Travel tip #130: How I make sure I don't forget things when packing

Hello Reader, how are you?

I am in the Indian Ocean right now, on the island of Mayotte, a French Overseas Territory, exploring some of the least visited islands in the world with a friend, chilling at the beach and having a bit of a break among lemurs jumping between rooms and turtles swimming by the shore.

This week's newsletter is a list of habits I have developed to help me not forget to pack important things when I travel.

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How to not forget to pack important things

I have been traveling for almost two decades, and there are certain habits I have developed to help me not forget important things.

These habits were pretty useful last month when I had to get back on the road again after 3 months of minimal travel over the summer and I hope they will be useful for you too.

Travel duplicates, always ready to go

I have travel versions of a lot of the important items and these stay ready to go at anytime. For example, I have a travel handbag that is permanently packed with the essentials:

Sunglasses that I use for travel - they are prettier than the all-terrain ones I use in my day to day and look better in the photos ;)
Battery pack and chargers / cables
My Bose noise cancelling headset (I use ear phones at the gym)
Various basic first aid kit items (paracetamol, plasters, tissue, a pot with some of my vitamins, melatonin, a small pot of perfume to combat bad smells, a mask, etc.)
My travel adaptor and laptop charger for travel
My water bottle
My passport, always in the same internal pocket

I also have a ziplock bag that has all the toiletries I need in small pots I only need to refill. It's right there in my bathroom ready to go so I don't forget any of them. The rest of my toiletries and cosmetics stay in my travel wash bag when I get home, I never unpack them other than to spread them around my sink. When it's time to go, I put them all in the bag and if anything is missing I would see it on the sink.

Putting things in the same place

My carry on suitcase is always packed the same way, with items placed in the same spot in the suitcase. This way, if something is missing, there is an empty spot and I immediately know I am forgetting something.

Shoes go on the bottom left, wash bag and toiletries on the bottom right, underwear, socks, jackets, accessories, any other "non clothing" item in the top side of the suitcase, etc. It is impossible to miss an essential because there would be an empty space in the suitcase.

Check list

I have a list of basic things that I take on every trip written on a quick note in my phone and I run through it mentally before every trip:

Passport and boarding pass if I checked in online
Visa, printed if necessary
Check all the bookings, in case of last minute issues or if I booked the wrong date (true story)
Phone, battery pack, chargers, charging cables, adaptors. And all electronics that have enough batter for the whole trip fully charged (eg. I don't need to carry chargers for my fitness watch, or the toothbrush, or my headset or LED light face mask if they are fully charged when I leave and my trip is less than 2 weeks)
My first aid kit, fully stocked, and electrolytes
Sunglasses, sunscreen, mosquito repellent, hat if necessary
Beauty products - I am very low maintenance but I always pack conditioner, my face and eye moisturiser, micellar lotion, cotton pats, basic make up, hair brush, toothbrush and paste

2025 tours

We only 1 spot left on our Oaxaca November 9 to 15 tour and the rest of our tours this year are sold out. Check out the Oaxaca itinerary here.

2026 / 2027 Calendar of tours

The full list of trips for 2026 is out, live and bookable! See the list below:

PS: 1 spot opened up for our previously sold out Egypt tour and 1 spot is left on our Galapagos December tour.

✅ = Trip is confirmed

✅ 🏔️ Kilimanjaro climb on Intl Women's Day: 1 to 10 Mar or 1 to 15 Mar with safari extension >> Book here.
🚗 Cuba: 14 to 22 Feb [Photographer onboard] || ✅ 14 to 22 Mar || 12 to 20 Dec || New Year's Eve >> Book here
🌮 Oaxaca: 15 to 21 Feb || 5 to 11 Apr || 11 to 17 Oct || 8 – 14 Nov || 29 Dec 2026 to 4 Jan 2027 >> Book here
✅ 🦭 Galapagos sailing: 5 to 12 Dec >> Book here [Photographer onboard, 1 SPOT LEFT]
⛩️ Japan: ✅ 28 Mar to 7 Apr (Sakura season) [I will host this trip, Photographer onboard] || 13 to 23 Jun || 13 to 23 Oct (Fall colors) >> Book here
🍝 Tuscany: ✅ 13 to 20 Jun || ✅ 5 to 12 Sep >> Book here
🧘‍♀️ Bali: 20 to 28 Jun [I will host this trip] || 29 Aug to 6 Sep [Photographer onboard] || 3 to 11 Oct >> Book here
🎄 Xmas markets: 21 to 29 Nov || 5 to 13 Dec >> Book here
✅ 🍷 Georgia: 5 to 13 Sep >> Book here
🦪 Croatia & Montenegro: 31 May to 6 Jun >> Book here
🏰 Scotland: 10 to 18 Oct >> Book here
🐑 Iceland: ✅ 11 to 18 Oct >> Book here
🦘 Australia: 11 to 22 Oct >> Book here [Meg will host this trip]
🥘 Barcelona & Beyond: 6 to 14 Jun || 20 to 28 Jun >> Book here
✅ ⛵ Greek islands sailing trip: 29 May to 5 Jun >> Book here [Meg will host this trip, Photographer onboard]
🐪 Morocco: 2 to 12 Oct [Photographer onboard] || 6 to 16 Nov >> Book here
🇪🇬 Egypt: ✅ 3 to 12 Apr [1 SPOT LEFT] || ✅ 30 Oct to 8 Nov >> Book here
🦁 Tanzania Value safari + Zanzibar: 28 Aug to 7 Sep (Great Migration) || ✅ 11 to 21 Sep (Great Migration) [1 SPOT LEFT] || 23 Dec to 2 Jan, 2027 (Xmas + NYE) >> Book here
🇹🇿 Tanzania Luxe safari + Zanzibar: ✅ 25 Sep to 5 Oct, 2026 (Great Migration) || 1 to 10 Nov, 2026 >> Book here
🇦🇶 Antarctica: ✅ 13 to 27 Dec >> Book here [I will host this trip]
❄️ Swedish Arctic ✅ 28 Mar to 3 Apr [SOLD OUT] >> Book here
🐬 Ecuador & The Galapagos: ✅ 5 to 17 May [I will host this trip, SOLD OUT] >> Join the waitlist
🌴 Caribbean island hopping: ✅ 13 to 20 Feb, 2027 >> Book here [Both Meg and I will host this trip]