Essential		Office
	Tickets		Name cards
	Passport		Address book
	Visas		Stationery
	Organiser		Business literature
	ATM/Credit cards		Laptop, diskettes
	US & local currency		Letterheads
	Traveller’s cheques		Company stamp
	International driving license		P.O., Sales invoice
	Vaccination certificate
	Hotel reservations		Appliances
	Travel Insurance		Travel jug, pot
	Increase credit overdraft		Travel iron, hairdryer
			Adaptors & converters
	Personal Care		Handphone, batteries
	Moisturiser, cleanser		Charger
	Lip balm, sunscreen		Camera, film, batteries
	Deodorant		Alarm clock
	Cosmetics, perfume
	Shaving supplies		Wardrobe
	Contact lens & cleanser		Crease-resistant clothes
	Soap, cream detergent		T-shirts / shorts
	Toothpaste, toothbrush		Pyjamas / lingerie
	Comb/brush		Belts
	Shower cap		Handbags
	Wet tissues		Suits/ties/cuff links
	Cotton buds		Sweater / jacket
	Shoe care kit		Pantyhose
	Feminine hygiene products		Slippers / shoes
	Contraceptives		Beach wear, sports wear
			Disposable underwear
	On Board		Gloves/socks/cap
	Reading material / games		Winter wear
	Phrase books / Guide books		Sunglasses
	Earplug		Raincoat/umbrella
	Eye mask
	Neck pillow		Accessories
			Luggage ID tags
	First Aid		Trolley
	Band aid / dressing		Luggage strap
	Antiseptic cream		Padlocks
	Jetlag medicine		Backpack
	Insect repellent		Waist pouch
	Motion sickness tablets		Money belt
	Mild laxative		Swiss knives
	Aspirin / Antacid / Lozenges		Calculator
	Anti-diarrhoeal tablets		Measuring tape
	Water-purifying tablets		Torchlight

 

What Clothes Pack clothes of the same colour scheme so you can mix and match. Blacks, greys and khakis are the best. Pack crease-resistant clothes: wool or cotton ad polyester blends do not wrinkle as much as pure wool or 100% cotton. Don’t even think of travelling with linen unless you intend to do your own ironing. Toilet Kit If you travel very frequently, pack a complete and permanent toiletry kit. Buy a set of plastic travel-sized bottles and fill them with lotions and the usual items you need on the road. This keeps you from having to reassemble your kit each time you take a trip. Plastic Bags Bring several used laundry or supermarket plastic bags to keep shoes and soiled / wet items. Cellophane Tape Keep a roll of cellophane tape in your bag at all times. It can be used to quickly mend hems, seal bottles or remove lint. What Else? Your favourite things back home which you may crave and are hard to get abroad … instant cup noodles, local snacks, favourite CDs, books… you know best what these are.

How To Pack

Pre-Packing Tips As far as possible, travel light. Always pack according to a checklist, made at least one week before your trip. It will speed up packing and let you know what you might be missing. Never pack the following items in your check-in luggage: money, expensive jewellery, traveller’s cheques, travel documents, matches, cigarette lighters and other inflammable items. Secrets of Successful Packing Pack clothes in plastic bags from the dry cleaners. This reduces wrinkles. Pack larger items first then stuff rolled-up underwear, socks and other items around them. Spray your favourite perfume on tissue paper and fold it together with the clothes. Clothes smell good, wrinkle less and the perfume can stay home. Small items like cotton buds and vitamins should go in plastic sandwich bags. Pack lotions in small containers but do not fill them to the top as changes in aircraft pressure cause leaks. If travelling with spouse, pack only one set of toiletries to avoid duplication. Pack shoes in shoe covers to avoid soiling your clothes. A cheaper alternative is to Use old socks. If you are using plastic bags, leave them open as shoes need to breathe. Have travel shirts cleaned and packed at the laundry. They are returned in plastic bags, inside a storage box, all ready to be packed. Professionally pressed and folded, they stay crisp for the entire trip. Mix family members’ clothes in each suitcase - in case one bag gets lost, you are ensured of at least one change of clothes for all family members. Pack clothes in the order you plan to wear them. Wear your heavier clothes while travelling instead of packing them Nest your packed luggage in a larger empty luggage. You will need that extra luggage especially if you plan to shop or to carry back pamphlets and papers from business trips. Packing Your Hand-Luggage If possible, try to travel with only hand luggage. This saves time when claiming luggage and cuts down worries over lost, misplaced or damaged luggage. If you have both check-in and hand luggage, pack as many items as possible in your hand luggage. Pack items like toiletries, books, business papers and things you need on board in a smaller tote to store under your seat to avoid the inconvenience of reaching for your hand luggage in the overhead compartment.

