Useful Travel Information #1 — What to bring

Posted on May 27, 2007 by Gary
      Why is it that so many people forget things when they go on vacation. It probably has to do with the anticipation and then the stress of actually getting out of the house and on the way.  Lee & I have discovered a (fairly) foolproof plan which we would like to share with readers. We have created and saved on our hard-drive for easy downloading a list of travel essentials which is displayed below. The list has evolved over the years and will continue to change as our needs or requirements change, but here it is, as it exists in 2007:
 
                             Trip Essentials

                               Alarm Clock                                                                     

                               Bandaids

                               Bathing Suit & Beachwear                                                 

                               Batteries for camera (spare)                                            

                               Bug Spray    

                               Cameras                                                                        

                               Confirmations    

                               Cooler (collapsible)                                                         

                               Cribbage Board & Cards                                                  

                               Earphones

                               Electrical Adaptors/plugs

                               Extra Bag (for souvenirs/gifts)

                               Flashlight

                               Foreign Currency

                               Glasses (extra pair)

                               Guide Books

                               Hat

                               Ice Packs (Lee)

                               Jacket (adaptable for rain)

                               Journal

                               Magnifying glass

                               Maps

                               Medications

                               Money Belt

                               Passports

                               Pillow (Lee)

                               Reading Material (Books, Magazines)

                               Slickers

                               Sunglasses

                               Sunscreen

                               Tickets

                               Towel (Beach)

                               Traveler’s Checks (?)

                               Travel Iron

                               Tripod

                               Umbrella

                               Video Tapes

                               Walking Shoes

                        To Do Prior To Leaving:

                               Arrange Lawn Watering

                                Call Police

                                Close Windows

                                Hold Mail

                                Pay Bills (in advance)

                                Set Timers (lights)

                                Stop Paper Delivery

      About a week prior to the trip, I print a list and we begin to check things off as we pack them or do them. Obviously, the list gets modified depending on the kind of trip and location. For instance, if we are staying in the USA, we do not need an assortment of electrical plugs and adaptors. We simply cross these things out on the list when it is first printed. Now that we have a sprinkler system, we don’t really have to arrange lawn-watering, but we still have to set the automatic timer.

     Feel free to use the list, modify it for your own situation, but you will find that it is very helpful and reduces the anxiety of “Did I remember to bring …?” 

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