For Katie A...and anyone else who might be interested!

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What I wish I had had
Waterproof walking trainers (suitable for use as walking boots if you need them and passable for everyday wear - a definite purchase for my next travels!)
A sleeping bag (this one is debatable, as it might very well be in the last column had I actually brought it - it would have been useful at times but I got by without it and it is awfully bulky…if you take one, let me know what you think!!)

What I was especially grateful to have
A head torch (for use when in a darkened hostel room filled with strangers so you don’t have to turn on the light!)
Flip flops (hostel showers can be gross, so wear something on your feet!)
A trekking towel (small packing and quick drying…ish)
Warm socks (because they make you feel snuggly!)
Ear plugs (because you can’t control when other people might decide to snore)
Eye mask (sleeping in public places was never so easy!)
My travel journal (not only because I write too much, but because mine had a world map in the back with time differences so I wouldn’t phone home in the middle of the night by accident…even though I did once anyway!)
A hard CD case (to house the photo CDs I made as I went along)
Mosquito spray containing 50% DEET
Re-seal able sandwich bags
Mid weight fleece - perfect for slipping on when you start to get chilly
Money belt (this is essential - do NOT leave home without one!!)
Malaria tablets (fairly essential, if required, for keeping you alive - just try not to overestimate and buy too many because they are seriously pricey!)

What else I took
2 trekking shirts (“with wicking and quick drying properties” - yes, I worked in Mountain, Trek and Travel!) and a pair of trekking trousers (good for water sports and getting muddy, primarily because they’re so ugly I can’t possibly make them look worse)
Walking/woollen socks
Camera, ipod, + wires and adaptors for various electrical appliances (this takes up so much room!)
Trousers - jogging bottoms and a pair of jeans
Two skirts and a pair of shorts
6 pairs of pants and 4 bras
8 or so tops, including 3 long sleeved, a couple of jumpers and a hoodie
2 washbags, one with face wipes (so much easier than face wash!) and toothbrush etc, and the other with shampoo etc
Shoes - pumps, ‘fashionable’ trainers and waterproof sandals
Waterproof jacket
Heavy fleece
Pink A4 file with photocopies of important documents (N.B. beautiful colour not compulsory, but much more exciting)
Sleeping bag liner (because some hostel beds require you to be separated from their sheets by something!)
Jewellery case and jewellery
Hairbrush

What I wish I hadn’t bothered with
A sarong (you might be the kind of person who loves these things, but I just never, ever used mine! Except once on a beach at 5am, when it acted as a robe to keep a bunch of us warm, and even then only because it’s all we had)
Walking boots (depends what you are going to do, but I carted the monsters around for over 6 months and wore them a grand total of 5 days)
A mosquito net (just take malaria tablets and swot the buggers)
A mini iron (don’t even ask. Completely pointless.)
Waterproof trousers (they don’t really belong in this column as when I did use them, I was mighty grateful, but like the walking boots, it was only once in over 6 months!)

So there you have it - I hope that is helpful. It may seem as though you aren’t taking that many clothes but don’t worry; it is perfectly acceptable to get carried away and buy yourself a whole new wardrobe whilst travelling! Also, books can be extremely entertaining, especially on long bus journeys, but only take a few out with you, as can swop them with people you meet along the way - everyone is always looking for new literature!

At this point, I should probably raise the issue of hair straighteners. Oh dear. They may have been your companion every morning, and probably evening, taming your seemingly uncontrollable locks - but, unlike in the common room, no-one in India gives a s***. By all means, take them if you have room, and they are especially worth considering if you are going to be settled somewhere for a couple of months, but you can get by without them. I have faith in you and your naturally beautiful hair.

Before you go
1. Write down the information for the British Embassy in all the countries you are planning to visit - I never actually looked at it whilst travelling, and, especially in more remote areas, you might be a couple of days away from the embassy when you need it anyway, but it made me feel better to have it nonetheless!

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