Packing for an International Trip
When I first started thinking about flying to Israel it just brought on this sense of panic. FLYING FOR 13-14 HOURS in one stretch, that is WILD. I have always been confident on planes but since this was a flight substantially longer than I had ever experienced; I worried about health problems. I packed extra back up medical supplies for myself as well as for my group. As I got closer to the upcoming flight I had collected a good number of items that helped and a good number of items that weren’t as needed.
To begin with, we got things that made things easier, whatever it was. We tried to not worry to heavily on money because we reminded ourselves this is a once in a lifetime trip that we needed to be as well packed for as possible. We were able to upgrade to extra legroom for the flight to miami from stl, which was roughly a three hour flight. We had the BEST seats for our flight to tel-aviv and it was great. However, we did not get that on the way back home. which was rough and disappointing for me.
This was a picture the night before we left of what I was packing. In order not to forget anything or get confused I was laying everything out myself so I can see everything. It was helpful to see what I was packing in our personal items so all things were reachable during our travel day.
The trick to getting the best seats on the plane is to follow certain rules. Now obviously, each plane is different in the sense that international planes are substantially different than domestic but these tricks should help for any flight.
This should help show you guys how much extra room you have at the front of the plane. We loved not having someone in front of us.
Make sure there is a minimum of 5 rows between the row you are sitting in and the bathrooms. This is for obvious reasons like smell. In addition to the fact that the bathrooms on an airplane are busy and loud so if you are trying to rest it will be incredibly disruptive and upsetting.
If you are going to be on a longer flight or just have the ability spring for the extra legroom. Expeciailly for long flights wehre you have extra things and need to be able to rest better.
Make sure to plan your strategy. Usually when we are flying as a couple we will have each of us get a seat in the aisle and window so that we have a chance pf getting the row to ourselves.
We like to be on the sides of the plane so if you are on an international flight there is 3 columns of rows and we like to be in one of the columns that has the wall of the plane. The middle column does have more legroom though.
Finally, If we can we will always try to get the front seat where we have no rows in front of us. It may be annoying to have to have all of your personal items up for take off but after that you can bring them down. That way you have so much more space and you can even sit down and stretch if needed.
When packing for this trip I planned and packed for different parts in their own way. The travel part I packed one way for. That would be the airplane and busses and anything we had to do up until we were in Israel. For this, we decided our personal item was going to be our backpacks and we were going to be sure to have at least a single extra outfit and a jacket. We wanted to do our best to have what we needed for at least a few days in case our luggage was misplaced. Our backpacks had C outlets, we had water bottles to refill, we had snacks, we had all medication we needed as well as a mini essential first aid kit. We made sure to have different locations for cash and important information in case we lost a bag or it was stolen. We wore layers so we were prepared for as much as possible. We made sure to have battery chargers for our phones. We always had headphones that worked without phones as well as the old headphone jack for the flight and tour. We had notebooks, maps, insurance paperwork, and the state department information. All of our favorite items for the flight will be linked here.
I got these great new pants that were perfect for traveling as well as hiking around which was the goal. I have a few that I highly recommend if you are going on a trip and need to pack light or if you are just going on a trip. When I first began packing I was overwhelmed with how I was going to pack for the many different types of weather we were to expect. I finally feel like I found a good solution and am happy to share any of the tips and tricks so that more people don’t have to worry. I want others to be able to spend more time excited for the trip than panicking about what to pack. In that case, I will have them linked here!
This was one of my go to manageable, layered, comfortable outfits that I used the most while in Israel.
We decided that making sure that the items we brought were going to be the items that felt right and fit well. I needed to buy new pants and gloves. He needed to buy new hiking boots and backpacks. We knew that in order for our body’s to survive this trip we were going to make sure we took care of ourselves well. We bought propel packets in two flavors as well as alka seltzer cold & cough. We did this because it is so easy to get dehydrated on trips like this and a dose of electrolytes & minerals can genuinely change a situation from E.R. or continuing on with the group. We also packed melatonin because we wanted to be a step ahead of the jet lag. We also brought all basic first aid products as well as some extra first aid kits for larger injuries.
We were blessed to have a bus that was with us the entire time. We could leave anything we wanted on it and it just made carrying things with us so much easier.
Packing for an adventure in any place can be overwhelming but the most important thing is to remember that everything is in God’s hands. Things that I wish I had spent more time focusing on was that as long as I had my medical necessities and extra safety measures that God would provide and the extra stress I was carrying was unnecessary. This trip was amazing and I am so thankful for this adventure as well as being able to share all I learned with you all.
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