Travel Checklist for World Travel

This checklist will enable you to take everything you need (in most countries) around the world with ease. Many low cost airlines cover the cost of checked luggage up to 15 Kgs (33Lbs). If over this limit, many airlines will charge for extra weight. Beth and I had our packs right up to that number most of the time.

CLOTHING:

• 1 (maybe 2) pair of Jeans.
• 1 - zip off nylon pants/shorts.
• 1 - swimming suit.
• 1-2 dry fit t-shirts.
• 1- light, compact-able Rain jacket.
• 1 - hooded sweatshirt.
• 1-2 dressier items (for guys a polo, girls can probably get 2 dresses).
• 3-4 pair of Dry fit Undies. (I recommend Exoficio Travel underwear, washes well in the sink).
• 1 fleece.
• 2 pair of Smart Wool socks.
• 2 pair of regular socks.
• 1 pair of flip flops (non leather).
• 1 pair of shoes that you can wear hiking, casually, and into restaurants.
• 1 travel Towel. They dry quickly and fit nicely in your pack. Many hostels in Europe include towels in your stay, the rest of the world does not.

ESSENTIALS:

• 4-6 Passport sized photos - many countries require that you purchase Visas on arrival. If you don't have "passport sized" photos, they can cha rge a hefty fee.
• Duct tape is a must.
• 1 Headlight - use when reading at night, or rummaging around your hostel room in the dark.
• 1 medical kit including: advil, travel meds, mosquito repellant (at least 20% DEET), water purification tablets, tums, and all other medications.
• 1 Masterlock combination lock.
• 2 smaller locks (used for zippers on your pack and day pack).
• 1 unlocked cell phone (iphone is the best).
• 1 bandanna.
• 3-5 Tide Laundry travel packages (depends on length of your trip).
• 1 cap/hat.
• 3-4 small 99 cent travel tubes of SPF 30 Sun Lotion. The last thing you want is to lug around a large tube.
• 1 memory stick(8 or 16MB). Even if you are not taking pictures, you might meet someone who documents everything. You can swap photos easily this way.
• 1-3 rolls of Charmin travel size rolls of toilet paper. This is a MUST have.
• small scissors and/or knife.
• student ID.
• Salt and pepper packets are great for bland food (you can always snag these somewhere).
• 1-2 small carabiners.

BRING PHOTO COPIES OF YOUR:

Visas

Credit Cards

Passport

Travel Insurance (if you have it)

TIPS:

If you are planning a large trip (4+ months) I think that a small laptop (otherwise referred to as a Netbook) is a MUST. This is great for backing up photos, taking notes, and most importantly, trip planning. Computer usage fees can be pretty expensive at Internet cafes.

When at the airport and the immigration lines are really long, stick to the outside lanes if you can. Chances are they will open up another one (if you keep your eye out, you can time it perfectly).

Bringing a roll of duct tape can take up way too much space. What I do is wrap around 10-15 feet of it onto my nalgene water bottle.

Bringing a student ID can save you heeps of cash. Every museum, park, event, or public transportation hub we went to, I asked politely if th ey gave a student discount. Often times they did! If you don't have one, ask anyways.

I like to roll my duct up on my water bottle. That way, it's pretty much always with you during the day.

If you don't carry a water bottle, just take a quarter or half roll with you and flatten it.

I recommend having a buddy with a decent camera shoot some head shots of you and stick them on a 4X6 print out so that you have several with you at all times. This is also very cheap. 6 passport sized photos will run you at least 10 bucks in a CVS. This way is is about 1 buck per copy of 6.

Here is a list of travel resources that I used while planning my trip:

www.skyscanner.com (amazing for flights)
www.wikitravel.com (best free guidebooks in the world)
http://travel.state.gov/travel/travel_1744.html (all info on Entry/Exit requirements)

www.cdc.gov (the only way to find out exactly what immunizations you need)

www.youtube.com
www.tripadvisor.com
www.hostelworld.com

Back to the "real" world

To catch everyone up to speed...

I am now working for a new company in Atlanta and Beth is currently doing freelance graphic design work at a firm in North Atlanta. We are both getting back into the groove of our normal, busy lives. We think about our trip daily and often wonder what else is out there. What else is there to see? What did we forget to bake into our round the world trip? Many say, "man, I bet all that travel only made you more liable to be get "bug" bitten again." Well, as much as we love getting lost around the globe, we are ready to move forward with our careers and goals. Don't worry though, we have talked about the next destination for vacation, and it is going to be REAL good, but its going to be a while before that happens.





Some notes I wrote on the last flight of the trip...

Beth and I tried new foods, drinks, and experiences, pushing the limits of our comfort zones. We used public transportation everywhere possible, attempted to communicated in the native tongue, and always had a pocket full of coins and bills from different countries. We took 38 flights, 7 ferries, 10 buses, and 7 vans to fully circumnavigate the globe. In India alone we used at least 14 different methods of streets transportation (mototaxi, elephant, horse rickshaw, etc). 25,000+ miles around the earth and here I sit.

I am here in the Austin airport about to board the last and ONLY delayed flight of my entire trip. I feel as if nothing ever happened. No trip, no experience, nothing. I really have to focus to remember just how I felt in the abscence of warm showers, potable water, air conditioning/heating, and how life seemed so hard and frustrating on one hand, but completely pure and comfortable on the other. I try to tell myself that I am a completely changed person, but after a shave and a few days of R&R in Austin, I am suddenly back to my old routines. I guess what I am trying to get at is that it is hard to step outside of our fantastic US of A and see what the world has to offer, even after you have seen it. Thoughts of the children in Laos, the street hustlers in India, the surreal landscapes of New Zealand, and all the fellow travelers along the way, made the whole experience worth it.

My only advice to anyone considering a trip that you have been dreaming about: stop dreaming and do it. That is was a buddy of mine told me. "Tietz, do it"

Thanks for reading, Beth and I have appreciated your comments and questions.


...Soon I will be posting a round the world checklist for y'all out there who don't know what to pack.