You will find many of the things mentioned above in my or my husband's suitcase. In addition to the Swiss army knife, etc. we take an extension cord. We each have an umbrella with a sort of flashlight in the handle. We also take a little lantern kind of affair which gives us a little light if the electricity quits in our room (it has happened a couple of times).

I love my lingerie bags. They are quilted satin in three graduated sizes. The whole bag goes from suitcase to drawer. They have flaps like an envelope so are easy to get into. (Incidentally, they have good underwear in them.)

I take a small journal with replaceable note pad to log events of the day, memorable places, etc. Always have a book (which I rarely read except on the plane) and a crossword puzzle magazine.

I too take liquid hand wash, moist wipes, Shout sheets, small aerosol room spray. We also enjoy grocery store shopping everywhere we visit.

I recently bought some support hose, to hopefully prevent DVT, but we haven't worn them yet.

I also take several extra zip loc bags. This is particularly helpful if you are changing hotels during your trip and you need to repack. It will separate your clean and dirty undergarments. (that is if you aren't throwing them out!)

I pack a totebag that folds up the size of a wallet and carry it in my purse. That way, I have a sturdy bag to carry my purchases in, and I can use it to carry them on the plane. I put my purse inside it, along with my purchases. These tote bags only cost $6 or $7 at stores in outlet malls.

Small, hand-held, battery-operated fans that fit in your front pocket, with soft "blades" that couldn't possibly hurt you. They cost about $2 each, and can mean the difference between a comfortable bus ride in the country and a sweltering hell.

Find them at your neighborhood Walgreen's.

Great info. It will come in handy for my trip in May.

I don't do the worn undies thing though I like the idea. Maybe it's just me but my undies don't wear out that quickly that I have that many worn panties in need of being thrown away in time for each trip!

I always take my preferred brand of hair toiletries. I also include some of my favourite bath products so that I can enjoy a pleasant and relaxing soak in the tub after a long day.

On a city break type holiday I do like to pop into local supermarkets for bottles of water for the room plus some snacks and souvenirs.

I always include earplugs for use on plane and sometimes in hotel if it's noisy.

I have often packed a scented candle but seldom remember to use it! I partly pack it incase we're stuck with a room smelling heavily of cigarette smoke (and can't be swapped out of it).

We do usually have a swiss army knife. I like the picnic idea but tend not to bother with the plates etc as it's all more space in my luggage.

I do also pack wetwipes, try to find the antiseptic ones, incase I can't wash hands after using a public toilet or just want to freshen up quickly.

I don't opt for new clothes but I'm not into clothes much so it's not a big deal for me. But nor do I take my oldest tattiest clothes. I like to take items that a) wear well for a few days and b) pack well too.

Things I appreciate when travelling:

-lots of zip loc bags
-a tiny compass attached to my purse
-a small empty spray bottle that I fill with water at my destination and use to de-wrinkle clothing (spray with water, let hang over night; I can't stand the smell of Febreeze!)
-a small inflatable pillow (great for lumbar or neck support on the plane, or as a foot rest, and as an extra pillow for reading in bed)
-a pad of paper and extra pens for making lists of various kinds
-a small spiral notebook that I keep in my purse to use as a travel journal, as well as a notebook for addresses, must see places, etc.

I am sure I'll think of lots of other ideas as soon as I click on "post my reply"!

Liz

I also bring many of the things already mentioned here. One of the things I also bring, if my (cheap) hotel doesn't provide a hair dryer,is an extension cord.
Portable hair dryers can't be plugged into those bathroom outlets that say "razors only" and the extension cord helps when I'm trying to plug into an outlet in the bedroom--it's often behind or under a piece of furniture.

Last year when we traveled I was having trouble with my heel and ice was recommended. I bought some of those chemical ice paks-you just squeeze and instant ice! I got a case at the medical supply place.
My husband told me a story wherein he and a friend went to Texas for a fencing meet and noticing that the clock in the hotel was different than their watches they proceeded to change the hotel clock. Of course they were late to the venue. So for Christmas I got him a clock that autosets itself. It also has a lit face which is good for the middle of the night when you have no clue where you are or what time it is.
Also in addition to water, we buy flowers for the hotel room. It is a luxury but it is our vacation after all.

Celtricdreams, what a horrible experience, I am so sorry!!!! I can imagine you were glad that the underwear was presentable. See, "mother does know best".

