Tips for travelling journos

One of the best things about my job is the travel. I get to see places I would never go and it costs me almost nothing. It’s also helped with my goal of putting my passport to good use as evidenced by all the entry and exit stamps.

I do about six trips a year at the moment, mostly international or regional. I’ve reached the point where I crave a getaway after three months, something I never experience before.

If you’re new to the game of frequent travel, here are a few things I’ve learnt over the past seven-odd years.

1: Pack at least one outfit of the opposite season. If you’re travelling to a summer climate, pack one full winter outfit – long pants and jersey or jacket – and a summer outfit to a winter climate. Weather reports can be wrong and unless you have the funds to buy clothes on your journey, take something you can wear if the weather changes on you.

2: Take sun protection. If you’re not going to apply the sunblock before you leave your hotel room, pack it in your bag. And take a cap or head covering of some sort – you can’t apply sunblock to your scalp. Unless you’re bald, in which case remember to smear some Tropitone on your noggin. Don’t forget to apply sunblock to your ears – they get horribly burnt – and the back of your neck.

3: A backpack or messenger bag are the best options; leave your handbag at home. A backpack will distribute the weight of your belonging evenly, so that you don’t get aches in your neck or shoulder. A messenger bag allows you to have easy access to your stuff and if slung across the body, shouldn’t need to be constantly readjusted. Both bags leave your hands free – for taking pictures, climbing etc. Just make sure you pick one that’s large enough for all the things you need to have on you as well as the potentially discarded jersey and half finished bottle of water. They can either double as your airline hand luggage, or can be flat-packed in your suitcase and put to use on the other side of the plane trip.

4: Inform your bank when you’re leaving the country so that they can provision your credit or debit card for use in a foreign market. It’s not to say that you have to swipe your card, but you don’t want to be in situation where you need the money but the transactions are denied. It’s just a quick phone call that could save you much embarrassment. These days, you can even do it online.

5: Speaking of money, if you want cash, rather draw directly from an ATM after landing. Don’t bother with forex unless you will require cash for something like an entry visa. Be aware, however, that you will charged for ATM withdrawals, so decide how much cash you’ll need and keep these transactions to a minimum.

6: If you travel more than twice a year, keep a separate travel vanity kit. Stock it with everything you’d normally remove from your bathroom when packing – shampoo, conditioner, face wash, tooth brush, tooth paste, razor, face cloth, tweezers etc. This way you don’t accidentally leave something behind and get stuck in a third world country unable to brush your teeth. It also makes it easier when you get home – you don’t need to unpack before having a shower since your bathroom is still fully stocked. And don’t take full-sized bottles of shampoo and conditioner. Decant into plastic travel bottles, the kind you’re allowed to pass through airport security with. Unless you’re going away for weeks, or you liberally lather your locks daily, you’ll virtually never need more than 50ml. If you are a heavy user, pack multiple little bottles and throw them away as you empty them – no use bringing empty containers all the way home when you can replace it for a few rand.

7: If you suffer from an ailment that requires medication, get an emergency script from your doctor before you go. For me, it’s more about not being a pain and having to find a pharmacy while everyone else on the trip is standing around waiting for me than it is about needing the medication. But also, the pharmacy might not be able to help and you may need to see a doctor. All of which can be expensive and mess with the plans set out for your trip. Play it safe and just take what you think you might need with you. Oh, and if you’re going to an Islamic country, like Dubai, take a copy of the script  when you take  medication with you – they have strict laws about drugs and often OTC or prescribed medication is classed as  illegal. And don’t decant your meds into one of those nifty pill caddies – keep them in their boxes (or bottles) with their paper inserts and the little pharmacy labels. Don’t give officials any reason to suspect you of nefarious intentions.

8: Don’t fill your suitcase when you pack at the start of your trip. Even if you don’t bring home any souvenirs, things never fit as well as they did when you first packed. And instead of spending time trying to make it all fit, leave space to allow for this anomaly.

9: Pack stash. Unless you routinely eat only three meals a day and aren’t fussy about what’s put on your plate, take a few snack packs of food with you. Dried fruit, nuts, biltong, maybe a chocolate or two; just a couple things for when a craving hits. For me, it’s as much about control as it is about the hunger. On press trips there’s usually very little you have control over – things have been planned and organised and someone else is in charge of ferrying you around. I’m not at all opposed to this, but it does leave me at loose ends, because I like to be in control. Stash gives me a feeling of control and allows me to enjoy the trip.

10: And finally, always, always, always have a camera at hand. You don’t have to be an accomplished photographer, but pictures are an important part of your trip. They can help you remember the small details that round out your story, and evoke memories that can colour your narrative. And thanks to digital cameras, you don’t have to limit the number of shots you take.