Packing : Planning Your Trip

It’s just too darn hot in the Middle East to worry about fashion. Pack lightly. Set out everything you think you’ll need for your trip, eliminate half, and take more money. Your life should fit on your back.

Decide whether a backpack, light suitcase, or shoulder bag is most suitable for your travels. If you’re planning on covering miles of ground by foot, a sturdy backpack is hard to beat. A small daypack is indispensable for plane flights, sightseeing, and holding your valuables. On short trips, daypacks are useful for carrying your lunch, camera, canteen, and notebook. To avoid theft, guard your money, passport, and other important articles in a neck pouch or moneybelt. For added security, get a few combination luggage locks for your bags (though these are hardly invulnerable). Label everything everywhere.