Flights:  Try to travel with only carry on baggage. (See each airlines' guidelines re: size). The airline can't loose your luggage & if you need/want to switch flights it can make things worlds easier. ie/ catching an earlier or later flight on stop overs/flight delays OR you can more easily take advantage of the next point. (Note: carry on baggage is subject to random searches... if the idea of this upsets you, then just check it.) If your schedule somewhat flexible and are on a full/overbooked flight they may ask for volunteers. If you can - then go for it! Make sure you listen carefully and weigh your alternatives.  Travel confirmation print out (especially important when traveling on an e-ticket). If you do have to check baggage, make sure it is well labeled. If its plain black add coloured tape or strips of fabric or a tassel to more easily identify your luggage. Make sure you have a carry on bag with you for your essentials. In it I recommend keeping all medications you are currently taking, minimal toiletries, a compact change of clothes, any delicate items and your favorite/most versatile dance shoes. Basically anything that you need on a Lindy Hopping trip that can't do without if your luggage happens to get delayed/misplaced. If you find a great deal on a flight to an event, don't be stingy. Share with others!   Carry On Luggage / Day Pack:  Since 9-11 security is a huge consideration and each airline and airport has updated their guidelines / rules. Also, each airline's regulations on carry-on size seem to differ. When in doubt, check.  * If checking luggage, this pack's contents can be extremely important! All your important can't-be-without stuff in should be in your carry-on. I was once told to pack a minimal amount of stuff in it to help you last a day that way if your luggage gets lost you can cope. (Remember your on a dance trip so this will need some you most versatile dance shoes, hair ties, dance clothes for that night and a change for the next day (just in case), all medications, toiletries (minus bulkier items and restricted carry on items ie/ tweezers, metal nail files, clippers etc.). Things that will make my flight / bus / train ride more comfortable;  a jacket (tied around your waist takes up no space and makes a good pillow when folded & rolled into its own hood ), lip balm, gum (helps with ear popping), facial wipes, a good book, head phones, extra batteries for your PDA/camera/diskman etc. Keep a bottle of water in your day bag... dehydration is never pretty, it can make you feel shitty & ruin your day. Water isn't always readily available & if it is, it can be expensive. Have some sort of snack food with you. Dried fruit or trail mix, granola bars, chocolate bar, apple, half of a leftover sandwich (a bottle of soda is good too, lots of sugar). Competing?  2 copies of the music (well labeled). Little Notebook with a Pen; for jotting down phone numbers & contact details for new friends, tracing out a rough map to my next port of call (esp. if it's a host's house in a strange city), keeping to-do notes & rough diary-esque ideas. Whether for a quick cat nap or a full night's sleep, ear plugs and a sleep mask can be incredibly helpful. Info. To Have With You/International Extras / Wallet Help:  Travel confirmation print out (especially important when traveling on an e-ticket). Contact info; this can be especially important if there are international boarders, as they can and do check at times (though fairly rare). Its also nice to have it handy in case you need to call your host/the event's housing person to advise them on flight delays etc. Pen & Paper; great for filling in those pesky customs forms if on an international flight, to jot down workshop notes and ideas as reminders for later or to write down other peoples' contact information. Have an event schedule/flyer (not necessary but some like to have it for reference purposes and again if there are international boarders it can get a great aid) Canadian Customs Website. Driving? Check out the customs websites re: border wait times: Canadian / American Have some currency from your home country & destination country with you. Before leaving home photocopy your wallet essentials. ie. driver's license, health card, Social Security / S.I.N., credit cards (write down the cancellation info. that is on the back - it can save time). Actually this is a good idea to have done in general in case you loose your wallet. File it away in a safe/secure place that you will remember. When you're away though make sure someone who is generally easy to contact has a sealed envelope with a copy of it inside... that way if you need the information it can be mailed, faxed, couriered to you. For longer trips: travel with 2 wallets - one with one low-limit credit card, some cash, whatever in it that was in an obvious place and that I would use day-to-day to buy coffee and lunch and stuff, and another that was in the