What you take with you depends very much on whether you are in the category, “backpacker” or “confortable” traveller. Normally a backpacker is travelling on a limited budget and is prepared to rough it in order to see even moe places and squeeze the last drop out of the limited travel budget. Many times, the backpacker doesn’t have a time constraint, as witnessed by many of the sites on backpacking adventures.
A comfortable traveller, and this is where I class myself, usually has a little better budget that allows for hotels and restaurants, taxis and possibly rental cars. It means that it is possible to take more things along and not have to worry unduly about having to carry them all even though there is often the constraint of how much the airline you may be travelling on will allow you to take.

The list below is a comprehensive list based on comfort and just about includes the kitchen sink. If you are trying to travel light, which is something that I try as far as possible, then you can consider just taking the items marked with an asterisk (*). I also have a site covering a fishing trip to New Zealand. There I list exactly what was taken and the experiences, pros and cons of packing what I did. It worked for me but that doesn’t mean it will work for you.

The Paperwork
Passport - This is just about the most essential thing you need, together, with tickets and money in some form. Keep it safe. This is your lifeline!

Visa - Depends on where you are going and what nationality you have. In most cases it is more reassuring to get all the visas sorted out in good time before you leave. It’s no fun to travel across the world only to be turned away at the border.

Health Documentation - In many countries your health problems are limited to stomach problems but in others more serious illness can occur and in areas where yellow fever is rife you will not get past the friendly immigration officer without a valid vaccination certificate. Naturally, you will have checked in advance what vaccinations are recommended for each area and if you expect to wander on from your original destination be prepared to get more shots on the way.

Transportation Tickets - Be it airline, train or boat, you are stuck without them. Always make photo copies, one with you, one with a travelling partner, if you have one, and one back at home where, with someone who you can reach by phone.

Frequent Flyer Cards - Yes, the miles do mount up and you will appreciate the times you are let into the lounges. Either for a munch or a shower or a sleep.

Emergency Information - Make a little “Black Book”, or red or whatever your favourite colour is. Have telephone number, e-mail addresses etc of next of kin or some reliable person that can help if an emergency should arise. If you know someone in a country, however faintly, have their number with you. It may mean the difference between inconvenience and trouble if something goes wrong on your trip. e.g. losing your money or bags etc.

Insurance - Make sure you are insured to travel. Check what personal insurance you have and if necessary increase it, especially for countries where sickness is rife, the traffic is crazy or where being ill or injured will cost you a fortune.

Hotel Reservations - Only really necessary in high season, so check what is on in the place you are visiting.

Traveller's Checks - If your trip is a protracted one these can be useful, but I am more inclined to stick with a credit card and use an ATM. Choose a currency suited to where you are going, or where you are coming from. US dollars are accepted in most places but if you come from a country with a strong currency, such as the UK, Germany or Japan, take GBP, DEM or JPY. Buy at Amex centres and cash at the same if you can. This is far cheaper than cashing them at hotels. Keep your purchase record separate from the checks. Mix small with big denominations.

Currency - You will need the local currency for most transactions. You can either change before you go, use an ATM on arrival, cash in some of your travellers checks unless of course you can pay by credit card. Check the exchange rates well and make a note of them. Note that in some countries, credit cards are not widely accepted in shops and in some places it is better not to let anyone have your card to ring up a charge when not in full sight of you.

Credit Card - For me, this, is the most convenient means of paying for the bigger costs such as flight and rail tickets, hotels and also for shopping. For the big costs I use American Express or Diners Club as these are charge cards with no limit. All you need to ensure is that you can pay the invoice at the end of the month. If your trip is a long one you need to ensure that you can transfer funds to these accounts. either in advance through your bank or if you are knowledgeable via internet banking. For shops where Amex and DC are not commonly used or the shopkeeper wants you to pay a premium to use the card, I try to use VISA. This is very commonly accepted. Again, make sure you can pay off the bill every month or be prepared for the heavy interest rates on the outstanding balance. It can hurt! Something that is vital is to have the card details and telephone numbers of the card companies readily available. If you lose or get robbed of your credit cards you want to have them stopped as soon as possible.

