MarcieA, I'm so glad to know someone else is a duplicator.
+1 on international converters, e-readers, duplicated toiletries.
I haven't toured, but I've travelled a lot for work. I wouldn't be away for months, but maybe a month with different locations, and frequent trips. I hate packing (and unpacking), so my goal is to make the travelling easy so that I can enjoy wherever I am. I'm a practical packer and like function over form...
Practicalities:Duplicate chargers. In addition to toiletries, I ALSO have a small pouch for all of my electronic chargers that I have in duplicate (I treat them like toiletries, because I use them every day, only they are more expensive to buy if you forget and I hate that feeling when you've just arrived and say: "Did I forget to pack my cell phone charger?"). It's annoying to wait for a replacement charger which are often difficult to get, and if you're traveling to many places quickly, it's stressful to anticipate where you're going to be so that it can be delivered to you if you need to order it. Since I never unpack my charger bag when I'm home, it makes it SO easy to grab it and go when I need to leave for a trip. You can buy extra chargers for anything on Amazon. I also have a friend who swears by IGo, and his travel bag of electronics is way smaller than mine. I'd love to find a reliable source for interchangeable USB tips, but I really haven't yet. I'm a huge believer in duplicating things you will pack often. It's made my life so much easier. In a pinch, some hotels (usually high-end ones) will have phone chargers you can have on loan. I will also bring a spare USB-to-micro or mini-USB cables. I can download photos or phone data to my laptop at any time if I accumulate too much. It has also been useful that if I leave my phone charger somewhere, I can still charge it from my laptop.
Travel-size toiletries. I do take 1-2 hotel-sized shampoo/conditioner samples that I've picked up from a hotel, and replace them from whichever hotel I'm at as needed, but I don't carry more than 2. They're super easy to travel with and I hate landing somewhere and discovering that the hotel doesn't provide shampoo. If I'm going somewhere sunny, I'll fill a 3 oz. bottle with sunscreen, or aloe. Empty ones are also useful.
Luggage:Compression bags. An alternative to packing cubes:
http://www.amazon.com/Compressible-Vacuum-Seal-Travel-Roll-Bags/dp/B0009VCB6Q/ref=sr_1_5?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1349552739&sr=1-5They take a little getting used to, but I like that I actually CAN fit more in my bag which was useful for long or multi-destination trips. Because they are vacuum packs, also protect some clothing items from wrinkles by leaving a little more air (also because the air is vacuumed, wrinkles aren't as much of an issue). I guess it's like a glorified ziploc bag, but they come in way larger sizes.
Carry-on. Expandable, with spinner wheels. I carry-on everything whenever possible (it also encourages me to pack light). Since I'm next to all of my stuff I don't need to pack an extra change of clothes. I have a Samsonite spinner that can expand and fits in the overhead compartment. I love the spinner wheels because it makes getting out of narrow planes super easy and it's easy to wheel upright, which means I can wheel other bags on top of it without straining the handle or my arm.
Suitcase lock. My Samsonite allows me to lock the zippers. This is SO useful because not all hotels provide a lockbox for valuables. So I would lock my laptop in my suitcase... Now, it's not foolproof - there was one time that I came back from being out in Cambodia and found that my room had been broken into and someone had stabbed a pen into the zipper and ripped open the suitcase (fortunately, the hotel did provide a lockbox, which I had used for my money belt and laptop, so they only got my corporate blackberry). It's provided me some extra piece of mind when travelling through areas with questionable security and standards. Here is a trick I learned from people who had to travel with very expensive technical gear. If you really want to protect your valuables, put the "Do not disturb" sign on the door - hotel staff has no idea if someone is in the room or not.
Purse/backpack. I deal with the bag/purse issue by packing a small-medium hobo that folds flat into my carry-on. It's so easy to pack, and I'd much rather have the option to not bring a bulky backpack, especially if I want to go somewhere nice. I bring the huge backpack as a personal item that has my laptop, precious items, glasses, Kindle, knitting, headphones. Basically, all the things that would be difficult for me to replace or that I need for my in-flight entertainment.
