LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) – There are some essentials you should always pack – toiletries, toothpaste, toothbrush and extra pair of glasses or contact lenses. Makeup should be taken for business trips, along with razors, combs or brushes, soap and shampoo. Don't forget a towel. You may also want to include business or calling cards for all the people you befriend along the way.

Always pack a week's worth of underwear. If you're on a business trip, take two suits and rotate them. You may try to break them up with different colored shirts and blouses.

Plan for bad weather, because it happens. A polypropylene shirt is an ideal wardrobe choice. It is light, very warm, even when wet, and dries quickly. Flip-flops or thongs can aid you when your shoes or boots are wet and need to dry out, and protect your feet  from nasty floor surfaces. 

Also take some sort of small backpack or fanny pack. You will will want to carry maps and perhaps phrase books, guidebooks, water bottles, sunglasses, and so on.

Also – a neck wallet or money belt is essential for travel to places where you are surrounded by strangers. Keep most of your money hidden away, underneath your clothes. A tiny flashlight packed away can also be a life saver in many instances.