I have been to Europe, Australia, and New Zealand and each time I have found that the less I have with me the more exhilarating the journey is. However, to travel this way, there are some necessary items to have that will not sabotage your trip. For example, it is worth spending a little more money on two really good Dri-Fit shirts rather than buying 6 100% cotton shirts. In that instance, you could have 2/3′s less the stuff and still survive the conditions that traveling entertains during world domination.

Something to understand is that everyone will make mistakes on every excursion. I have made hundreds, but one thing I have done is learn from them and been able to correct the issues to improve my travels in the future. One thing I learned as a cheap travel student was to create “Destination Zip Locks”. What are those you ask? They are life savers. When I traveled to Europe, I put together small packages for each destination in Europe that contained a previously determined allotted of money that could be used, a general road map of the city center, print outs of things I wanted to see, and instructions for the next destination. I didn’t do this for Australia and I ended up blowing wads of cash on everything from Kangaroo food to College-student food (aka LIQUOR). These “Destination Zip Locks” would have never been a part of my Europe journey if it weren’t for learning from the mistakes of Australia. What you have to know, learn, and accept is that whatever you do in preparation, S*** Still Happens. This may be tough to accept, but must be done to enjoy your incredible excursions.

So, what do I bring on my world domination excursions…..

• MSI U120 Netbook – Mark Wiens of Migrationology bought one of these before his move to Southeast Asia and I fell in love with it. I love having a netbook because they are small enough to fit comfortably into a small backpack or the smaller front pockets of bigger backpacks. They are easy to whip out and comfortably check your flight or find the nearest Thai restaurant (of course, supposing you have WiFi access). Mark suggested buying the 6 cell battery instead of the standard 3 cell and that was a great idea so I suggested the same with any netbook you get.

• Other Netbook Options: Asus Eee PC & HP Mini

• North Face Slingshot Backpack – This is the exact backpack that I used for my 12 day excursion through Europe. I was able to carry it on everywhere and never worried about losing it as I was practically connected to it 24/7. I haven’t been able to find a new one, but I am sure it is out there. I still have the exact same one I used, but it could and probably should be retired. The key to traveling anywhere with just this size of a bag is to have quality items rather than many items as discussed earlier.

• Other Backpack Options: North Face Solaris & Jansport Klamath (I use the Jansport on longer travels)

• Sleeping Around – This book by Brian Thacker is currently unavailable from Amazon, but probably because it was such a good travel book. I strongly suggest having 1 physical book at all times. Why do I say physical? Because a lot of people are using The Kindle and I think they are great. There may always be that one time where you can’t use your Kindle for some reason so having something to read is great. Plus, I am quite relaxed reading an actual book rather than a screen.
• Other Great Travel Reads: Make The Most of Your Time on Earth & Emergency (Check my review of Emergency here)

• Ex Officio Amphi Convertible Pants – I will be honest. I have never worn these. But I have worn similar pants and having one pair of pants that can turn into shorts is AMAZING. Plus Mark Wiens swears by this company.

• Other Necessary Clothing Items: Classic Boonie Hat & Balega Ultra Socks

• iPod – My iPod’s have saved me from extreme boredom in airports and bus rides all around the world. If you don’t have one, get one. No excuses. This will save your sanity after a rough day. Make sure to have a backpack iPod charging cord just in case you “misplace”your first one.

• Other MP3 Player: Coby MP3 Player

I could honestly keep going and I will probably have a second edition in the future if this article is useful, but for now focus on these guys for your travels. Hopefully, these items will address your travel plans in a way that will positively enhance your world domination excursion.

EXTRA SPECIAL SOMETHING: Check out Tim Ferriss packing for one of his excursions….

David Damron
LifeExcursion

***And one last thing….YES, this article has affiliate links. If you buy something through one of them, I may receive a few pennies. Think of it as a great way to support The LE….aka LifeExcursion