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What to Pack?

Sydney Holiday Planning a long term travel is a little different to going away for a holiday. Working out what you need and don't need is one of the challenges. If you pack unnecessary items, you'll end up having to send them back home, or lugging them half way around the world. As a photographer, my requirements are slightly different from most travelers, and can add considerably to the hassle of travel. With careful planning, this can be managed. Over the last two and a half years of travel, I've slowly worked out what I like, and what makes my life easier on the road.

Below are some of the things that are useful, in addition to normal clothes that make life easier when traveling for long periods, along with some general tips.

General:

  • Packing cubes - these are smaller compartments that fit your folded underwear or rolled t-shirts and save from constant re-packing. I use: 2 Eagle Creek Pac-it 2-sided cubes
  • Semi-transparent water resistant packing sack. Again a smaller compartment to keep lots of loose stuff such as chargers. I use: Eagle Creek Pac-it-sac (large)
  • large wet-sac - large water-proof sack to keep laundry (and smells) in and separate from clean clothes
  • large micro-fibre travel towel - lightweight and fast drying
  • Toilet paper + small packs of tissues (especially if traveling in Asia)
  • Pocket sized Hand Sanitiser (usually a small bottle containing a mix of alcohol and fragrance
  • Classic double-edge safety razor, Shaving cream & brush
  • Power adapters as well as a double adaptor if you have several things that need charging
  • Transparent zip-lock bags - handy for keeping things dry and storing things like laundry powder
  • Camera equipment

Packing


If you're traveling for a lengthy period of time, you usually don't pack your things only once. Chances are you move around, and have to pack up every time you change locations. This is where its very handy to use something like the Pack-it cubes. Basically you roll up your clothes, put them in the cubes and only pull them out when you wear them. Its like having separate compartments in your pack, so you don't have to pack and unpack everything to find what you're looking for.
Once you're done, the dirty clothes go in the wet-sack ready for the laundry. If you're in humid environments, its always a good idea to dry and air out clothes before they go in the laundry bag - this way they're lighter and less offensive when you go to open the bag next.

Shaving:


Shaving is often one of the biggest hassles when traveling. Seeing as most guys aren't going to shave daily, you often end up with a 3-day growth (at a minimum). Using a disposable or replaceable pivoting head multi-bladed shaver will usually take much longer because the shaver clogs, and you end up with irritated skin. Add in a hot humid environment (if you're in the tropics) and shaving rash is almost inevitable. A far better alternative is an old-school double-edge safety razor, which if used properly will give you a closer, cleaner shave. An added bonus is that it works much better with longer hair. If you haven't used one before, there's lots of how-to videos on youtube to get you started.

Going to the Toilet

Going to the toilet often isn't as straightforward as back at home. Squat toilets (also known as "Starter blocks") are common, and toilet paper isn't. It good to always take your own toilet paper (or small packs of tissues) as well as hand sanitizer. Although the local method of going to the toilet isn't actually un-hygienic, for first-timers it may be very uncomfortable and there is a very real risk of making a complete mess of your clothes. For a guide to using squat toilets see: How to use a Squat toilet .


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