What to pack for a World Trip.

After visiting nearly 20 countries which have included all types of climates, weather and terrain I believe we have got our packing down to a T so if you're stuck for ideas or have no idea where to start hopefully this will be able to help you. Obviously, not everyone is perfect and I'm going to include items and tips that we have picked up along the way or wish we had brought ourselves.

I will start by saying that we travel lightly and both use 40L backpacks which we take on the plane as hand luggage. You might be thinking "how do they fit everything in" and "I could never take such a little amount" and of course this is completely understandable as that's exactly what I thought when Jamie first suggested it however I now can't imagine having a bag any bigger! The main reasons we only take hand luggage are :

• It is cheaper this way as you don't have to pay for checked luggage on your flights.

• It saves time at the airport as you don't have to collect your bags after your flight. This way as soon as we're through security we can get straight to the taxi rank.

• It's easier to carry and the bags aren't too big and bulky.

Now, of course there are also disadvantages of only taking hand luggage and these include :

• Limited on the amount of liquids you can take. You're only allowed 10 x 100ml bottles of liquid which can be a struggle and does mean we end up buying items once we arrive at our destination.

• Smaller bags mean you may have to make more sacrifices on what you bring (but personally I think this helps me not over-pack).

• This is a smaller complaint but still valid, especially if you're flying a lot or have long connections, you always have your bag with you at the airport so you never get a break from it.

Another thing to note about taking hand luggage is that you are also allowed a 'personal item' on the plane which for us is a small backpack each roughly about 12L which we fit our laptops and other bits in but I'll explain that more in a bit.

Our Tips for Packing.

Of course the main thing to consider when packing is where you are going and when. How many countries are you going to visit and what will the weather be when you visit. One of the main things I've learnt from travelling is that weather is unpredictable and even if you're going in the peak of summer it can still get cold and/or rain. My main tip when packing is layers; take clothes that you can wear in the heat but you can also layer on top of each other if it gets cold or you're visiting cold countries.

The first part of our trip was Europe and Central and North America in September - December. This was my first taste of travelling and I had no idea what to pack and with Jamie's help I think I done pretty well. There were a few things we missed or took and didn't use and because of that we've both listed our top tips below. I will say that Jamie's are a bit more practical than some of my more girly tips but that's not a surprise haha.

Jamie's Top Tips

1. Take as much sun cream as you can. Again this is something to consider if you decide on hand-luggage only as this will be a chunk of your liquid allowance however our logic is 'some is better than none'. Once you leave the UK and arrive in countries that are used to warm weather sun cream becomes extremely expensive and in some places can be triple what you would pay for it at home. We bring 2 x 100ml bottles each, we buy a bottle at home and decanter it into 4 100ml bottles.

2. Bring a spare phone charger and spare headphones. This one's quite self explanatory but wires break easily when constantly being taken in and out of your bag so it's a good idea to bring spares.

3. Umbrella. Going back to our first chunk of the trip, we didn't take any umbrellas and specifically in Hawaii, there was torrential rain which meant we got drenched. We managed to find an umbrella in the wardrobe on our last day which gave us the idea to always carry an umbrella. I have a travel sized one off Amazon which fits well in my bag.

4. Water Bottle. If you have space and a water bottle at home this can be helpful at least for some of the trip. Some countries, specifically for us Bali, have drinking water in a lot of the hotels and hostels which meant we didn't have to buy any water for most of our time there. It's a small saving but adds up if you're buying water everyday.

5. Microfibre towel. This is one of Jamie's favourite tips which he learnt on one of his trips in South America. Microfibre towels dry quicker so are good for when you're on the go and they are perfect for the beach. They also fold really small so gives you more room in your bag. We got some from Mountain Warehouse and they've lasted a good year so far.

Lucy's Top Tips

1. Menstrual Cup / Tampons / Pads. I personally use a menstrual cup, which I have another post, as I prefer not having to buy any products away but the advice is the same; Feminine products aren't always easily accessible and if you're on a paradise island somewhere you could get very stuck so take as many tampons or pads as you can fit in your bag so you always have some in an emergency. I've not actually looked at the prices of them away but I'm sure some places they will not be as cheap as at home and will not always have the brand or product you prefer.

2. Eyebrow Dye. This is definitely personal preference but I have found when away and I'm not wearing makeup or I'm feeling a bit down an easy way for me to feel better about myself is by tinting my eyebrows. I just use an eyebrow kit from Boots and a small makeup brush. I also feel like I don't have to do much makeup if my brows are tinted which brings me on to tip number 3.

3. Don't take loads of makeup. On both sections of our trip I thought I had brought a small amount of makeup and that I was going to struggle and on both sections of trip I've used probably less than half of what I've brought. In hot countries I never wear makeup as most of the time it sweats off and even in cooler countries and on nights out I wear minimal makeup now so have a makeup bag full of stuff I don't use.

4. Only pack your bag to 80% Capacity. This is a tip I got from Jamie and I have struggled to do myself both times but wish I had. Leave room in your bag incase you want to buy gifts, or clothes or items you might regret not buying because you will never be in that place again.

5. Diary / Journal. Before going away I was given a 5 year journal and I love it so much I bought Jamie one aswell. They have a page for each day of the year on that day there is room for 5 entries. I write a bit about what I've done that day and anything memorable that has happened. I love looking through and seeing what I've done each year.