The Art of Packing

Packing. It's my least favorite thing to do when I'm about to travel. If there’s anything I’d want to put off ‘til the last minute, it’s that. But of course I can’t do without this! I have to force myself then I end up piling up my clothes in my luggage that when I get to my destination, I realize that 1) I don’t like the clothes I brought with me, or 2) I brought too much clothes, or 3) I don’t have enough. There's just really a lack of planning.

This ALWAYS happens for my business trips since it’s already become routinary. Haha! But for my “personal” ones, the travels that I’m REALLY excited about, I tend to pack early. I actually even imagine what I would wear, what goes with what, should I just leave some things at home…

Now that our Big Trip is just around the bend, I’m posed with a new challenge: How should I pack my stuff with just ONE BACKPACK? What should I bring?

Friends, it’s checklist time. :)

- Passport and laminated copy of passport
- Plane tickets
- Credit cards / atm / money
- Toothbrush / toothpaste
- Soap
- Towel (Aquazorb)
- Shampoo (2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner sachets)
- Underwear
- Socks
- 3 shirts (1 dri-fit, 2 cotton shirts)
- 1 pair of cargo pants
- 1 pair of shorts, 1 board shorts
- 1 dress
- Jacket
- Cap
- Sunglasses
- Swimwear
- Water bottle
- Flip flops and Vibram
- Mobile phone (Nokia) / charger / universal adaptor
- Nikon camera / SD cards / charger / extra battery
- Notebook and pen
- Mirror
- Flashlight
- A thin blanket / malong
- Sunblock
- Safety pins
- Garbage bag
- Flash disk
- Combination lock and wire
- Lonely planet book

Medical kit:
- Anti-diarrhea medicine (Imodium / Diatabs)
- Laxative (Dulcolax)
- Aspirin
- Paracetamol
- Band aid
- Tiger balm
- Motion sickness pills (Bonamine)
- Vitamins

Keep numbers and documents handy:
- Credit card / atm / insurance hotlines
- Doctor / telco provider / airline / airline ticket numbers
- Telephone numbers of Philippine embassies in each country and Blas Ople Policy Center
- Trusted family / friends telephone numbers
- Email addresses
- Save important documents at email / memory stick

Make 2 photocopies (place in different places):
- Passport
- Airline tickets
- Driver’s license / IDs
- Visas (if applicable)

Thanks to Robert Alejandro, he has this checklist in his book, Backpack.

I even Googled this. Here’s what a CouchSurfer has to say: You are what you carry.

Another interesting site on the art and science of traveling light: OneBag.com

It's just a week from now! I'm halfway done. ;)

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Image from: Threadless Tees.