How to Pack for the Midwest

Must have 6+ months validity from your travel date — airlines and immigration will turn you away without it.

Check requirements for your passport — many countries have visa-on-arrival or eVisa options.

Print a copy AND have it on your phone. Include the emergency phone number.

Printed + digital copies of flights, hotels, and any pre-booked tours.

Some visa-on-arrival counters still require physical photos. Print at CVS, Walgreens, or any pharmacy before you go — takes 10 minutes.

Have some local cash before leaving the airport — not everywhere accepts cards.

Charles Schwab, Wise, or a travel card — foreign transaction fees add up fast.

Laminated card: embassy number, insurance hotline, family contacts. Keep separate from wallet.

Schedule at usps.com/manage/hold-mail.htm — free, takes 2 minutes, holds mail up to 30 days. Overflowing mailbox is a visible signal your home is empty.

Required for temples, nicer restaurants, and cooler evenings. Lightweight linen or nylon.

Lightweight, broken-in before you go. Your feet will thank you after 15,000 steps on cobblestones.

Lightweight. You'll want it in air-conditioned rooms which can be arctic.

Merino wool is worth it — warm, odor-resistant, and packs small.

Under pants for extreme cold or inside sleeping bags on cold nights.

Packable down jacket as mid-layer. Essential for cold mornings even in temperate climates.

Beanie + lightweight glove liners. More useful than you'd think even in shoulder season.

Hard shell over insulated layer for rain + cold combo. Non-negotiable in alpine and subarctic.

Merino wool socks keep feet warm even when damp. Pack 1 pair per 2 days.

Bring 2x what you need plus copies of prescriptions. Some medications are controlled or unavailable abroad.

Band-aids, antiseptic wipes, gauze, medical tape, pain relievers. Compact kits fit in a zip-lock.

💡 Available at pharmacies — assemble your own or buy compact kits

Before every meal, after every market, after every tuk-tuk. Non-negotiable.

💡 Available everywhere — buy on arrival

Travel-size toothpaste goes fast. Pack 2 tubes for longer trips.

💡 Available everywhere locally

Solid shampoo bars are great for travel — no liquids restriction, last longer.

💡 Most hotels provide basics — buy locally for longer stays

Get a solid stick or crystal deodorant — gels count as liquids at security.

💡 Available locally but familiar brands may not be found

Pack more solution than you think you need. Daily disposables eliminate solution hassle.

Imodium + ORS packets. The ones who don't pack these are the ones who need them most.

💡 Available at pharmacies everywhere

Your navigation, translation, offline maps, and camera all in one. Pack the cable AND a wall adapter.

Big enough to charge your phone 4–5x. Non-negotiable on long travel days and remote islands.

Check the plug type for your destination. A universal adapter works everywhere.

For long flights, buses, and drowning out snoring hostel roommates.

If you want shots better than your phone. Even a compact point-and-shoot is a step up for landscapes.

Kindle Paperwhite is the standard. Hundreds of books, weeks of battery, beach-readable in sunlight.

Secure your data on public WiFi — essential for hotel, airport, and cafe networks abroad.

Stabilized video from your phone — no editing needed.

Separate from your main luggage for daily exploring. Packable ones fold to nothing.

Insulated bottle keeps water cold for hours in tropical heat. Reduces plastic waste too.

Beach resorts provide towels. Island-hopping boats, waterfalls, and homestays don't.

Game-changer for organization. Your bag stays tidy even after 3 weeks of living out of it.

For checked baggage and hostel lockers. TSA-approved so security can open without cutting it.

Worth it for anything over 6 hours. Memory foam compressible ones are far better than inflatable.

Markets, beach trips, random purchases. Many countries now charge for plastic bags.

Wet clothes, snacks, liquids for carry-on, sand-proofing electronics. Pack 5–10.

Chicago wind chills hit -20°F in winter. Minneapolis averages 54 days below 0°F. Merino wool base layer + mid-fleece + waterproof shell is the only system that works.

The Midwest is flat and there is nothing to stop the wind. A jacket that's warm enough in still air becomes dangerously inadequate in Chicago lakefront winds. Wind-resistant outer shell is essential.

Midwest winters mean ice, slush, and snow on sidewalks. Sneakers become wet and cold within minutes. Waterproof boots with insulation are non-negotiable October–March.

Stadium tailgating, outdoor festivals, and simply walking to your car at -10°F — disposable hand warmers are cheap insurance against the brutal cold. Pack more than you think you'll need.

Rental masks are often scratched or foggy and shared by hundreds of people. Your own costs $25 and lasts years.

💡 Rentable at most dive shops for $3–8/day but quality varies

Travel-size split fins or short blade fins fit in checked luggage. Full-size fins can be rented locally.

💡 Rent locally for $2–5/day — perfectly reasonable

GoPro HERO is the standard. Captures video your phone camera cannot touch underwater.

Break them in for at least 20 miles before your trip. Blisters from new boots on day 1 ruin everything.

Reduces knee impact by 30% on descents. Collapsible carbon poles pack down small.

For pre-dawn summit starts, cave tours, and power outages. 200+ lumen minimum.

Pack more than you think for day hikes. Clif bars, jerky, nuts. Hard to find on trails.

💡 Buy before the hike at local markets or convenience stores

Moleskin on hot spots before blisters form. Carry this in your day bag every hike.

Required at most temples and mosques. Keep a lightweight long-sleeve and pants accessible — not buried in your bag.

You'll remove shoes constantly at temples. Laced boots become frustrating fast.

Cover shoulders on short notice. Many temples loan sarongs but they're often worn and uncomfortable.

💡 Buy one at the first market you visit — cheap and locally made