::Title: The Universal Packing List ::Author: Mats Henricson ::Filename: general/packing_list ::Date: 1993 April ::Type: FAQ :: ======================================================================== This is THE UNIVERSAL PACKING LIST version 1.0 Compiled by Mats Henricson Sweden mats.henricson@eua.ericsson.se The UPL is COPYLEFT, i.e. you may use it as you wish. However, if you choose to use it for any kind of commercial purpose, I will get kind of sad. Credits to ---------- Johan Schimanski (Norway) and Christina Gisselberg (Sweden) who have reviewed the list and given me valuable comments. Background ---------- In january 1988 I left Sweden for warmer climates - Africa. I was there for 5 months. A trip like that would never have been possible without proper planning. For months I compiled a list of things I might have wanted to bring with me, as well as things I had to do before I hit the road. When I came home I found out I could use the list for just about any other trip, even for weekend trips just 100 km away. The list has expanded since then, and when I found the rec.travel group on Internet a while ago, the idea struck me that making my list available to all travellers could be fun. How The UPL is structured ------------------------- The UPL is actually a number of lists. Some of them are for clothes, others are for hiking equipment, photo equipment etc. That way you can skip lists that just don't apply for your specific trip. For example, if you plan to go to Australia in january, the list called "Clothes for Cold weather" most certainly doesn't apply, and you can just skip it. Most items in the lists have comments attached to them. It can be an explanation to why the item is there in the first place, or an anecdote from any of my trips. How to use the list ------------------- Save the list to a file. Read through it all, and skip lists or items you think are plain stupid. Maybe you always bring your favourite teddy-bear with you - then add it to the list! Then delete all comments you think are stupid or unnecessary. Voila! You have a customized list made only for you! Disclaimer ---------- The UPL lists many thing you can bring with you, but there might be things missing that is necessary for your particular trip. In such a case, I just say sorry. We all need different things during our travels, and I just cannot imagine them all. However, if you think something is missing, drop me a mail and it might be in the next version of the list. Maybe someone thinks there should be a list for climbers; send it to me and I'll consider it for the next version. If you have a nice anecdote about an item, send it to me and I might add it to the list. Well, as a matter of fact, send any kind of comment to me, and I'll give you a golden star in my address list, as well as mention you in the next version of the UPL. General comments on packing --------------------------- We all carry too many things through life. Well, almost: I once met a young guy from Austria travelling around in Sudan with a bag that just couldn't have been more than 5 litres big. Three months later I met another guy from Austria with two big backpacks. One was for normal travelling things, while the other was for musical instruments he bought underway. The golden rule is (despite the first guy mentioned above): all backpacks are too big. I have discovered a perfect way of avoiding too many things on my trips: buy a backpack that seems a bit too small. My backpack is about 50 litres big, and that seems just perfect for a long trip. Another fun approach is to challenge your travelling mate (if you are lucky enough to have a friend companying you) which of you will have the smallest backpack. The loser pays a splash-out dinner at the most expensive restaurant in town. T H E U N I V E R S A L P A C K I N G L I S T ---------------------------------------------------- Books ----- Books are heavy but hard to be without. You'll end up waiting a lot on most trips, so a novel or two or three will make your trip more enjoyable. Phrase-book Saying goodbye and thankyou in the local language will give you a lot of response outside of heavily loaded tourist areas: but you will either find these words in your guidebook, or by asking people you meet (even more response). Novels A guideline is to bring one book per month of travel. Books in your native language is all nice and cozy on the road, but it can reduce the price of it on the second hand market. Travellers often swap books, and if you have a book in Swedish, you're out of luck. Choose English. Guidebook I usually have a Lonely Planet guide with me, but they're approaching the weight of a brick nowadays, so try to reduce it by ripping out pages or leave it at home. A too good guide-book is kind of boring, since it reduces the thrill of finding your own hotels and magic places on the globe. You can