Over the next while, we are going to share with you our various packing lists. The lists can be found on their own pages under the Packing Lists menu item. If you would like to use them, they can be copied and pasted into a Word document. If you are really good, you can copy them into Excel. We actually have six lists crammed onto one Excel sheet. Also, if you plan on using the list, you should personalize it by listing your own medications, cosmetics etc.
There are no quantities on the lists as the quantity depends on the length and type of trip. For example, our “first aid kit” we take to Bhutan will be more extensive than the one going to Bonaire – more moleskin, more Maalox.
We do not take everything on the lists. When we start packing for a trip, we go over the lists and decide what we should take and cross off the items that we don’t think are necessary. For Bonaire, we won’t take items such as Calamine Lotion and Liquid Bandaid. For Bhutan, we will make sure we take a clothesline. ear plugs and a flashlight.
Every time we travel, we seem to add items to the lists. We hand write it on the paper list we use for packing and then when we return, I add the item to the digital list. We often create other lists, such as a “High Altitude” list – what symptoms were experienced, what worked, what didn’t work.
We have lists for EVERYTHING! Scuba diving, first aid, clothing, toiletries, important documents, camping, riding with and without panniers, folk festivals and what to do before we leave on a trip. Since Bonaire is coming up, we will start with what we need for a scuba diving trip to the Caribbean.