A Real Packing List: Electronics And Entertainment

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All The Luxuries You Can't Leave Behind

Items we use in our daily lives can make the boring parts of travel more tolerable, as well as make you feel close to home. Electronic things have accessories like chargers and plug adaptors, adding bulk and weight to packing. For Latin America, a US/Canada and a Europe plug adaptor should cover most of the countries we are visiting.


Camera And Accessories

I have a Panasonic Lumix TZ-7 (aka ZS3) digital camera touting the biggest MP and an even bigger zoom available in compact digital cameras. Other features that are appealing for travel include HD video recording, a half-decent burst mode, and stability control.


Even the simplest point and shoot camera will come with accessories that take up valuable room in your luggage, like:

  • mini tripod 
  • multiple memory cards
  • extra battery 
  • camera bag 
  • battery charger and lead
  • USB card reader 


MP3 Player And Accessories

I have an old 20GB iPod Photo that is nearly five years old, survived falls, and is onto its second battery. Headphones and a charger are the only accessories to bring with it.


Smart Phone

I will be bringing my battered Nokia N73 for the reasons I mentioned in a previous post. I won't be switching it on for the most part to save the battery, and I will use a separate prepaid sim card to avoid routine calls to my number. There is only a charger to bring for it.


Paper Goods

I have a few favourites, but books are heavy and bulky to carry. I'm not a particularly enthusiastic reader, so any books I own I love and am not willing to trade or leave behind. A fifty year old yellowing copy of The Scarlet Pimpernel is one of my favourites and luckily a compact book that I may decide to bring. Julie gave me a Paperchase journal for my birthday so I will bring that, as well as a deck of cards.

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