be pretty sure that if a place is in the guidebook, it is more or less crowded with travellers. Things to do ------------ With this I mean the things you usually have to fix before you go. The list does not contain any of the travel-preparations you have to do, like buying tickets, get visas and such. Cut your hair I like the feeling of being 110% prepared when leaving home, so cutting my hair is on my list when I go for a long trip. Having too long hair can also reduce your chances of being let into some countries. In some situations, it will also help when hitching rides. As long as you don't expect to get a perfect cut, you can always do it on the road. Go to the dentist I strongly advice you to do this if you go for more than a couple of months. I'd hate to have to go to a dentist in Kisangani in Zaire. Fill in the tax return form I'm kind of boring, since I'd hate to come back and find out I have problems with the authorities. Do it if your trip coincides with when it is supposed to be filled in. COA - Change Of Address Tell your friends where they can contact you if it is necessary. I must say that I have some great memories from collecting Poste Restante mail abroad. Remember to tell your friends the right way of writing P.R. addresses. My address would be: Mr. Henricson, Mats General Post Office Town, Country, Etc. If you write it: Mats Henricson Etc. it might be sorted under M, not H, which is VERY annoying. Pay the rent and other necessary bills If you are lucky enough to have a flat you'd better be sure to still have it when you come back. I like to have it all sorted out nicely when I travel, so the best thing is to give some money to a trusted friend who can pay all necessary bills when you are out of town. Wash clothes I like to have all my clothes shining clean when I hit the road, and I also kind of prepare for my home-coming by having a clean set of clothes at home to put on after the kind of orgiastic shower you are craving for when you come home. Hygiene (basic) --------------- This is a list of the kind of hygiene things all of us are very likely to bring with us. Remember that I'm male, so the hygiene lists are pretty biased to what we men bring with us. (If there are any women travellers out their who would like to rectify this balance, send comments to me, and they can be incorporated in the next version.) Shaving equipment Well, a must if you are a guy. Leave the can of shaving foam at home unless you like heavy backpacks. I prefer to use soap since you must carry soap with you anyway. Remember not to shave in dirty or contaminated water since you can pick up a nasty decease that way. I tend to get small bleeding wounds after shaving, and it's easy to see why that is bad. Extra blades to Shaving equipment This only applies to us who prefer to avoid electric shavers. They are heavy, and electrical standards are not standards. Toothbrush One of the few things you can buy all over the world. Toothpaste Can also be bought almost everywhere. Soap The ones you find along the road may not smell the way you are used to, but at least they are available everywhere. Shampoo If you are really hard-core, you can use soap, but, well, I'm kind of whimpy and prefer real shampoo. Not as available as soap, but it should be no real problem getting it in most towns all over the world. I remember even getting a super efficient shampoo against bugs in a pharmacy in Assuan, Egypt, by sketching a bug with legs on a piece of paper and making crawling motions with my hand in my hair. Pretty international problem, I guess. Toilet paper NOT available everywhere, but nevertheless kind of indispensable. In Africa it took me two months to get somewhat used to using just my hand and water. Towel I just used a T-shirt on one trip, but now I think a towel is a must. Hygiene (optional) ------------------ Some optional hygiene items. Comb Takes virtually no space in your backpack (TVNSIYB), and you might be pretty unhappy without it. Washcloth Popular in Norway but by some reason not in Sweden. TVNSIYB, and gives you the chance to get clean all the way into your pores. Handkerchief For whimps! Detergent Available almost everywhere, but you can use soap with satisfying result. Clothes pegs Pretty usable, actually. I carry with me perhaps 8 of these magnificent inventions. Maps ---- I always travel with lots of maps. Remember that good maps can be pretty hard to find in many countries. Large scale I like to have a large scale map for these occasions when you sit at a cafe and try to figure out where to go the next month. Small scale For more detailed kind of travelling. Clothes (basic) --------------- Clothes most of us are very likely to bring with us. Biased to male style of clothes. I don't mind women wearing semi-see-through shirts and other clothes, but remember that with these on, you could get into very much