You can take it with you
July 25, 2020 9:41 AM Subscribe
If you were going to be away from home, living in fully furnished places, for an extended period (6-12 months), what would you bring with you?
Besides the obvious stuff (clothes, medicine, whatever) -- I'm thinking of stuff that you'd miss, things that might be hard to replace, things that would make your rental feel more homey, etc. If you've done this, what are you glad to have brought? Or what do you wish you'd left behind?
Assume limited space (the trunk of a compact car). It will be tricky to have stuff shipped, and while I can buy new things if I need them, I'll be taking a bit of a financial hit this year so I'd rather not do a ton of unnecessary spending. At the end of the above timeframe I will be reunited with the rest of my belongings, so this isn't a "throw everything else away" situation.
Besides the obvious stuff (clothes, medicine, whatever) -- I'm thinking of stuff that you'd miss, things that might be hard to replace, things that would make your rental feel more homey, etc. If you've done this, what are you glad to have brought? Or what do you wish you'd left behind?
Assume limited space (the trunk of a compact car). It will be tricky to have stuff shipped, and while I can buy new things if I need them, I'll be taking a bit of a financial hit this year so I'd rather not do a ton of unnecessary spending. At the end of the above timeframe I will be reunited with the rest of my belongings, so this isn't a "throw everything else away" situation.
I did this when I was younger and, honestly, everything I can think of that mattered to me is now covered by "the Internet-capable device(s) of your choice," or such a device loaded up with favorites if there won't be Internet.
posted by teremala at 9:52 AM on July 25, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by teremala at 9:52 AM on July 25, 2020 [3 favorites]
The pillows off my bed, clearly marked with a permanent marker so that I know how to correctly lay them out so they fit together properly so my neck and back are supported like at home.
There are a few books at home I would take with me. The smell and texture when holding them...
posted by Fukiyama at 10:01 AM on July 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
There are a few books at home I would take with me. The smell and texture when holding them...
posted by Fukiyama at 10:01 AM on July 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
chromecast.
posted by Obscure Reference at 10:05 AM on July 25, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by Obscure Reference at 10:05 AM on July 25, 2020 [2 favorites]
An electric kettle if your accommodations don’t have one.
posted by janell at 10:06 AM on July 25, 2020 [9 favorites]
posted by janell at 10:06 AM on July 25, 2020 [9 favorites]
Yes to pillow(s), or if space ends up being really limited, at least your own pillowcases.
A decent portable bluetooth speaker that provides better sound quality than the built-in speakers in your electronics.
Do you have hobby stuff that you'd miss? Depends on your specific circumstances, but for me this would be my (compact, parlor-sized) acoustic guitar and, if I could swing it in any possible way, my bicycle (disassembled to save space). I'd rather live with fewer sets of clothes/etc or buy new stuff at my destination than go without those two things for a whole year, but YMMV.
posted by btfreek at 10:11 AM on July 25, 2020 [3 favorites]
A decent portable bluetooth speaker that provides better sound quality than the built-in speakers in your electronics.
Do you have hobby stuff that you'd miss? Depends on your specific circumstances, but for me this would be my (compact, parlor-sized) acoustic guitar and, if I could swing it in any possible way, my bicycle (disassembled to save space). I'd rather live with fewer sets of clothes/etc or buy new stuff at my destination than go without those two things for a whole year, but YMMV.
posted by btfreek at 10:11 AM on July 25, 2020 [3 favorites]
I've gone on a couple Road Trips and have a list that is car-camping oriented, but thorough. I need to have a selection of books, familiar music that I can easily play, and an office. The office is an artists' wooden suitcase with basic office supplies, as well as colored pencils, markers, and craft-y stuff, so I can make and send postcards. It can sit on my lap as a work surface. A few photos in light frames with no glass. My favorite big wool scarves for warmth and familiarity.
While traveling, the ability to keep my phone, laptop, and possibly tablet charged is critical - a backup battery. Also, when you travel, theft is a constant worry, so a security strategy is important. Most laptops have a notch where a cable (Kensington) lock can be attached, Tiles make it easy to locate stuff, spare key in a safe spot - magnetic boxes can be knocked loose, but a box can be glued someplace unobtrusive.