bowels of my backpack/luggage that had the rest of my cash, my important credit cards, stuff like that. That way, if I ever got robbed, they'd take the easy wallet and not bother looking further for the real wallet. I was staying in group hostels with dubious security, though, so I really felt the need to protect my stuff. Driving:  Need a lift? Try not to inconvenience the driver too much. Be considerate and think of others (driver & passengers). If the driver wants to leave do NOT dawdle. Its their car, their decision and they likely have a long drive ahead and are often tired after a dance weekend. For your safety and theirs, say your goodbyes quickly & be ready. Try to have the most alert passenger in the front seat on the ride home. Offer to help out financially with gas and parking - do not wait for them to ask about it. They saved you $$$ as you didn't have to take a bus/train/plane or miss out. Use the floor mats and try to keep the car tidy. Throw out your garbage from time to time during the trip & when you leave take the rest of your trash with you. Don't forget to thank the driver. You'd be surprised as to how often this is overlooked. Driving? If you are driving, invite others to join you. Its safer not to drive alone and the company can be fun. Passengers can be a great help for map reading and cost sharing. Housing:  If you are being billeted, try to let your host know your travel arrangements before you get there (if possible). Ask them about what to bring/what to expect. ie. bring towel, pillows, sleeping bag, personal air matress (wooden floors), has pets, bring allergy medication. Try to bring something or do something nice for your host. It is not necessary & they are not expecting anything but it is a nice thing to do. I know us dancer types aren't made of money but it doesn't have to be expensive. Here are suggestions of what I mean: - Take your host out to dinner. - Local dance organization's T-Shirt. (Its hard knowing the right size but when you get it right, they usually find it neat & you're also supporting your local scene.) - Thank-you card with your contact information on it. (It will save you from scrambling for it later/forgetting & cards are always nice.) - Make a mix CD (or tape) with some of your favorite songs. - Buy a CD of your favorite home town local band. It promotes & supports your city/ friends & besides odds are that even if they are a big music buff they won't likely already own it. Packing:  Keep in mind your mode of transport, space, amount of location changes and purpose of the trip when deciding what to bring. In many cases if you bring it, you have to carry it so, don't bring anything you couldn't live without. Remember this is a trip - you can't take it ALL with you. If you won't need it on your trip, leave it at home. It saves weight for you to carry and its one less thing to replace if lost or stolen. Leave irreplaceable items and valuables at home, then you don't have to worry about losing them. Clothing Try to take items that don't require ironing. If that is not possible, lay items requiring ironing flat on the top (there won't be many - I HATE ironing). Use the steam technique for clothes when they are crinkled. Hang in bathroom when showering. This usually does a good enough job for items that are not linen or require major press job. Roll your clothes, they take up less room and you can pack more into a tighter space. If you have the time while packing and its a short trip, roll outfits together, that way, you can easily grab a roll and dash without having to unpack everything. Footwear: - Try not to be breaking in a new shoes, wear them ahead of time to break them in and be assured that they are comfortable. Remember that if your feet are unhappy, the rest of you will be as well. - Look for multi-taskers that work in various situations and go with as many outfits as possible.  - Pack shoes on the outside & bottom because they're heavier & will shift. Also it won't matter much if the sides of the case get banged. Anything remotely crushable on the inside under the clothes. - Remember to clean shoe bottoms before you leave. Stuff worn shoes into used socks to prevent your clothes from getting dirty. - Flip flops work well as shower shoes and are a great slipper-replacement. - If your going to a mega dance camp always bring at least 2 pairs of dance shoes, to give them a change to dry out & give your feet a change. - Sneakers or a light hiking boot are excellent when you have a lot of walking to do.  