problems in a lot of countries. Leave them at home! Avoid clothes that look military, since that might also give you problems. Undershorts Can be obtained very cheaply in many towns, but if you prefer the western style, you'd better get a basic set of these at home before you go. Shirts There is almost no place on the globe where you can be without a good warm shirt. I always bring one or two tough flannel shirts. T-shirts Pretty impossible to be without, unless you just use thin shirts. You can buy them cheaply along the road. Belt Hard to be without. Shorts This is a must unless you travel in cold climates. I think it is one of the most important pieces of clothing you use, since at least I tend to carry a lot of things in my pockets. Buy a pair of very good quality, and be sure the pockets are tight enough to give pickpockets a hard time. I lost US$100 in Zimbabwe by ignoring this. Socks Good quality socks can be a blessing. Pants I like black jeans at home, but they're kind of hot in Australia in the summer. Clothes (optional) ------------------ Well, pick the ones you like, and leave the rest at home. Cap More or less government recommendation in Australia. I don't like caps at all, but I have burnt my nose to pure coal so many times now that I might change my mind. Of course, if you have style, take a hat. Track-suit For me, a light track-suit works in two ways: both as something you can wear when you are washing your other clothes, and as good clothes when it gets cold. They take up a lot of place in your backpack though. Raincoat I usually carry a Gore-Tex anorak, but it takes up a hell of a lot of place in my backpack. Difficult decision. Leave it at home unless you are heading for colder climates. Umbrella For whimps, and a nuisance to carry with you. Swimming trunks TVNSIYB, and can be very nice. I read that women can get problems in some countries if they are too revealing. Which reminds me of a friend who told me swimming is not allowed on Sundays on some islands in the Pacific Ocean. Pretty weird! Morning gown Well, my friend Johan Schimanski always has a kimono with him as the single luxury which reminds him of civilization. Oh boy. Clothes for Cold weather ------------------------ Well, the title says it all. If you go to hot climates you can just skip this list. Sweater A must in colder climates. Gloves In really cold climates this is a must. TVNSIYB and can save a day. Suit jacket I have brought black suit jackets on most trips since they have lots of handy pockets. But if it gets too hot they take a bleeding lot of place in your backpack. Long underpants Only if the temperature is well below freezing. Shoes ----- Very important. Only use good quality shoes. Shoes I usually use Dr. Martens since you can read "Oil, Fat, Acid, Petrol, Alkali Resistant" on the sole. Just kidding, but no doubt they are very tough shoes that can carry you through the longest trip. A bit expensive and hot, so if you travel in a hot climate, a pair of light jogging shoes can be an alternative. Sandals Very nice to have in very hot climates, but since they don't cover your feets completely, they might give sand bugs a chance to get a fresh place to lay their eggs on. Not dangerous, but very ikky. I got them in Tanzania. For carrying money and important documents ------------------------------------------ You might end up carrying a lot of important documents, not to mention money. This list gives some hints on how to carry them. Remember to have two places for this kind of things. Unless everything gets stolen, this way you'll have some extra money and papers that will make it easier to replace what was stolen, not to mention that some extra money can make it possible for you to continue your travels while for example new travel cheques are arranged for. Pouch for valuable documents I mean the type you hang around your neck. I hate them by two reasons: they are pretty horrible to wear when it's boiling hot, and they make it very obvious you are a tourist. Money belt Even worse when it's hot. Easy to empty for a skilled pickpocket in crowded places. Wallet This is my bag for money! They have a distinct disadvantage though - pickpockets! When you pay for things you buy, be sure not to flash the contents in your pocket to others. The wallet of a westerner can tempt people in poor countries to commit murder! Please remember this! Paper folder I tend to carry quite a lot of paper with me (see below) and to prevent them from ending up unreadable from the massive pressure in my backpack, I put them all in a sturdy paper folder. I have never regretted this. The folder also gives some steadiness in the backpack. Money and important documents ----------------------------- This list is about what kind of documents and what kind of money you better not be without. Passport Visas A trip to Africa can be very difficult to plan