Practical Packing

Packing for a holiday can be an art form. Take too little and you can end up stuck. Pack too much and it can cost a fortune in additional fees. Aside from the ‘essential’ shoes and ‘just in case’ sparkly tops of dress shirts, it is a good idea to think about some practical additions to your luggage as well.

Put an extra bag in your bag.

A light, easy to carry day pack makes day trips a breeze – make sure the straps are comfortable and that you can fit a warm top, camera, tablet, wallet, hat and drink into it. On the subject of foldables, a drink bottle that folds down to nothing adds very little weight to your luggage when empty, but can easily be filled to take on an unexpected detour.

Take a torch

Street lighting can vary from city to city, or if you are going into the great outdoors, may be non-existent. A torch can be very handy to have in your luggage (make sure you pack spare batteries).

Multi-use clothing.

A sarong can do many jobs – an extra light layer to sleep under and keep the insects off, as sun protection, as a stand-in towel, as a modest covering is you are visiting temples or churches or you can simply wrap a jersey in a sarong for an instant pillow.

Hats come into this category too. Choose a hat that won’t crush (there are many rollup styles available and have it on hand at all times – sun burn is miserable.

A swiss-army knife or multi tool can get you out of a multitude of tight corners. Make sure it is packed in your checked baggage not your carry on bag!

A tube of all purpose glue is great to have tucked away for emergency mending jobs (loose shoe sole anyone?).

If you are a light sleeper, take several pairs of ear plugs that you find comfortable. They get lost easily, but can make a huge difference on long flights or in hotel rooms with thin walls.

Zip lock bags are a travellers best friend. Take various sizes to store wet laundry, keep underwear in so it doesn’t get lost in the bottom of the suitcase, or to keep shoes from stinking up the whole bag.