Packing checklist
 

This list began after my cousin the airline pilot, who travels for a living, forgot to pack his own underwear on one memorable occasion. It's grown into a substantial list of preparations that have proven useful, and things that have come in handy, one time or another; of course, I don't do or take everything on every trip, but an aide-memoire can be useful, especially for packing in a hurry or preparing for places where consumer goods are very different or not easily obtained. Informed by experience, I've added a few items to remind elderly relations or ditzy friends to pack their essentials, too -- and I've learned to pack absolute essentials (including a change of underwear) in my hand luggage after having to wait overnight or longer for checked luggage to appear.

FORWARD PLANNING
Foreign currency (watch rates)
Travellers' cheques
Vaccinations
Visas

Arrange care for pets / plants / lawn / garden
Arrange payment for bills falling due
Suspend deliveries / subscription services
Return library loans, DVD rentals
Notify credit & debit card issuers

Share itinerary, contact numbers with family / friend / neighbour
Store critical information securely online

Check-in online
Check weather forecasts
Check public transport links / book cab

LEAVING THE HOUSE
Set e-mail auto response, voicemail message
Adjust heating / air-conditioning
Turn off / drain water system(s)
Turn off / unplug appliances & equipment
Check the fridge for perishables
Put out garbage & recycling
Lock windows & doors
Check / set security & smoke alarms
Keep house keys secure but accessible

DOCUMENTATION
Tickets / boarding pass
Itineraries / reservations (hotel, car)
Passport(s)
Visa(s)
Driver's licence(s), ID cards
Travel insurance
Health insurance
Prescriptions inc. glasses / contacts
Medications (name, dosage) & doctor(s)
Conference documents / tickets

Photocopies & scans of vital documents

Emergency numbers & online access details
inc. credit cards, banks, airlines, embassies
(2 copies, separate locations)

Family & friends: addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses

Travel card(s), passes, tickets, tokens
Printed route maps / instructions

MONEY
Foreign cash & coins (including stop-overs)
Small notes (inc. US dollars & Euros) for tips
Credit cards (at least two, in separate locations)
Debit / ATM cash card(s)
Cheques & cheque guarantee card
PIN / account numbers (encoded but retrievable)
Kitty purse & notepad for shared expenses

REFERENCE
Travel diary
Phrase book / dictionary
Local maps / guide books
Photos / postcards of home to show or give away
Holiday reading

STATIONERY
Address labels for postcards
Plain envelopes (useful for tips or notes)
Business cards
Pen(s), pencil, highlighter
Notebook

TECHNOLOGY
Tri-band GSM phone, charger, adapter, foreign SIM card(s)
Phonecard(s), codes, instructions
Camera, memory card, battery, charger, adapter, cable
iPod, cable, earphones, adapter
Laptop, power cable, adapter
USB Flash drive(s) inc. vital information in PDF
CD-R/DVD-R discs
Mouse, hub, modem jack
DiskWarrior, Norton, system software on disc
Cables: ethernet, USB, modem, audio
Batteries, screwdrivers, alcohol swabs
Pocket calculator
Shortwave radio, batteries, SW schedules

ACCESSORIES
Luggage locks & keys (two copies, separate locations)
Swiss Army knife (checked luggage)
Binoculars / opera glasses
Flashlight, batteries
Refillable water bottle
Compact umbrella

VILLA OR APARTMENT
Utility knife, corkscrew, candle, matches
Teacloth, sponge, bleach, dishsoap
Teabags, condiments
Biscuits, dried fruit
Travel iron

WARDROBE
Shirts, t-shirts, tops
Trousers, skirts, shorts
Jacket, coat, sweater
Shawl, scarf
Underwear / lingerie
Socks, tights, knee-highs, flight socks
Nightclothes, dressing gown

SHOES
Dress shoes
Walking shoes
Boots (spare laces?)
Sandals
Slippers
Shoe cleaner