since you have to get all these visas. I'm not kidding when I say that it can take you two months to get all the visas you need. Plan ahead! Vaccination certificate Some countries demand you to have one to let you in. Be damn sure all stamps and signatures are in perfect order. On the border between Malawi and Tanzania the customs officer discovered that a nurse here in Sweden had forgot to write her occupation on one of the notes. The customs man said: "This is very very very serious". It was just sheer luck I didn't have to bribe him to get into Tanzania. Insurance certificate I never understood why you need this, but I tend to bring it with me just in case. TVNSIYB. Travel cheques/Cash Everyone knows TC:s are safer than cash, but remember a few things: in some countries it takes you two hours or more to change a TC, and in some countries (often the same as the ones with the slow banks) you can get very much more by changing on the black market. In Iran you could once get 11 times as much on the black market, but I can easily think of funnier places to get caught in by an undercover agent on the black market. Also, travel insurances wont cover a greater loss of cash. The limit at Swedish travel insurance companies is usually US$300 or so. Receipt for travel cheques Carry it very much separate from your Travel Cheques. I have lost TC:s 3 times or so, and all of them were very sour experiences. Cards (Visa, Eurocard, Mastercard) Well, try to use it in Libya! But, what the heck: TVNSIYB. International driving license A must in most countries if you plan to drive. ID-card I have my Swedish driving license as a security if I lose my passport. Swedish is a pretty good language since being fluent in Swedish will reduce most suspicions at Swedish embassies. Being American or so can give you some problems if you have no way of proving who you are at the embassy when applying for a new passport. TVNSIYB. International Student Identification Card (ISIC) Can save you some money in Youth Hostels, trains, museums, planes, so get one if you qualify as a student. If you can, get the brochure with addresses to student travel organizations in different countries, and tear out the pages you want. You will need these addresses if you want to buy student plane tickets. Optional "documents" -------------------- Well, some of the items on this list might be very good to have with you, so you'd better read it. Notepads For writing letters. Address List For writing letters. This packing list Can be very handy if you get things stolen. It can be darn hard to remember what you lost otherwise. Copies of your passport I keep a set of these in case I lose my passport. Might be of help. TVNSIYB. Tourist organization certificate Useful from the same reason as an ISIC card. Photographies for visas/passports etc Carry a dozen in case you need to get a new visa or passport. Cheap and easy to get in one of these automatic booths in the western world. Can be hard to get in other countries. TVNSIYB. Addresses to embassies Just in case you get into problems. Calendar Very nice as a souvenir, since I like to write down where I have been each day to give me a chance to remember what happened on the trip. Envelopes For keeping documents in, or for letters. Tickets ------- Maybe you'll be hitch-hiking. The rest of us needs tickets. Remember to confirm flight tickets. Airline Boat Train Hiking equipment ---------------- This list is for us outdoor bums. I love to walk in the mountains, so I almost always bring this kind of things with me. Hiking trousers You can walk in a pair of jeans, but I find jeans too tight. Choose a pair with big pockets. I like to keep a lot of things in my pockets when I'm up in the mountains. Hiking Boots Takes up a lot of place in your backpack, but necessary if you like rough walking. Also useful if you want to take forbidden literature into a country. I ripped Lonely Planets book "Africa on a Shoestring" in two, pushed them into my boots and got it through a thorough check at the border to Malawi. The book is considered forbidden literature in Malawi since it has some not so nice things to say about the Life Time President Hastings Banda. Compass I was once lost on a mountain in Sudan. I had a compass with me, but didn't use it to find my way. Pretty stupid, I know. Binoculars On the same mountain in Sudan I saw a couple of baboons on the savannah, and that was just about the only time I used this set of heavy equipment. Leave them home unless you are into looking at animals from great distances. Tent I carried one with me 10 weeks in Asia, and used it only once to sleep ON, not IN. Unless you trek in cold climate, leave it at home. Very heavy and bulky. And very difficult to pitch on planes. Sleeping mattress Very useful! I use it in its rolled state for sitting on, and it keeps you from dirty floors and scorpions