Posts Tagged earplugs

Julie Ovenell-Carter launches her travels from Vancouver, BC. She has learned most of her packing lessons the hard way–which is why she never leaves home without her Canadian sense of humor.

Once many years ago, when I packing for a business trip and fretting obsessively about whether to pack one pair of pantyhose or two, my mother wisely observed that “they probably sell pantyhose in Toronto.” That sober advice stuck with me, and when it came time to pass along packing wisdom to my own kids I told them they’d always be good to go with a ticket, a passport and a credit card.

Beyond those essentials, I always bring along:

An unlocked iPhone: Technology—and all the bling that goes along with it—is so essential to a travel writer’s job that it’s as basic as packing a toothbrush and clean underwear. I never leave home without my (legally) unlocked iPhone 4: not only can I swap out SIM cards to cut exorbitant roaming and long-distance fees, but in a pinch it allows me to do anything I can do on my laptop—plus navigate through foreign streets and take great photos.

Earplugs: I carry a pair of orange foam earplugs (I get ‘em cheap at Home Depot) in my carry-on because I inevitably choose the seat next to the guy who drinks five scotches during the first half of the flight and then snores through the last half. And I also carry a second pair in my packed luggage because there are a lot of things that can get lost on a trip and one of them is sleep.

A shawl: I learned the multiple benefits of carrying a shawl even before menopause made easy layering a necessity. I stuff one in my carry-on so I don’t have to pay for a blanket on the plane. I wad it up to use as a pillow on buses and trains. I throw it on to dress up a simple outfit. I use it to cover my head and shoulders when culturally appropriate. (And when I had small children, I occasionally used it as a changing pad and/or to catch barf…)

A Moleskine notebook: Even when I’m not writing an article I’m a compulsive note-taker, and for my money there is no better journal than a leather-bound Moleskine notebook. I like the way the quality paper feels under my pen; they way the built-in ribbon bookmarks my place; and especially the way the little envelope at the back neatly stows ephemera such as business cards and ticket stubs.

A silicone blister-stick: Every traveler has a weak spot—Mike Barish’s crotch, for example, or Jessica Spiegel’s tummy. For me, it’s my feet. Essentially if I put on shoes, I get blisters. This is particularly a problem when I’m in a great walking city such as Berlin or New York. To the rescue: a silicone blister-stick that I can glide over my trouble spots before slipping on my shoes and socks. (I prefer a European brand called Compeed, but there are other brands available in pharmacies and outdoor-adventure stores.) I discovered this little magic bullet a few years ago on a hiking trip into the Grand Canyon, and I haven’t been hobbled since.

Follow Julie on Twitter: @theseboots