I’m off to India shortly, so, once again I wonder (and others asked me) how to pack and what do you take for six weeks travel? If I didn’t need my electronic gear I’d be taking carry-on only – and I obey the airline rules re carry on weight: like AirNZ, Singapore Airlines – which I’m using this trip – have a 7 kg (about 15 lb) limit.
It’s the ‘other stuff’, not clothes that take the most room: electronic gear in particular! We all will have different needs – mine are; batteries and chargers and selfie stick and tablet and camera and power plug adapters, for instance. It pays to put them in a pile and consider what’s missing? And what don’t I need? I carry that mostly in my carry-on bag as they’re essential for travel writers. As ‘they say’ no photos, no story.
Then of course there’s the toiletries and first aid and medications. I also take a bag of ‘curiously strong’ peppermints or other sweets for midnight snacks!
As well as the travel clothes and shoes I’ll wear, I’ll also take a pair of jandels (that’s kiwi english for flip-flops or thongs in other forms or variations of English) and a my trusty can-walk-anywhere Teva sandals.
I’ll also have an umbrella for sun or rain and these clothes.
I’m off to India so taking my Indian clothes back to India😀
Add a pair of ‘western’ pants and top, and a long lounging dress for either nightwear, or pool wear, or just lounging and writing in my room – or under a tree :). And, of course, underwear, and togs/swimming gear – as always, that will be about 10/12 kg
My carry-on (7 kg max) will have my electronics and camera plus tablet, e-reader and paper book and my medications – plus for the first time a mask for smog!
It will also have, tissues, sox for on the plane, headphones, notebook and pen, travel docs, water bottle, inflight snack, sleep mask and compression socks – to be put on at airport. Plus of course things security want to see like batteries and any liquid, like my moisturiser.
Kiwi Travel Writer talks food, travel, and tips 
Nice job light packing
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Thanks for the good ideas! I hate to cough up unnecessarily, to check even free bags, and to lug a heavy bag around with me, and I love Europe out and home for $300 USD (Primera, Wow, Norwegian). One had a 5 kg weight limit for a 3-week trip.
Luggage weight is the problem, and rolling bags use up more space and weight than a separate luggage roller and bag, so I use my 3-pound, collapsible Samsonite luggage roller ($30 USD) with my virtually weightless nylon Ikea backpack ($6 USD) strapped on it. To make the size limit, I separate them and just stack them–and the collapsed roller fits into the backpack, within the size limit–but it was questioned only once. The weight limit is easy when your luggage doesn’t use half of it. The other aid is my wonderful 2nd-hand garden-center vest full of pockets. A photographer’s vest should work, too. The airlines don’t care about what you carry in pockets on you–I asked. My vest holds flat papers, books, things I want to be careful of, and a ton of this and that–maybe another 10 pounds. My strategy looks uncool, but it gets my carry-on on the airplane for free.
Finally, my smartphone, which I use abroad when I’m on WiFi, relieves me of camera, flashlight, books, compass, files, watch, notebook, maps, Roku remote, computer, calculator, calendar, checkbooks, photos, coupons, Zagat guide, travel guide books, currency converter, units converter, insurance info, boarding passes and the like, magnifier, recorder, language tapes and lessons, Wikipedia, reviews, movies, translator/dictionary, transit info like next-train time, Uber caller, Lyft caller, international telephones, radio, newspaper…. Portable power source helps, too. And the more forgetful I get, the more of a lifesaver it is!
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As a photographer and writer I need my notebook and camera.
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Happy travels Heather.
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Thank you for the helpful reminders of what to pack and how. I love your Indian clothes.
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I love those India clothes too!
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