at night. Lighter For us smokers. Matches can be bought everywhere. For packing ----------- Items that enables you to bring along the other items as effortlessly as possible. A quite important list, I'd say. Backpack Stay away from the cheap ones! I don't like the ones with lots of external pockets since they are easy to steal from. I also try to use one that seems a bit too small since that forces me to skip some unnecessary things. Remember that you are most likely to have more things when coming home than when you go. Backpacks with an external metallic frame are very popular in Sweden. I think you should avoid them, since the frame can break if thrown up on a truck or so. It is also not so easy to push into small boxes at railways stations and similar places. Small extra backpack (Knap sack) I can't be without a small extra backpack, since that is where I carry things when walking around in cities. It serves two other purposes as well: First, it gives you a chance to carry more things along the road since I try to keep the small backpack more or less empty from the start. Second, when carrying the big backpack, I have the small one attached in a snap- hook to the shoulder strap of the big one. This way I have easy access to tickets and other important things in the small backpack. The snap-hook makes it impossible for thieves to just grab the small one and run. To be honest, I'm pretty proud of this idea. Rubber-bands It's kind of amazing how much you can put into a backpack if you do a good job. By using rubber-bands, I squeeze clothes down to a minimal size. Plastic bags Excellent to put small things in. If you carry something in them that might leak, you also need some kind of seal. Packing pouches I have a set of small pouches (up to 3 litres) made of cloth in different colours. I keep different types of things in different pouches, and with this colour code I can easily find what I'm looking for in my backpack. Without these pouches, your backpack will look like a mess in no time. Steel wire I have a 1.5 metre long plastic coated steel wire of proper dimensions with loops at both ends. With it and the padlock, I make damn sure my backpack doesn't disappear on trains at night. It cannot prevent anyone from opening the backpack and steal some of its contents, but the wire prevents the whole backpack from disappearing. It has many times given me considerably better sleep. Padlock Necessary when using the steel wire above, but also works in cheap hotels where you don't trust the default padlocks provided by the hotel. Keep an extra key somewhere separate so that you don't end up with a locked room if you somehow lose the first one. Eating/food equipment --------------------- Read this if you are likely to cook your own food every now or then. Remember that this kind of equipment weighs quite a lot and takes up a lot of space in your backpack. Stove Well, try to find something so small that it fits in your shirt pocket. Extra fuel to the stove Can be difficult to find abroad. If it is a liquid - bring it in a bottle sturdy enough to stand a direct hit from a nuclear warhead. That's the kind of pressure your backpack will produce. Swiss army knife Buy one! You'll end up using it all the time. Don't bring any ordinary knife, since it might give you problems at some borders. But then again, the customs officer in Zaire was worried for me when I told him I had no weapon at all. Can opener One of these things you are bound to need sooner or later. Kind of unnecessary if you have a good Swiss army knife. Water bottle If you go to Africa, Asia or Southern America, you'll be very sorry if you don't bring a good one from home. Buy one of the metallic types. Pour in some dubious water and throw in some of these purifying tablets, and in some minutes you have some horrible tasting water. I prefer bad tasting water to Amoeba Dysentery. Tea spoon OK, I might be persecuted for this, but I advise you to steal one at the first cafe along the road! Eating utensils Also possible to steal, but I think a swiss army knife works OK. But then again, I don't cook much food on the road. Miscellaneous ------------- Things that just didn't fit into any other list. Pens You can buy them anywhere, but the quality is often very bad. Bring a bunch of them. Works as much appreciated gifts to kids. Watch Next time I'll buy myself a Swatch or something similar. No big deal if it gets stolen, and they are waterproof and sturdy. Torch I just lost my Maglite (a thin black slick metallic torch with an adjustable magnifying glass) that I liked to bring with me. It's nice to carry along at night in strange neighbourhoods abroad. Kind of expensive. I have this idea that I can knock down threatening people with it, but I know it's stupid since the best way of avoiding problems is to stay away from bad places at night. And if you get mugged, just