Make Up Go with minimal or just don't wear it at all. If you must, keep is as simple & versatile as possible. Remember that heat can melt your products and all the knocking about can break cake make up, so traveling with your best stuff might not be a great idea. If you choose to use the good stuff, to stick with what you know and love, I recommend splurging sooner than you normally would and keep the ends of you favorites for travel purposes. If you love lipstick colors, remember that lip liner takes up less space and stays on longer. * If I bother to bring it, my personal travel make-up kit contains:   a tini container of consealer, mascara, a multi-shade, neutral toned eye shadow kit, a small tube of travel brushes & 2 shades of lip liner. Toiletry Kit Travel sized versions of products and multitasking or double-duty products can be a great help. Flying? Try to squeeze the excess air out of small bottles/containers that have already been opened and then seal it. This often prevents explosions. If you are bringing liquid products, try to put those containers into a zippered plastic baggie to prevent any accidental leeks or explosions from getting to all your stuff. Hair stuff: clips, ties etc.. (remember to put at least one into your carry on). Medical stuff: a blister guard, a few bandaids, sunscreen (remember your medication should be in your carry on). Specific Product Endorsements From Site Readers: An all-in-one lotion & and all-in-one cleanser. (My favorite is terrapin body and gel travel gel - washes hair, dishes, body, clothes & smells like grapefruit.) Solid shampoo bar - Lush (compact, no leaks, lasts for ages and kind to the hair) Bring 2 of those mesh bags for washing delicates. One a tied a green string to the zipper, the other a red string. Clean undies socks & bras went into the green bag, dirty went into the red one. No fishing around, no losing socks. Roll your clothes. The REAL trick? Wrap each item with an elastic band. Use hair elastics & hair bands if you're going to be bringing them anyways. When you're backpacking, it's amazing. No repacking, no pulling one thing out and everything else coming tumbling after. I got some strange looks at first, but I converted nearly everyone I met on my travels to my elastic band system. Forget bringing a towel- use a sarong. They're cheap, lightweight, dry fast, easily compact into a small ball & make a decent towel/sheet substitute,  can double as a blanket, skirt, dress, robe, beach blanket, pillow, privacy screen, sack for your dirty laundry etc. ( pick an opaque fabric). A thin elastic rope with "S" hooks on either end - can be used to hang laundry pretty much anywhere. I usually have a small similar item that I can hook onto the outside of my bag/backpack if I have a wet towel, bathing suit etc. that needs to dry - keep it away from the dry clothes. Concerned about space/weight? Mouthwash is a great alternative to toothbrush and toothpaste in a pinch. Shorten the handle of your toothbrush or get a travel tooth brush. *keep a little cash in each bag so if you lose one you will never be too stuck (of course if you loose everything you are screwed!) *make sure all bags are labelled with home address *Try to remember socks They sell these plastic bags now with an air-lock type design, that you put clothes in and roll it tight to remove all the air. The bag can be packed flat or rolled after the air has been removed. It's amazing how much smaller your stuff gets - at least half the size sometimes. Plus, everything is waterproof. Zip lock baggies are a godsend. I usually also pack a larger plastic grocery bag or two to separate dirty laundry/wet stuff, or for garbage or whatever. If backpacking and having to carry you pack distances pack the heavier stuff on top. the higher on your back the easier to carry-also try and make your pack as small as possible. they're easier to carry when the weight is contained in a small area. (i learned this from peter, a german man who had spent three months walking from germany to spain with a bag 40cm*60cm*40cm and who helped me repack my bag.) One tip that I have - is NEVER EVER put your day pack or anything else down away from you - not even for a minute. I learnt that lesson the hard way, when I was actually in Notre Dame in Montreal 10 yrs ago! I was on my own, doing the usual touristy thing. Inside & decided to take a quick photo, so put my bag down by my side. I may have walked slighty ahead to get the best angle I could for this pic, but it was only for a min at most. When I turned around my bag was gone. Of course being on my mine, I had no one to help me. I started to panic a little bit, cuz all my personal things were in teh bag, ie passports, travel tix, money etc! I spoke to a security guard who had actually moved my bag & brought it to the information desk, cuz he thought someone had left the bag there by mistake! It took me bout 20 mins to convince them who I was & that I owned the bag before they would give it back to me. Luckily the little bit of french I knew back then, helped me, otherwise I would have been stuck there for a long time! i tend not to travel with things like shampoo - i buy when i get there. same goes for hairspray or other hair products. i usually need that added cm for another pair of knickers. i will carry my own soap as i'm allergic to most (thrush is not your travelling