Since I've packed for the tropics before (Hawaii, Costa Rica, etc.) I have by now gotten my packing list nicely honed down to essentials. I've also got a good To-do Checklist of things that need your attention during the week before you leave, such as calling the credit card company to tell them where you're going and when you'll be leaving so they won't cut you off during your trip when they see activity in a foreign country. That could be disastrous.
Although you will have different interests and focus, different needs, pets, house-sitter arrangements, etc., you can use my list as a useful jump-off point for creating one tailored to your personal needs.
Since I pack for carry-on only, so there's less chance of losing luggage, I keep the weight around 25lbs. And since my focus is on sketching and journaling nature subjects and hiking on beaches and in the jungle, I don't pack an evening gown or heels.
Obviously this wouldn't be the trip packing list for, probably, MOST people But if you're reading this blog, you might be the sort of person that can appreciate the way I pack ~ and make use of the lists I'm offering.
In my last blog I was trying to figure out what to do with five pounds worth of field guides to Belize birds and mammals ~ well, I have now sliced the picture pages out of my two books and I'll take them to the print shop next time I'm in town to get them punched and spiral bound into a MUCH smaller book that will fit in my pack. It weighs ten ounces now instead of five pounds!
I'm making another thin book, also, printing out and binding together useful pages from the web about my accommodations, how to get around (taxies, buses, water taxies, ferries, bike rentals) in Belize, maps to places I want to go, plus interesting places mentioned on web pages. That's about 12 ounces, and that should about do it for my reference materials. Oh yeah, I bought and downloaded Lonely Planet's guide to Belize and printed out pages (for my little reference book I'm building) that refer to things that interest me. That's a lot more to my liking than cutting up lovely printed books, but those books weren't offered as downloads, so I didn't have any choice.
At the moment, I have the bags roughly stuffed to make sure everything will go in (and to weigh them to make sure I can still carry them easily). My goal is 25lbs, and I'm guessing I'm going to make that goal. Remember, clothes are washable, so I have only two changes of clothing for the whole trip (and I'll be rinsing out things to dry overnight ~ that's where the travel undies come in handy, as they really DO dry overnight, even in humid climes).
So feel free to use my lists if they will help you pack for your vacation. If you don't plan to be traveling soon, you still might print them out and stick them in your bucket-list bucket. When opportunity strikes, you want to be ready!
p.s. In case you were wondering about that purple fleece blankie, well, I have 12 hours of layover in Miami/Atlanta both coming and going, and it's nice to have a fleece to ward off the air conditioning, block out bright lights, and/or use as pillow or padding to get comfortable. I think it will stuff in the pack, but I won't know for sure until I have the pack ready to go. If it doesn't, I can fasten it to the pack with the velcro strap, as shown in the photo.
