BootsnAll Travel Community

Hello all!

I have noticed a lot of people here have stated they overpacked on their first trips abroad... and as I am just about to head out on my first RTW trip.. I was just wondering..

What did you pack that you probably didn't need?!

On my first trip, I packed way too many clothes. Way, way too many. I learned to quickly unload stuff and leave them behind.

Video Camera- which I only used once, and it nearly got me mugged.

Cook Set(Stove and pots) which I never used because I never found fuel for it.

Mostly because my plans changed and I ended up not buying a vehile like I thought I was going to and ended up walking way more than I would have liked(and my knees paid the price)

TOO MANY BOOKS!

I packed WAY too many books and ended up carrying them all over europe because they were too valuable to give up.

In tropical countries...a rain jacket. It took a while to accept I could live without my gore-tex.

Too many shoes. One pair of hiking shoes/boots and a pair of all purpose sport sandals are all you need. Yes, even for women. If you think you'll be doing some work along the way and might need a pair of dress shoes, don't pack them. There's a good chance that you won't need them, but if you do, you can always buy something.

A regular towel. Get one of those small, travel shammy thingies.

A sleeping bag, unless you plan to do A LOT of camping or jungle treking in cool climates.

A full-trip supply of anything; contact lens solution, non-prescription meds, feminine stuff, film, shampoo, whatever, you can find it wherever you are going. Unless of course you are going to be in the deep jungles of New Guinea the whole time...

Mostly I agree here. I have to say that when I went over to the Philippines that yes, I was very happy to have packed almost nothing.

I did, however, pack little luxury brand shampoos and stuff. I packed towlettes and cleaning stuff- personal items, liquid body soap. The stuff doesn't take up a lot of room and I was glad to have it. Some times we were too busy to go hopping off to market, but it didn't matter- I was on the go.

I also had those little paper disposable toothbrush things "brush ups" that came in handy more than I thought they would. There were times when the teeth needed a scrubbing, but was not ready for the full-on batrhroom and water and brush experience.

But the main point that Leif makes is an important one. Don't spazz out over stuff. Because likely you can get what you need where you are going. DON'T overpack.

I definately am not going anywhere without the cameras tho- uhhuh. *no*

This wasn't an extended trip, but when I was 12 I went on a school trip for a week, and i brought a pair of slippers-the kind with a hard bottom that you could wear outside as another pair of shoes, if you were a loser like me . I wore them outside once, got a blister, and fell in a puddle of mud and had to throw them out. then I got some sense and wore regular shoes for the rest of the week and had no problems.

I also find rain gear to be a waste. If it's raining hard enough that I need a rain coat, I always get wet anyway. I'd rather spend the day inside somewhere, and just run from building to building if I have to go outside. If I'm camping I hang out in my tent playing cards.

I'm travelling through Africa right now and I wish I hadn't brought my water filter (its only been more convenient than buying water once or twice and even then I could have bought water) and my mosquito net (most places provide one and when they don't there have never been enough mosquitos around for me to be unlazy enough to put it up). I also haven't used my sleep sheet yet... And i got the silk one too...

I should have brought more clothes. I only brought 2 t-shirts. I can buy more here, no problem, but I could have saved some money by bringing a couple more (incl. something nice) from home.

-Jillian

Don't take a lot of clothing. You will only wear your favorite stuff mostly and you can buy t-shirts and cheap pants and tops cheaply wherever you go.

Every now and again look at all your gear and see what you have not used and probably will not use and give it away.

a pair of black dress pants and black shoes. i thought i would be going to clubs where i would dress up a bit but sneakers and some light brown slacks did the trick!

One thing I almost never used was a suction-cup clothesline. I ended up hanging my wet clothes over chairs, bed frames, curtain rods, etc.

The suctioncups didn't work very well, at least not for long period and under the weight of wet clothes. Sometimes I'd hang clothes and the line would fall down.

I also agree about books. I ended up dragging a book around that I didn't feel like reading but didn't want to throw out. I ended up giving it away even though I didn't want to.

Dress clothes/cute outfits...

My nalgene bottle...waste of space and did'nt fit my day pack...buy bottled water.

An extra pair of trousers and Shirt...donated to the red cross.

A mosquito net, a tent I thought I would be able to use more, a rain poncho, more books than I needed, too many t-shirts, malaria pills (personal choice--side effects were as bad as malaria.)

i shouldn't have brought a paktowel. those things stink (literally). and i'm regretting bringing my jeans, i've only used them a couple times. i'll probably unload it soon enough.

I completely agree with Marquee about the paktowel,

Mine also refused to absorb any water, which meant it felt like you were drying off with a piece of platic.

A bar of soap. I put it in a plastic baggy and the first couple of days in Belize it melted from the humidity. I eventually would just use shampoo as body wash and then I didn't have to bring both. --the shampoo by the way, I bought over there. Even in the remote areas of Belize I was able to find shampoo at the grocery store.

Also don't bring makeup
-too many shoes (guilty)
-a hairdryer
-if you need to bring something nice pack a non wrinkleable long sleaved dress. They can be casual or dressy.

---but do bring a large sarong. Endless possiblities with that one.

I once packed packages of Lipton's chicken noodle cup-a-soup (I used to crave that stuff) for a lon-term stay in Egypt. Just add water right? By the time I had my 1st craving & dug them out of my knapsack, the packages were crawling with ants. Ugh!

Sounds stupid now I write it, but on my first trip to Australia I packed roller blades AND knee high boots!!!! Why I don't have the foggiest but it seemed a great idea at the time!!! Off to S.America soon and will definitely learn from my mistakes!