friend - which makes a good topical cream a really good thing to bring with you to places like herrang: hot, sweaty, dancing = yeast infections). i will also now always carry a decent moisturiser with me when i travel: not only does it stave off dry skin, it can also be soothing to rub yourself with a really nicely scented moisturiser when you're feeling a bit stressy or tired or cranky. i pick ones that seal well. knit (rather than woven) fabrics are best - non-crinkle, quick-dry (if they're lighter). layers rather than a big coat (unless you're somewhere really cold. so thermals + tshirts + sweaters, etc. that way you're ready for every climate. raincoat. a small, fold-up raincoat will save your life. i like dresses-over-trousers. i have a couple of soft, comfy cotton knit dresses that double as nightdresses or a decent summer-going-out dress, or can be worn over trousers for added warmth. entirely unecessary if you're already wearing trousers and a shirt, but... that added bit of easy-carry luxery can make utility a little more comfortable. pockets. trousers with deep pockets rock the free world. especially if they zip. makes money easy-access (i keep a few dollars worth of coinage on me whereever i am so i can pay for public transport quickly, etc). trousers loose enough to fit a pair of tights or stockings or thermals underneath are also way useful. nerdy i know, but when you're freezing to bits, your fashion standards drop. backpacks win over suitcases. you can just strap it on your back and off you go. up and down vertical escalators on the Tube, across kilometers of airport lounge, and under your bum when you need to sit down. pack it well and utilise corners. i like mine because the straps all tidily zip away so you can pop it on the plane without fear of trashed straps. adjust your pack carefully. get help from shop assistants and experienced travellers. practice before you go. this will make or break a trip. zip-off daypacks also RAWK. periods when travelling: there is the no-periods-on-the-pill option, which i have used (but regretted as i find it makes me hormonally psycho), but it's actually not as distressing as you'd think to have your period while you travel. i buy the thinnest pads, and buy one type only (long, thin, winged). a good quality tampon also rawks. i also carry a couple of plastic bags with me, and if i'm lucky enough to pass through a hotel which has those little plastic 'disposal' bags in the bathroom i steal a few. those little bags aren't just useful for disposing of unmentionables. i am actually a shocking plastic bag hoarder - fold, press out the air and squirrel away. i would always bring a period pain relief medication with me if i had trouble with my period. cramps always feel worse if you're halfway through a long plane trip, camped on someone's loungeroom floor or hiking. i also bring antihistamines with me everywhere - i get awful seasonal allergies and have a couple of major allergies. i'd rather carry them than get snot all over me or tear a travel buddy to shreds. i take medication out of the box and write the instructions on the foil packages in permanent pen. saves space. like chel (and others) i prioritise: i can lose everything but my sueded dance shoes if i'm going to a dance camp (they take too long to replace), but i can make do with a pair of sandshoes with little socks over them if necessary. the one thing you really couldn't lose: your wallet and passport. though even that you can replace. i always read a lot when i travel (i find it disuades hassler blokes on public transport, helps me calm if i'm feeling stressed, helps kill 8 hours on a bus, etc). and second hand books are cheaper overseas than in australia: i buy, read and trade as i travel. another thing i use a lot when i travel: a web-based email account (like hotmail or my squirrelmail account) and my website where i keep links for the important sites i'll use on my trip - local public transport/weather guides, etc. Bandanas are the ultimate multi-purpose item aside from sarongs. Good for days when it's been forever since you washed your hair, or they're good just to keep your hair off your face. They can keep the sun off your neck, or be wetted down to keep yourself cool. They are invaluable to use as hankies. They are great in an emergency... can be used as a sling, bandage, or to hold ice... or be wetted down and put over your nose if you need to get out of a smoky situation. Or you could blindfold a horse... rob a bank... who knows. Oh! And for the love of gouda, don't wear anything that visibly straps around your midsection!!!!!!!! Also, I've learned that it's better to lose a passport than your wallet. Particularly if you have everything in it. So, stash an emergency credit card (but NOT a duplicate) somewhere away from where your wallet is. Waiting a day or two to get a new credit card express shipped to you is horrid when you have absolutely no cash.