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Home » RTW Travel » Stuff you should bring and stuff you should leave home

Stuff you should bring and stuff you should leave home

There is a really interesting thread on the RTW section of the BootsnAll travel forums about things you regret bringing and things you regret not bringing. You might even want to read it first if you haven’t already, because this sort of communication is invaluable for those planning their trip now. There are many things that people recommend we bring or don’t bring, because in theory there are good reasons behind the logic. But in practice sometimes things don’t work out the way the theory suggests.

I’d like to weigh in a few of the items mentioned, but my advice isn’t necessarily any better than the advice of those participating in the thread. If you aren’t actively reading the BootsnAll boards and specifically the Around the World and Vagabonding Travel forum, you probably should.

Packing cubes – I agree with those who love these things, especially for long-term travel where space-management and packing are so critical. They weigh almost nothing, and rather than taking up space they actually save space if you are using them properly.

Compass – I’ve written about how handy these are before, so naturally I agree that these are really wise to have along. Just to recap, for about US$5 or even less, you can get a small keychain or similar sized compass that will probably help you far more often than you realize. My most common examples are when you get out of a underground/metro station and all you know is you have to walk 5 blocks west, but you have no idea which way west is. Also, when are at a remote train stop and you need to catch a specific train, bring out your compass and you’ll instantly know which tracks go in which directions.

Toilet paper – There was probably a day maybe 10 years ago where toilet paper was hard to find in much of Latin America, and impossible to find in parts of Asia. But this is really not the case anymore. I think many RTW travelers (me included) set out from home with a big roll wrapped in plastic in their pack, and then 2 months later still had yet to need it. There likely will be places where having your own supply of toilet paper will come in handy, but a better strategy is to buy the stuff just a stop or two before you get to one of those places. Another way to approach this is to forget a roll and just get several of those little packets of small tissues that are meant to fit into your pocket. Those things take up almost no space, they are easier and less conspicuous to carry around when you actually need them, and they more easily pinch-hit for normal tissues in other situations.

Thumb drive – Even if you aren’t much of a computer user, bring one of these little hard drives with you. You can get a 2Gb one for under US$20 these days, and they can come in handy for much more than just photo backup, but even just for photo back-up they are great.

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