The Ultimate Packing List

What to pack for a trip, how much to bring on your travels, and how to fit it all in a single carry-on with room left over for souvenirs

Every item I myself pack for a trip to Europe
Just before leaving on a trip, I snapped this photo of every single item I take with me when I travel to Italy (minus the bag and daypack of course)—and it all fits into a carry-on size bag.This is the very same packing list I use before setting off on a trip (well, not the skirt or feminine hygiene stuff), whether it's a six-night jaunt or a six-month research trip. The only thing extra I bring is a laptop for work purposes.

The Clothes Make the Traveler

The five cardinal rules of traveling clothes: 1) Nothing white; 2) Nothing that wrinkles; 3) Clothes you can layer; 4) lots of pockets; and 5) Very few. Clothes take up the most space in your luggage, so don’t pack many. Just get used to doing a bit of laundry each night or two in your room.

Packing/shopping list
This page has proven so popular, I've decided to expand it. For a much more in-depth packing list, complete with photos and links to several hand-picked options for each item on the list, check out my experimental new site WhatDoIPack.net, optimized for mobile. Urban Europeans dress pretty snappily—not necessarily in the latest Armani suit, but well nonetheless. While you should travel in whatever wardrobe makes you feel comfortable, you’ll probably be happier fitting in, so save the Bermuda shorts and sleeveless T-shirt for that trip to Hawaii.

Note: In the churches of some Catholic countries—Italy, Spain, France—and the mosques of Muslim countries there is a strict dress code that forbids shorts, skirts above the knee, and bare shoulders (and, in mosques, bare heads for women). Pack accordingly. (A silk shawl packs tiny, works as an emergency skirt or head-and-shoulder coverup, and doubles as an extra blanket during the plane ride and when evenings out turn cool).

2 pairs of pants (men/women)—Take quick-dry travel slacks (with secret pockets), not heavy, never-dry jeans; I always make one a pair convertible pants ( men/women) so I don't need to bring extra shorts.
1 pair of shorts with pockets or convertible pants (men/women)—European adults don’t often wear shorts (& most churches won't let you in with bare knees), but they’re good for hiking and, for men, as swimsuits (women: buy a swimsuit there if you find you need one—a great souvenir!).
1 long skirt or dress—The skimpiness at which your respectability will be questioned varies with the country, so hedge your bets with something long.
4 pairs of underwear (men/women)—They even make disposable underwear now for men and women.
4 bras or camisoles
4 pairs of socks (men/women)
3 T-Shirts (men/women)—Wear under long sleeves so the easily washed T-shirt will soak up all the sweat. Get quick-drying tops, not cotton.

2 long-sleeve shirts (men/women)—Button-down collared shirts are respectable for all occasions; travel ones have hidden pockets, sunblock, and easy washability.
Sweater (men/women)—Warm and dressy. Or you can do a...:
Jacket (men/women)—Only for fall to early spring (though a light rain jacket is always wise).
Wrap/Shawl—For covering bare shoulders (or improvising a below-knee skirt over shorts) to visit churches (it's a rule); also, for warmth on planes and cool evenings, and sun protection.
Long Underwear (men/women)—Only for winter trips to colder climes.
Good walking shoes (men/women)—No dress shoes, heels, flip-flops, or anything you can’t walk in all day for two weeks. (STURDY hiking or travel sandals—men/women—are also OK.)
Hat (men/women)—An all-around brim offers sun protection and rain protection (also: stylish). The Tilley Hat is the ultimate travel topper.
Belt—Those with a hidden zipper let you hide your passport photocopy and some emergency cash.

Keeping Clean

Minimize toiletries spillage disasters by storing everything in resealable plastic baggies. Maximize the tiny space inside a bathroom bag/toiletry kit with sample sizes and by putting shampoo and detergent into small, screw-top plastic bottles—bonus, this makes them TSA safe.

Keep toiletries and cosmetics to a minimum. Perfume or cologne on the road become vain deadweights and spills waiting to happen (imagine everything in your bag drenched with Chanel no. 5). And for women, trust a touch of red lipstick to be formal enough for any occasion.

