Packing Information
Don’t pack too much. You should lay
out everything you‘ll need and then take just half of
what you lay out! Then walk around with your packed bags for
a few minutes. Are they too heavy? Remember, it’s often
difficult finding porters, particularly inside customs areas.
Lightweight canvas or nylon bags are the most practical type
for long trips – especially if you have to carry them
yourself!
If you’re taking a cruise you can be a little more liberal
in your packing. Your cruise will require more formal dress
for certain special evenings. You will only unpack once, and
the ship’s porters will carry your bags to your cabin.
Coordinate your wardrobe around a single color. This will
automatically eliminate many items of clothing. Separates are
best because they can be mixed and matched.
Be prepared for the weather. Check
your newspaper’s
temperature listing or go online to the National Weather Service
at www.nws.noaa.gov or
visit www.weather.com for
the area you’ll visit
for a week prior to your departure. It is always best to plan
for “layering” when you travel so you’ll
be prepared for all eventualities. In that way you can add
or remove layers as needed.
Use all of your luggage space. Stuff hosiery
or socks into the toes of your shoes. Roll up sweaters and
underwear on the bottom, followed by layers of clothing that
wrinkle more easily. And packing the bag very full helps keep
the contents from sliding around.
Consider using packing “envelopes” that
can be purchased at any luggage store. You will then be able
to organize
your clothing with all shirts in one “envelope” and
all slacks in another. Or you can pack one outfit in each "envelope".
These protect your clothing and make the items easy to find.
Minimize wrinkling by packing shirts and dresses
with buttons buttoned. Fold clothes as little as possible,
and fold them
as close to the waist and seams as you can. Plastic cleaner’s
bags between layers minimize wrinkling, and you should keep
each layer as flat and even as possible. Unpack as soon as
possible after you arrive at your hotel. Instead of bringing
a heavy travel iron, try hanging your clothes in the bathroom
when you take your shower. The humidity will help to release
the wrinkles. And remember to smooth out the wrinkles when
you’re folding an item. Any wrinkles left when you fold
something will be “pressed” into the item when
it is placed into your suitcase.
Pack only as many toiletry articles as you will use. Small
sample sizes are excellent. Otherwise, transfer small amounts
of the items you need to smaller bottles. Don’t fill
containers to the top. Place liquids and cream containers in
plastic bags.
Be sure your luggage is clearly labeled. Remove
old destination labels and put your name in a prominent place
outside and inside your luggage. Enclose a copy of your itinerary
in each bag. Also, put a piece of bright –colored tape
or yarn on the handle of each bag to help distinguish your
bag from other similar models.
Don’t place locks on your luggage. All
luggage is currently x-rayed before being placed on the aircraft.
If the security agents see a questionable item in a piece of
luggage they will open the luggage to inspect it. If there
are conventional locks on the bags, they will be destroyed.
However, you can now purchase locks that are approved by the
Transportation and Safety Administration (TSA). TSA officials
are able to open the locks and close them upon
completion of inspection. These are available at most luggage
stores. The security agents will place a note inside your luggage
if they
have opened
it for any reason.
Don’t pack anything fragile, valuable, or perishable.
Money, jewelry, valuables, important documents, such as your
passport, and prescription drugs should be carried with you.
Leave all of your expensive jewelry and furs at home or in
safe storage.
Pack some old clothes. You can lighten your
load as you go by taking along old clothing and then discarding
it as you use it – pajamas, socks, underwear, etc. It’s
a great way to make room for the new souvenirs you pick up
along the way!
Pack some of your traveling companion’s clothes in your
bag and vice versa. Both of you will then have a change of
clothing if one bag is lost. Pack toiletries and a change of
clothes in your carry-on bag.
Take a sweater and a pair of slippers in your carry-on to
wear on the plane in case it gets cold, as it often does. Ask
the flight attendant for a blanket and a pillow as soon as
you are seated. They may be impossible to get later on!