Guide Books and Maps - I must admit that this is an area where I tend to read before the journey and then only takes bits of the books with me in the form of photocopies that I can discard on the journey. Maps are in my opinion essential and the more the better. What kind of travel you do dictates the kind of maps you need. If you are travelling between big cities an overview teamed up with city maps is fine. If you are trekking you need much more detailed maps.

Trip Cancellation/ Medical Insurance - Accidents of one or another kind can happen and if you have spent a fortune on a trip it is good sense to insure the costs. If you are a house owner check on the terms and conditions there concerning travel insurance. It can be cheaper to extend what you have than go to a separate company.

Personal Identification - This doesn’t mean getting your name tattooed on your forehead. In addition to your passport you should have a separate ID card with you. In many countries a driving license is more effective at getting you service than a passport. You can usually afford to lose your driving licence. Losing your passport can cause you a lot of headaches.

Photostat copies of documents - Vital but often overlooked. Make copies of passport, including the visa pages, tickets, itinerary, vaccinations (yellow book), important contact numbers. Leave one copy at home with a relative/friend and keep the other in your baggage but not with the original documents.

Special Event Reservations - Try to reserve tickets to special events as early as possible, via internet if you can, or through a travel agent or ticket agent. Don’t arrive at the venue and expect tickets to be available. If you buy from touts expect to pay more and/or get fakes.

Travel Gear
Where you are going and how you will get there influences this choice considerably. I always work with one basic rule. I take as little as possible with me. Easy to say but difficult to do.

Main Travel Bag (Travel Pack/ Duffle Bag/ Luggage) - I try to limited luggage to one piece and depending on what kind of journey I am making it can either be a rucksack/backpack, or a wheeled case of some kind. On none business trips I use mostly public transport so light and tough is the rule. If I am travelling on business where pressed suits and ironed shirts are most important then a hard suitcase with wheels is usually the answer.

Packing Accessories (for clothes, small stuff and toiletries) - Small stuff bags are useful for keeping things in good order and dirty clothes away from clean ones. A bag for shoes is a must. If you have toiletries that are liquid keep them in plastic bags so that any leakage will not damage other things your bag.

Security (Passport Carrier/ Locks/ Luggage Tags) -
Contrary to what most travel experts write I normally keep my passport, money and cards in one place as I know I can keep track of one item better than several. In general I don’t carry big sums of money with me except perhaps for some countries where I know I will not get far with my credit cards.
I use combination locks on my luggage as it is more convenient that carrying keys around. You know, the small ones that get lost as soon as you stick them in a pocket or bag.
An easily overlooked item is a simple luggage tag. It is an invaluable help when the airline loses your bag or you see six black Samsonites next to each other on the train. A coloured luggage strap is good to have for the same reason. It also helps your overfull bag from splitting open at the zip and spewing your belongings all over the place.

Document Organiser - This is a fancy name for either an envelope or a large plastic zip-lock bag. Naturally, you can buy something fancy but it is extra weight to carry.

Everyday Bag - If you are a photographer then keeping both hands free is done most easily if you have a small backpack. That is also ideal for taking with you on a plane, remembering of course, the international measurements for carry on luggage (.. x .. x .. cm/.. x .. x .. in). The one I use is a Karimoor and can also be carried as a shoulder bag.

Everyday Basics -
Travel Clothing - This is a topic that can be rather lengthy. My personal choices are given here for holiday travel rather than business travel. Firstly, as mentioned in the introduction. Take as little as possible. The basic items are the same whatever the weather conditions. For cold and wet climates you just need some additional layers and one or two extras.

Raincoat/ Umbrella - An umbrella is an ideal choice if you are looking for the minimum weight/space consideration. Also, you can buy an umbrella for a much lower price than a good raincoat and it doesn’t matter so much if you lose it. I normally manage to leave them on trains, in taxis, in restaurants and so on. If, however, you are trekking in cool, wet and windy countries then a raincoat is preferable. My experience has been with lightweight Goretex raingear. I like it.

