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Travel as light as you can, and no lighter
By Bruce Clement
As someone who's struggled through airports and taken long distance bus rides in the third world, I've learned the wisdom of the old adage "Halve the weight and double the money" although this is more aimed at recreational travelers the principle applies to business travelers also. When you pack for a trip, it's tempting to consider every possible occurrence and pack for it. You might lose your toothbrush charger, so carry two. When you are on the trip, that bag will get heavier and heavier the longer you have to carry it. This is partially because you're getting tired and partially because you're buying souvenirs. Do everything you can to minimize the weight you carry. You only need one phone charger, not the spare, if you lose it, buy another one. You don't need enough clothes for the whole trip, same day laundry facilities are available at your hotel. A good guide is enough clothes for 4 days. That way you can wear one set while two are in the laundry ... the fourth set is so if the laundry is late back or I get rained on I have dry clothes waiting in my hotel for me. If you tear a shirt, just buy another, but do add a few extra pairs of socks, they really don't take much room and after a long day looking around museums it's amazing how much better you feel with clean dry footwear. Because my trips tend to have a lot of side trips and internal travel, I'll try for 5 days worth of light clothes. The same goes for toiletries, if you use major brands, your toothpaste, deodorant, soap and shampoo are available just about everywhere ... sometimes the brand name is changed from country to country but it's easy enough to spot that with the same manufacturer and same packaging it's the same product, even when you can't read the local script. Once you've packed, pick up your bag and go for a long walk with it. When you come back from the walk, you'll be inspired to go through it again and shed as much weight as you can. Things not to skimp on:
* Prescription Medicine Naturally, but also carry a copy of your prescription for customs inspections and a letter from your doctor explaining any medical conditions you have so you can get a fresh prescription from a local doctor without too much delay.
* Cash and travelers checks I try to carry three times my budget, divided into three so I can't lose it all in one go. I always work on the basis that if something goes wrong and I lose 1 stash I can carry on with my holiday and enjoy it regardless.
* Credit cards Don't keep these with the cash, but otherwise the same logic applies.
* Copies of all important documents Passport, travel insurance, tickets, a list of your countries consulates. I always try to have two copies in different parts of my luggage, and a friend at home who can fax it through if needed.
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Contributor's Note
Contributor's Note Bruce Clement is a keen traveler and commentator. You are free to copy this article under the http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/ licence as long as you publish it unchanged and link either to Bruce's blog at http://kiore.blogspot.com/ or to his hub site at http://www.clement.co.nz/
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Creative Commons Attribution Required, No Derivatives 3.0
PLEASE VISIT THE CONTRIBUTOR'S WEBSITE
Bruce Clement
The Author's personal homepage and hub
www.clement.co.nz
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