Jul 2006

The advice given by the One Bag website states that "there are two kinds of luggage: carry on and lost."

As much as I would love to adhere to this advice, with the new changes to the airline carry on baggage allowances, it is going to be impossible for me to pack everything I need into a tiny cabin bag.

Luggage

After much research on luggage I decided on the Osprey Meridian 28 (75L, including zip-off day pack) - a travel pack with sturdy wheels. I purchased it for AU$399.00 from Paddy Pallin in Little Bourke Street, Melbourne.

It's a fairly compact pack, sits very comfortably on my back (I have a slight "sway back" and other packs tended to cause me some discomfort) and the wheels are an added bonus. It sits firmly on my hips so that I am not carrying the weight of the pack on my shoulders.

It's designed for simple backpacker travel, i.e. just to get you from the bus stop/airport to the hostel/hotel. It's definitely not designed for hiking.

I am planning on filling it to a maximum of 10kg

What to pack?

One Bag have a great list of "what to pack on a trip of any length". However, I'm not going to take everything they suggest. My list is as follows:

1 jacket (wind/rain proof Feathertop $70 - on sale)
1 jumper/pull over
3 pants (zip-off to convert to shorts)
4 tee-shirts
1 long sleeved tee-shirt
1 swimsuit
4 pairs of socks
4 pairs of underwear
walking shoes (Merrell Pulse and/or Merrell Nerve)
havaianas

cutlery (including sharp knife)
plate
cup
small water bottle
travel pillow
sleeping bag
cotton sleeping sheet (for use inside sleeping bag)

toothbrush, paste & floss
deodorant
shampoo & conditioner*
liquid soap*
face wash*
face moisturiser*
body moisturiser
*all transferred into small bottles
small towel
facecloth
comb
hairbrush

small flashlight (Maglite)
1 power cord adaptor and powerboard
digital camera with wide angle & telephoto lenses
iPod & Sennheiser noise-cancelling headphones (can't fly without them!)
medication: antibiotics, malaria tablets (Chloroquin), Seretide & Ventolin (for my asthma), immodium (for the inevitable bout of diarrhoea), paracetamol, water purifying tablets

toilet paper & antibacterial wipes
insect repellant (gotta go for Aerogard tropical!)
sunscreen (30+SPF)
lip balm (Carmex - there is none better!)
eye mask & ear plugs

I finally made up my mind where to go on my next trip: México.

I booked my ticket today and I depart Melbourne on 12 September, arriving in Ciudad de México on the same day a little before midnight.

I've spent the past two months researching itineraries, equipment and budgetary requirements etc. All to no avail. No one can tell you what to do, where/when to go, and what to take. And no one has the definitive answer to that oft repeated question "how much money do I need?" You have to work it all out for yourself. And this, I believe, is the most exciting aspect of pre-travel preparation.

Although I have six weeks before I depart, I've decided that I will start to keep a record here of my pre-travel preparation regime. In the absence of a definitive guide on what to take, where to go etc., potential travellers may find useful some of the information contained in subsequent posts.