"b1bob's guide to quick and easy packing" Personal Page by b1bob

The weather around the world is different from one point to another. Even where it is uniformly warm, there is usually a rainy or a dry season. Where it is uniformly cold, some parts of the year are more stormy and unforgiving than others. Before you plan your trip, click on The Weather Channel to find out the norms for your destination at any given time of year. This site also provides a forecast up to 10 days out (temperature and general conditions) to help you decide what kind of clothes to pack.

When you decide what to pack, consider rolling as much of it into tight balls in your carry-on as possible. Some folks like me are fearful that their clothing and other valuables will be stolen if checked, especially since the T.S.A. has prohibited passengers from locking their luggage with standard locks. However Brookstone sells a lock that can be opened by sworn T.S.A. officials if need be, but not by your run-of-the-mill baggage handler.

Check and see if your accommodations have laundry facilities. If they do have convenient and cheap laundry facilities, the less you will have to pack and the more room you will have to stow your whatnots on the return trip.

Before you go, make a checklist of what you take, literally ticking the boxes as it goes into your carry-on or checked bag. (Make a separate list for carry-on and for your checked bag). Make a column for departure and return and for any intermediate destinations. When making your checklist on your word processor, leave enough room to write in any whatnots you might pick up along the way for a full inventory on your return.

security checkpoint: Raleigh-Durham Airport

Since the way we travel has changed since 11 September 2001, here are a few tips to eliminate nasty surprises on travel day:

Compartmentalise: Careful packing can reduce needless delays passing through various points in the airport. Place all loose items in one small bag inside your carry-on (a clear one would be easier still). That way, if it is searched, it will be easier for the airport screener and, thus, not take as long and it will be easier for you to repack afterwards.

Be Prepared: With newly augmented security, make sure you carry proper I.D. with you at all times. For foreign trips, contact that country's consulate or embassy to find out if any visas or other extra documentation is required in addition to your passport.

It's in the mail: Today, there is a long list of things banned from flights. If you're not sure about something you packed in your carry-on, bring a self-addressed stamped envelope to the airport. That way you can mail it back to yourself and avoid losing it altogether.

Juice it up & unwrap it: At airport security screenings, your mobile phone and laptop computer will need to have enough power to be turned on for inspection. Also, if you have any gifts with you, wait until you reach your final destination to wrap them. If screeners can't see what's inside, they will have to open your presents, wrapping paper and all. The better option would be to ship them ahead to your destination before you go.

Go Early: Something else to consider is to book an early morning flight to reduce your chances of being delayed and missing a connecting flight.

the correct way to carry on liquids & gels

In carry-on luggage, you can only pack containers no bigger than three ounces each for liquids, aerosols or gels; all of those containers have to fit in one clear plastic closed zip-top bag and only one zip-top bag is allowed per passenger.

mosquito repellent

In many parts of the U.S., a mosquito bite is simply an itchy annoyance. However, in some tropical countries, malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases are still problematic. Bring along mosquito repellent. It used to only come in an aerosol can and have an odour so strong as to keep more than just mosquitoes away. Nowadays, it comes in a lotion form and some doubles as sun block as well. To lessen your chances of getting bitten, don't venture out in the hours around dawn or dusk and don't apply any sweet-smelling perfumes.

sun block

Everybody knows that too much sun can lead to a painful and sometimes dangerous sunburn with the possibility of more grave consequences down the road. Sunblock isn't just for the beach anymore, folks. If you plan to work or play in the sun all day long, put on a sunblock with a high SPF index- the higher the index the more the protection.

flip-flops

If you go to the beach, whether it be sand or stone, wear flip-flops. They protect your bare feet from hot sand, still-burning cigarettes strewn on the sand by inconsiderate beachgoers, and other beach hazards such as bits of driftwood, sand crabs and remnants of washed-up jellyfish. Buy them in your home country if you can so you will know what size fits you best. If you have to buy them abroad, like these featured flip-flops I picked up in Brazil, make use of this shoe size converter. Despite the fact they had to go in the store room for flip-flops this big, they still weren't big enough.

Kodak Advantix

The kind of photography equipment you take depends on your style and interest. I personally take a fairly small camera, the Kodak Advantix because it is very easy to load and you can pull it out of your pocket whenever a Kodak moment comes up. If you are going to a city that has a reputation for high crime, buy a few disposable cameras- that way you aren't out much if they get stolen. Before you go, take more film than you will ever need. Also, take batteries for your camera in case you run out. Batteries may be hard to come by in some of the more rural areas. You would hate to be on photographic safari and have your batteries fail you. Always keep extras on reserve and mind the expiry date.

wear that neck wallet, straddle that bag

I have heard all manner of horror stories from folks who have had bad things happen to them. In most cases, if they had used their heads for something besides a hair garden, they would have either been all right or gotten by with less hardship.

I always make my valuables (traveler's cheques, passport, identification, etc.) hard to get at by putting them in my neck wallet (enlarge the photo and see the bottom frame). It has several compartments to sort out the different things one would put there. Pickpockets generally are after a quick grab and go. I make them believe they were successful by putting a decoy wallet with pictures of folks I don't like anymore and a note in several different languages telling them they have been had. These folks (and I use the term loosely) don't wait around there and check the contents. So there you will be fat and happy with all your things with you while the dirty rotter who took your decoy wallet will be cussing his luck.

When you have to travel with your bags, keep an eye riveted on them at all times. A lot of carry-ons in airports get stolen or rifled through when its owner has the bag on his or her back while eating or talking on a payphone. Enlarge the photo again and see me straddle my backpack. That way, you can keep your eyes on it and, quite probably, stop it from getting far if someone is fool enough to try taking it.

ALWAYS make a photocopy of your passport AND carry extra passport sized photos in order to make it easy as pie (and maybe cheaper) for your embassy to reissue you a new one. Keep these backup documents in a separate location so they will be of use.

Get traveler's cheques even though it is inconvenient in some countries to change them into cash. The simple reason is they can be replaced if lost or stolen. Keep all traveler's cheque receipts in a separate location to aid the replacement process.