Chris Guillebeau, 33, is on a five-year mission to visit every country in the world. He is currently on number 164.
Every month, I hit the road for another adventure. The average trip takes two weeks and brings me completely around the world, from North America to Europe or Africa, then home via Asia. Despite the different destinations, I pack almost exactly the same things every time.
For years, I agonized over packing, making lists and cross-checking everything several times before finally leaving for the airport. Fortunately, it's now down to a mindless process that lasts about 20 minutes from start to finish. I have a Rollaboard carry-on bag for my clothes, and an over-the-shoulder messenger bag for my laptop and other gear.
No matter your destination or travel style, here's the most important strategy that can make your travelling life much easier: the less you put in the bag, the better. You may think this is a sacrifice ("What if I need something and don't have it with me?") but most of the time, it's not. Your life will be easier as you whisk through airports, ignoring the long wait at baggage claim, and never worrying about what you've forgotten to bring along. Worry only about your passport and your money, which you'll keep close to you, and any important valuables that are in your smaller bag.
As helpful as it is, committing to travel with less baggage does raise a dilemma. Since your space is limited, what do you bring? These tips may help:
Take more money than you think you'll need. If you end up with too much money, you can always redeposit it when you're home. But if you get stuck without money on the road, you have a real problem.
Clothes should be versatile and easily packable. Layers help: bring long-sleeve T-shirts that look nice enough to be worn on their own, but could also be used underneath a dress shirt or or blouse. Make sure your jacket is wrinkle-free or at least wrinkle-resistant.
Bring shoes you can use for multiple occasions. Try to find shoes that are comfortable for extended walking, but nice enough to wear on dressier occasions if possible. Make these your primary pair of shoes. Judge any additional options against the primary pair: do you also need sandals? Running shoes? Something else? Maybe so, but if you can get by without them, do so.
Multi-task your technology. The widespread adoption of smartphones threatens to make cameras obsolete for everyone who's not a pro photographer. An iPod can be used as an alarm clock. I used to bring a wide variety of adaptors, before realizing that one multi-adaptor would work in most of the world.
Put all needed papers in one folder, including hotel confirmations, copies of visas or airline e-tickets, and anything important. Bonus tip: don't lose this folder.
Bring a few snacks. When you're travelling, you're not always able to eat at normal time periods, and you'll probably be eating different food whenever you do. A small pack of raw almonds is my favourite choice, and I usually have a few granola bars in the bottom of my bag as well.
Dress up slightly. Generally speaking, it's better to be slightly overdressed than underdressed. Make sure you have at least one outfit that can pass as "nice" wherever you go.
I still like reading print books and magazines, but the iPad has made it easier to have access to a near-unlimited stream of additional reading material. In addition to a small stash of printed material, I keep up with newspapers like the Economist each week through my online subscriptions. I also read hundreds of blogs.
I try to keep fit wherever I am, and a pair of running shoes takes up the greatest amount of space in the bag. I always throw them in front of the hotel or guesthouse door after settling in, using the philosophy that it will increase the chance that I'll actually put them to use. If they've been well-used, I'll sometimes leave them behind in the last country before heading home.
Upon arrival in a new place of lodging, I immediately unpack. Sometimes I'll live directly from the suitcase if it's only a quick stay, but I usually prefer to have everything out and in its place. It usually takes less than 10 minutes to repack upon leaving.
Pack less, worry less. Regardless of what finally makes it in the bag, you may be stressed on the day of departure. Sooner or later, let it go. You're on the road!
Next week: the writer navigates through chaotic Taiwan.
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
SOUTH%20KOREA%20SQUAD
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Banthology: Stories from Unwanted Nations
Edited by Sarah Cleave, Comma Press
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners
Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Best Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta)
Best Referee: Gianluca Rocchi
Best Goal: Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria vs Napoli)
Best Team: Atalanta
Best XI: Samir Handanovic (Inter); Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Joao Cancelo (Juventus*); Miralem Pjanic (Juventus), Josip Ilicic (Atalanta), Nicolo Barella (Cagliari*); Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Duvan Zapata (Atalanta)
Serie B Best Young Player: Sandro Tonali (Brescia)
Best Women’s Goal: Thaisa (Milan vs Juventus)
Best Women’s Player: Manuela Giugliano (Milan)
Best Women’s XI: Laura Giuliani (Milan); Alia Guagni (Fiorentina), Sara Gama (Juventus), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Elisa Bartoli (Roma); Aurora Galli (Juventus), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus); Valentina Giacinti (Milan), Ilaria Mauro (Fiorentina), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus)
UAE squad to face Ireland
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri (vice-captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmad, Zawar Farid, CP Rizwaan, Aryan Lakra, Karthik Meiyappan, Alishan Sharafu, Basil Hameed, Kashif Daud, Adithya Shetty, Vriitya Aravind
UAE central contracts
Full time contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Usman, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid
Part time contracts
Aryan Lakra, Ansh Tandon, Karthik Meiyappan, Rahul Bhatia, Alishan Sharafu, CP Rizwaan, Basil Hameed, Matiullah, Fahad Nawaz, Sanchit Sharma
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
Dhadak
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
Stars: 3
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
The lowdown
Badla
Rating: 2.5/5
Produced by: Red Chillies, Azure Entertainment
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Amrita Singh, Tony Luke