Never Forget to Consider These Important Travel Items Going Abroad

You’ve pulled together your passport, visa, insurance information, and ID cards. You’ve packed your portable charger, your universal power adapter, and your medications. You’ve even got your camera ready to go.

You think you have everything you need, but do you?

When it comes to travel items, you can never be too sure. Make sure to prepare a proper trip checklist and then double-check everything. Once you’re on the way, there’s no going back for that key item.

Here is a handy guide for putting together that checklist of important travel items. Never find yourself missing a favorite item again when you’re traveling abroad! Rest assured that you will have everything you need to make for a memorable overseas trip.

Clothing: Traveling in Style

Now comes the hard part of packing for an overseas adventure: what are you going to wear?

Style is important, of course. Especially with overseas trips like these, you want to be comfortable, but you can’t necessarily afford an entire wardrobe at your destination just to blend in with the locals.

Yet you don’t want to look like a clueless tourist, either, don’t you?

This is where research is so important. Do some research on your destination. Find local styles, even look into local customs.

Is it customary to wear something specific?

Do the locals have a particular fashion when it comes to colors?

Even the local scenery can influence your choice of color and type of clothing. 

You don’t have to necessarily dress exactly like the locals, but choose your colors and the types of clothing based on what you find in your research. That way, maybe if you want to buy a specific article of local fashion to feel like part of the community a little, you already have a good start! If all else fails, choose neutral articles and colors that blend well with the area, and you can’t go wrong. 

A little bit of prep work will go a long way toward making your trip easier. You can be comfortable knowing that you don’t look like a tourist who is completely out of place. 

Consider the Climate and Season

The clothing question is more than an issue of style. As you decide what to bring, you’ll need to think about how much walking you’ll be doing, whether you’ll be indoors or out, what the culture is like, and the climate and season that you’ll be flying into.

You won’t pack for a trip to Norway the same way that you’d pack for a trip to the Amazon. Likewise, packing for Europe in the summertime is different than packing for a wintertime visit.

Take a quick online peek at your vacation destinations.

What is the average temperature for the time of year that you’ll be traveling there?

Does it rain every afternoon during this time of year, or is it hot and dry?

Once you’ve got an idea about what the weather is like, you can gather the clothing you want to bring. For example, if you’re traveling to Europe in the summertime, you’ll want to bring light, comfortable clothing that you can layer in case of a rainstorm or windier day.

Likewise, if you’re going to a tropical destination, you want light and airy clothing to help you keep cool in that heat and humidity. Bring plenty of swimwear, but then you need to consider secondary items: sunscreen, sunglasses, maybe a large hat or something to provide shade. 

If you want warm clothing for your destination, make sure to bring it, and some alternates in case your clothing gets wet. 

Consider Whether You will be Indoors or Out

Another very important consideration: What activities do you have planned? If you’re going to be hiking volcanoes or rainforest, you’ll want something like waterproof hiking boots.

On the other hand, if you’re going to be sightseeing on bus tours or playing on the beach, you might opt to bring lightweight sandals and cargo pants.

This includes general supplies like backpacks—good hiking backpacks like camel packs store water in addition to other supplies like snacks and gear. If you’re going to be indoors, of course, you’re going to want comfortable clothing, but you’ll need related travel items: phone cases, storage devices, perhaps some entertainment for when you are in your hotel room.

You may also want to preplan a guide to local entertainment, so you can check out movies, plays, or live shows in the area. 

A universal power adapter is always a good choice to consider. You never know what adapters or outlets will be available in your area, but you’ll want to be able to charge your cameras, phones, and so on.

Speaking of which, whether you’re indoors or outdoors, make sure your cameras are working and fully charged, whether it’s your phone or it’s a digital camera. You don’t want to miss out on that perfect photo opportunity in a distant land since you never know when you’re going to get another chance! 

Consider the Culture

Pack in a way that shows respect for the cultures you’ll be visiting. For example, if you’re a man visiting the Middle East, a button-down shirt is an essential wardrobe item. Women should plan to bring long pants and skirts and shirts that cover their arms, chests, and the nape of the neck.

If you’re in doubt, do a quick online search for what to wear in the country you’ll be visiting. Plan on the conservative side. It’s easy enough to pick up a more casual item or two as a nice souvenir while you’re there, but if you show up and none of your clothing fits the customs of the destination, it’s too late to pack something else. 

Consider Accessories

Some travel item accessories are going to be more essential than others. You can probably get by without much jewelry, but if you wear glasses, you may want to consider some glasses loops or a slim pocket case to help you keep your glasses close by.

Sunglasses might be important in some sightseeing destinations, while hats or scarves could be necessary for others. 

Other things to consider are binoculars, which are helpful for sightseeing. Similarly, a high-powered camera with a good zoom can help you make the most of those photographic opportunities.

Consider Grooming Necessities

Not all hotel accommodations provide every toiletry item you’ll need. While many of them supply shampoos and soaps, shaving cream is harder to come by. Plan ahead by packing a non-aerosol shaving cream.

Unless you want to buy razors while there, make sure you pack those, as well. Disposable razors are cheap and easy to pack along.

As you pack your toiletries, remember that anything larger than 3.4 oz. must be packed in your checked luggage rather than in your carryon bag. 

You’ll also want other grooming items, like nail clippers, trimmers, dental hygiene products, and any other hygienic necessities. While toothbrushes and toothpaste are easy enough to pick up at most destinations, you might not be able to say the same about contact lens cleaners, sleep aids, or makeup kits.

Also, consider an eyeglasses repair kit; this essential travel item (and the others on this list) can help prevent the need for a late-night store run while you’re already fighting jet lag.