What to take with you on a trip?

Anyone going on a chip trip to Europe sooner or later faces the problem of collecting a suitcase or bag (as a rule, this process begins just a few days before departure). There are real legends around the process of collecting a suitcase (there are probably even their own heroes of cool packing). What is worth taking with you on a trip, and what is not?

I warn you right away, everything described below applies primarily to those who travel intensively (for a couple of days in the city, up to ten cities before a trip) and stay in hostels and inexpensive hotels. This remark is very important — it means that you will often carry your luggage (sometimes literally every day).

Your main task is to observe a fine proportion between « Take everything that can be useful » and «Do not take anything superfluous ». Let me give you some tips:

• Take a minimum of clothes with you. Three T-shirts are enough. Four pairs of socks and a pair of underwear are enough. Clothes close to the body are easily washed with soap in the bathroom and dries overnight.
• Hair dryer. If you are a girl and traveling with another girl, then take one for two, preferably compact. If you're a guy and you're traveling with a guy (phew) — be patient, you're men. In general, most hostels have a hairdryer at the reception (one per hostel), but with a probability of 12870% it will be occupied by someone.
• Soap, shampoo, toothpaste, brush and floss — all you need to take with you. Don't believe the stories that you can buy all this on the spot — that's what people who don't know the specifics of European supermarkets say (in short, everything is expensive there and is sold in large bundles). Men should not forget a razor with them. Take one towel of medium size and fluffiness for two.
• Medicines. Do not forget to take a minimum of medicines with you. Be sure to take a pack of Band-Aids, a hat and other minimum necessary medications. Do not be lazy and buy fresh medicines, as well as make sure that their names are easily read on the packaging (if you do not want to talk to a wary customs officer).
• Take a spoon, fork, knife with you (now there are such cool « tourist » kits), otherwise you will eat supermarket food directly in plastic (of course, in many supermarkets you can ask for a spoon, but not everywhere they are).
• A small padlock with a handle diameter of 2-3 mm — it is useful to close the safe in the hostel.
• Don't forget to bring a handful of souvenirs — locals like tokens from the subway and just coins. You can take care of finding souvenirs in advance. Have 10-12 souvenirs in stock.
• Make a tourist business card (more on that later).