Comfort On Board

Take a blanket and pillow from the overhead rack before sitting down. These tend to disappear once the flight is under way. Before takeoff, fasten your seat belt snugly around your hips (not your stomach) and make sure you know how to remove it quickly. Experienced travellers keep the seat belt loosely fastened even when the  “Fasten Seat Belts” sign is turned off. Do not wear tight clothing or shoes. Slip out of your shoes (your feet will swell during the flight) and put on some slipper socks. Elevate your feet on a carry-on bag or briefcase stowed beneath the seat in front of you. Eat lightly. Drink plenty of non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated beverages. A glass of water every hour is good. Put a pillow behind the small of your back. Take an occasional stroll around the cabin. Bring a sweater or jacket - airplane cabins are usually cool. Use lip-balm, moisturiser and eye-drops/contact lens lubricant to combat the effects of cabin dryness. Bring toilet kit so that you can freshen up in the rest room before landing. Bring along a cassette player and earphones (but not a radio, which may interfere with aircraft navigation systems). When with a child When you travel with an infant or a toddler, the safest option is to buy the child a ticket and take along a car seat that is adaptable to a plane. Otherwise, hold the child on your lap, outside of the seatbelt, during takeoff and landing. In the cabin The relatively low air pressure in your aircraft can cause discomfort. Cabin pressure if equivalent to that at 8000 feet above sea level. If your ears bother you during takeoff and landing, try yawning, chewing gum or doing this: pinch your nostrils shut, inhale, close your mouth and try gently to blow your nose. The air in the cabin will be very dry. Accept all of the flight attendants’ offers of free beverages. - choose plain non-carbonated water or fruit juices instead of caffeinated or alcoholic drinks, which will dehydrate you. If your eyes begin to smart, remove your contact lenses and wear glasses. Unscented air moisturisers are available in aerosol form. Use one periodically to spray your face and the air in front of your face for a refreshing pick-me-up. If you’re not crazy about airline food, take a tip offered by well-travelled people - order the vegetarian meal. This tends to be usually more attractive and delicious , perhaps because it’s specially made, than the regular meals served.

About Jet Lag?

You’ve preened, waxed, manicured, facialed, exfoliated, blow-dried and prepared for the business meeting or the rendezvous with your loved one and now you are embarking on the journey having spent a fortune on the flight and the pre-long haul pampering packages. You seem prepared to take on the world or are you really? The truth is that at the end on this beautifully planned journey… you hair will look as though you’ve just been dragged through a hedge backwards. You are a nervous flyer and have bitten your nails to the quick and you resemble “black-eyed Susie” with deep black rings under your eyes and puffy lids. Real attractive. Jet lag Basically, you don’t feel good. You feel a little under the weather and your body feels as if it’s falling apart. What it really is Disrupted eating pattern, bowel pattern and conversational pattern. Everything is a little chaotic for a while. You do not know what day it is or what time it is back home. Your regular internal clock is rather topsy-turvy at the moment. Why do we get jet lag? Our internal little 24-hr clock just loses its grip on place and pace if we alter it by more than a few hours by passing through different time zones. Solution? Don’t drink the free bar dry just to pass time - there’s a price to pay for such overindulgence. Too much of anything is never a good thing. Drinking too much alcohol tends to dehydrate your body so much that you are likely to smell like the inside of a brewery on disembarkation. The sensible thing to do? Stick to plain water, lots of it! What if my body says it is daytime? Set your watch to your destination time as you take off. Then start programming your body to it. On a night flight, take your shoes off, decline both the meal and the movie and switch off. Economy class: will it be worse? Invest in a cheap pillow. Wedge it against a window and notice the difference. However, on really long flights, it is often better to secure an isle seat, which is less problematic and easier to manoeuvre from if you need to visit the toilet, especially if you are drinking lots of water. Recovery time? Allow a day for each time zone. What about my hair and appearance? An hour before you land, freshen yourself up in the toilet. Wash up and pop some curlers into your hair. Don’t be embarrassed. The likelihood of you ever seeing your neighbour again is a million to one and they’re probably wishing they have the courage to do the same. Medical option? Melatonin is the answer to all jet lag problems. It is a hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain. It helps to control the body’s sleep/wake cycle. By resetting the body’s internal clock, melatonin can treat the underlying cause of al jet lag problems, which is the disruption of the natural sleep/wake cycle. Note: For children and pregnant women, please consult your physician before consumption.