The ultimate travel checklist

It doesn’t matter how well travelled you are, forgetting your toothbrush or phone charger, or an extra jumper is an inevitable part of arriving in a new place. We all know that feeling when you get to your destination after a long day’s travel, open your bag and find that you left your swimsuit back home. It’s for this very reason that we’ve decided to compile a checklist for our avid Freebird members who like all of us are only human when it comes to packing.

To cover all our bases we’ve based this ultimate travel checklist on a one week stay in a country with a mild to warm climate. If you’re going somewhere hotter or colder then you might want to base your packing around more extreme temperatures.

Freebird Club is the world’s most vibrant social travel and stay community for the over 50’s. If you’d like to join and take part in our community you can sign up here.

Here’s the ultimate travel checklist:

 1. Suitcase / Travel bag

• – Carry-on bags and suitcases

If you’re looking to travel light and don’t want to bring a cumbersome trunk on wheels with you then we recommend you invest in a good carry-on. Space comes at a premium when you’re restricted to these so suitcases that use space efficiently are a trusty travel ally. Some recommendations are:

Always Carry-On 37L

Pretty much top of every ‘top travel bag list’ this suitcase is on the slightly more expensive side at $300, although given how much some suitcases go for this could be considered a reasonable price tag. It boasts user-replaceable spinner wheels, a hard-shell polycarbonate case, a built in phone charger and a dividers to make sure you can separate out your evening wear from your beach clothes. It also comes with a lifetime warranty and a laundry compartment.

Patagonia 40L Black Hole Duffel bag

If you’re not into the whole wheels kind of thing and would rather swing a satchel of your items over your shoulder as you march away from security towards the duty free then Patagonia’s Black Hole is the best in the biz. It comes in at $159, so slightly more affordable, and also comes with a lifetime guarantee. Importantly the bag also has an army of little pockets to put your passport, phone charger and tooth brush in, so you know exactly where everything is

• – Hold Luggage

American Tourister Airconic Spinner Suitcase 101L

It helps to know your possessions are going to remain intact despite how roughly any baggage handler might chuck your bag around. This hard-shell suitcase at a relatively reasonable cost of $169, it comes with spinner wheels, a waterproof zip and separate caprtments to keep your things nicely separated.

Tripp Escape Large 4 Wheel Suitcase 102L

On the more affordable side at $90 this hard case still comes in on the lightweight side at 3.1kg giving you around 18 kgs of luggage to play around with for the usual 21 kg allowance. It also boasts easy manoeuvrability with its silent wheels and suspension.

2. Essentials

So what to put in the bag? Well, here’s our comprehensive list of things that are easily forgotten and difficult to get by without:

• – Phone
• – Boarding pass (either downloaded or printed)
• – Passport
• – Phone charger
• – Adapter for destination’s plug type
• – Travel towel – (check with your host to see if they can provide a towel)
• – Cash in the local currency of your destination
• – An international cash card if you have one
• – Keys so you can get back in when you come home

3. Wardrobe

• – 2 shirts / blouses
• – 4 Comfortable t-shirts
• – 1 pair of trousers
• – 1 pair of sports shorts / running shorts
• – 1 pair of smart casual shorts
• – 7 pairs of underwear
• – 7 pairs of socks
• – 1 swimsuit
• – 1 jacket / light coat
• – 1 sweater
• – 1 pair of trainers or walking shoes
• – 1 pair of sandals / flip flops / sliders

4. Washbag

• – Toothbrushes
• – Toothpaste
• – Suncream
• – Deodorant
• – Baby wipes
• – Nail clippers
• – Travel soap

5. Accessories

• – Sun glasses
• – Prescription glasses / Reading glasses
• – Facemask – some flights still request these
• – A watch
• – Earphones for music, podcasts or the radio

6. Extras

• – If you can fit it, a gift for your host is often a nice touch, although isn’t expected.
• – A book / magazine /newspaper / Kindle
• – A pen – you never know
• – Earphones for music, podcasts or the radio
• – A dictionary in the language of your destination

Of course with Freebird Club, the most important bit of prep is that you’ve communicated clearly with your host so that you both know when you’re arriving. Use them for advice on things like transport from the airport and how much things should cost to avoid overpaying.
If you’d like to find out more and speak with our members about where they’re from, you can join Freebird Club’s vibrant travel club for the over 50s here.