What are your checkpoints for getting ready for a trip.

[Rhiannon]

Some great tips in this thread to add to my existing lists ("To Pack" and "To Do") - thanks folks. I too am a fan of ziplock bags; I used to take a Swiss Army knife everywhere but lost a few when travelling HLO. Another vote here for taking copies of important documents in various formats as well as leaving copies near the phone at home or in cyberspace - having been robbed four times while travelling overseas, I have been very grateful for copies of passports, visas etc to speed the replacement process. (The first time, many years ago, I lost absolutely all my documents, credit cards and travellers cheques as well as money - very hard to start the process of replacements otherwise).

I have a suitcase which contains all the travel paraphernalia (the master set), which deals with all climates, voltages, powerpoints, etc. So it has the thermal underwear and the mosquito nets, rubbing shoulders with the many adaptors and cables. For my regular domestic short hops, I keep the cabin bag prepacked with everything so I can leave at very short notice (I have duplicates of all toiletries, brush, meds, etc so they never leave the bag, and I just wash and repack the undies etc after the end of each trip). Well, there are a few extra clothes that need throwing in at the last minute. My gadgets are the very last thing packed, due to loading last minute docs and ensuring backups etc.

I recently went on a cruise (only my second) and found myself preparing a special list for it, quite different from my usual (air) travel lists. For instance, taking more leisure clothes, swimsuits, sandals; a basket like a beach-bag and a neckpouch (for mobile phone and sea-pass card). And of course a power strip and adaptors. Although it could have been too great a temptation having no luggage limits at all, I took only 15 kg total (and felt good when I saw people staggering off the ship unable to drag their multiple suitcases). Of course, on Formal Night, I could not rustle up a ballgown with hooped petticoats (as worn by at least two passengers I saw). I confess I nicked a swag of the 2-pack seasick pills from the ship's medical centre (they were very effective!) to add to my travel meds collection (which has been a life saver on several occasions).

(BTW, samurdoch, it seems everyone had ant plagues over Xmas, and I suspect even those excellent precautions may not have spared you!)

 

[cove]

I left out of my post the compression stockings I use on long haul runs to avoid DVT. Also have some prescription spray for under the tongue heart attack fixer.

 

[Hvr]

I tell a couple of family members a password that is used if I am in trouble. That way if my email is hacked and one of those 'desperate' emails is sent urgently seeking money they know to ignore it unless the password is used.

Everybody else on my email list is told to ignore such emails because I have made other arrangements should the need for assistance arise.

 

[ALH]

I like the spare sheet idea. I always take a sleeping bag liner. Torch, spare iphone which doubles as an alarm clock, and to take photos of my hotel and and room number (I become a bit confused after weeks on the go). Also use 'find my iPhone app' and iCloud. I was back up and running within 1/2 hour after my phone was stolen. Thermos. Swiss army pocket knife, sharp knife. Digital copies of paperwork. Ziplock bags, waterproof pouch for passport and phone. Old undies to throw away on the trail. Spare credit cards. Ski jacket outer shell (doubles for warmth and rain coat), hat, insect spray and sunscreen.

Cash to Japan (got caught out the first time). Otherwise I use ATM's everywhere else for cash in local currency.

Facebook account. There is always someone on-line to contact when it all goes pear shaped!

I know this is bizarre, as I am over 50 and can travel with 10 - 15 kilos for weeks by myself, but I cannot leave my hair straightener behind.

The door wedge doesn't work everywhere. I found countries where the door opens outwards.

Take your smile and be friendly.

 

[humanuscomotose]

My trips are usually out-and-back-in-a-day hops. I don't check in any baggage. However, I always keep a change of underwear and socks in my carry-on luggage as well as some appropriately sized toiletries for those odd occassions where my return flight is cancelled.

I also wear a comfortable jacket onto the plane (unless it is too hot in which case I leave enough room in my carry-on) into which I put my wallet, keys, phone etc. That way, I simply send my jacket and carry-on through the X-Ray and walk right on through security without having to go through the inconvenience of emptying every single pocket whilst people behind me are waiting. Once I'm through security I slip the jacket back on and off I go. It has saved me an incalculable amount of time and hassle (especially on international flights). This one will be obvious to seasonsed travellers but to any newbies out there this was one of the first and most valuable lessons I learned.

