What to Bring? My Packing List

When it comes to traveling I'm neither a minimalist nor a packrat. I'm not saying I've found the ideal choices of what to bring when away from home, but I have found a balance that works for me between having what I need while on the road and being able to carry those items around. Traveling to Disney World can be a little different for those who use Disney's Magical Express transportation, because you can check your luggage all the way to your hotel, meaning you don't have to carry your bags through the airport in Orlando or even to your hotel room. For some, this could be a license to over-pack. Others prefer to bring only the essentials for their vacation, buying extra items along the way as needed.  For me, the time and money spent on buying items I can easily transport is not worthwhile, but I usually rent a car (no Magical Express), so I have to be able to easily carry everything that I bring. It should be noted that I generally fly on Southwest Airlines, which does not currently charge for checked luggage.

Below is my standard packing list. Clothing will vary slightly depending on the weather for the upcoming trip, but most items stay the same from trip to trip. I carry three different bags, including a backpack for most of my photography gear, a 20" duffle bag for the plane, and a 22" rolling suitcase that I check. I'll save the photography discussion for later, since only applies to a small subset of readers, but will list what I bring in the other bags now.

Suitcase (22")

• portable sunshade
• poncho
• sunscreen
• shoes (1 pair of sneakers, 1 pair of waterproof sneakers)
• plastic bags (for storing leftover food, laundry, wet bathing suits)
• extra tripod
• food (oatmeal raisin bars and cereal bars, often replaced by souvenirs on the way home)
• charging stations (there are never enough power outlets in hotel rooms)
• packing cubes
• underwear (fast drying to deal with the Orlando heat and thunderstorms)
• socks
• polo shirts
• soccer jerseys
• t-shirts
• belts
• long pants
• shorts
• bathing suits
• sweatpants
• shaver
• toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, soap, shampoo, comb, Swiss army knife, nail clippers, floss, Airborne, ibuprofen, Visine, Neosporin, Band-Aids, Q-tips, melatonin, lip balm)

Carry on (20")

• packing list
• printed reservation confirmations
• loose change
• Tide pen
• pens, pencils
• lip balm
• USB flash drive
• maps
• glasses case
• comb
• gum
• Disney cards (MagicBands, Annual Pass Discount Card, Tables in Wonderland)
• notebook
• watch
• headphones
• books
• deck of cards
• camera chargers
• camera connecting cables
• cell phone charger
• cell phone car charger
• portable cell phone charger
• laptop
• laptop charger
• water bottle (empty until through security)
• sandwich (frozen the night before) + snacks
• apple
• jacket
• Disney DVDs
• stuffed monkey

Photo Friday: What's in Your Camera Bag?

I recently talked about some of what I carry when I travel to support my electronics, but today I want to focus on the items in my camera bag.  These items are ready to go whenever I leaved the house with my digital SLR camera.

I'll leave out the camera itself, since when I travel that often spends more time around my neck than actually in the camera bag.  I also left it out of the photo because I was using it to take the picture above.  The rest of the items in my camera bag are as follows:

• An Extra Lens
• I still use the "kit" lens that I purchased with my camera years ago, a Canon 18-55mm zoom lens (pictured above).  Lately, more often than not I've had a Sigma 30mm f/1.4 lens that I purchased on Ebay attached to the camera body
• Extra Batteries
• In addition to my digital SLR, I also often carry a point and shoot camera as a backup and a small video camera.  Extra batteries for both these and the SLR live in my bag
• Battery Chargers
• Even carrying extra batteries doesn't mean I won't have to charge them before return home, so the chargers always come with me on the road.
• Extra Memory Cards
• Both CompactFlash and SD cards to accommodate the different cameras I carry
• Cables to Connect to a Computer
• Both the still and video cameras connect to my laptop via USB cable.  I try to download whatever I shot before the end of each day to my computer in case I need to clear the memory cards, as a backup if something happens to my camera and/or memory card, and to see how the pictures and videos from the day turned out (in case there's something I may have a chance to reshoot before I return from wherever I'm traveling)
• Cable to Connect to a TV
• I rarely use this anymore, but there's still a cable with an RCA connector in case I want to plug the camera into a television and look at pictures
• Remote Shutter Release
• keeps the camera from wobbling when you're shooting on a tripod.  It is very difficult not to move the camera a little when you actually press the shutter button, so this inexpensive device solves that problem.  It's also a big help for long (bulb) exposures, so you don't have to hold your finger on the shutter button. Here's a link to the one I bought, but you can find similar items for your camera.
• Lens Cleaning Stuff
• I've been fighting a losing battle against dust and smudges on my lenses for awhile now, but some things that help are a lens cleaning pen, cloth, and wipes.
• Neutral Density Filters
• I have these mostly to allow longer exposures of fireworks photos, but any time a longer exposure is needed these are a great addition to the bag.  I bought an expensive Hoya 77mm Neutral Density ND-400 filter a year ago, which I haven't really mastered yet, but I'm liking the adjustable NEEWER® 77mm (ND2 to ND400) filter I bought a couple months ago.
• Extra Lens Cap
• Though I have not yet actually lost a lens cap, I've dropped one in my backpack or otherwise misplaced one for an extended period of time on more than one occasion, so I finalized purchased a spare, though I now need another for my Sigma lens
• Cheap Poncho
• I've spent enough time in Orlando over the past year that it pays to be prepared if the weather takes a turn for the worse.  This isn't very durable, but I got this four pack for under $5.

What's in Your Bag? (Electronics)

After listening to a recent WDW Today podcast about technology some of the hosts of that show carry with them while visiting Disney World, I've chosen to document what's in my travel bag.

All of the items below are permanently reside in my carry-on luggage, which I'll bring along for short one or two night trips or longer vacations.  When I arrive at my destination, the chargers that plug into wall outlets stay in the luggage, while the smaller items find their way into a backpack that I carry around just about everywhere I go.

• Extra Cell Phone Battery
• I bought an extended life battery with my Droid 2, so I carry it's original battery just in case
• Portable Cell Phone Charger + Charging Cable
• In ancticpation of buying a phone without a removable battery, I bought a Motorola Portable Power Pack to charge my phone on the fly.  This has worked well enough that I seldom use the second battery anymore.  Those with needs for more battery life can purchase similar gadgets that will charge their phones multiple times in one day.
• Camera Battery Charger
• I have two of these, one in my camera bag and one that with my carry-on luggage.
• Cell Phone Charger
• I bought an extra phone charger that I leave in my luggage, so I don't have to think about packing the charger that lives in my house.
• Cell Phone Car Charger
• I also have an extra car-charger for my phone, since I often use my phone as a navigation system while driving away from home and that runs the battery down pretty quickly.
• Video Camera Charger
• Even with two batteries for my video camera, it's not unusual that I'll need to recharge while on the road.
• Laptop Charger + Extra Laptop Battery
• I just about always bring my laptop computer along while traveling, so the charger and an extra battery (not pictured) come along too.
• Gorillapod
• This has been great for my point and shoot camera at night or any time a long exposure is needed and it can sometimes be useful for setting up a video camera if there's a rail or something else to lock onto.  I now have two small Gorillapods (they also make a larger model).