The Basic Items

While preparing for your departure, you may experience a combination of feeling both excited and anxious. How will you pack it all? What will you take? Rest assured these and dozens of other questions have raced through my mind as I have prepared for traveling.

About two weeks before you depart, gather all of the items you have collected for your trip and lay everything out so it is easily seen. Budget a couple of hours to go over your checklist, pack the items in your backpack, try the pack on, and write down any items you are missing.

The Pre-Departure Checklist
Six Months Before Departure

Investigate Immunizations And Get Them
Potential immunizations could be; for:

• Yellow fever
• Tetanus
• Gamma globulin
• Typhoid
• Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B
• Polio booster
• Rabies

Immunization Card

• All shots listed (where, when, and dosage)
• All immunization shots up to date
• Place in immunization card in money belt
• Photocopy and place in pack with other important documents

Two Months Before Departure

Passport

• Check if passport is current.
• All necessary Visas have been acquired.
• Double-check if you have your passport and not another family member’s.

Transportation Tickets

• Research and purchase airline tickets & rail passes.

Accommodation

• Purchase International youth hostel membership.
• Make hotel reservations if appropriate.

Financial Assistant

• Arrange for a friend or family member to manage your financial affairs while abroad.

Three Weeks Before Departure

Packing Checklist

Clothing

• Lay out neatly folded clothing.

• Arrange clothes in categories (T-shirts, shorts, socks, underwear, etc.)
• Assess clothing for comfort, warmth, coolness, and durability.
• Determine whether you are over packing or under packing.
• Make any appropriate adjustments to your wardrobe.
• Bring clothes that are washable, no dry cleanable items.

Toiletries

• Lay out toiletries
• Basic skin care items (cleanser, lotion, toner)
• Shampoo and conditioner
• Sunscreen
• Lip balm
• Basic cosmetics (lipstick, mascara)
• Leave perfume and excessive cosmetics home.
• Assess if you are over packing or under packing items

• Toiletries are available worldwide, avoid economy size bottles.

• Transfer items in glass bottles to plastic travel containers if applicable, and label bottles appropriately.

• Place all items in Zip-loc bags for travel.

Photocopies of documents

• Photocopy two sets of your documents

• Airline tickets
• Rail passes
• Passport
• Visas
• Medical information
• Credit cards
• Driver's license
• Youth hostel membership card
• Medic alert card

• Place one set in a Zip-loc bag to put in backpack.
• Give second set to family or friend.

First Aid Kit

Refer to checklist in the first aid chapter. Do you have everything on the first aid checklist? Make a list of items that still need to be purchased.

• Personal medications?
• Birth control pills?
• Malaria medication?
• Allergy medication?
• Sterile pack?

Always double-check for these critical items. Place all items in Zip-loc bags for travel.

Transportation Tickets And Passes

• Airline tickets
• Rail tickets and passes, Eurorail pass, etc.

Money Belt

• Traveler's Checks
• Credit cards (check expiration dates)
• Driver's license
• International driver's license
• International student discount card or college identification card
• At least forty U.S. dollars and ten dollars in one dollar bills
• Telephone card & international operator card

More Items To Pack

• Guidebook
• Water pump
• Swiss army knife
• Camera
• Film
• Disposable panoramic or underwater camera
• Travel locks for backpack
• Journal, pens, colored pencils, etc.
• Address book and adhesive address labels
• Photos of family and friends
• Communication language book
• Walkman, tapes, CD's
• Batteries
• Two small note pads or memo books
• Book to read

• Small cotton or mesh bag to carry dirty laundry

Basic Rules Of Packing

Backpack

• Place heavier items at the bottom of pack.
• Pack clothing around first aid kit and more fragile items.
• Pack items to be used daily pack near the opening of the pack.
• Always fold clothes when you put them in pack, even when they are soiled. Folded clothes take up less space in pack.
• Dirty clothing pack near the bottom in mesh laundry bag.

Day Pack

• Journal and pen
• Walkman, tapes and CDs
• Book
• Camera
• Photos of family and friends
• Guidebook and map
• Swiss army knife
• Snicker's candy bar or granola bar

Is Your Backpack To Heavy Or Just Right?

After you have packed your backpack, it's time to try it on. Depending upon your frame and strength, a pack weighing around twenty pounds should be comfortable and manageable.

Try your pack on by yourself, without any muscle or help from friends or family; they won't be there to help you later. If your pack does feel too heavy, then lay out the contents and reassess your supplies. Reduce your supplies, repack, and then try it on again. I have done this several times until it was just right.

Good luck!