 

[simongr]

I find in Oz I don't wear a jacket for nine months of the year (I am from the UK so anything over about 19 degrees is deemed to be sweltering) so I have a fairly well trodden method to reduce that risk. As I leave the house the keys are put in carry on (I wont use them in Melbourne so let's get rid of them now). That way all I am carrying is my wallet and phone. The wallet doesn't need to go anywhere and the phone gets popped into the carryon as I remove the laptop - so no delays there...

 

[Berlin]

It's funny- me and my partner are so well used to traveling together that all this planning goes pretty much automatically. I'm the German who plans anything into great detail months (if not years) ahead while my partner is Aussie but works as an Admin supervisor so he loves using Excel tables and the likes. As a result, we have the hotels for our big holiday in August all booked already and we're just about to book a cruise for mid 2014 :shock:

The only disasters that have happened so far (fingers crossed) have been him loosing stuff like mobile phones and passports (!!!), me getting sick due to my seafood allergy (used to that now, especially in Asia) and us both getting into bad troubles in Japan due to the incredible lack of ATMs which accept international cards (wtf? But we've learned our lessons in this respect. And me double: Never again go to Japan, I as basically sick for the entire stay ).

And then there have been disasters which ended up fabulously thanks to good travel insurance, like that lovely monster storm on the East Coast last year which gave us that lovely free stay at the W in Dallas which included three bottles of champagne, a fancy dinner and a junior suite which we paid not even a dime for...

 

[Dougo]

We bought silk underwear for our Antarctic cruise and ever since then, we always pack it ... beat's taking winter-weight clothes if you're travelling in cooler weather and can easily be worn under a shirt or pants and no-one knows. Silk underwear is extremely lightweight and scrunches up to almost nothing yet keeps you warm.

I also have a coat where the wool-like lining can be unzipped so it doubles for winter and in-between weather. Other things I pack for autumn weather which take up almost no room are gloves for those unexpected cold nights or cold snaps, a beanie and a scarf.

 

[fjc]

From bitter experience, I now check that no bills etc are due while I'm away on extended o/s trips and that a credit card isn't due for renewal.

Some years ago, almost had my power cut off. I couldn't access electricity company's online "change of info" details because I didn't have the account number. A friend back in Oz spent hours trying to get someone to contact me which eventually happened and payment was delayed until I returned to Oz. The telephone was easier to fix.

 

[drewbles]

In the infamous words of Edina Monsoon...

"Tickets, Money Passport!"

Whilst I try to remember everything, there's not much that can't be solved at the other end with a credit card

(of course I carry multiple cards in separate areas in case I lose one or the other, and ensure my Evernote has all my PDF'd itineraries, and TripIt is full of it too; redundancy everywhere).

 

[aussiejohn]

Re the electric kettle someone mentioned. I have one of those, it is just a small 2 cup 110/240v jug. I bought it donkey's years ago out of a Delta Airlines SkyMall type catalogue. Has 2 small cups that fit inside, plus a little container for cofee or tea bags. Don't use it any more as I try to take as little as possible now. But it was a godsend on long trips with hotels that had no t&c facilities.

My other little lifesaver is disposable undies I found in a shop in Singapore. Always leave a couple in the botton of my carry on bag - just in case. They are cotton, and will wash a few times. But they were cheap enough to chuck away. Surprisingly comfortable as well!

I am moving to carry on as much as possible. So I keep an eye out for lightweight clothes. Picked up some nice sports type t-shirts (the moisture wicking ones) at Target and Kmart sales for $5-8. Wash and wear, weigh almost nothing. I keep them in my travel bag and only use for travelling. Have also got a lightweight, but wind and rain proof jacket, and a few other things.

My newest purchase is an Asus Win8 Tablet to replace my netbook. Not a big saving in weight, only 500g or so, but not as bulky.

Apart from that, lists, copies etc etc as most others have mentioned.

 

[JessicaTam]

...
My newest purchase is an Asus Win8 Tablet to replace my netbook. Not a big saving in weight, only 500g or so, but not as bulky.

Apart from that, lists, copies etc etc as most others have mentioned.

Every little bit helps.