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General Packing List

Travel Baggage:

The type and size of suitcase or travel backpack that you use obviously depends on the length of your trip. We highly recommend checking out our trip specific packing lists for a more tailor made experience.

When choosing your luggage before your trip, it is important to consider the weight, durability and appearance of the bag. For more information on how to choose the perfect luggage for you, please check out our suitcase and luggage buying guide. Here are some bags that you should consider taking on your next trip:

Travel Backpack
Luggage/Suitcase
Duffel Bag
Personal Carry-on bag
Purse
Messenger Bag
Toiletry Bag or Toiletry Kit

Clothing:

Try to bring lightweight and versatile items when picking clothes to bring on your next trip. Also, look out for more neutral colors that won’t attract attention or scream out ‘tourist’. For a specific amount of each item, be sure to check out our trip specific packing lists, including safari packing lists, 7-day packing lists and more.

T-Shirts
Dress Shirts
Shirts
Collared Shirts
Active Wear
Shorts
Pants
Convertible Pants
Hoodies
Jackets
Rain Jackets
Undergarments
Socks
Tank Tops
Swimwear
Hats/Caps

Traveler’s tip: Using packing accessories like packing cubes can help to organize your clothes, compress your clothes and even keep them wrinkle free.

Footwear:

Sneakers
Flip-flops
Sandals
Slippers
Heels
Dress Shoes

Toiletries and Hygiene:

Toiletries and other personal hygiene items are some of the most commonly forgotten items by travelers. This list has almost every toiletry item possible, so you definitely won’t have to bring everything listed. Several things listed may be provided at your hotel, so it is best to research about your hotel beforehand.

Tooth Brushes
Tooth Paste
Mouthwash
Floss
Shavers
Shaving Cream
Nail Clippers
Cosmetic Scissors
Tweezers
Glasses
Contact Lenses
Contact Lens Solution
Toilet Paper
Tissues
Hair Dryer
Shampoo
Hand Soap
Body Soap
Hand Sanitizer
Bandages
First Aid Kit
Deodorant
Laundry Detergent
Female Hygiene Items
Male Hygiene Items
Cologne
Perfume
Essential Oils
Travel Towels
Facial Towels
Plastic Bags or Sandwich Bags
Medicines
Vitamins
Insect Repellant
Sunscreen
Diarrhea Medication
Antihistamine
Anti Itch Cream
Cotton Swabs
Cotton Balls
Make-Up
Facial Cream
Lotion
Eye Liner
Mirror

Traveler’s Tip: Unadulterated essential oils such as lavender oil and peppermint oil can be used as natural medicines, perfumes, bug repellents and more.

Read More: Best Travel Size Toiletries

Electronics:

The beauty of electronics is that they can have thousands of functions in a small package. For example, if you have an iPhone, you won’t need a GPS, alarm clock, camera, etc. This frees up lots of space in your suitcase for other important goods. For a full list of super useful travel apps to download before leaving home, visit this page. One downside to electronics is that they can be easily broken while traveling, so to prevent potential breakage, you might want to get protective cases or sleeves for your laptops, smartphones and tablets. Remember to take your phone chargers!

Smartphone or Cellphone
Smartphone or Cellphone Charger
Tablet, i.e. iPad, Galaxy Tab, Kindle Fire, etc.
Tablet Charger
Laptop
Laptop Charger
Laptop Sleeve
Car Charger
GPS
Alarm Clock
Camera or DSLR
Camera Battery
SD Cards or Memory Cards
Ebook Reader
External Hard drives
Flash Drives
MP3 Player or iPod
Headphones or In Ear Headphones
Voltage Adapter/Plug Adapter
External Battery Pack

Traveler’s Tip: It’s always a great idea to take an external battery pack with you while traveling so that you can have a backup whenever your phone or tablet needs some juice. External battery packs can recharge any device that uses a USB cord to charge, and can recharge phones several times depending on the capacity of the battery. Check out this page for a list of the best external batteries.

Entertainment:

Thankfully, most electronics take care of this department meaning that you won’t need to bring that much more stuff with you. Some of the items in this list are intended for child travelers, including the coloring books, sidewalk chalk, etc.

Books
Magazines
Coloring Books
Board Games
Movies
Crayons
Sidewalk Chalk
Cards
Football or Baseball or Soccer Ball
Stuffed Animals
Portable Game Players, i.e. Nintendo DS, PSP, iPod Touch
Game Apps
Magnetic Games
Travel Bingo
Beach Toys

Traveler’s Tip: Most of the entertainment items listed can be viewed or downloaded on to your smartphone, laptop or tablet. If you are conscious about the amount of weight that you are bringing, try using the Kindle app to read your books or download the Monopoly app on your smartphone instead of bringing the physical versions. Visit this page for a list of great entertainment apps to download on your iPhone, Android or tablet.

Snacks and Food:

The amount of snacks and food depends on the length of your trip, but try not to over pack food since you can always buy snacks at your destination, though at an inflated cost. When choosing snacks to being, try to aim for less crumby and non-staining items to prevent messes and stains. If you are planning to take a flight, remember to research the airline’s rules on bringing food before you leave home.

Granola Bars
Protein Bars
Apples
Canned Foods
Coolers
Ice
Water Bottles
Thermal Containers/Thermos/Vacuum Flask
Utensils
Napkins
Coffee Mug
Can Openers

Other:

Notebook or Journal
Flashlight
Binoculars
Money/Cash
Debit Card or Credit Card
Tickets
Passports
Maps
Travel Pillows
Travel Blankets
Watches
Money Belts
Portable Fans
Sunglasses
Reading Glasses
Keys
Accessories, i.e. bracelets, earrings, necklaces
Pens
Pencils
Scissors
Umbrellas
Travel Clothesline
Ear Plugs
Eye Covers
Sleeping Bags
Sleeping Bag Liner – for use if you are concerned with the cleanliness of a hotel/hostel bed or for extra warmth

Note: This list is purposefully extensive. Items in this list are only suggested, so if you are feeling extra minimalist, feel free to go even lighter.

Trip Specific Packing Lists

Knowing what to pack can be confusing and time consuming. We all fear leaving gear at home, or not bringing those trusty gym shorts. Making a travel packing list can be hard and most travel packing lists found on the internet are too generic.

Thankfully, we made one specifically for each and every trip that you might take. Whether you’re going on a safari or a business trip, now, you won’t have to regret forgetting that pair of shorts that you needed, or other crucial items that you might leave out of your suitcase. We’ve also included those commonly forgotten necessities such as sunglasses, toothbrushes and sunscreen.

Print out the packing list that meets your travel needs, and check off the items from the suggested list. In the spare lines at the end of the packing lists, you can also add additional items that fit your specific needs.

Happy Packing!

Click on one of the following packing lists from the tiles below for an in depth travel packing list made specifically for that activity and type of trip:

Note: These lists are purposefully extensive. Items in these lists are only suggested, so if you are feeling extra minimalist, feel free to go even lighter.

Looking for a travel packing list for a travel activity not currently included? Feel free to request one by contacting us at our contact page and our in house travel experts will get to work ASAP.