Welcome to the TravelPod forums

[Llarica]

I know this is going back to the age of hippies, but it used to be very common to travel around Europe in a VW Combi.

I have seen a package - very professionally done - with a label VW Combi Engine rebuild kit.

Guess what it contains.... ...a single rubber band!

[April]

Music, a great paperback book (trade along the way), ultralight thermarest, dreamsack (silk sleeping bag, about size of a deck of cards), a down vest and a travel size pillow case. The thermarest is great for sitting anywere, necessary when camping, great for dodgy beds and with the silk sleeping sack and down pillow, every place you lay your head feels like home and the double as a laudry bag, back pillow and of course extra warmth! Not very much space to feel so good when your travelling for a long time.........

[technotrekker]

The most useful things in my kit are earplugs and chunky rubber bands!

[Barrett]

K, ya got me, why chunky rubber bands?

[Jessica_CDN]

My list includes

3-4 various lengths of bungee cords, preferably with the little hooks on the ends.
One large garbage bag (for those really really rainy days or falling in rivers....)
Baby wipes. Yes, I'm that OCD.
Sunscreen. Yes, I'm that pale. Preferably SPF 60.
Flip flops. For those really sketchy showers or just chillin' on the beach.
Inflatable neck pillow. And earplugs.
Camera.

Pretty much everything else is negotiable based on where I'm going.

[TheTraveller88]

It may not sound necessary but a small pair of binoculars come in handy. I use it to read faraway signs and save myself lots of steps from heading in the wrong direction. It is great to look at stained glass and details of art, etc that you may be looking at.

A mini tripod is also great to get those great nighttime shots.

In Europe where laundry can be expensive, I pack some laundry detergent in a ziploc bag in my shoe--great stuffing and handy.

[Jez]

Right i thought i would add a few essential items we used loads....
bottle opener
sleeping bag and silk sleep liner (depending on the climate)
mossy net
headlamp
mp3 player
pegless washing line
universal plug
tampax (depending on your gender)

happy travels!!

[rbisset]

One of the best things I bought for this trip was a compression sack for my clothes. Squeezes them right down, and adds loads of creases, and drastically reduces the space they take up in my backpack. Other things I think are a good idea are

MP3 player - for those long, boring bus/train journeys. Mine is now broken so I'll need to buy a new one.

A Good Book - Always make sure you've got a book to read, incase your MP3 player is broken! lol

A few large memory cards for digital camera - I have 2 x 512mb for this trip and it hasn't been enough some of the time. If you take a lot of picks, like when I took 300 in 1 day at Ankgor!, and you can't get to a computer then you are screwed.

I have to say that for updating this diary I will defintely be taking a laptop or smartphone on my next trip. Trying to write up page after page of my diary was a nightmare so being able to get it done in my own time would be a great help. Would cut down on Internet costs as well!

[uncle_davros]

I have to say that for updating this diary I will defintely be taking a laptop or smartphone on my next trip. Trying to write up page after page of my diary was a nightmare so being able to get it done in my own time would be a great help. Would cut down on Internet costs as well!

We use IPAQ's with bluetooth keyboard. Sometimes I feel we could do with a laptop but I feel the IPAQ is sufficient. i have word for my blogs and I have photo editing software as well

[Daniel Ashley]

A Visa debit card and a change of clothes :)

[Yuppie Nomad]

For my 2-year round the world trip, here's everything I packed:

http://www.yuppienomad.com/blog.asp?catego...el%20Planning#5

It may seem like a lot but it was actually pretty managable and I'd really consider myself a minimalist when it comes to travel packing.

[meredithr144]

I never leave home without my sage green Nalgene 1 liter water bottle, and a smile...

[msprague]

I have to say that for updating this diary I will defintely be taking a laptop or smartphone on my next trip. Trying to write up page after page of my diary was a nightmare so being able to get it done in my own time would be a great help. Would cut down on Internet costs as well!

We use IPAQ's with bluetooth keyboard. Sometimes I feel we could do with a laptop but I feel the IPAQ is sufficient. i have word for my blogs and I have photo editing software as well

What photo editing software do you use on your Ipaq?

[uncle_davros]

Resco Photo Viewer

[andreatim]

Id have to say some things that came in handy was:

Another 512mb SD card for the digital camera. So i hardly had to go to the camera shop to put them on disk.

Sarong! The most useful item (you know the story, bag, towel, sheet Dress)

Tin cup to go on the handle of a hostel dorm (if you are in there alone) IF the cup hits the usually hard floor it certinaley will make a loud noise! And for drinking and soup. Very light and can chuck stuff inside it in the backpack.

Andrea

[whereshegoes]

Tin cup is a new one I have never heard of! Brilliant! Thanks Andrea

[travel4fun]

Thanks for the tips! Something else that I'd like to add, depending on where you travel, is a satellite phone.

I went to Costa Rica last summer and it came in really handy. A friend told me about www.adventurecell.com and I would recommend them if you plan a trip where your cell phone won't work.

Happy Travels!

[polloslibre]

Ziplock bags and universal sink stop for sure as mentioned above. We never travel without a good multi tool, ours is the Leatherman Wave, relatively light and all the features you might need. Also, although they take up some room, compact hammocks, hey who needs a hostel when you have palm trees.

Clothes are wasted space in a backpack, in most coutries you can pick up cheap clothes at thrift stores or markets.

[stevejames]

Tin cup to go on the handle of a hostel dorm (if you are in there alone) IF the cup hits the usually hard floor it certinaley will make a loud noise! And for drinking and soup. Very light and can chuck stuff inside it in the backpack.

A friend bought me a collapsible plastic cup. Odd but handy to drink wine out of! Now a I need to do is remember to pack a corkscrew - I wonder if they make collapsible ones of those?

[exploreamerica]

My Ipod, toiletries, GPS and my lucky travel bag that I take everywhere.