Packing

I’m not packing my bag for another trip just yet. But my officemate is. He is going for a work-related trip this Saturday. Having never travel before, he is clueless on what to pack. Since I went on a similar trip last year, he asked me for ideas.

Close friends would testify that I some times packed the smallest bag when travelling! So here are suggested things to pack in your bag:
1. Clothes:
· 2 sets of day clothes – to wear during the day
· 2 sets of night clothes – to wear for sleeping. To be kept dry at all cost. You wouldn’t want to be sleeping in wet clothes
· 2 pairs of socks
· 5 sets of under wears – don’t laugh but it is essential that you have enough!
· 1 set of sarong/kain batik – this versatile fabric can be used as towel, blanket, or be worn like skirt
If you are travelling to cold countries, you might want to add long johns and additional warm clothing. I avoid packing denims into my bag because they took up spaces. Denims are also heavier and take longer time to dry. If I really need denim pants / jacket, I normally wear them.

2. Toiletries (wrapped in waterproof plastic bag to avoid spillage):
· Toothpaste + toothbrush
· Soap bar – some would say shower cream/gel is more hygienic. But liquid has tendency of spilling all over your clothes in the bag. Get soap bar that is ‘gentle’ on the face so you can use the soap instead of facial cleanser.
· Detergent bar – to wash clothes. Rule of thumb in washing clothes is: 1 set to wash and dry, 1 set to wear and 1 set for spare
· Deodorant – unless you have no problem with smelling all-sweats
· Hair Shampoo – only bring this on long trips or trips that would make your hair dirty. Otherwise, shampoo you hair before going away.
· Razor blade – unless you don’t mind some hair growth
· Facial cleanser – optional if you can use the soap bar
· Sun blocks – I hardly bring this as I don’t go for sunbathing. Very important if you plan to spend time out in the hot sun

3. Utilities:
· Swiss army knife – make sure you check-in your bag if you have this item. Mine comes with can opener, and a little torchlight.
· Torchlight – very important if you plan to go camping / walking at night.
· Ponchos / rain cover – get one of those that can be open and served as a mat.
· Flip-flop / selipar jepun – I don’t normally bring this. To be use in places where you can’t wet your shoes or when you just want to walk small distance and don’t want to wear your shoes. Alternatively, you could get one of those expensive water-repellent-sandals-that-function-like-shoes, and wear it
· Waterproof plastic bags – to protect things (clothes/gadget/etc) from getting wet or to carry wet clothes.
· Zip lock bags – to be use to pack food. Can also function like plastic bag
· Fork and spoon – optional if your Swiss army knife comes with fork and spoon. If you bring the steel kind, make sure you check-in your bag

4. Electrical / electronic gadgets:
· Power adaptor – important if you are going to countries that have different kind of power socket than your electrical gadgets’
· PDA + charger – I use PalmOne Tungsten T5. I use it to record my travel details, store maps (in JPEG format) and phrase book, listen to MP3, watch films, blog, and some times surf internet and write e-mails. PDA with touch screen where you can scribble notes is very useful when you need to do a ‘pictorial’ translation
· Memory card for PDA – have enough space to store everything you need.
· Handphone + charger – check with your service provider if they provide roaming at the country/ies you are heading. Otherwise, get one of those handphones with multiple bands so you can buy local prepaid card
· Digital camera + charger – since I upgraded to dSLR, I have extra back just for the dSLR and its accessories. I also bring my compact digital camera as a backup camera
· Memory card for camera / Portable hard disk – to store photos from digital camera

5. Food rations (Only if you think it would be hard to find suitable food for you. Quantity depends on travel duration):
· 3in1 nutritional drinks sachets
· Instant noodles – I hardly brings this because I’m kind of allergic to the instant seasonings
· Sardines – If possible get the one with ‘built-in’ can opener. Bear in mind the cans will add additional weight.
· Serunding (packed in zip lock bag) – a local dish of shredded meat/chicken/fish in coconut milk and spices cooked till dry.
· Brahim’s instant food – a local brand that have a variety of instant foods
· Microwave-able food container with cover – to ‘cook’ instant food. To save space I normally put the 3in1s and Serunding in the container before packing them into bag.

Happy packing and travelling!