Packing - my tips

I leave for Bali in 2 sleeps - so it's time to pack (we leave early on Friday morning).

I'm not as well-travelled as all the other people on my Tibet trip, but perhaps am one of the most well-travelled of my friends and I like to think I have got packing down to a bit of a fine art. All those years out bush in the Army probably helped a little too to remember to take things you may need but not those you won't and definitely no more than is worth lugging around.

Here are my top tips for packing:

1. Pack no more than you can carry on your own and for distances further than your front door to your car in your driveway. Hotel lobbies themselves can be surprisingly long, there may be some steps, or your taxi may have to stop around the corner. It is so embarrassing as a female to not be able to carry your own shit - you're basically saying to the world "I expect you to carry my shit for me." Not cool. Ok, so you may not be able to lift your bag onto the top of the bus yourself, but you should be able to lift your own carry-on bag into the overhead locker on your own.
2. Hybrid-luggage. The ones with wheels and back-pack straps. So many times I am SO glad to have both options. So many times people say "I wish I brought a bag like yours." Unless you are really, seriously planning on doing an over-night trek where you porter your bags yourself or it's a difficult trek for your porter, or you are a contestant on The Amazing Race, you seriously want to consider the wheels. Conversely, don't go for just the wheels and pathetic little handle. The only exceptions are if you are getting valet parking for your BMW at the Paris Hilton and want to look amazing rolling your matching luggage into the First Class line at the airport (and you don't mind looking like a try-hard).
3. Carry-on bags and check-in luggage does not have to be the maximum possible size and weight allowed. Seriously, people. I also love skipping the baggage collection at the other terminal and saving $30-100 on my check-in luggage allowance, but know the different between being thrifty and a total tight-arse that is ruining the experience for everyone else by taking-over the whole aircraft over-head locker and taking 30 minutes to get organised. It is ok not to put anything in the overhead locker as well, you know. Consider a small handbag or laptop bag that goes at your feet. It should be enough for your iPad, phone, wallet, passport and toothbrush. I keep my boarding pass in my pocket. You need it at least 3 or 4 times and I find it hard to imagine someone stealing my identity on a flight without my knowledge (seeing as we would be sharing the same seat). Have you ever stopped to realise that if everyone took their maximum size carry-on luggage that it wouldn't actually all fit up there? The dimensions just don't add up. Go smaller than maximum.
4. Lay out what you want to take with you and then halve it. This is my golden rule and it always works. Inversely, budget how much money and time you will need then double it.
5. Always leave room in your bag until your final leg of the journey. We all know that nothing friggin fits back in properly as soon as it comes out at the first hotel room. And don't forget if you "wear" all your bulky clothes on the plane, you will have to wear them anytime you need to pack your bags. Not worth it - leave space. If you don't easily have enough space, re-pack. It feels SO good to pack to come home and have AIR in the top of your bag. No stress = more enjoyment.
6. Keep at least one pen on you at all times. This is for filling out the immigration and customs cards they give you at the most inconvenient places and times, and for other pen-requiring occasions.
7. You don't need to convert your entire life-savings into foreign currency (and does anyone actually used travellers cheques any more?) The only times I've had slight, minor issues were where there was still at least one ATM in the major city that took my card, or a store/hotel that was willing to let me withdraw cash for a fee or purchase. Mind you, I've only been to Europe, Asia, South Pacific and Australia and I have a VISA. It may be worth having a second option like Cirrus or MasterCard but I've always gotten away with VISA. Worst-case scenario - you go back to the airport (where you landed) and get cash from there. A few hundred in US dollars or Euro can be very handy. I recommend having at least some cash. I normally take about $200 USD (or Australian) and buy something small at the arrival airport and get my change in the local currency, or withdraw from the ATM at the arrival airport in the local currency, OR if those two options fail I then proceed to the currency exchange counter. Whatever you end up going with, you can easily Google ahead of time and find out how difficult it's gonna be. Oh, and check with your bank re overseas transaction fees. My bank charges nothing but I heard many charge up to $20 per transaction! Oh, and the flight might not have cash/credit services so it's good to have both available on you.
8. Passport, visas, immunisations, medical/travel insurance, regular medications  - do I really have to spell these out? Didn't think so. Months ahead, people. My rule is: if you're not responsible enough to get these organised in time, then you're not responsible enough to travel to a foreign country without direct adult supervision. Google what immunisations you need and don't expect your GP to know and to care to tell you when you require your boosters. Also, they can be a few hundred dollars if you need them all, so again, if you can't afford your immunisations then you probably can't afford to travel overseas. Even to Bali.