SUN OR SNOW
Bathing suit, towel, beachbag
Beach shoes, goggles, snorkel
Sun hat / scarf / wrap / beach shirt
Waterproofs
Hat, cap, scarf, gloves, thermals

ACCESSORIES
Wristwatch (batteries?)
Jewellery
Scarf ring
Evening bag
Reusable shopping bag

TOILETRIES (checked luggage)
Nailfile, scissors, tweezers
Sewing kit, safety pins
Hanger, clothesline
Small plastic bags
Tissue, toilet paper
Wipes

HAIR
Brush & comb
Scrunchie, headband
Covered elastics
Hairpins / clips / screws

BOTTLES (< 3 oz/100ml, or checked luggage)
Bath oil / shower gel
Shampoo, conditioner
Detergent, stain remover
Sun screen
Perfume
Spritzer

FIRST AID
Medication, supplements
Antihistamines, antacids, epi-pen
Headache tablets / painkillers
Headcold tablets / drops
Hydrocortisone / anti-inflammatory
Pyrethrum, insect repellent
Travel sickness (ginger tablets)
Immodium
Antibiotic ointment
Antiseptic wipes / ointment
Bandaids (waterproof, bleeding, 'healing', blisters)
Gauze, bandages, tape
Cotton buds
Foot spray / lotion, heat rub
Support bandage (knee, ankle)

TOILETRY BAG
Alarm clock, battery
Toilet soap / gel
Make-up remover, pads
Moisturizer, toner
Deodorant
Toothbrush & toothpaste
Dental floss
Night guard / dental appliance(s)
Emery board, nail brush
Razor

EYESIGHT
Contact lenses (inc. spares)
Contact lens solution
Prescription glasses (two pairs)
Reading glasses
Sunglasses – plain, prescription, reading
Eyeglass screwdriver & screws (checked luggage)

MAKEUP
Eye shadow, mascara
Eye pencil, sharpener
Foundation, powder, blusher
Lipstick

NAILS
Basecoat, polish
Polish remover, pads

GIFTS
Pens, sweets, cosmetics
Solar calculators, books, magazines

That's a VERY complete checklist and should be really helpful to new travelers to work from.

Myself I pack less than 1/2 the things you mention (I don't take any electronics, or thing like binoculars or travel iron, for example). If you packed everything on this list, you'd have a VERY heavy suitcase(s)!

That is a very complete list. I am tired just reading it. Think I will copy it and delete all the things I don't take.

Agree - very complete but too much to lug around unless you have a car or only a couple of stops! Good "leaving home" list, though.

I noticed: "Foreign currency (watch rates)" and "Travellers' cheques" - that's very dated advice. These days you should take your ATM card(s) instead, except for a few places off the grid where cash US dollars are needed (e.g. Myanmar).

Really....haven't used TC in more than 20 yrs!!

Travelers checks still work in certain locations and circumstances. I've used them to pay for a hotel bill where charge cards weren't accepted and I didn't want to carry that much cash. I know they aren't a good suggestion for European travel, but they still work fine in Mexico for example (not to spend them directly but to change 'em at a cambio).

I would like to see everything on this list packed and how much weight and space that would entail. I'm guessing at least two full sized, possibly over the weight limit, suitcases!

As I said, I don't do or take everything every time, but it helps to have the whole list to hand when you're making a quick switch from a short holiday to an important business trip, or preparing for a place that's miles from the nearest shop. If you travel often to certain destinations, it can be aurprisingly rewarding over time to use an online currency broker and keep an eye on exchange rates for hard currencies that you use regularly -- the Euro has moved ten cents on the US dollar in the past three months, for example. I haven't actually bought travellers' cheques for a while, but I still have a few of low denomination that have been useful, most recently, in North Africa and South America. Increasingly, as our culture moves toward convenience 24/7, it's sometimes a bit of a surprise to travel to places where ATMs are few and far between, and the drug store really is stuffed with herbs.

