It’s obvious I have done a fair bit of traveling and I will be the first to admit that there are certain things I take for granted when going abroad. How do you pack? What do you pack? How in the world can I cram 14 days worth of clothing into that small bag? Honestly, it can be mind boggling and stressful at best. Fortunately, I’m a stress-free kind of gal, and I don’t sweat the small stuff. Case in point?
I have yet to even consider packing for the next two weeks…and we leave on Saturday morning!
Some of my OmniTen peeps have been texting and calling me, wanting to compare notes and discuss what we are packing. The problem? I bring nothing to this conversation because I haven’t thought through those answers yet!
However, I do have a few tips ‘n tricks that have gotten me through five continents and 25 {soon to be 27!} countries. Check ‘em out!
I got my hair cut yesterday… you’re welcome
Invest in a Quality Carry-On Suitcase.
As with most opinions in this world, everyone has one and I’m sure many of you will disagree with me on this point. However, if I have learned one thing in all of my travels, it is this: never, ever check a bag unless you absolutely have to. Period.
Why? Airlines are rough on luggage! Since January of this year, I have gone through three suitcases, a pair of skis, some snowpants, goggles, ski poles, a ski bag, and a ziploc full of fairly expensive face lotions. I had to check my skis for the OmniGames in Park City, and I arrived to find the entire ski bag of gear destroyed. I needed to check my carry-on suitcase when we flew to France because Will hadn’t thought about my over-sized face lotions that I wasn’t allowed to take on the plane. Sure enough, we showed up in Paris to find the entire outer pocket missing from my suitcase, along with all of its contents.
Am I going to whine about this? Nope; it’s the cost of doing business {and SouthWest was fantastic about replacing all of my ski gear, including the skis!} However, I do adamantly swear by carrying on my items unless forced. For the next couple of weeks, I will be bringing two bags: one massive duffel full of Columbia gear that I will need to check, and one carry-on suitcase that will contain everything I need for Bali, along with my essentials. I am testing an Eagle Creek carry-on bag that is half hard shell, and when I confessed by abusive baggage nature to the PR rep, she assured me this suitcase was top notch.
I’m pretty confident I can put it through the ringer, so we’ll see how this goes!
Traveler’s Cheques? Cash? Meh.
Back in the day, traveler’s cheques were quite the rage and I clearly remember my parents getting a few of them ready before we would go on a trip. And cash? What a nightmare it is to find an ATM!
Everywhere- and I repeat, everywhere—takes cards. Sure, some off-the-beaten-path locations won’t take debit cards and a few others truly are cash-only, but in my experience, those are very rare. The campo in Paraguay was a cash-only situation and I got money out before we headed into the wild. No big deal!
However, I am going to contradict myself for one second: while I don’t go out of my way to exchange money or prepare for the upcoming days, I do always make sure I have a couple of American $20 bills in my wallet. In the majority of countries in the world, American money can go a long way….and I speak from experience when I tell you that a single $20 can definitely buy your way into Cambodia if you screw up on your visa 
Roll Your Clothes
Remember how we used to tight-roll our jeans in the third grade? It’s like that, only with every single item that goes in the bag. Capiche?
My grandma was in the military so she taught us the army style of rolling clothes. Not only does it save a ton of space, but your clothes arrive at your location relatively unwrinkled. Win-win!
Go Light on the Undergarments
Because you don’t need to wear underwear every day, right?
I kid, I kid!
In all seriousness, I realize that bras, socks, boxers and underwear don’t take up a ton of space, but if you are traveling for an extensive period of time, that is a lot of items! Personally, I tend to pack enough of each to get me through half of the trip. I can always hand wash the dirty items in the sink of the hotel or hostel and let them line dry overnight. That way, you can save the space for other cool stuff!
Find One Pair of Go-To Boots
I initially thought this only applied to women, but the more I think about it, it’s a rule that covers both sexes. If you’re traveling for an outdoor trip, it’s less of an issue, but when I go on trips like our recent trip to Paris, I’m looking for both comfort and style. I mean, I can’t really wear pair a running shoes to dinner at Ciel de Paris, can I?!
For me, I’ve found my favorites in a pair of Steve Madden riding boots. I bought them years ago so I have no idea what they’re called, but I’ve managed to work those suckers in a variety of situations. Walking around Paris for 9 hours? Check. Out at a bar to celebrate a friend’s bachelorette? They looked cute with leggings! My point is this: find one or two pair of shoes that will cover you in any possible situation, and you’re golden. After all, shoes take up the majority of the space in your suitcase!
Prescriptions Are Easy to Get
Sure, if it’s an important prescription that you are going to be in serious trouble without, definitely pack it! However, if you are preemptively thinking of every possible situation while abroad and trying to prep for all accidents, don’t bother. There are are pharmacies everywhere and they carry everything! I know many may say that the meds you get abroad “aren’t as good,” but I’ve never had that problem. I’ve purchased malaria pills, Cipro and Immodium pills, and a variety of pills to cure my infected foot after a SCUBA diving incident. In every single case, they worked well and were one third of the price back home.
Ear Plugs
Admittedly, I don’t follow my own rule on this one but that’s because I am a prodigy when it comes to sleeping. Park me in a bed, a floor, a bus, a plane or a park bench; it truly doesn’t matter because I can sleep through anything! {Seriously, I slept on a lawn chair on a beach outside of a dance club in Spain once when we realized that every hotel was booked for the night!}
This is the only photo I could find from my Spain days. Do you now understand why I will never cut my hair short again?!
Having said that, I realize that not everyone is this way and very frequently, noise can be annoying. In fact, a lack of sleep can ruin a trip! I can’t tell y’all how many times I’ve shared a hostel room with an ear-splitting snorer or tried to sleep on a 12-hour flight with a handful of screaming babies. However, if you have some handy ear plugs, you’ll be able to pop them in and fall asleep, regardless of where you are!
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Any tips you’d like to add?