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Laurie Hull
Well, I guess I'm ready to go and we fly out tomorrow - me from Dulles and Paul from California. The planning for this trip has been exhausting to say the least. So many hoops to jump through now with COVID. Israel fell off the itinerary this week due to their new
COVID restrictions. I have extra weight in carry-on due to all the required paperwork. fly out to Amman tomorrow am and arrive Monday morning. Will send out a blog at that time. Wish us luck!
I try to only bring the essentials on my carry-on luggage knowing I’ll be lugging the bag around the airports and possibly having to put it under my airline seat if the airline is out of overhead storage room. I usually bring a backpack or daypack – Osprey is my favorite. When planning, I visualize the situation in advance to anticipate my needs. I think through what I’ll need the most and put it in a convenient place in my bag for easy access. It’s very difficult to sort through things in the confined spaces of an airline seat. Seat comfort and space is getting worse on all flights unless you splurge for business class (not there yet).
Here are my essentials:
Water bottle to fill once you get through security
Hand sanitizer, tissues, bag for trash
Neck or back pillow. I usually like the inflatable ones to save space
Meds and daily supplements: bring a few days’ worth in case your luggage is delayed
Ipad and earbud headphones (you cannot use wireless earbuds)
Phone charger
Important papers: visas, copy of passport, copies of flight and hotel reservations (I only do this for international travel depending on the country). Vaccine card, COVID test if required.
Small snack like protein bar or nuts. Something easy and not messy
Earplugs
Tennis ball – that’s right. For pressure points on a long flight – like in my back
One pair of socks and underwear -just in case luggage is delayed. If you have room add a shirt.
Anything of high value like my DSLR camera
Socks or booties for on the flight if you take off your shoes – some people have issues with feet swelling. Some people also wear compression socks.
Updated: Dec 2, 2021
After all these years of travel, I still don’t enjoy packing nor do I feel good at it (always pack more than I need). When going on an extended trip I try to use my smaller Osprey Ozone 75L luggage which forces me to pack less. It’s a rugged bag that can easily navigate cobblestones in Europe or dirt roads with chicken shit in Vietnam.
Essentials:
✼ Cloths (pants and shirts) don’t overdo it, like I do. Also, it’s not a fashion show so you don’t need to bring your finest cloths. Be practical. Pants can be worn more often, shirts maybe 2 or 3 times depending on the heat level. If I’m going somewhere for a month or more, I’ll pack about 4 pants and 7 tops. You can always buy local. Less is better. It’s a good idea to bring one pair of comfortable black pants you can dress up with a nice top in case you go to a local theater or show. Try to pack cloths that don’t wrinkle as much. I roll my cloths and put in a packing cube. I like Eagle Creek packing cubes. I try to get different colored cubes so when in a hurry I grab the correct cube.
✼ Socks and underwear and undergarments. I usually bring a week’s worth and hand wash as I go. BTW shampoo works just fine as laundry detergent. If on a long trip, I will get my laundry done somewhere, possibly through the hotels unless they are super expensive.
✼ Shoes. Ugh, always a dilemma. These days I take two pair of tennis shoes and one pair of black flats. Again, it’s not a fashion show. You will walk a
✼ Pajamas.
✼ Toiletries
✼ Meds and supplements: Whew – don’t get me started. I am a plan B and C type of person, so I bring a condensed medicine cabinet in a unique system of rolled up bubble wrap from a mailing envelope (I should patent this). But trust me, I’ve needed most off and on and many countries don’t have the same meds, so if going local you can spend hours looking for something.
✼ Adapters
✼ Water filter if in third world countries. I like the BeFree brand.
Discretionary:
✼ Small towel to use as a place mat in dirty places, or for wiping my sweat off my camera. I like REI’s compact towel.
✼ Umbrella
✼ Swimsuit
✼ Blank cards and/or thank you cards. Just in case someone does something super special on your trip
✼ Trinkets or something from the states to give as a gift to locals or children, like maybe keychains. You’d be surprised at what people hang on to from encounters with visitors.
One time in the port of Naples, Italy, Steve and I were sitting at a wonderful café having a cappuccino, and then the waiter realizes we were American. He whips out an old beat-up photo of himself and Walter Cronkite. Apparently, Walter Cronkite had been an avid sailor and would dock there and have a café. The waiter must have had that photo for at least ten years. It made me realize that one encounter in life can have such an impact. By the way, I would have loved to run into Walter Cronkite in a port café in Naples. How cool would that be?