And I thought I was a list maker! I did come up with a new idea for my travel lists this year. In the past I wrote on index cards with one per catagory. This year I finally put my lists on my computer, but I didn't want to have to print them out for each trip after I had marked items off. So, I put each list in a page protector, using the front & back of each one. Then, as I pack I check items off with a dry erase pen. After the trip, I use a cotton ball to remove the marks and I'm ready for the next trip! I will admit that I am obsessive-compulsive when it comes to packing and my lists! Just ask my husband.

Impressive!

Two days before the trip I empty my pocketbook of things I won't need on vacation. At the last minute I lighten the load further by taking out all keys except the house and car keys.

We always seem to leave just before our credit card bill would arrive, so we stop using the cards a week before the trip, and just before we leave I call for the amount we owe and send a check.

I keep a master packing list, including separate sections for things we'll need if we're planning to bike or kayak. Then for each trip I revise the master list to include just what we're taking. As we get closer to the time, I get specific about which tops, which shoes, which slacks, which raincoat I'll pack. I create a column for what's in my suitcase, carry-on, handbag, and my husband's suitcase and carry-on, and what each of us will be wearing. I print it out two days before departure and start packing, revising if I have to.

Some of my underwear goes in my carry-on and some in his, and vice versa. I hope I never have to explain this in a foreign language.

I print out two sets of the final list and we each take one in our carry-on in case of luggage loss.

If we buy something new for travel, it goes on the master list right away.

I don't see any mention of a travel kettle, tea bags, powdered milk and digestive biscuits. Absolute essentials in our household - the rest of the world being incapable of making a decent cup of tea.

And 56% of my fellow Brits agree.

I didn't see feminine hygiene products on the list. Those can be a very bad thing to forget. ;)


Overall, a fantastic list that would let you easily tailor the list to your specific trip/destination.

I'm impressed with all the list makers. I love making to do lists and checking things off of it but I've never made a master travel list.

Thanks for posting this one.

I always tuck a couple of "light days" and moist towelettes into my purse for long plane trips.

Guess I am not much of a list person, and looks like way too much stuff for me.

<<<Neuman605 on Jun 28, 10 at 8:59pm
... and looks like way too much stuff for me.>>>

Do remember that this isn't a list for every trip, but more a master list of possibilities. Most people don't need a snorkel <i>and</i> thermals on the same trip, but you might need the beach stuff on one trip and the warm gear on another. Simply cross off the items that don't apply to you or that specific destination and you have a full list for what you do want to take. :)

YES I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THE SNORKEL /THERMAL SCENARIO BUT I GUESS THE NAIL POLISH, ACCESSORIES 7 SCARF RINGS MAY HAVE GOT ME. OH WELL EACH TO THEIR OWN! :)

I would love to see all the stuff on this list actually packed. How it would look. I don't think you could get it into even 2 large suitcases plus a carry-on.

For myself if I crossed off what I don't take, it would be about 3/4's of this list.

Great list! Very extensive and meant to be pared down to the individual. I'm flying to Europe this summer - with carry on only - so will remove those nasty potential weapons, but appreciate the reminders of the "to do's" to do before leaving home. As much as the list is extensive, I bet with the current availability of mini packs of things, and packing cubes and accessories, you could get most of these things (except all the electronics) into one suitcase. On a recent trip to Peru, my roomie and I were the walking pharmacy and very popular with the rest of the group when one was in need...and all in one medium suitcase.

One thing I always forget and always regret not bringing is bubble wrap for breakable souvenirs. That finally made it onto my packing list after my last trip.

I like things that do double duty so instead of bubble wrap, I bring waterproof flip flops and a bit of duct tape. The flip flops serve as slippers, pool shoes and wrapping material if I need it, along with a giant sized zip lock, these things have always served for secure packing equipment.

Why bother with bubble wrap? Why not just use your clothes?