Pack light.

I read this advice in Rick Steves' Europe Through the Backdoor. Then my friend Bruce told me the same thing. Of course, he had read the same book. So I packed light.

My main pack was probably half the volume of everyone else’s. Some people just don’t like doing laundry or something. But you’ve gotta do it unless you want to break your back.

Clothes. Go in summer when it’s warm and bring (including the clothes you are wearing):

• 5 T-shirts
• 1 long sleeved shirt
• 2 pairs of long pants (jeans are hot but tough and livable)
• 1 pair of shorts
• 5 pairs of socks and underwear
• 1 sweater (you could risk not bringing one, but I would’ve died in Munich without it)
• 1 pack towl
• 1 laundry bag
• 1 swimsuit (I had to buy one in Budapest)
• 1 pair of shoes (comfortable, for walking long distances)

Pack all this into packing organizers.

This keeps your clothes organized, wrinkle free and compact. They are awesome. They effectively convert your backpack into a dresser. My clothes were more organized on the trip than they are at home.

Choose some lighter colors for the direct sunlight that you’ll get. White gets dirty easily so your best bet is a khaki shade. I had a gray long sleeved shirt that I layered over my T-shirts at night when it got colder. It worked perfectly since I had to wear it almost every night and only got to wash it once every five days.

If you’re going on a trip that’s longer than a month, I’ve heard your clothes will show signs of wear.

Optional: flip-flops or sandals There are times, like going to the beach in Cinque Terre (where the small rocks really burn your feet), that you’ll miss these, but you can survive without them. Some people like to wear flip-flops in the showers to avoid getting athlete’s foot. The showers in the hostels were generally pretty clean and so were most of the other travelers I met, so I didn’t worry about it. I did kind of freak out at the inside of the thermal baths in Budapest, but my feet survived.

Toiletries. You decide what to bring here. Buy little empty plastic bottles and transfer enough shampoo, liquid soap, whatever, for your trip. Don’t carry a year’s worth of shampoo if you’re only going for a month. Also, it’s important to bring your nostril hair clippers. Nothing ruins a trip like runaway nostril hairs…

Medicine. The guidebooks tell you to take Ibuprofen and Imodium A-D. I also took Day-Quil and Nyquil liquicaps. I didn’t need any of it. Be prepared anyways. I just knew I wouldn’t use any of it so anytime I heard someone cough or sneeze I jumped on the opportunity to unload the stuff.

No one’s getting sick on my watch, damn it.

Wallet. Your HI card, some US dollars and some currency for the first place you’re visiting. I never once needed the HI card.

Money Belt. Must have a plastic lining. Keep your

• passport,
• one personal check,
• your driver’s license,
• a credit card,
• your ATM card,
• your plane ticket,
• and a list of normal addresses for postcard writing.

If you have a Eurorail ticket, keep it here also. I didn’t buy a Eurorail since all my train rides were short. It really takes one long cross continent ride to make buying a Eurorail worth it.

I also kept all the compact flash cards that I borrowed from Gavin and Gregg here. Half a Gigabyte of storage for pictures and I still found I was running out of memory.

You know your valuables are safe when you keep them that close to your most valuable possession.

One month and that money belt was only removed when I took showers. One month. Did I mention it must have a plastic lining? I still feel strange NOT wearing a money belt now. Some people I met kept their money belts in their daypacks. That kind of defeats the purpose…

Forget about traveler's checks, which are totally obsolete. In this wonderful age of computers, use your ATM card to get cash in every country you visit. It's convenient and you get the best exchange rate.

If your PIN is longer than six digits, most ATMs won't work with your card. Damn computers...

I found this out the hard way and had to use my credit card the entire trip. Cash advance charges on credit cards are generally more than ATM transaction fees. Of course you should know your credit card PIN and it's got to be six digits or less.

Laundry equipment. Woolite, a clothesline and a sink stopper. Most places I went had a laundromat nearby (or, in the case of Boathouse Hostel in Prague, they do your laundry for you). The few times I did my laundry in the sink, there were clotheslines available to use. Still, I say be prepared. Magellans sells all of these things online.