Travel Footwear - If it has to be for business or mixed business with weekend activities go for a pair of worn in comfortable black shoes. If you are on a private trip then go for a pair of low/medium trekking boots. Again, make sure they are worn in. Also take with you a nylon stuff bag to put them in so you don’t mess up the rest of the stuff in your backpack/suitcase.

Visor or Brimmed Hat - Good for protection against sun and rain. If you are going fishing a hat with a brim is a good safety feature. It is no fun getting a hook in your head and a brim often will deflect them.

Camera, Lenses, Film - In the past I have carried around an SLR camera and been frustrated by its size and weight plus the risk of theft as it is not easy to hide. I had a period where I carried a small APS camera, which is convenient to carry and not so noticeable to potential thieves, but then I got frustrated by the poor quality of the photos as compared with the SLR. For taking “snaps” of people and so on they are fine. Today I carry around a big digital camera, because I chose one with a wide angle/zoom lens. So I am now considering getting a pocket size digital camera for the same reason I ditched the SLR. Make sure to have at least two memory cards with you, with as large a capacity as you can afford. If I have my laptop with me, I can take loads of photos and save them on the laptops hard drive every evening.

Radiation Shield for Film - If you are going to be doing a lot of flying you have the choice of keeping all your films in your carry on or putting them in your checked luggage. In the latter case invest in a lead lined plastic film bag.

Binoculars - From time to time I carry a small pair with me and on some occasions I have actually used them!

Electric/ Phone Converters - The first is a must. There are not so many different types that you need to have with you but for if you have electrical gear with you of any kind there is nothing more frustrating than not being able to use it due to incompatibilities with the power system where you are. Similarly, if you have a laptop with you, you need adaptors for the telephones. More on this on my business pages.

Travel Alarm - Indispensable, if you don’t have a mobile phone that doubles up for this purpose. The advantage of a travel alarm over the mobile phone is that they are cheap and not so likely to get stolen.

Language Books - Rather than carry such a book with me I read the chapter in a travel book on language and stay happy with that. If there is something of particular interest I take a copy of the page with me and discard it after use to keep the weight down.

Reading Materials - I usually buy a paperback at the airport, read it on the plane and if I haven’t fallen asleep before I have finished it I dispose of it after reading. Otherwise, I keep it until I have finished it then dispose of it in some way.

Address Book - This is something I always have with me even though some people advocate making pre-printed labels for sticking on postcards. In my opinion that is overkill and a little impersonal but if you have the knowledge and the labels why not?

Travel Journal - A small notebook is invaluable. If you have the right trousers you will have a pocket on your leg. Keep it there. There are many times where you will want to write something and tearing out a piece of paper from a little notebook to scribble something on can be a lifesaver when you are trying to find directions for example or noting the name of a newly made friend.

Pen/Pencil - See above. Also depending on where you travel you may need to fill in landing cards and so on.

Scarf/ Bandana - This can give protection against wind and dust, or cold and rain. It takes hardly any place in your packing, and can also serve as napkin, handkerchief, towel, curtain, toothbrush! The uses are endless. An alternative that is gaining popularity is a buff, a tube of material, usually cotton, that does most of what the bandana does.

Snacks - Many has been the time when I have been hungry but not enough to want to buy a full meal and on some occasions in places where food hasn’t been available. Muesli bars or a packet of biscuits or a box of raisins are OK to carry. Put the biscuits in a plastic bag if you are in a humid climate.

Water Bottle - These are easily obtainable on your journey and it is always a good idea to have one with you. Don’t carry 2 litre bottles, they are too heavy. On the other hand ½ litre bottles don’t last long.

Hand Sanitizer/ Towlettes - It is better if you buy the individually wrapped ones if you can. Sometimes you can find these on the international flights, either given out or scrounged from the toilets. Useful on many occasions.

Travel Neck Pillow - This is really valuable on long flights if you want to sleep. It takes little space but can mean the difference between a restful journey and a difficult one.

Eye Shade/ Ear Plugs - Once you have your comfortable pillow, you will still find it difficult to sleep because of light and noise. These are very cheap and very easily packed extras that make your journey more comfortable. They are also useful when travelling on other forms of transport, such as long distance busses and trains. Keep them with your travel pillow in a stuff bag.

