoping on a plane and flying away. So you want to have a bag that either fits in over head storage or is easy to identify and collect when you finally get off the plane. With the rise in cheap airfares many people aren’t always willing to pay the extra for checked in baggage which can be rather hefty. Note that IATA has recently recommended that airlines reduce the size of on board luggage. Meaning that those cute little suit cases and tiny back packs may no longer be allowed on board. Unless it’s a business trip we always travel with a back-pack. It’s just easier to trek around with, squish onto buses or teeny tiny hire cars.
Packing my bags getting ready to go
Now that you’ve got a destination it’s time to look at the weather conditions. There’s nothing worse than being wet, cold and miserable because you forgot to take a rain jack. Trust me this is speaking from experience.
Think about the social and cultural context of the country you are visiting and what activities you think you will be doing. South East Asia tends to be a hot climate and is culturally very sensitive to exposed body parts. You don’t need to cover up head to toe but you may need to have shoulders and knees covered to go into certain tourist spots. So think about what issues could arise. You really don’t want to be one of those tourists that end up in the newspapers and in jail for culturally inappropriate behaviour. It’s not difficult to take a tee-shirt and longer pants, rather than another singlet top and denim cut shorts.
If I’m away for a week or a month I still pack about the same amount of clothing. You can always wash clothing in the hostel, hotel rooms or laundry mats. When we travelled around SE Asia I was more than happy to pay the US $1 for a kilo of clothing to be washed, dried and folded. See what local services are available where you are staying. As a general rule we avoid hotel cleaning services due to the hefty price.
Prefer the friendly banter of hostels or the privacy of hotels? Are you travelling around on your own itinerary or with a tour group? You might think this is rather irrelevant but it can put some interesting restrictions on what you can take, weight/size wise. Some tour companies will put you on public buses or will expect that you are able to carry around your own big bag whilst in transit. Many tour companies recommend you pack on the lighter side of life. There may not be physically a lot of room for a big full 70l backpack or that huge bulkly suitcase.
Most places will have luggage storage areas. So you can check out early in the day and still get some time sight seeing without lugging around everything you own.
Also consider- Can I carry this bag? Let’s not talk about that time we went to Europe and I pack 4 books, a commercial hairdryer and …. Let’s just say I spent a lot of time hobbling around like an old fat turtle and I did rather fastly exchange most of those books for a less heavier backpack.
We’ve all been here. Rookie mistakes, taking too much gear and not enough sense.
Now we know where we are going, what we think we are going to do and any cultural sensitivities it’s time to try squish everything into your chosen luggage carrier. Now there’s a few options here. You can try to master the roll and tuck method OR you can be rather lazy like myself and opt for packing cells. These are great if you are backpacking and have a front opening pack or a suitcase. A little bit more difficult and annoying if you have a top opening bag. There’s a lot of different options out there to help you. Stuff sacks, dry backs etc. We’ll cover off this in more detail later.
Now you seriously need to consider if all those items you’ve put aside to take away on vacation are really necessary. Do you really need 5 pairs of shoes? I always pack sturdy walking shoes, a pair of thongs (flip flops). Very rarely will I throw in a pair of nicer shoes for going out in. Instead I opt to pair a nice basic dress that will match my flip flops. Shoes can take up a lot of room and weight in your bag.
To help you out we’ve created this Free Printable Packing List. Start jotting down the things you think you really need to take away with you.
Next we’ll be talking about the things we never leave home without! As well as a comprehensive check list of items that we take away.
Until then why not take a look at;
Top 5 travel accessories
Travel Tips- Comfort vs Fashion
