Bonjour Mes Amis de Voyage,

Traveling abroad frequently, I’ve figured out the packing puzzle. I only travel with a 4-wheel carry-on bag, money belt, and backpack purse. Hands-free is my modus operandi. (The photo is of me in Armenia waiting for the bus.)

Here’s what I packed for a recent three week trip to Fez in Morocco and Paris:

TravelPro 4-wheel carry-on which weighs under 18 lbs when packed (4 pounds under the 10K allowance on Royal Air Moroc.)

* An iPad mini 4 for writing, blog posting, books, and email plus my cell phone which I don’t plan to use except for photos. I always turn off the cellular data so there are no extra charges but I notice texts still come through on my regular plan at no extra fee. You can also call folks free via FaceTime and WhatsApp. Many people use their phones a lot while traveling (calls plus map apps etc…) so they usually get a SIM card in the country they are traveling in.

* A 10-hour portable charger for all devices. The carry-on has an internal pocket and plug-in for this so that my phone stays charged while on the road and doesn’t get left in an outlet at the airport.

* An outlet adapter for that particular country.

* Scarves and long-sleeved blouse-dresses to wear over pants (respect in Muslim countries). I usually bring two pair of black yoga pants and one pair of light pinstripe dress slacks.

* Earrings to wear and also give away as gifts. I buy oodles of them at our local thrift store.

* a chocolate bar (duh!)

* Mushroom extract immune boosters in tincture form. Many are available in stores and on Amazon. These formulas keep me from catching bugs on the airplanes. I also take at least 3 packs of Emergen-C on every long flight. This also pumps up the immune system.

* Ear plugs. They keep my sleep pattern regular and seem to block out most noises including rowdy bar drunks singing under my window in Paris at 2 am.

* Light weight waterproof black hiking boots that even look good with my dressier outfits. Along with 3 pair of black lightweight socks, I bring  a pair of thermal socks for hiking and sleeping in if cold. And a pair of slip-on flats for dancing. Also read my post about The Perfect Travel Shoes.

* A black fleece jacket and wool vest to cover my various tops.

* Umbrella.

* Packable sun hat. Sunscreen (3 oz). Sunglasses.

* Bathing suit and sarong. Sarong also serves as beach towel, neck scarf, skirt and head-wrap.

* A locking caribiner that I use to secure my purse, suitcase, and other loose items like hats to my seat in public places.

* And the luxury item is: a travel size water pick and power adaptor.

See you in Fez, Paris, or next stops: Sweden and Estonia! Bhutan and Ladakh!

Lisa

copyright Lisa Alpine 2019