nicesimplethings

so i’m in a situation that means i have to kind of stick around at home with family for the foreseeable…leaving me plenty of time to ponder where i want to go to next on my travels…AND as a huge ‘to-do’ list fiend, packing, pre-packing, packing take#2 and unpacking, are all of my favourite things…so here’s some help if you’re not as weird as me. please note that this list is for trips to areas such as south america, thailand, australia etc… they do not include trips to extreme altitude/skiing, watersports with large equipment etc…although note that in countries like costa rica/ mexico and other areas known for watersports like surfing, it’s possible to rent top quality equipment on site and avoid huge travel costs and lugging around large bags.

passport– don’t be silly. at least 6 months in advance prepare all necessary visas/paperwork, especially if you are going long haul and travelling in between countries every few days/weeks. you don’t want to be stuck at a border with no food and no accommodation close-by after dark. and goes without saying, passport needs to be in date with over 6 months left on it’s validity for certain regions.

small daypack– this is a life saver, particularly on long bus journeys, perfect for carrying your water, passport, camera, snacks, toilet-roll(!), phrase book, wallet, any personal medication, book/ipod/etc… Be careful to divide up your money in different places (wallet, pocket, other pockey, day pack..)so, worse-case scenario, you have a fallback if you or your travel buddy get mugged.

mini first-aid kit-plasters/bandages, small bottle of disinfectant, mini scissors, suncream, sudocrem, bonjela, painkillers, after-sun, tweezers-these are a life saver for some reason!!- ‘traveller tummy’ tablets, bug spray/coils, malaria tablets-brand and strength varies on region- tampax for the ladies, condoms for both, talcum powder, anti-histamines, altitude sickness/motion sickness tablets. (try to divide this bag between you and your travel buddy)

clothes– try not to pack too much. depending on your chosen activities, you’ll need layers/beach gear/wet gear/hiking gear etc… but if you are travelling for a full year bear in mind you might need to let go of those heavy hiking boots if you plan to stay put in oz for more than a few months..i’m 27 and female and if i was jetting off now for two months, i would bring: 2 bikinis, pareo for the sand, beach cover-up/pashmina(can double up as cover-up for visiting mosques/temples), 2 pairs shorts/skirts, long skirt, warm hoody, cardigan, about five vests/t.shirts, 2 cotton long sleeves, one or two brightly coloured pairs of earrings/necklaces to dress up for going out, trainers/comfy shoes, flip-flops for beach/day time, nicer pair of sandals for going out/evening, jeans, leggings, and undies.

flip-flops– yes i already mentioned this above, but what flip flops you choose can determine what kind of state your poor feet are in after a long day at the beach or strolling around a city.. take my advice and only buy havaianas, the originals, i’ve gotten about 6 months travelling, wearing them each day, from brazil to mexico. pay a little more and trust me, it’s more than worth it.

camera– this is an obvious one, but i think some people feel  like they should have invested a little more to capture their memories for friends and family back home. word of advice is to also pack c.d’s or dvd’s (or online storage) and copy your photos onto these and send them home as you go along, that way, even if your camera ends up in the water at your full-moon party, you still have the evidence of a great time prior to all of the waterworks. you may never see these places again in your life-time so grab that moment in time with a fabulous shot you’ll have forever.

pens/journal/phone numbers/email addresses back home- this is invaluable. remember that not everyone travels with a mobile phone or iphone etc..some people actually want to get away from it all, and try and keep in touch via email whenever they get to a cyber-cafe. your little travel book can be filled with nice messages, receipts of day trips, photos from photo booths, letters from new friends and so on. this is just wonderful to have and look back at years later, and everything from the trip comes flooding back with each page turn.

Tags: asia, australia, backpack, backpackers, essentials, holidays, lonely planet, packing, rucksack, south america, thailand, travel, travelling, vacation