give them what they want. Poker cards Can be a hit when waiting for transport. Solar cell calculator The value of different currencies can be rather tricky to track, so I once carried one of these calculators with me. I ended up never using it, and eventually gave it away. Sink plug When you need to wash your clothes, you often find out that this necessary thing is missing at your hotel room. You can use one of these lids for film containers. Wrap it in a small plastic bag and it fits neatly in most sinks. Extra things and for repair --------------------------- If any of your equipment breaks or you lose something. Extra straps When you need to attach the guitar to the backpack. Batteries For your camera, torch and Walkman. Extra shoe laces Extra glasses If you are like me, blind without glasses, you need some kind of backup. Straps for glasses The sporty type that makes your glasses stay on your nose. Body-surfing can be expensive: I have pairs of glasses on the bottom of both the Pacific and Indian Ocean. Safety pins Sewing kit Some string Extra buttons Health ------ Things that can make you stay healthy on your trip. Condoms Can be kind of hard to find in some countries. Don't go abroad without them! Sore tape If you need to take care of these blisters you got from cheap shoes. Sun protection Can be hard to get in some countries. Bring some heavy duty stuff! Insect repellent Shades I never use them, but most others seems to take them for granted. Plaster (band-aid) First aid kit I have never had to use one, but I carry one with me, just in case. Pills and tablets ----------------- There's a lot on this list, since there's a lot of diseases you can pick up. Remember that with a backpack full of strange pills, you can get into bad problems at borders. Water purifying tablets Take lots of it. Perfect gifts in poor villages in Africa. Vitamin pills When travelling, my diet leaves a lot to be desired. Travel sickness tablets Fever tablets Pain relievers Allergy pills Malaria tablets Don't mess around with Malaria! I've seen travellers get sick on the edge of dying, so bring lots of them. Preferably 2 different kinds. Bring too much of them, since in small villages you might get in touch with parents with kids struck by Malaria. Kind of hard to deny them some pills. Salt tablets In hot climates, you need lots of salt. Coal tablets If the contents of your bowels has a touch of watery consistency to it. Laxative If the contents of your bowels has a touch of stony consistency to it. Shots ----- Don't travel without taking the necessary shots! Hospitals love to give them to you, since they charge money for them. You are not likely to be competent enough to judge if their list of necessary shots is relevant or not, so just bite your teeth together and pay. You can get them quite cheap abroad, but remember the AIDS risk. I don't trust needles at all. Cholera Jaundice Typhus Polio Yellow fever Tetanus Plague Photo equipment --------------- I'm a very bad photographer, so lately I have ended up not bringing a camera at all. There are two other reasons to leave it at home: Cameras are very prone to be stolen. I hate to be paranoid about the risk of being robbed. Cameras are also very heavy, and my shoulders are weak. Except for that, a camera is a must. Film Bring lots of it, and try to keep the same ASA/DIN sensitivity on all of them. I have ruined a lot of film this way, since I forgot to change the settings on my camera after changing film type. Yeah, I know, I'm stupid. Camera Camera bag Extra lenses Music ----- A Walkman can be heaven and hell. It can be stolen, and it can also give you some of the best highlights of a trip. I remember one night walking down the centre of Khartoum with Red Lorry Yellow Lorry on maximum volume in my earplugs! A truly special memory! Walkman Music cassettes If you bring too many, they take up a lot of place in your backpack. If you bring too few, you get sick and tired of them in a flash. Microphone TVNSIYB and tapes with sounds from trains or cities can be marvellous to have to remember how the trip was like. Sleeping things --------------- Things that might give you a better sleep, or actually give you a chance to sleep at all. Alarm clock I think a watch with alarm is perfect, but I sleep like a stone and need an alarm clock that can wake the dead. Sleeping mask A black hair band is said to work as well, when for example trying to sleep on a intercontinental flight or on a ferry. Inflatable neck supporter Kind of whimpy, but has given me some good nights sleep recently. Earplugs TVNSIYB and can save you a nights sleep. Toilet paper is said to work as well. Sleeping bag Only necessary if you go to cold climates. Takes up a hell of a lot of space in your backpack. Sheets If you find out that you don't trust the ones you get in hotels. A sheet bag might be the best alternative.