What?!? You suggest that we shouldn’t bring our goldfish with us?! Aw man, that packing list SUCKS! You’ll have to read my new book "Travels With My Pet Goldfish Reggie" and I’ll prove you wrong.

(nice article, btw)

There’s a lot of stuff on there I never bring. Earplugs, sleepsheet, compass (seems really useless unless you’re going to the wilderness), padlocks, sandals, inflatable pillows, wet wipes – basically almost everything on that list. Also I just bring a regular flashlight, and at least 1 large and 1 hand towel and some regular plastic bags rather than a real garbage bag. So I would take this list with a huge grain of salt.

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..So I would take this list with a huge grain of salt.

Is there such a thing as a packing list that one shouldn’t take with a grain of salt? Packing lists are like movie reviews: everyone has their own interpretation.

I’m definitly happy that I brought my earplugs with me on my trip this summer. I didn’t need them that often, but I was happy to have them when they were needed. I never had a problem with snoring in hostels, but more than once, I had trouble sleeping due to street noise. Not traffic, but loud drunk people in the middle of the night. Sometimes even up until 4 AM. The cites that I found the worst were Edinburgh and Munich.

I agree with Kahunna about everyone having there own list. There are things that I was told not to bother bringing, and did anyway, and am glad that I didn’t listen. Then there are other things that were just in my bag taking up space that were supposed to be essential. It’s best to just use those lists as a guide but to make your own lists of what to bring.

I agree with that little list. I don’t need Earplugs to sleep normally but I use them at concerts and have had them come in handy unusually loud locations. I’m a big fan of wet ones and sometimes even cary 2 compasses(one on the inner flap of my purse, one on my bp) and use them everywhere.
I don’t actually bring shower shoes. I’ve never had athletes foot either so I guess I’m lucky. Maybe it’s because I use Surgical soap. A tiny spray bottle of uncut green soap goes a long way while traveling and it’s yet to cause a mess in my bag. Love it.

The new site:

http://www.eurotrek.net

Here are my thoughts on that list:

• Earplugs
– only if you’re a really light sleeper. Usually unnecessary, but they’re small so it isn’t a big deal to bring them.

• Sleepsheet
– total waste of space. Most hostels provide sheets and those that don’t usually have them for rent. Why lug around a heavy, bulky sheet all trip?

• LED Flashlight
– no need to invest in a fancy flashlight – any old flashlight will do. Small is good cause of space of course.

• Hand towel
– why??? If you’re bringing a towel, at least get one large enough to wrap around the essentials. (My favourite travel towel is a thin worn-out one I sorta stole from a Holiday Inn once).

• Compass
– I’d love to see someone try to find their way around Montreal with a compass. Hahahahaha.

• Garbage bag
– unnecessary. Just use a grocery bag or a bag from something you buy while travelling. I do recommend ziplocs though, for anything that can leak.

• Padlocks
– if you find they make you feel better, fine. Honestly, they don’t help that much. If someone wants to steal your stuff, they’ll steal your stuff. Just don’t lock your checked luggage on a plane cause they may break the locks to inspect it.

• HI card
– now I know this list is silly, cause an HI card is not worth it. If you stay at ‘em, you can get the card after a certain number of nights anyway, and it comes out to the same money. But independent hostels are nearly always better and more fun than HIs anyway.

• ATM / Visa Checkcard
– ATM, fine. Visa check, well, us Canadians don’t have that. This list writer must be American. A regular old Visa card in addition to your ATM card is fine, just not for cash advances.

• Sandals
– a good idea even if you don’t wear them to shower, cause often it’s too hot for shoes, or for going to the beach. Black ones can even take most girls to clubs and bars at night and double as evening footwear.

• Travel tissue
– not a bad idea to have a pack, but easily available everywhere.

• Inflatable pillow
– seems like a waste of space. Just roll up a sweatshirt or something.

• Wet wipes
– Europe may not have a lot of things but they do have water…

The only essential thing I’d add to the list is a tiny notebook and pen, to write stuff down like phone numbers, directions, observations, spending, pretty much anything really.

segacs- ATM and Checkcards… same thing really. Unless the money is not taken out of your bank account in which case it’s just a credit card. Nowadays they all have a Visa or MasterCard logo and really that’s all that counts. Voila.
And I say yes to wetwipes! Not really for cleaning hands. Even though Europe has water. If you’re female you’ll find it more handy than paper towel or taking a towel out of your bag to get it wet in order to freshen up. Plus you can get rid of those body odors for a couple more hours. There you have it.

I agree with Gaby, wetwipes are a must. Say you’re taking the night train or nightbus, and some handsome hunk (or beautiful chik) will pick you up at the station… wetwipes in the corners do help.

I also take a very tiny flask of that alcohol soap, the one that does not need rinsing, that is great if you’re eating on a bus or something, and if that is not around, wetwipes.

I was just wondering, when you go backpacking, do you have everything in you daypack, or do you have an extra bag, suck as a hicking bag

sorry, I meant such as a hiking pack

Huh?? No, my daypack is my hicking pack.

Hicking or Hiking? : D

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Hicking or Hiking? : D

Oh, sorry my english, is not first languege