The Ultimate Guide to Pack Smart for International Travel

After you book your flight and hotel for the trip abroad, the next important thing to decide is your international travel packing list. It can get so confusing when deciding what on earth you should be carrying while travelling outside your country.

Packing all the essentials and knowing how to pack smart for travel will help you avoid scrambling in a foreign country. So keep reading to learn about what should be included in your international travel checklist.

1. Clothes to pack

Some basics you must always take with you are a sweater, light jacket, or sweatshirt if you travel to a cold region. You should also carry your basic t-shirts, PJs and camisoles. Other essential must-packs can be pants, skirts, and shorts.

If you plan to Hit the club or go partying, you must carry the necessary clothing. Multifunctional dresses that can be used for many purposes are also worth taking. Here are some other essential clothes that are a must-have:

• Quick drying clothes: It would help if you always carried quick drying clothes as they can easily be washed in a sink and dried overnight. This will save money for laundering, and you do not have to carry lots of clothes as you can wash and dry them anywhere and anytime and wear them again the next day.
• Essential woollens: If you are travelling to a chilly region, gloves, scarves, and hats are a necessity.
• Swim gear: If you are travelling somewhere where you will be getting into the water, carry two to three options so you can wear and rotate them.
• Socks: Socks are essential as they protect your feet from rubbing against the shoes while walking too much. In addition, you should carry thick socks if you are visiting a cold place and ankle socks if you plan on wearing trainers.
• Undergarments: It would help if you always carried extra sets of underwear while going on a trip. Apart from that, washing them before reusing them would be best. You can also carry a thin bag to separate your dirty laundry from the clean ones.

2. Accessories

A number of accessories should be included on the list of things to pack for international travel. Here are essential ones:

• Waterproof laptop bag: Consider travelling with a waterproof bag for all your gadgets, such as laptops, chargers, phones, earphones, and cameras. It is important to keep your electronic gadgets safe from changing weather conditions in foreign lands. Or instead, you can get a backpack rain cover for all of your bags.
• Shoes: This is another important thing that must be packed well. You can carry walking shoes like trainers, heels for partying and clubbing and flip-flops for your beach activities.
• Sleeping bag: If you plan to stay in a hostel or tent, carrying a sleeping bag might be handy. They are light to carry and easy to pack.

3. Essentials

Here is a list of essentials that you must not miss out on packing:

• Toothbrush And Toothpaste: These are essential accessories for any sort of trip. However, as an electric brush might be heavy to carry and require a charger, it is best to use a normal brush. You might also opt for a bamboo brush. On the other hand, toothpaste tubes can be shared to save space.
• Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Wash: Instead of carrying big bottles of shampoo and conditioner, it is better to take travel-sized bottles or sachets. The same goes for body wash. You can use small reusable bottles or even a bar of soap.
• Moisturiser And Sunscreen: The heat and cold can dry out your skin, so you can carry a moisturiser with SPF for better protection. Don’t forget to pack sunscreen as it will protect you from the sun’s harmful rays, irrespective of the destination that you are visiting. However, if your moisturiser has SPF, you can skip the sun cream.
• Hairbrush, Hair gel, Spray: Hair essentials are an absolute necessity for happy locks during your travel. You can even pack straighteners or curling tongs if you have adequate space left in your bag.
• Water bottle And Reusable Coffee Cup: Apart from being environment-friendly, a reusable bottle will help you stay hydrated throughout the journey. The backpacks usually have a compartment to carry water bottles. In addition, a reusable coffee cup will be useful if you wish to take some hot coffee on your journey.
• Deodorant: Carrying a roll-on is useful as it is small and serves the purpose. However, make sure to use a roll-on that doesn’t cause any allergy to your skin.
• Contact lenses/glasses And Sunglasses: For those who wear glasses, packing glasses, contact lenses and lens cleaner are of utmost importance. These must be on your priority list. Additionally, whether it's summer or winter, you might require a pair of good quality as well as cheap quality sunglasses for different purposes.
• Shaver/Nail Clipper: Shaving kits and nail clippers are other important accessories you must carry during any trip. Using a reusable shaver is better as you do not have to buy or take extra while on the trip.
• Torch: This is an essential item for camping, early sunrise hikes, or for using in a low-lit area or a road. You can even use it to do your work in a dorm room instead of waking everyone up.

4. Gadgets

Apart from packing your electronic gadgets safely, it is necessary to only pack what’s important. In addition to your mobile phone, here are some tech gadgets that your include in your international travel packing checklist:

• Travel Adapter: It will be great if you can carry a portable phone charger to charge your mobile on the go. This power bank will not let your battery die, especially during emergencies.
• Camera and Camera charger: For photography enthusiasts, this is the most important item. Although smartphones have good quality cameras, they will still not provide you with the satisfaction you get from clicking pictures on a camera. Make sure to carry the camera charger and spare memory card if you are taking your beloved camera.

5. Other Recommended Items

Some other essential items you should carry while travelling abroad are a first aid box and the necessary medications. Carry all the prescribed medications and tablets you are supposed to take daily. You can set the alarm to remember to take the medication on time. Other necessary things in your international travel checklist might be a lip balm, travel guide, books, snacks, etc.

Packing might seem simple, but actually, it is not. You need to decide on the best suitcase, minimise your load and pack what you require. Here are some packing ideas that you can follow:

• The best way to avoid carrying too many things is to get a hard-sided suitcase that is outlined with a shell so you cannot squeeze in any extras.
• Another way is to think twice before putting any items in your bag. You must get rid of the things that you are not sure about.
• Rolling the clothes helps in minimising wrinkles and maximising the space. You can even try the bundle technique by wrapping each article around a central core.
• Place your undergarments and t-shirts in the centre and larger tailored items like dresses and blazers on the outer layer. Packing in cubes can also help you organise your clothes well.

Apart from the items mentioned on this list of things to carry for international travel, passports, visas, IDs, and credit and debit cards are the primary things that you must pack for international travel. Also, ensure to add travel insurance documents, adequate cash, and important contacts in your international travel packing list.