Not Just Another Packing Guide

I'm not going to create a packing guide. If you're a complete novice, do a Google search and you'll find dozens of packing guides. I guarantee you that if you haven't been travelling before doing an extended overseas trips, it's hard to know what you're going to need until you need it. I think there is this tendency in a lot of people's minds to prepare for the worst and want to bring along half of their household. From doing my own Google searches and seeing dozens of variations of packing guides, there's similar themes in terms of footwear, layering, clothing appropriate for the culture. It's been said.

What I thought I would offer, rather, is a guide on where all of the online packing guides didn't manage to get it right for me - or where I went wrong ignoring the tried and true advice!

3 Things I'm Glad I Took

• My netbook – something that I went back and forth about, and you can read various blog entries around the web about the pros versus cons of travelling with a laptop, netbook or tablet device. I managed 2008 without my own laptop or netbook but I'm so glad I took it to the USA in 2010. It makes the world of difference in passing long flights, layovers at airports, and just easy access to family and friends.
• Jeans – I nearly didn't take a pair, because the packing guides told me they were too heavy. Absolutely ridiculous advice and don't listen to it.
• My mini sewing kit – purchased for about four dollars, it was used scarcely, but when it was needed it was desperately needed! The button of my jeans had come off due to the thread unwinding, and me, a sewing novice, had to do a quick fix job which I'm proud to say got me through the next three months, before the jeans had been utterly worn to death and I picked up a new pair!

Four dollars from the supermarket, and has come in handy many a time!

3 Things I Took But Didn't Need

• Hair dryer – a large volume of youth hostels have hair dryers in the bathrooms, or available to hire if you really need one. I'm not a very girly girl as it is, so I can understand that for some, having access to dry their hair is essential. But if you don't feel the need to blow dry your hair every day at home – you won't miss not having it.
• Fancy lingerie – yes, I had one nice pair with me. No need for anything extremely pretty and lacy, unless you're actually going away with the pure intent of hooking up in as many countries as you can!
• My guidebook. The only occasions when I really, really needed it were... hrm, never! They're great for ideas, but it is 2012! You can get any of that information online. It's a big bulky waste of space and weight. I took mine with me to the United States and accidentally left it at a youth hostel – I was upset more so about the monetary value that I'd lost, but not once did I miss it or think 'I'm completely stuck, if only I had that guide book!'

My old faithful '07 edition of Europe on a Shoestring, used more at home than it was during my travels!

3 Things I Didn't Take But Had To Buy

• A sweatshirt/hoodie. I didn't have anything that was between my winter coat and a cardigan. A hoodie was the perfect thing and I'm very glad I picked one up – in extremely cold places I actually wore a t-shirt, hoodie and my coat; but it was also perfect for cooler temperatures where I'd take a quick trip down the road to the supermarket where I didn't quite need to rug up.
• More underwear – the reality is that when you're backpacking, you can wear a pair of jeans for a week, but you always need clean underwear. (if you're a person of good hygiene standards. I read a packing guide talking about pantyliners and wearing underwear inside out, but seriously, for the sake of the space of an extra few pairs of underwear – just take the underwear!) I went and bought a pack of 5 pairs of basic black briefs, which allowed me extra time between laundry sessions
• Sneakers. Yes, this I shamefully admit. In real life, except for going to the gym, I never wear sneakers, or converse, or hiking boots, or any sort of fully enclosed shoe that requires lacing up. I naively took a really comfortable pair of flats with me for my first backpacking trip in 2008. They were fine on the first layover in Los Angeles; however in New York City it was raining and wet and my poor flats became soaked through. I went online, Googled the closest Target, got on the subway and headed to the mall in Brooklyn and picked myself up a cheap pair of sneakers.

Sneakers purchased ready for this years trip.

Last but not least, I present to you the Golden Rule:

If in doubt – take it out! Unless you're going hardcore mountain climbing or jungle trekking in the middle of nowhere, you can buy whatever you need.