All the Small Stuff
Don't forget to pack those small things that come in handy on your travels. They won't weigh down your luggage, but absolutely will come in handy - when you need to pack up muddy clothes, take out a splinter or open up a soda bottle, read in the dark, plug in your hair dyer or tidy up a child who tossed his cookies in the back seat of a taxi.
Maglite Flashlights
Small plastic bottles - Don't bring full-size shampoo or hand lotion bottles. Change your shampoo, hair conditioner, hand lotion, liquid face or hand soap into small bottles. Use clear small bottles so you can see how much is in each one (don't start on a trip with a nearly empty shampoo bottle). Label the bottles so you're not confused what's what - conditioner and shampoo can look remarkably alike. Give a small shampoo bottle to each child to carry in his luggage. If one bottle gets left behind, you'll have another.
Ziploc bags - Ziploc freezer bags are indispensable. Buy them in pint, quart and gallon sizes, and use them to form things in your luggage. Ziploc bags are clear - you can always swiftly see what's inside. The quart size is ideal for toothbrush and toothpaste or shampoo, hand lotion, things that could ooze all over when the top isn't screwed on tight. Pack swim suits or flip flops in the gallon size - you might have to pack them wet. Put Lego in small bags - helps keep from losing pieces. Zip up journals or sketch books in bags - if your luggage gets damp in transit, things inside will stay dry. Bring extra Ziploc bags for souvenirs - write your kid's names on each bag. Tip: Quart size Ziploc bags are exquisite for the current carry-on regulation for toiletries, which must be displayed in a transparent bag.
Wash cloths and soap - always packs your own small wash clothes and voyage size soap. These items come in handy for all sorts of things, and are important when you check into hotels that don't stock whether soap or wash cloths (for example, in London hotels, wash cloths are not a appropriate item in hotel rooms).
Adaptor plugs - When you voyage to other countries, the electrical plugs and voltages are different. In the North America, the voltage is 110/120v. For Europe, Asia or South America, the voltage is typically 220/230v. Many devices, such as galvanic razors, hair dyers, personal computers, cell phones, whether you can just them in plug in, or they have dual voltage settings, but check for sure before you go. If your expedient is only singular voltage, bring a conversion plug.
Even with dual voltage appliances, you will need adaptor plugs. Sockets and plugs are distinct nearby the world.
Travel hair dryer - Some hotels contribute hair dryers, but for the most flexibility, bring your own (unless you're one of those lucky ones whose hair looks exquisite without blow drying). Your best bet is a lightweight dual voltage dryer, which lets you select whether 110v or 220v. And don't forget to set the voltage correctly. Even if you have a dual voltage hair dryer, if it's still set for 110v, and you use it in a 220v socket, your hair dyer will go up in smoke. Don't forget to bring your adaptor plugs too - there's nothing more frustrating than wet hair in the morning because you can't plug in your hair dryer.
Water defiant watch - A waterproof or water defiant watch is very useful while traveling. Wear a watch that can take wear and tear, and has an easy to read dial (for those occasions when you need to wake up early to catch a train or plane). I wear a Swiss Army watch all the time - the watch goes anywhere. Tip: These Swiss Army watches last longer than a leather watchband. You can also order up Change watchbands from the Web site - the new band will be just like the original.
Binoculars have a collection of uses. They're are not just for sighting lions or leopards in a game park, looking at waterfalls in Yosemite, watching birds on the wing, or spotting gray whales in the Pacific. Take them for standing in line at the Sistine Chapel in Rome - you can look at the ceiling while waiting, or spy on other habitancy in line (vastly amusing). Binoculars are also especially good for Gothic cathedrals and churches in general - focus in on the carvings way high up. Bring along inexpensive, light and movable binoculars, so kids can have their own pair (and it's not a big deal if something happens to them).
Flashlights and headlamps - Take along at least one flashlight, but a flashlight for each house member isn't a bad idea. Flashlights come in handy when you're exploring ancient ruins or to keep next to your bed in your hotel room. We always take along "Mini MagLite" flashlights.
For camping, headlamps are a must. These marvelous tiny Led lights light the way, your hands are free, no more struggling in the dark with a flashlight in your teeth. And best of all, you can read in the dark for a long, long time! My favorite, the one I use, is the Petzl Tikka Led headlamp - very elegant, not at all clunky, and it can adjust down to smaller head sizes.
Pocketknife - I always carry a Swiss Army pocketknife while traveling, and it's important for a camping trip. The "Classic" model has scissors (very handy), tweezers to remove splinters, a nail file (a rough nail drives me nuts), and small blade. The "Picknicker" knife is exquisite for picnics - use the opener to open soda bottles or the blade for slicing cheese, peeling carrots or cucumbers. Tip: Be sure to put pocketknives in checked luggage - in your carry-on bags, it will be confiscated at the protection check-in.
Combination locks and cable lock - You don't want to worry about your luggage, so get suitcase locks with a blend (keys can get lost). A cable lock is also handy. When you cable together five or six pieces of luggage, no one is likely to run off with your stuff. On one occasion, we couldn't check into our hotel, the kids were hungry, so we cabled all our bags together and left them in the lobby, while we went off to get a bite to eat.
Laundry bags - It's wonderful how swiftly the dirty laundry mounts up. When you paw straight through your clothes, you'll want to tell at a glimpse what's clean and what's grubby. Smelly underwear and socks should be tucked away in a laundry bag, (unless you want your clean clothes to smell like dirty socks). Laundry bags can be sturdy plastic shopping bags (I often use Gap bags) or buy a nice lightweight cloth bag. Have a laundry bag for each man in the family, then it's easy to grab up everyone's dirty clothes to wash. Tip: Also tuck in some plastic supermarket shopping bags - they come in handy when you have muddy shoes or clothes.
Packable duffle bag - Don't carry more bags than you can conduct easily, and don't cram your bags full at the outset. But what to do about all those cool souvenirs you pick up along the way? We always take along a "packable duffle" bag, a mid-size nylon bag that folds up. Somewhere along the trip we expand into this bag to hold all our treasures. Last summer in northern Europe, our expandable duffle was crammed full of goodies for the whole family, fur hats, colorful Russian shawls, chess sets, wooden dolls, painted eggs.
Cotton towels - Take smallish light-weight cotton towels (not bulky hard-to-dry terry cloth towels). Use them for beach towels, picnic cloths, or something to put over a sleeping child. If you have an infant, and need a place to change a diaper, use your towel. A cotton towel is also useful to mop up after a child who has motion sickness on a windy road. Very useful!
Travel umbrella - Unless you're going to the Sahara Desert, bring voyage umbrellas (lightweight, fold up small) for everyone in the family. You don't want to get soaked when you least expect it, nor do you want to rush nearby in the rain looking for umbrellas. I should have taken my own guidance when we were caught in a summer downpour our first day in St. Petersburg one summer. I spent some time locating a division store to buy a second umbrella so we could comfortably meander the Nevsky Prospect.
Packing for Your house Trip - Part 2