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Whether your travels are of a few days’ duration or the excursion of a lifetime, our personal travel experiences and those shared with us by our clients over the years provide a wealth of guidelines to help ensure that your trip is carefree and that you come home contented.
Packing
Unless you are going to one place and staying put for the duration, you will walk with your luggage more than you think. Pack your bag then play tourist around your home town for an hour. If you can’t enjoy yourself with the burden, go home and thin out. Test the weight of your luggage before you go. Airlines charge a premium for extra weight.
- Today’s carry-on bags can hold a carefully-planned wardrobe for an entire trip. Should you wish to check your luggage when boarding, make sure you carry a tote with essentials including medicine and toiletries. Your checked bags may not get off when you do.
- Comfortable, ‘easy care’ and ‘wrinkle-resistant’ are important musts. Wrinkles from packing should fall out when hung or gently steamed while you shower at the hotel. Choose items that can be washed in the hotel sink and be ready to go in the morning.
- Socks and underwear are small items but packing a daily change for a week or two takes up far too much space. Tilley Travel Socks and Underwear wash up quickly and dry overnight. Two pairs of each can take you around the world.
- Pack the lightest-weight and least bulky clothes (including shoes). Wear your hard-to-replace Tilleys, bulky jacket and hiking boots on board.
- Packing light means co-ordination. Make sure clothing will mix and match. If you’re not going to wear an item more than three times, leave it at home. Lay out the clothing you propose to pack to see how many outfits you can create.
Travelling by plane?
- Drink plenty of water or juice every half hour to prevent general dehydration plus dryness in the nose, throat and eyes.
- Wear loose clothing since the body tends to swell while in the air.
- Drink alcohol and caffeine in moderation as they may cause dehydration and can disrupt sleep patterns.
- If flying all night, avoid going to bed shortly after landing as it only prolongs adjustment to the new time zone. Try to stay awake until it’s bedtime in the new surroundings. Remember: it takes about two days to adjust to a new time zone.
- Notify your credit card companies of your destinations before you go to help ensure charges won’t be refused. (Good idea for all travels.)
Before you go
- Make arrangements with a neighbour or friend to check your home periodically while away.
- If a neighbour or friend cannot collect your mail, make arrangements for it to be held at the Post Office.
- Set the temperature in your home to a setting that will protect pets, water pipes and electronics.
- Set a few lights and a radio onto timers to give the appearance that your home is occupied.
- Put valuables like jewelry into a safety deposit box, or hide them well in your home.
- Check insurance documents to ensure that none will expire while you are away.
- Reconfirm your reservations.
- Leave your contact information with family and a neighbour.
Food
A happy traveller must be a healthy traveller. Avoid eating raw foods (including salads) in faraway destinations. To kill bacteria which can cause intestinal distress, foods should be well cooked and served hot. Avoid tap water, including ice cubes, unless you are sure it’s safe. Don’t take a chance: break the seal on bottled water yourself.
A Mix ‘n’ Match primer for travelling ‘light’
- Two pairs of pants: one pair of Zip-Offs that can convert to shorts, the other a ‘dressier’ pair. Choose a neutral colour for your basic bottoms.
- Three tops: for men, one sport shirt, one dressier shirt, one polo; for women, one casual shirt, one dressier top, one knit.
- One jacket, either casual design or a more formal style depending on destination and activities.
- Two pairs of shoes… a pair for daily walking and a dressier pair for evening.
- Accessories including belt, tie, scarves and jewelry can quickly transform an outfit from casual to dressy.
- Remember the importance of sun protection. Choose clothing that has a sun protective rating. If you aren’t planning on wearing a hat en route, a Tilley Hat can be easily ‘squished’ inside your suitcase, golf bag or pocket, ready to go when you arrive.
Travel smart
- Start with a collection of small bills in the currency of your destination or US $1 bills – they’re great for tipping.
- Check with your bank to ensure your debit card will work. Some countries require 4 and others 6 or 8 PIN numbers.
- Tote bag that folds small when not in use. Ideal for daytime outings when leaving your larger bag at the hotel. Backpack styles leave your hands free. Or choose a Tilley vest with lots of pockets.
- A small roll of duct tape… its uses are myriad and you just never know when it will come in handy.
- Neon luggage tags or straps. They may be loud and garish but are so easy to spot on an airport luggage carousel filled with black luggage.
- Extra shoelaces. They take up very little room. Shoelaces always break when least expected.
- Email yourself at a web mail account (Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.) all the email addresses you may use.
- Hand sanitizer or moist towelettes slipped in a pocket or purse to ‘freshen up’ while flying or sightseeing.
- Hanging toiletry kit. In some hotels, bathroom counter space is limited.
- Include a small plastic bottle of liquid soap in case it is not supplied.
- A few different size band-aids and some antiseptic wipes for those cuts and abrasions while away from civilization or a nearby drug store.
- Resealable plastic bags… a selection of sizes straight from your kitchen to your carry-on. They take up little space and can be handy for separating items in your luggage, storing liquid in plastic bottles, holding wet swimsuits or take-home laundry.
- Ice-breaker and friendship maker! When travelling in less developed locales, take a Polaroid® photograph of a 'local' person (after striking up a conversation of course!). Then present the person with the photograph to keep. This may be the first time they have seen a photo or image of themselves!
Making friends abroad
A joy of travelling is meeting new people. Wherever you travel, it is often easier to communicate with foreigners through pictures, as language can be a challenging barrier. Bring photos of your home, workplace, friends and family – this will help stimulate conversation with your new friends. Pack inexpensive items you can trade or give to others as gifts – stamps, postcards, chewing gum, candy.
Research your destination
Before you go, spend some time researching your destination. Travel books, website searches and public libraries are all good sources.
Ensure you know the entry requirements before you go. Some countries won’t let you in if your passport expires within 6 months. Others require visas to be obtained before you leave home.
The expected weather patterns will influence the type of clothing you bring and the extent of rain gear and warm jackets needed. Details of local holidays may suggest some rescheduling to enjoy the celebration or avoid the crowds.
Travelling should be an adventure, so don’t regiment every last detail of your vacation. Leave some days open to see where the winds will take you. Isn’t it often the places off the beaten track that yield the most memorable days?
Pay attention to political situations affecting your destination, look into communicable diseases affecting the area you will be visiting, and check security and packing regulations. Helpful websites include:
Embassies
Intimidating as speaking a foreign language may be, people always respect your attempts to converse in their native tongue. It may be awkward, but you’ll be amazed at how much you can pick up. Key phrases are: hello, please, thank you, where is the bathroom? Visit www.dictionaries.travlang.com
Expect something to go wrong. And when it does, tackle it with a sense of
humour, and solve it with a smile. Remember, it's these 'adventures' that we
remember and tell our friends about! A.T.
Tilley Hats and the finest travel clothing in the world
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