Portable Door Lock - If you are living in cheap accommodation you may not get a lockable door to your room, but there may be a hasp. A combination lock could be a useful insurance. If you are able and don’t mind the extra weight there are small portable alarms that you can get and hang on the door handle that sense electrically if anyone touches the handle.

Tissues/ Toilet Paper - An essential. Always make sure you have the latter in your back pocket at all times. It can be a lifesaver!

Keys - Personally, I leave these at home or with a neighbour. They fulfil no function on the trip and only pose a problem if you lose them.

Maintenance Items
 
Matches or Lighter - This is something I don’t think about packing as in daily situations I don’t need such items. Consequently, I always have a lighter lying in my bag just waiting for the occasion where it will be of use. In the wilderness it always is.

Extra Batteries - Rechargeable batteries with charger are the best choice as normal batteries are not always available or more likely, out of date and useless. This is especially problematic in hot humid countries and in Asia. As far as possible I try to get gadgets with the same size of battery so that they are interchangeable.

Sewing/ Repair Kit - Takes no place at all and can be very valuable. Splitting the rear seam on your only available pair of trousers can be embarasing. Keep it in your hand baggage unless you are flying. Then you will have to put it in your checked in luggage
 
Duct Tape - This is valuable if you are backpacking. Use it for repairing your backpack, shoes, umbrella and so on. A lightweight alternative is electricians tape. It’s not as good but on the other hand it is not as bulky to carry with you.

Zip-close Plastic Bags - The number of uses are unlimited. Keep everything in them from cameras, to papers especially if you as I have done, gone fishing and fallen in the river. My mobile phone and camera were not in plastic bags. It’s called learning the hard way.

Travel Health
No-one plans nor wishes to be ill on a journey but it is common to pick up stomach bugs from the new flora of germs one comes in contact with. Various cuts, scratches, blisters always seem to appear so some form of preparedness is needed. Again this is a general list. You can see exactly what I took on a fishing trip to New Zealand and my comments about it.

Put all your medicines in a suitable bag. Make sure that the “best before” date has not been exceeded and that all the packages are whole and with legible labels. It is no fun trying to explain to the customs office that your favourite brand of aspirin is not some illegal substance
.
Travel Health Booklet -
Pain Reliever/ Aspirin - This is all I need 90 times out of a 100 if I’m not feeling too good. Chose a brand that you are familiar with and that suits you.
Cold Medicines -
Contact Lens Items -
Diarrhea Medicine - The other 10 times out of a 100 this is what I have needed. Imodium has been my choice, but again take a familiar brand

Laxative - Never a problem, but if you do suffer it can be very uncomfortable. Relax.

Insect Protection -
My favourite is Wilmas Nordic Summer even though this is not an approved repellant. Most repellents are based on DEET which was developed for soldiers in Asian jungles.

Sun Protection - Sunburn hurts. Sun cream or lotion is especially valuable in the Southern hemisphere where even if it doesn’t SEEM too warm the sun’s UV content is high. Get a higher UV factor than you believe you will need.

Sunburn Relief - OK, so you forgot the advice in the line above and you are suffering.

Antibiotic Cream - Some little scratches, can turn quite messy if they cannot immediately be cleaned properly.
 
Malaria Medication - Make sure to find out what the situation is like in the country you will be visiting at least a month to six weeks in advance. You need to take tablets before you travel to built up resistance.

Motion Sickness Medicine - The plane, train or boat won’t stop for you. Feeling motion sick comes a close second to having a bad case of diarrhea.

Personal Hygiene Items - I usually take soap, shampoo, toothpaste and toothcream as the absolute minimum. Add on other items according to your personal needs.

Personal Prescription -If you need presciption medicines take them with you as getting the same brand of medicine abroad is virtually impossible.

Travel Bottles (for shampoo & laundry soap) - OK, so most shampoos come in plastic bottles, but have you noticed how few these days have a cap that you can rely on to stay sealed. Most have flip tops so that they are easy to use at home. You won’t need a full bottle for most trips so pour a smaller quantity over into a small plastic bottle with a screw top. The same applies for liquid soap.