Quote: (11-02-2013 03:12 PM)DoctaWho Wrote:
I have a contract ending around March and plan to take an extended trip to North Africa, South/Central America or Asia after that. The last time I took an extended trip the way I dressed left a bit to be desired and this time I plan to do a bit more dating than I have in the past and therefore want to dress better. I would definitely consider myself a bit of a minimalist and would like to avoid carrying 3 suitcases. I'd rather buy some clothes when I arrive and give them away.
I was talking to a buddy who has done a lot of travelling, mostly for 1-2 weeks at a time and he frequently travels with 2 suitcases and 2 pairs of shoes. Can anyone here could come up with a packing list for a 1+ month trip (feel free to specify a specific country or region) that would be both functional for tourism and for looking sharp enough for dating but fit in on carry on bag + at most a shoe bag? I suppose I could sign up for the trunk club or something but I think there's more value in getting opinions from people here than a stylist.
You want a luggage style bag that you can wear like a backpack and has a laptop sleeve if your bringing that. Some good ones are the GoRuck GR1, eBags Mother Load TLS series, Tom Bihn Aeronaut/TriStar, Patagonia MLC and others by Eagle Creek, etc. This saves you weight & space from not having the integrated roller hardware in your bag.
Then you want to get packing cubes for your clothing. You would roll almost all of your shirts, underwear, swim pants, etc. If your bringing more formal clothing, then something like the eagle folders and such are good for packing those items. If your not, a whole bunch medium sized cubes can compress and hold almost all of your clothing.
I also like packable extra bags, such as a packable laundry bag and maybe a packable tote bag. I would use the tote bag to put my entertainment stuff/sweaters for the airplane in one small bag so I don't have to go up to the overhead compartment during the flight and fish around. I like the safari vest idea in a previous post, that can replace a packable tote bag possibly. There are also many stylish pea coat style jackets that also act like safari vests.
For shoes I would just wear your big pair of shoes and maybe put your thin flip flops or similar in a large zip lock bag. Packs very flat.
For packable bags, packing cubes, packing sacs, etc I tend to like stuff from eagle creek. Their entire packing system has really saved me a lot of space and hassle, I use it extensively. I use cubes for clothing and sacs for toiletries, contact lenses, cables, etc.
For toothbrushes, instead of the disgusting hard-to-clean plastic containers that travel brushes come in, I just use normal toothbrushes and then wrap the heads with new napkins/paper towels after each brushing. It dries the brush and keeps it clean, increasing hygiene and not getting the things in your toiletry bag wet.
Also if your going to hostels and such where they don't provide towels, pack towels are great. Very small, very smooth. One brand name is the MSR packtowl.
If your going to be swimming, get a fucking waterproof camera, one with GPS. Extremely worth it. I regret not taking it on my first long trip.
If your going in hot/humid countries, I would also recommend a waterproof bag for your passport, you don't want it to get water damaged, or wear it down with your sweaty palms. The things have to last 5 or 10 years.