What to Pack for a Long Trip?
 

I am a little bit confused with my packing for a long trip so can anybody help me?

If you want some assistance, you'll have to give us more information. Where are you from and where are you going? Time of the year? How long is this trip? Mode of transportation?

Here’s what we pack for a long trip:

Trip parameters: > 1wk, travel from home by car ( large SUV), access to laundry, variety of activities ranging from workouts, outside walks / hikes, take it easy / casual days, occasional nice dinner out, Sunday mass
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We’ll pack clothes for 4-5 days - enough for 2 outfits a day + sleep clothes. 2 or 3 pairs of shoes + any seasonal appropriate clothing.

In spring / summer I’ll also bring my bike and associated gear - shoes, helmet, pump, repairs, accessories.

We also pack a lot of food - any special dietary items, a few days worth of snacks, same day lunch / fixings, evening snacks next day breakfast items, plenty of beverages, usually bottles of water & various acidic drinks sweetened or unsweetened. Basically - we ensure that our next meal or snack is at our fingertips without having to stop if driving, or find a store where we are staying.

Meds for the entire trip. Electronics and chargers, plus an extension cord. Our favorite pillows and a throw blanket

bookmakred websites of places we want to visit. Saved locations on google maps of the same, plus some restaurants we may want to try.

For the car, we pack extra oil & washer fluid, spare wiper blade in winter.

Kitchen sink we generally leave at home.

Pack for a week and do laundry as needed.

Pack for a week and do laundry as needed.

That's what we do, and we travel internationally for 4-5 weeks at a go.

I keep a packing list in "notes" on my phone. Before I leave for any trip, I print it out and use it as the template for my packing - it will differ depending on, as mentioned above, length of trip, climate, destination, means of transportation, etc. But it's a great start:

Permanent Packing List



Underpants
Socks
Bras
Nightshirt
Pajama bottoms
Gym clothes - shorts, top, sneakers, socks, bras
Shorts
Tank tops
Short sleeve tops
No-sleeve tops
Slacks
Pants
Capris
Dresses
Skirts
Sundresses
Bathing suit
Bathing suit coverup
Hat/visor
Sunglasses
Walking shoes
Running Shoes
Sandals
Flip-flops
Shower shoes
Flats
Water shoes
Rain Jackets
Track jackets
Down vest
Fleece jacket
Sweater or other coverup for evening
"Going out to dinner outfit" - slacks, top, shoes, jewelry, purse
Hiking boots, pants, socks, shirts, trekking poles, backpack

National Parks pass
Passport & visas
metro cards for destination
flashlight
foreign plug adapters
Umbrellas
Day pack
Sunglass readers
Moneybelt
Immunization list (if proof is needed)
beach tote

inhaler
first aid kit
tissues
Purell
Abreva
Claritin
soap
shampoo
conditioner
toothpaste
toothbrush
floss
calcium
vitamins
baby aspirin
bandaids
shaving cream
razors
blades
hairbrush
hairbands
cold medicine
nyquil
ibuprofen
excedrin
advil
powder
concealer
foundation
mascara
powder brush
eyebrow brush
scissor
eye shadow and brush
makeup remover
sunscreen
benadryl
neosporin
qtips
Lotrimin
clotrimazole
anti-diahhreal medication
nail clipper
nail file/emery board
tweezers
hand cream
deodorant
moisturizer
Chapstick
cough drops
saline
lens cases
lenses
laundry bag
glasses cleaner liquid
glasses cleaner cloth
woolite
Tums
plastic bags (for anything wet)
Bug spray
Shower cap
Regular aspirin
Dramamine

Electronics

iphone and charging cord
ipad (same charging cord as iphone)
iwatch and charging cord
Kindle with charging cord
Bose headphones (same charging cord as Kindle)
Fitbit and charging cord
External battery (same charging cord as Kindle)
USB hub for charging all of above

I like the permanent packing list of "classifications" of things. I keep such a "master" as well and then work down from it to specify actually what pieces I am bringing based where and for how long we're going. Then I keep every list of trips taken online -- Houston Wedding 4 nts - being an example. It works and modify as necessary (particularly as electronics change!). For overseas travel I bring more cosmetic/medical as their pharmacies are not as widespread as ours here in the States with a CVS or Duane Reade on every corner with tiny travel sizes for sale.

Aliced, I actually keep the trip-specific lists too (such as "short stay in the sun" or "long weekend in NY", they're very useful!

I'm wondering if this another one of those "I'm writing an online blog about travel so let me pose a pretend question on Fodors to get ideas about what to write since I have no idea myself" posts....

eg https://blog.nationwide.com/9-tips-long-drives/

Great list, sf. The only thing I'd add is opera glasses, especially if you're hiking or going to Italy (re so much of the art is high up).

Hi Kathie,

Thanks for your response actually I lived in Federal Boulevard in Denver and I am going with my friends to Milford Sound, New Zealand for some 15 to 20 days vacation in the first week of January 2019 Mode of Transportation is Airways. So would be great if you can help me.

As a hiker, I'm curious why one would need opera glasses for hiking?

nationwide - now that I know where you're going I can be of more help - we've been visiting New Zealand since the mid 90's and we've got our packing down to a science (I live in Colorado too FWIW).

I assume Milford is just a small part of your trip, but since you're going there, you'll definitely need insect repellent, and the stronger the better - the sandflies on the South Island are fierce, and especially bad in Fiordland and along the West Coast. You would probably also do well to have a long sleeve top, long pants, and tall socks when you're visiting Milford Sound. The sandflies aren't bad when you're on the water, but otherwise - watch out. There can be swarms of them and their bites itch like the devil.

Generally speaking you'll also want to dress in layers, even though it's summer in NZ - that doesn't mean it won't rain and be cold. We live in our hiking pants, hiking boots (or sturdy shoes), fleece jackets, and a waterproof layer that both fits over the fleece and can be worn separately. You might also want to toss in a fleece hat - because it can still be cold - as well as summer hat.

Pack light and pack wisely - laundry facilities can be found everywhere in NZ.

I think I've worn shorts once in about 14 trips to the South Island - it can get warm no doubt, but the weather can also change within minutes.

Our hiking pants are thin, so cool in summer, yet can be paired with a pair of thermals if needed when the temps drop.

NZ is very casual - no need to take any dress clothing.

If you're a hiker, you might want to take a hiking stick and a small backpack (which can be used for hiking and as your cabin bag on the plane).

If you're driving and self-catering - motels in NZ are exceptionally well equipped for self-catering - we pack a collapsible cooler and a couple of gel ice packs in our luggage, then use them when we move from place to place, keeping our food cool on the long drive days between our stops in NZ.

If you'd like more information specific to New Zealand, I suggest you post over on the Australia/Pacific forum - you'll receive more help over there.

Welcome to one of my favorite countries in the world!

"As a hiker, I'm curious why one would need opera glasses for hiking?"
Well, I'm not being facetious when I say to see something that's not close -- birds (an absolute must as every birder knows), animals, things high up in trees, even roadsigns that are a bit too far away, etc.
Don't let the word opera throw you. sf's very comprehensive list definitely includes items outside of a hiking trip. It's a list I would check before going anywhere, including the woods or New York, London or Shanghai. But I would definitely include them on a hiking trip to NZ. A small, light pair with good optics is easy to tuck into a pocket.

Ah, binoculars. I get it now. Never use them hiking personally, but not a birder.