Packing tips

Since Hubs and I will be leaving on our 3rd trip to Mexico soon, I thought it would be a good idea to do a post on packing tips (this post is a little more geared to packing for a sunny tropical destination). I know packing can be a daunting task (especially if your heading to another country) if you aren't sure what to pack or what you will need.
The basic foundation to packing is having a good set of luggage and a great travel/carry on bag. Hubs and I bought our luggage at Bentley and its been going strong the last 4 years. You dont have to spend a lot on luggage either, often times it comes on sale for 60% off, so just keep an eye out. My carry on bag is from roxy and I paid $20 for it at our local Costco. It's great, because there is lots of room for me to put my purse in the bag (so I'm only carrying 1 bag instead of 2). It has lots of pockets for quick access to passports, headsets, snacks and any other items you like to keep handy while traveling. I like to write my name, address and a phone number and put it in a pocket of my carry on and suitcases in case they get lost. I also tie a grocery bag to the handle of my luggage so I can identify it quickly when at the airport (You dont realize how many suitcases look exactly like yours until your waiting to pick up your luggage).

When traveling I like to write out a list of all items I think I need to pack (that way I dont forget anything) and mark them off as they're packed. Usually I like to have everything packed a few days before, and then the day I'm leaving I pack the last minute items I'll need just before we head out.

Carry-on Bag

*Passport
*Snacks (nothing liquid or gel)
*A lipgloss (make sure its under the allowable liquid limit)
*Headphones
*Cards/book
*Light sweater (I find planes get quite cold)
*Extra hair elastics
*All travel documents
*Medications (This way if your bags get lost you aren't without your meds)
*Phone charger
*Gum (I cant fly without gum or else my ears hurt when the plane takes off/lands)

Luggage

*I like to pack clothes that work well with one another (this way I'm not packing competely different outfits, and the items I do pack can mix and match)
*Bring a few basic pieces (I.e. black pants, a neutral sweater, black skirt) so it works well with anything you have on
*Keep anything liquid or powder in ziplock bags, that way if they leak or break then it wont get all over your clothes (definitly saves the headache of a cleanup as well). This also makes it easy if they want to search your bags at customs.
*Bring the least amount of footwear (1 pair sneakers, 1 pair dress sandals/shoes and 2 pair flip flops (in case one gets lost or breaks) possible, you never really wear as much as you think you do.
*Pack a couple bathing suits (again its great if you can mix and match them)
*Always bring extra medication because if you don't have it and you need it then you will be shelling out big bucks (last trip to Mexico we forgot the reactine and the airport was selling it for $25 for 8 tablets, when we could have bought it at Walmart for the same price for over 40 tablets).
*Meds I suggest bringing are reactine, bug repellent, tylenol or motrin, eye drops, polysporin, solarcain (in case of sun burn), sunscreen (the higher SPF the better since the sun is super strong in the tropics), a SPF lipbalm to protect your lips, Pepto bismal (we bring the chewable tablets), birth control pills, any meds you might be on, hand sanitizer, baby wipes, makeup wipes (I brought wipes the 1st trip to Mexico and loved them, it saves the hassle of carrying the liquid remover and pads, its all in one), bandaids (you never know when you'll get a blister from all the walking or a scrap)
*I also like to bring a cheap tooth brush (we just dispose of the toothbrush on our way home) and travel toothpaste, floss, mouthwash, swimwear cleaner (especially if your in the pools alot), Q-tips, nail clippers/file, razor with extra blades since you will be shaving more often, shampoo and conditioner (the first time we went to Mexico we werent provided with conditioner and your hair definitly needs it with all the salt water, chlorine and sun)
*Pack an alarm clock (Our first resort didnt have them in the rooms so we had to depend on wake up calls when going on excursions)
*I like to pack the stuff like shampoo and condition in travel size bottles to limit the amount of space it takes up (We brought home a bunch of the shampoo bottles from the resorts, they are the perfect size and saves you the money of buying them)
*Water shoes are a must have! Even though the beaches are gorgeous, they can sometimes be rocky and hurt the feet. You can pick up a pair cheap at walmart (we did for $8.50 each) instead of buying them at the resort for $20 a pair.
*Pack extra hair elastics as I found I lost some and they wore out quicker from being in the water
*A travel book of the language of the country you'll be in can be helpful (or learn some before you go)
*Thank you gifts (we bought a few items with the canadian flag on them, stickers, post cards, fishing items, etc) to give out as a thank you to hotel staff and people we meet on excursions
*Currency-We bring a few hundred dollars in the countries currency so we can tip and buy items
*Make sure you pack a semi-formal outfit or 2. For women its nice to have a dress slightly fancier then a beach sundress for dinner. For men khaki's and a nice dress shirt are a must for dinner (its actually required dress for dinner in many of the fancier resort restaurants). My hubs packs a nice pair of shoes as well for these dinners.

In the end if you forget something you can buy it at the airport or at the resort, just be prepared to spend top dollar. Also when your buying things at the resort it wont always be in English. We bought the Mexican form of reactine and it was completely in spanish.

Have fun and enjoy your trip!