Make a packing list for quick checkups:
CLOTHING
Blouses, shirts, socks, underwear (take a limited supply – you can wash
things at the hotels)
Shorts, slacks, jeans, skirts (you can wear these items more than one time
each)
Sunglasses
Hat
Walking shoes
Swimsuit
“Holy Clothes” – if you wear shorts or sleeveless shirts, you
will need to have something to put on over them so that your knees and shoulders
are covered when you enter churches, synagogues and mosques. This applies to
women
and men.
Heavy sweater or jacket
Pajamas
TOILETRIES
Shaving equipment
Eye drops for contact lens solutions and cleaners
Athlete’s foot treatment, Band-Aids
Diarrhea medicine, laxatives
Cold medicine or decongestant tablets
Sleeping pills
Motion sickness pills
Nail clippers, file
Toothbrush and toothpaste, dental floss
Deodorant
Sunscreen
Shampoo
Make up
Comb and/or brush
Pain reliever (aspirin, etc.)
Copies of any prescriptions you take in case you need to have them filled
Wet wipes
MISCELLANEOUS
Travel alarm
Ziploc bags
Pen, notebook, Bible
Small sewing kit
Adapter and converter for all electrical appliances
Small flashlight
Tissues
Laundry detergent
Washcloth
Camera, film (more than you think you need!), extra batteries
Extra pair of eyeglasses (or prescription)
Electrical appliances (hair dryer, razor, travel iron)*
Cassette recorder
Small umbrella or rain hat
ITEMS TO PACK IN HAND LUGGAGE
Airline tickets
Passport
One day change of clothes
Essential toiletries
Neck pillow and sleeping mask (for sleeping on the flight)
Good book
*It has been our experience that curling irons do not work
well with the change of electrical current, even if you have
adapters and converters. If you need a curling iron on the
trip, it would be a good idea to buy one that is powered by
propane. These are available at most drugstores and discount
stores and are not very expensive.
Notify neighbors when you are leaving and how long you’ll
be gone. Put your valuables in the bank. Suspend all deliveries.
This includes having the post office hold all your mail, stopping
newspapers, and so on. Leave your key with a neighbor and set
up automatic timers. These turn your lights off and on and
plat the TV or radio. Disconnect electric appliances and computers.
Turn down the thermostat. Clean out the refrigerator. Check
your window and door locks.
Arrange for the care of your house, lawn, garden, and plants.
Well-kept grounds give the impression that somebody’s
home. Ask a friend or neighbor to make periodic checks of your
house, or consider employing a house-sitting service.
Reconfirm your reservations before you leave. When reconfirming
or making any arrangements, get the name of the person at the
other end of the line. This lends weight to your claim if there
is any mix-up.
Check with your travel agent to determine how far ahead of
time you should arrive at the airport. These recommendations
change from time to time, depending on the security level in
place at the time of your trip.
Leave an itinerary with your friends, relatives, neighbors,
or coworkers, so that they’ll know where you can be reached
in case an emergency arises.
If an airline loses your luggage, complete the “lost
baggage” report with the airline responsible for the
loss, regardless of any inconvenience. Leave your itinerary
with the airline, so that when your luggage is found it can
be returned to you wherever you are. Keep receipts for any
items you may have had to purchase while your bags were missing,
to make it easier to recover losses from the airline.
Also, check your bags carefully for damaged or missing items
before leaving the airport. The airline may not honor your
claim once you’ve left the facility.
When you arrive at your hotel, get a map of the city with
your hotel location clearly marked, as well as a card with
the name and address and phone number of your hotel. It makes
life much easier to be able to hand over a legible piece of
paper to a taxi driver or someone giving you directions. This
is especially important in countries where the alphabet is
totally different from ours. Also, get a map of the bus and
subway lines. You should also ask the concierge to explain
the local public transportation system, and for advice on reasonable
charges for taxis.
The front desk of better hotels often have amenities you may
need – irons, hair dryers, voltage converters, etc.,
or some toiletry items you may have forgotten.
When visiting a
foreign country, no matter how widely English is spoken, it’s a good idea to try to learn a few words
in the local language, such as “Please” and “thank
you”, “Good morning”, “Good-bye” etc.
Take a phrase book along and make the effort to learn a few
words. It’s good diplomacy!