And I thought it was only our US hospitals that "let everything hang out".

BTW, I do have a very small flashlight that I always have in my carryone
And ziplock bags for sure.
And notebook and pen.
And from now on I will have a Journal to keep notes of my vacations. I feel well educated about doing this thanks to another thread where everyone shared how they keep track of vacation info.

Kleenex, hand sanitizers, reading material is always a must for me. And a bottle of water and a bag of dried apricots.

ncgrrl, interesting post about your jacket from Target. A few trips back, I was going to Italy. A friend told me there would no doubt be rain. But it would not be freezing. I didn't not want to back any of my heavy raincoats.

I was in Target and saw a black "Mossimo" thigh length black jacket. Cotton and waterproof. On sale for $15.00. It has deep pockets too. And folds up to nothing. I bought it and still use it. One of my favorite jacket.

In Italy friends kept saying "oh, elegante". Too funny! Sometimes it is not the price that makes for a good purchase.

Happy travels everyone.

Oh gosh yes, a diary book. I have kept journals of my trips since I was a pretty young kid and that's really important to me...

A few hangers. Sometimes I bring them from home, sometimes buy them upon arrival. I've used either blow-up travel style or plastic (or you could take the metal ones left over from the dry cleaner).

Especially if you pack extra light they really come in handy to keep your clothes nicer. There are never enough in the closet, or they are the type that are attached to the rod (therefore useless when you handwash an item).

A small packet of anti-bacterial wet wipes to clean off the airline tray table.

Youse guys are amazing!!!

I just couldn't be a***d with all that palaver. In fact I was browing the Magellan catalogue last night and it's full of stuff that no-one in their right mind would take on holiday.

"Do you realy miss that long handled shower brush when you're away from home?"

Kavey, it had the cone shaped Urinelle for ladies in Turkish toilets.

It had the collapsible vase- and I was struggling to think what the market for that might be????

But the one that really got me was the all over net outfit for wearing where you're scared the beasties might get you. LOL!

Books- pack your bag jam full of books and worry about the underwear later

Sheila
Thanks for the tip! I tried that one I told you about thinking it might be good for future safaris but I didn't get on with it AT ALL!
And, hey, I took mosquito head nets for our safari last year and was very glad of it when gliding along in mekoror (dug out canoe) in the Okavango Delta surrounded by more teeny flying bugs than I'd even imagined. Without the net I'd probably have inhaled/ swallowed half of them!
I agree on the books though - tend to pack lots of those ourselves and chuck them or, better still, swap with other travellers, as the trip progresses.
Collapsible vase, long handled shower brush, no thanks!

mekoror should have been mekoro (I am a type queen).

I like my suitcase very well organized when I am traveling from hotel to hotel. What I don't like is when the security officer at O'Hare states "I've been working here for three years and this is the nicest packed suitcase I have ever seen!" and then proceeds to rummage through it like a hurricane during his inspection.

What a bunch of great ideas... thank you!

I also plan on bringing a couple of sample-sized packets (like a wipe) of OFF bug repellent. Not sure if we'll need it in June, but I hear mosquitoes can be a real bugger, pun intended!

When traveling with a child we always take whistles. One has a built-in compass and can attach to a belt loop. The other hangs from a cord and can be worn under the clothes. If we are separated in a big crowd or outside, we can find each other with the whistles very quickly. We've only had to use them once, but they are sort of a security blanket now, I guess! Skip wears the one with the compass, and we use it to follow maps.

I also like to buy local products at grocery stores (bottled water, fruit, snacks) and pharmacies (body lotion, cosmetics, bath salts, toothpaste) when I'm abroad. It's fun to try the everyday things that Europeans use, and that we don't have in the US.

Instead of scented candles, I bring a travel-size incense kit from Aveda -- a bit less of a fire hazard in the hotel rooms.

For the plane ride, I take along little spritzer bottles of Evian to keep hydrated and refreshed. They're also good as a quick pick-me-up when sight-seeing in the summer.

Gel hand sanitizers, cleansing wipes and pocket tissues are always a must for me when traveling.

I also like to bring along a small, battery operated radio so I can pick-up local radio stations. Listening to the pop music of a particular area really gets me into the spirit of wherever I'm visiting.

Happy Travels!