Monday, April 19, 2010

Travel Must-Haves

In my last post I mentioned that I was trying to curb my desire to plan every last moment of our upcoming trip. I have, instead, turned my planning energies toward packing, and the eternal question of what to bring and what to leave. I have noticed, in my preliminary piles, a slight excess of pharmaceuticals.

In addition to clothes, shoes, and such staples as toothpaste, shampoo, soap, and the prescription medications I must take every day, my pile of must-haves includes the following:

camera
travel journal
a few select DVDs, including, of course the Bourne movies and Casino Royale, for obvious reasons
my weight in travel books
cipro
amoxicillin
fibre tablets
claritin
pepcid
pepto
alcohol wipes
neosporin
bandaids
bug spray
sunscreen
gaviscon
benadryl
flonase
antibacterial
cortisone
cough drops
aloe vera gel
airborne
gas-x
tylenol cold day and night
tylenol
dramamine
immodium
ginger capsules (I have heard that these are good for motion sickness, though, to date, I cannot say for certain that I even GET motion sickness)
cough syrup
masks (for airplanes that feel more like TB wards, and for a sudden excess of volcanic ash)
surgical tools in case we need to remove each others' appendix (ok, that one's a joke....sort of)

After looking at this list, I feel that it may be time to admit that I have a problem. I also just realized that these items will require a suitcase and Sherpa of their own.

What is on your list of travel must-haves? They don't have to be medical.

Anything you always bring with you whenever you leave home?

Please share in the Comments section; you might give me some additional items to bring, since clearly I don't have enough already.

5 comments:

  1. good god! You do realize they have pharmacies where you are going, right?
    I always travel with ziplock bags of various sizes. Uses are endless - from storing laundry to bottles / jars that might open or leak to holding your map / guidebook if you are wandering around on a rainy day - and lots more!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes, Steve has pointed that out to me about the pharmacies, too. Good, valid point.
    I love the zip-lock baggie tip! Ideal for holding all my meds!

    ReplyDelete
  3. wait - i'm an enabler to this insanity??

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jocelyn, this is too funny! are you sure Steve isn't taking you to Sudan (what's with the Cipro... and amoxicillin?) and it's the 21st century, have you heard of Iphones and Ipads? Why drag CDs with you? What the hell is flonase and gaviscon?? bug spray? who needs bug spray in Europe? I swear I've never encountered even a mosquito in my European travels...plus all the bugs seduce you with a little champers and you can't feel their bites anyway.

    ReplyDelete
  5. There are 2 travel articles in NY Times
    1) Packing Tips From Travel Pros- 5/5/10
    2) 10 Days In a Carry-On - Slide Show
    A flight attendant reveals her secrets on how to pack efficiently and wrinkle- free.

    Some excellent ideas in there-- good luck with rest of preparations
    Cirstin

    ReplyDelete