Toothbrush & small tube of toothpaste
Small soap & small shampoo—Bring the soap sliver from your bathtub to start; filch more from hotels as you go.
Razor & shaving cream—(Battery-op shavers are OK (electric razors just bring the hassle of electrical converters and adaptors).
Medicines—Prescriptions should be written in generic, chemical form (not brand name). Pill orginizers (small/large) are handy.
Extra glasses/contacts— Count on losing them, and bring a hard glasses case. Also, bring enough saline solution to last (parts of the world sell it only in glass bottles).
First-aid kit—Take at least: a few Band-Aids, antiseptic ointment, moleskin (for blisters), aspirin, Dramamine or motion-sickness wristbands (I swear by Relief Bands, worth the outrageous price) hand lotion and lip balm (traveling promotes chapping), sunscreen, Pepto-Bismol (for indigestion and diarrhea; chewable, not liquid), and decongestant and antihistamines (for colds and unexpected allergies to local allergens).

Comb or flat brush
Laundry kit—To wash clothes on the go in your bathroom sink, you need travel detergent (biodegradable), a braided clothesline (the twists act as clothespins), and I suggest the truly remarkable stain eraser (perhaps I'm a slob, but I need them at least once per trip).
Towel—H2G2 fans don't need to be told this, but a shammy-style camping towel or even small terrycloth towel is a lifesaver when confronted with Europe’s nonabsorbent, waffle-pressed jobbers.
Feminine hygiene products—You can buy tampons abroad, but take what you need with you, especially if you’re brand-loyal.
Condoms—US brands are safer.
Pocket-sized tissue packs—Invaluable for sudden spills, substitute napkins, bathroom emergencies, signaling surrender, and, if still clean enough, runny noses.

Documents & Sundries

Don’t forget to carry your most important documents—passport, plane tickets, railpass, traveler’s checks, driver’s license, and credit cards—in a moneybelt.

Carry your daily needs items in a small backpack or security purse (designed to foil pickpockets and purse snatchers).

Guidebooks and phrase books
Journal and pens—You won’t remember it all half as well as you imagine.
Camera — Bring extra batteries. Tote it in a purse or mild-mannered daypack, not a “steal-me” professional camera bag. I like the new waterproof pocket cameras.
Memory Cards—Very expensive abroad (and you will fill them up fast!)
Tripod —I like the GorillaPod , with flexible legs so you you can wrap it around tree branches and other impromptu supports.
Tiny flashlight (I prefer a hands-free headlamp).
Travel alarm clock
Plug adaptors—For charging your digital camera, cell phone, etc.
Chargers/cables—I carry all my plugs, cables, and adaptors in a small toiletry bag.
Cell phone —Only bother bringing yours if a tri– or quad-band world phone with AT&T or T-Mobile (on the GSM standard used in most of the world). Otherwise, rent a cellphone.
Swiss Army Knife or Leatherman/multitool—Most useful features: screwdriver/can opener, blade, corkscrew (for picnics), tweezers, scissors, nail file. Note: As of Apr. 25, 2013, TSA lets you carry small knives in carry-ons again; if blade is larger than 2.36"x0.5", pack it in your checked luggage. (Official new TSA regs).
Small bottle of water—Buy them as you go, but always have one; outside of Europe and the North America, carry a bottle with a built-in purifier or get a sterilizer.
Sunscreen
Bug spray—Most of Italy has yet to discover window screens, so insect repellent is handy. Also useful: After Bite for the itch.

Luggage locks—Get enough for every zipper; make sure they're the kind approved for TSA use.
Sleep sack—An ultra-thin sleeping bag made of cotton or silk (sometimes called a "liner"); you'll need one if you'll be camping or staying in hostels.
Tiny folding umbrella
Sunglasses
Pocket Sewing Kit—Trust me.
Duct Tape—Ditto.
Novel or e-Reader—For long plane and train trips. If an e-Reader, load up before your leave or get one with WiFi (so you can download outside the U.S) or one of the new Kindles (which connect for free in 100 countries).
Address list—Friends appreciate postcards at the time more than a slide show afterward.
Teensy binoculars—Maybe I'm getting old, but increasingly I find these useful for admiring distant frescoes, wildlife, landscapes, popes, etc.
Neck pillow - For the plane. Inflatable kinds pack smaller than bean-filled. Some prefer the all-around-the neck style to the old horseshoe collar. An eye mask is useful, too.
Noise-canceling headphones - The one seemingly silly travel gadget I actually use (it really does make flying less stressful, even if you don't sleep; also: easier to hear the movie). There are tons of models. I currently rock a JVC HANC250—1/3 the price of Bose; just as good.
Driver’s license & International Driver’s Permit—Only if you plan to rent a car.
Wallet—But keep important stuff in the moneybelt.
Money—Credit cards, ATM bankcard, traveler’s checks, and cash (euros if you got 'em and some emergency dollars).
Passport—You won't get very far without it.
Airline tickets—Crucial.