MSN Shopping, May 10th, 2007
Back in the golden age of travel you didn’t cross the pond without at least a trunk or two. Of course you were traveling by ship, had months to kill and an army of porters and bellhops to do the heavy lifting. Shorter vacations and air travel make us more circumspect with our baggage, yet most people still take far more than they’ll ever need.
When in doubt, leave it out
What Mark Twain had to say about the adjective also applies to the things we pack. While a tramp through the Himalayas or across the Sahara may require no end of special gear, for the rest of us, a single, well-packed carry-on per person will suffice for anywhere from a week to a month. Not only will you get to skip the baggage carousel and cruise through customs, but you’ll just have that much less to schlep around.
Rule number one of smart packing: forget about anything that “might come in handy.” Pack only what you can’t do without. If worse comes to worse, remember that you’re not sailing off the edge of the map. There are stores where you’re going, too. Here are a few tips on what to pack and shopping links for some of the essentials you’ll need for your next adventure.
Your bag
Big suitcases put the “lug” into luggage. You don’t need one. Put some thought into your choice of carry-ons instead. Rolling luggage is the most popular, but soft luggage with a strap can sometimes be more easily squeezed into a limited space. Airline restrictions vary and you don’t want to be the guy who’s always blocking the aisle, struggling to cram his suitcase and armloads of plastic bags bursting with souvenirs into the overhead bin above your seat. A shoulder or messenger bag is handy for your camera, books, maps, guides and travel documents.
Producing passport and visa, plane and train tickets, boarding passes and hotel ID cards at the appropriate time from various pockets and carry-on pouches can be challenging. After a spirited evening of wine tasting, it’s close to impossible. Carry your papers in a document case.
Clothing
The secret is to pack for only four days. That might sound crazy since you’re going to be gone for weeks, but trust me here.your travel companion is going to notice you’re not wearing a different outfit every day of your vacation, and they’ll be inclined to forgive you since they’re wearing the same things too.
Resist the impulse to pack an outfit for every possible occasion. Instead, both men and women should pick 2-3 main shades that can be mixed and matched. Stick to mostly solid colors (they’re generally more versatile). Women can always add a few accessories to dress up the basics and a reversible skirt is a smart choice.
If it were up to your feet you’d probably never leave home. And when they’ve been jackknifed into an economy class seat for ten hours or pounded the cobbled pavements all day, they’ll be the first to let you know how they feel about it. Pack a pair of comfortable walking shoes and one dressier pair for nights on the town.
So, here’s all you’ll need:
- 2 pairs of trousers or skirts
- 3-4 shirts
- 4 pairs of socks and 4 sets of underwear
- Swim suit
- Walking and dress shoes
- Outerwear for the season (sweater or jacket depending on the weather)
- Sport coat or blazer for men and a wrinkle-resistant cocktail dress for women
- Belt
- Sun hat
Toiletry and first aid kits
What you pack in here comes down to personal choices and obviously varies a great deal depending on your sex, so I’ll punt and leave the specifics up to you. Choose travel sizes wherever possible and limit your stash to what fits neatly in your kit. Don’t forget any medications you need and an extra pair of glasses.
No one likes to dwell on potential misfortunes on the road, but when you fail to dodge that low beam in the Gasthaus Honecker, it might be nice to have a band-aid or two handy. Sure, you can always find a drugstore, but unless you speak the language it can be tough to tell an antibiotic from an analgesic. Your best bet is to tuck a basic first aid kit in your luggage.
Miscellaneous
It’s a mark of courtesy to at least memorize a few common pleasantries in the language of the country you’re visiting — things like “Thank you,” “How much?” and “Please notify my embassy of my arrest.” Of course, restaurant menus may require a bit more mastery. A good phrasebook will help.
When you hop hemispheres, remember that you need to convert wattage as well as currency. Take it from someone who has inadvertently incinerated small appliances on four of the seven continents -- electricity has many exciting flavors. Invest in a converter that speaks the local electrical lingo and you can blow dry your hair from Rio to Rotorura without taking down the local power grid.
Unless you work for the CIA, no journey should go unrecorded. Even if your travel journal amounts to a few hastily scribbled lines beneath the wilted palms in some dodgy hotel bar, your memories will be all the more vivid years later if you have your own notes to turn to. They’re also a great place to hold ticket stubs, business cards, bistro bills and other memorabilia you pick up along the way.
Outside of a few paperbacks to read on the flight and at sunny outdoor cafes, your camera, travel documents Since our hostel days are relics of our distant past, you can take advantage of the hotel laundry along the way and get three days’ worth of clothes cleaned at a time. No one but and your credit and ATM cards, you’re packed and ready to fly.
With a little planning and practice you can get this down to a science. As Antoine de Saint-Exupery once said, “He who would travel happily must travel light.”
