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Do I really use all of this in a year?![/caption]Granted, every country is different and everyone has different things that they "can't live without" for a year. I am just going to confess and let you know that I spent about 7 pounds on nail polish and polish remover. I know that 7 pounds may not seem like a lot, but when you are only dealing with 190 pounds, every pound is a hot commodity. Regardless, my fingers and toes are going to look fabulous! (Which can really make a difference when the rest of you is pretty run down by the elements.)
So, here are some tips that may help you out when you are about to relocate for a year and don't have a lot of space to deal with and need to make the most of with what you do have.
The first thing that I would suggest doing is write out everything that you think that you will need. I made an Excel document and wrote the item and then the quantity out next to it. For me, it was easiest to categorize everything so that it would be easy to find when looking over again. Also, it helped me to think through different items while thinking through it in categories.
This process took about a month to finish. I made sure that I started it out far enough in advance that I would have time to edit the list and think about more things, and also when shopping for the items it gave me time to wait for different things to go on sale or find coupons to save me some money.
This is what I came up with: Long Term Packing List
Let me explain some of the things on the list.
Storage bins: These are just the cloth ones that can lay flat when you fold them down. I found them at the Dollar Tree and they are going to give me a way to organize my clothes and other toiletries when I get to the place that I am going to be living. It is a cheap and lightweight way to ensure some organization in your new home.
Scented candles: This is a total preference thing. But where I am going (Uganda) they do not have true seasons. Personally, I look forward to Fall more so than Christmas or my birthday. So, since I am not going to be able to experience the changing leaves or the apple cider this year, I am going to have to substitute it with some wonderfully scented candles that will make me feel like I am carving pumpkins and about to take a hay ride.
Soap: Normally I choose to use body wash instead of bar soap, but bar soap weighs way less than body wash and is much less expensive as well. So if you think that you can part with your silk-in-a-bottle you will really benefit in the long run.
One thing that I used that is not on the list is compressible ZipLock bags. While don't save you on weight at all, they do save you some space. I chose to go with the ones that can be rolled to let the air out so that I am not dependent on a vacuum cleaner, but depending on where you are moving you may be able to get the ones that can have the air suctioned out of them. Because let me tell you, rolling those things flat is no small feat. It took me and my dad to get them all down and we had to go get a massage afterwards to work out the kinks that had make themselves at home in the very middle of our backs. But the good thing is that I can go wherever the wind blows and not be tied down to a vacuum. That's liberating.
When packing your clothes into the compressible bags, roll them first. Roll them tight and roll them neatly. They are going to get a little wrinkled being in the airtight bags for about a day of travel, so don't add to the mess with a poor roll job....if you know what I mean.
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Roll them. Roll them good.[/caption]You want to make sure when you are packing things that you take them out of their packaging and throw that stuff away. That is just wasted space and weight. ZipLock bags will quickly become your best friend and can be reused when you get to your destination. I would also recommend putting anything that can leak into a bag of some sort because if that thing gets all over your stuff that is just one thing that you are going to have to deal with when you get off your plane and are tired from traveling.
When you start packing into your bags, separate your things evenly into your bags. Don't put all of your pants in one back and all of your underwear in another. Because what will happen is the bag with your underwear will get lost and you will have to go commando for a few days until you can find it. Or worse, the bag with your pants will be MIA and then you will just be embarrassed...or extremely immodest. So, save yourself a lot of trouble (and funny looks) and split it all up so that you can be sure that you will have a little bit of everything.
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Split 'er up boys.[/caption]Usually, you are allowed a carry on and then a "personal bag". Most often these things are never weighed, they are just concerned with them fitting into the overhead compartment. What a good friend of mine told me was that I should pack a smaller rolling suitcase as my carry on and then take a backpack as my personal item. In order to pull this off you will just need to have confidence and a smile, but it will buy you anywhere from 20-40 more free pounds in your luggage which is gold when you are traveling for a year. Just assure the person checking your bags that your backpack is your purse or your personal item. Don't be rude, that never helped anyone, but don't be a push over either. This could really work in your favor if they take one of your carry on bags and put it under the plane for your flight or even better, they check it through to your final destination and then you don't have to worry about it for the rest of your trip. Just be sure that bag doesn't have anything important in it that you will need for your trip.
I fly out to Uganda in the morning. I am so thankful that I am getting this opportunity and that I am packed and don't have to worry about it anymore! I hope that this post has been helpful for you, please comment if you have any questions.
What are some travel and packing tips that you have picked up on over the years?
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