Anatomy of trip prep

So I have been asked a few times over the past couple of weeks about how we prepare for a trip, So I thought I would share some things with you.

1. Start a list – This is the core to any long trip, a list. Not just a packing list but also a list of things you should do (hold mail) and also things you want to do while you are gone. We use google do

   

   cs to manage it. And we just copy from our last trip to start our next one. You are still going to forget stuff but you will forget less.

2. Luggage Size – I was talking to my mother last weekend and she said, are you just bringing one bag each? Yes I replied, and it is a backpack. We both have travel backpacks, and they are lovely). It is really easy to overpack, and shoes are the big culprit for hogging space in a piece of luggage. Just remember that you can do a month in a medium bag. You can buy almost anything in a foreign country, and you can also do laundry. In fact, in asia, they do laundry for pretty cheap.
3. The Test Pack – We always do at least one test pack, if not 3! You don’t know if you can fit everything in a moderate size back pack unless you try it out. It is much easier to pick and choose things a few days or weeks beforehand, versus the night before!
4. Make a Bird Powerpoint – This is from Ash. She likes to create a powerpoint so that she can easily identify birds in the region. It proved very useful for our trip to Africa, and she has been doing it since.  It is fun to have and to do.
5. Save Travel Docs to the Cloud / Your Phone – This is a must and pretty easy to do. We use google drive but you can use any of the cloud doc services.

That is our trip prep! If you want me to share my google doc, let me know and happy to.