Money belt/travel wallet. If I am travelling internationally, I carry one that looks like this:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001MTUJRM/ref=s9_simh_co_p198_d0_i3?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=left-2&pf_rd_r=19ESKMJ28DBDSFMJHRK8&pf_rd_t=3201&pf_rd_p=1280661782&pf_rd_i=typ01I like to carry all of my "valuables" (i.e., passport, emergency credit/ATM cards, extra money) in one place, and on my body, under my clothing. I also keep my itinerary there and any emergency contact information or arrival instructions. It streamlines my travel process because I don't need to rifle through my backpack to find my in-transit goods. I carry the usual load of credit ATM cards and spending money in an actual wallet separately so that I don't need to access the money belt unless necessary. When I am in settled, I act like a local and carry only what I need in my purse or wallet. I throw the the money belt in the lockbox. Jury's out on whether this really is safer in transit - I've never seen an incident with or without it, but it is definitely easier for me to stay organized and get ready to leave the room quickly if our flight has been delayed and we only have 5 minutes to check in. The first thing I do when I get to a hotel room is figure out the security situation and lock away my valuables. Then I move on with life.
Extra duffel. Also because it's easy to pack and folds flat. I've found that this is not a huge deal though. Usually when you're travelling, you'll be able to buy a spare bag if you need it.
What to wear:Bathing Suit. No matter how short a trip is, I pack a bathing suit. You never know where you'll find a pool or hot tub and it can be *so* relaxing to sit in one after a long day. I've been grateful for this choice more than I can count. And I've wished I'd remembered to bring one more often than any other single item.
Clothing. I don't stress too much about forgetting something here because if I can pick up extra pairs of underwear or socks easily (but do bring bras because they can be a pain to pick up elsewhere). Usually it's something like: 2 pairs of jeans, pants, 3 t shirts, 2 long sleeves, 2 sweaters, 1 skirt, and 1-2 weeks of undergarments. I always try to pack a dress or something nice (that doesn't wrinkle or need special care), and layers. It's usually easy to pick something up locally: it will probably be better adapted to the environment and you get a nice souvenir. In Peru, I picked up a warm alpaca sweater, and in Hong Kong I picked up a paper-thin rain jacket (which I now pack with me whenever I think it might rain). If you are wearing the same thing week after week, they'll probably go through some wear. I have a friend who would pack items she would otherwise goodwill, expecting to leave them behind as they wore out and she needed more space in her suitcase!
Accessories. For the longest time, I didn't pack accessories. But they're the easiest way to adapt to the dress code. They take up very little space, but I don't overdo it (because again, souvenirs
) I keep my jewelry in my backpack when I am in-transit and don't bring anything super valuable. Also bring spare hair clips.
Shoes. There is no reason to bring more than 3 pairs of footwear. Ever.
Basic black. I suppose I don't have to say it here, but wear black.
It doesn't show dirt, and can help camouflage if you don't have exactly the appropriate thing to wear.
Local knowledge:Language Tools. If I'm going to be somewhere for a while, I like to bring/acquire a small phrasebook that I can have with me, if I want to take a small excursion on my own and feel independent (knowing some romance languages also helps really well).
Currency. I try to spend all my currency because for some reason, but for whatever reason, I'm usually left with some on my way home. I keep that in a bag at home and take the right currency with me if I'm returning to the country. Now that credit cards are taken everywhere, it's less useful, but it also means that I can go some distance without needing to exchange money right away (which can also be safer). I have my Dad to thank for that neurotic behavior.
Extras:Down jacket. If I am travelling somewhere cold I will pack my down jacket because it compresses nicely.
Super-thin raincoat. If I'm staying away long or going somewhere that will probably have inclement weather, I pack a thin raincoat. What I love about the super-thin raincoat is that if it's hot and monsoon-y, it doesn't make me hotter, and if it's cold and rainy, I just layer it over 3 sweaters.
Headlight. If I think I'll be somewhere with low power, I'll pack my camping LED headlight. It's smaller than a flashlight, and can be more convenient if I want to read in the dark, go down the hall, etc. And yes, I've used it.
Other tips:Count bags. Another trick from Dad. As you travel, you might end up with more bags and they're easier to forget when you're travelling. Try not to, but if you do, just count them. It's like counting all the kids before they enter.