9. Itineraries and hotel vouchers etc - my life has been so much easier ever since I bought a book with plastic A4 pockets in them for all my printed-out tickets and hotel reservations etc. It keeps them nice and are easier to find. They slip easily into my handbag no worries and win I rock-up at the counter I know what the hell is going on and have the written confirmation to prove it, even in the most jet-lagged state. Also, make two or three copies of your itinerary and leave them with your housemate/mum/someone responsible that can help you in a bind. Your travel agent can be that person too (if you have one), and in fact this is one of the best reasons to use a travel agent in my opinion. Photocopy your passport or take a photo of the details on your phone and email to yourself so you have the details if you lose it. A copy with Mum is ideal.
10. Converter-plug-adapter-thingy. They're a fortune at the airport and can be difficult to source overseas (or simply time-wasting to source). A lot of hotels have them, but my motto is to be self-reliant. Just get one that is a multi-adapter and be done with it for life. A surge protecter for "sensitive" items such as laptops, iPads, phones etc may be a good idea. Also, the voltage OS may be different to home and your battery might not like it! If your gear is super-dooper expensive, you may want to look into this a little more. As for me, I'm happy to charge without transformers or surge-protecters. In my opinion, stuff doesn't outlast it's battery these days anyway.
11. Toiletries - don't be a princess. Seriously. You can't live without your 4-step facial routine for 10 days? You really want to spend an hour every morning on your holiday straightening your hair before you get it all dusty, sweaty, and pool-drenched later that day? You can't just use bobby-pins? Ok, this one is up to you, but I'd personally rather not carry 5kgs worth of over-priced crap that doesn't even work anyway and is only guaranteed to leak all over your clothes. (for exceptions see number 2). Ok, if your face is super-sensistive and NEEDS a sunscreen moisturiser with zinc and SPF30+ hypoallergenic cruelty-free organic then go head. Personally, I'd rather just use the hotel stuff or pay $1 for something from the local supermarket when I arrive. Exceptions - those paper-like soaps and shampoos etc made for travelling and not leaking that are about $3 each and are tiny, and I occasional take a toner for my blonde hair as I hate it when it goes yellow. As for makeup - take the basics, girl-friend. Think - overnight stay's worth.
12. Baby-wipes - these are my ultimate toiletry exceptions (along with tooth brush and tooth paste). People tease me at the beginning of the journey for them but always want some eventually. I don't know what it is about travel but it makes you really sticky. Take them in your handbag. Take them everywhere.
13. Feminine products (tampons etc) - BYO. I've explained why in previous posts, but in a nutshell, you may be surprised at the varying degrees of feminine product habits around the world and the non-availability of female-orientated items. This may go for other things we take for granted in some parts of the world such as condoms and womens' lib.
14. Apart from your regular medications, I always take - basic analgesia (panadol, nurofen), Immodium (anti-diarrheal), bandaids,  and sometimes herbal antiemetics (anti-nausea, such as Travel Calm - esp if going by boat or if prone to motion-sickness). Sometimes I take some other gear seeing as I'm a paramedic and would hate to be without it in an emergency. You may want to consider an antiseptic for bad cuts/scrapes. Save Immodium for emergencies such as really bad diarrhoea or if you're about to board a plane/bus. One bout of the runs isn't gonna kill ya and you're body if removing the bad bacteria, quickly, for a reasons. Inversely, you may want to take some anti-consitpation meds such as Senna. There's nothing like the stress of travelling, the poor access to decent food, and the use of Immodium to bind you up. Carry these in your handbag cause when you need them, you really need them urgently, and you will always need them the times they are stowed away in your check-in luggage.
15. Check what you can and cannot pack in your carry-on and check-in luggage. It varies in different countries but is EASY to find out from the people that you booked to fly with. Forget trying to carry on-board any sort of liquid >100mL in Australia (except for duty-free liquor of <1L). Also, don't be the fool that forgets their nail-scissors in their toiletry bag and has to unpack everything in security. Embarrassing. Oh, while I'm at it, big belt buckles, and sort of shoe with a platform or big heel (metal re-enforced) big jewellery, or coins - get them off your person before walking through the darn metal-detector. Don't wear those shoes to the airport - it's stupid (and another reason why the "Oh I'll just wear all my bulky items on the plane" is a bad idea).

If you've read all that, then congratulations. Next I will talk about what I am actually packing...