Things to Include on Your Travel Packing List

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If you are traveling overseas, going on a mission trip, or even living overseas for a length of time, this list may help you.

I was given advice that some things like small hair dryers and liquid shampoo are best to buy when you arrive in the country. That way you don’t have to pack them, saving room in your baggage. Also, you will not have to worry about your hair dryer having a different voltage than your destination country.

I have included items I found very useful to buy beforehand to take with me, as well as helpful things to do before leaving.

Electric Plug Adapter: an electric adapter is essential if you have a phone or computer with you. This adapter works for Europe, Australia, and the UK but may not work in South Africa. There are different adapters, so be sure to purchase the right one.

Shampoo Bars: although you can pack shampoo bottles in a checked bag, shampoo bars take up less space and may last longer. You can even take one in your carryon with no problems.

Natural Sunscreen: obviously, the sun may be much stronger in the country you may be going. People want to protect themselves from the sun, but some chemicals in sunscreen can cause skin cancer. This 50 spf sunscreen is also good for babies. And here is a 30 spf natural sunscreen and a tinted mineral Sunscreen.

Wrap/Bandage: a wrap is good to have on hand for sprains and injuries, just in case.

Natural Bug Repellent: getting bitten by mosquitoes repeatedly in more tropical climates is not good. However, most traditional bug repellents are full of chemicals. Natural bug repellent may be just as effective as the ones with harsh chemicals. Mighty Nest has a few to choose from.

Healing Balm: this is good for so many things, including burns, scrapes, bug bites and more.

Bug Bite Salve: my skin began to swell and blister in Japan after getting bitten by the dreaded buyo (black fly). This bug bite salve soothes the skin of inflammation after a bite and may prevent the swelling that I experienced. (You may also consider the bug bite suctions found online).

Tea Tree Oil: a well-known anti-microbial, tea tree oil is very versatile. It can even be mixed in water for a natural cleaner for your living area.

Aloe Vera: is recommended for burns, and it can also be used as a normal face moisturizer. It even heals certain types of skin ailments. This is something I always try to pack when traveling.

Aluminum Free Deodorant: natural deodorant may be hard to find while traveling. In my own experience, natural deodorant works much better for me than the aluminum and chemical counterparts. This will save you from having to find deodorant in a store. You can feel good that it is not full of chemicals.

Natural Bamboo Strip Bandages: it is always good to have bandages like these, and they are compostable.

Natural First Aid Ointment: – first aid ointment is also important when traveling, and this is free of synthetic antibiotics.

Water Filter: even if you are in a country where water is generally safe, a filter is a great idea. Here is the filter that I have used and have been very happy with it.

Sun Hat: a sun hat will save you a lot of trouble if you are in a hotter climate. This was crucial in Japan, while working in the rice paddies.

Helpful Things to Do Before Leaving:

Licenses:

Make sure your driver’s license is up to date. If you need to drive overseas, you can check with AAA to get an international driver’s permit or IDP. Mine was around $25 and is valid for a year. Check to see if the IDP will work in the particular country where you are going.

Be sure your passport is up to date. Most countries also require you to have at least six months left on your passport.

I also took photos of the pages of my passport and put them on a secure external drive. Hopefully you don’t, but just in case you have issues, it is good to have these photos.

Ensure you have sufficient time to obtain a Visa if necessary. Remember that some nations also require evidence of a return ticket.

Money and Currency:

Check with AAA or your bank (although AAA may be a little cheaper) to exchange currency before you go. Even if it’s just a little of the local currency, it will be helpful to have some initially.

Wifi/Internet:

You can buy a global wifi router and get a global SIM card (or buy a cheaper one when you get overseas). I always rented a wifi router in Japan, however, it would have been much more helpful to have wifi all set before leaving.

Phone Calls:

If you are concerned about calling home, nowadays there are so many ways to connect to home over internet. Skype is always an option; I used to load a little money in my Skype account – which allowed me to call phone numbers both at home and in the country where I was traveling. The problems is that without a Skype phone number (which costs a monthly fee), your family will not be able to contact you. There are apps that allow you to call and text home for free, but for these and for Skype, you must have reliable internet. I also found some other good options:

– Telestial – This is a sim card that includes calling, text, and data, and includes a phone number and option to buy phone numbers in the countries where you will be traveling.

– Knowroaming – This is very similar to Telestial, and they offer esim as well.

I have not used these two sim card options, but you can check the reviews. Please be aware that with these sims it may not be possible to use SMS for bank codes, etc.

For bank SMS I recommend checking into a monthly plan from Ultra Mobile or an international plan from T-Mobile, or even check Onesim, to see if they might work for you.

More Helpful Tips:

Banking:
Some Banks that may be helpful for missionaries and travelers are:

– Christian Community Credit Union – they have $0 ATM fees internationally, and they contribute to missions all over the world.

– Charles Schwab – they also have $0 ATM fees internationally and great online banking.

– You can use prepaid debit cards such as Bluebird overseas. Simply load the card before leaving (and reload through the website). Check any fees beforehand (as of now, Bluebird has $0 foreign transaction or monthly fees).

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