I like being able to listen to my local PBS station via an app, and I sometimes leave the weather app set to home. Paperwork - document prescriptions, take photos of car insurance, bank info, credit cards, driver's license, registration, and store online and maybe in your phone.
posted by theora55 at 10:14 AM on July 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
While traveling, the ability to keep my phone, laptop, and possibly tablet charged is critical - a backup battery. Also, when you travel, theft is a constant worry, so a security strategy is important. Most laptops have a notch where a cable (Kensington) lock can be attached, Tiles make it easy to locate stuff, spare key in a safe spot - magnetic boxes can be knocked loose, but a box can be glued someplace unobtrusive.
I like being able to listen to my local PBS station via an app, and I sometimes leave the weather app set to home. Paperwork - document prescriptions, take photos of car insurance, bank info, credit cards, driver's license, registration, and store online and maybe in your phone.
posted by theora55 at 10:14 AM on July 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
Fully furnished means different things to different people. I like to prepare my own food and most of the time when I rock up somewhere I miss things like my go to spices, sauces, condiments, preferred coffee device, sharp knives, scissors that work, tin opener and cork screw that work etc. Note that some of these things can be replaced by a multi tool/Swiss army knife. A few food storage containers for leftovers or packing lunch. If you have a mug or glass you normally use at home take that as well - it feels disconcerting to have to make do with a size that is just the wrong amount of liquid (perhaps that’s just me). Also, any utensils you normally use for personal grooming but would not take on a short trip. You’ll want to use them over the course of a year.
posted by koahiatamadl at 10:17 AM on July 25, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by koahiatamadl at 10:17 AM on July 25, 2020 [2 favorites]
I have an Ikea storage box full of old journals, photographs, meaningful letters (i.e. not just lazy greeting cards) from loved ones and an external hard drive from when I was in high school and college. This stuff hasn't always been in a literal Ikea storage box but I've carried it all around one way or another through four international moves and ten different houses in college. It just lives in an Ikea storage box now that I've been in the same place for four years. Every so often, I do cull the collection as I don't want to get a second box. (It all used to fit in a shoe box!)
I am an incredibly sentimental person so it's really important to me to have these items with me wherever I live if I'm going to be there for an extended period--but of course, not everyone is like this.
posted by quadrant seasons at 10:28 AM on July 25, 2020 [2 favorites]
I am an incredibly sentimental person so it's really important to me to have these items with me wherever I live if I'm going to be there for an extended period--but of course, not everyone is like this.
posted by quadrant seasons at 10:28 AM on July 25, 2020 [2 favorites]
A small box of my favorite spices and seasonings, for sure, along with my type of tea. One sharp kitchen knife. My pillow.
posted by BlahLaLa at 10:30 AM on July 25, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by BlahLaLa at 10:30 AM on July 25, 2020 [2 favorites]
I lived in a furnished apartment for the first couple of years I was here in Ottawa and left most of my own things in my condo in Toronto.
Here are a few things I brought and a few things I missed:
Brought: a few high quality kitchen items like my good knives and my favourite frying pan. You can eat off any plate, but you can't cut with any knife and the knives in furnished apartments are usually terrible to start with and then poorly cared for.
Brought: spices, condiments, and other small pantry items. I knew I wouldn't bake in the temporary place, not enough to make it worth buying a bag of flour, but I brought a small jar of flour for thickening sauces, for example. You have less space to pack than I did, though so your calculus on that one may vary. I had to buy more of my most commonly used spices while I was here but at least I already had the bottles to refill. Bringing along things like soy sauce and Olive oil didn't mean I would never have to buy them here but it did mean I didn't have to buy them all right away.
Wish I had brought : a few kitchen utensils like things and serving spoons and a whisk. I bought replacements for most of these at the dollar store while I was here because the unit either didn't have them or they were total crap. Like, worse than what I could get at the dollar store, how is that even possible?
Brought: towels. I have towels I like. They are huge but aren't that big when folded because of the way they are woven. I am glad I had them.
Wish I had brought: my own pillows and bed linens. I went back and got them after about a month, since that was an option for me. Not so much the sheets which I don't really care about, but my own duvet and pillows were important.
Brought and shouldn't have bothered : major hobby stuff like my sewing machine. I never really had the right space for that so they never got used. Instead I started doing more compact hobbies like paper card making.
Brought: my very expensive desk chair. The unit didn't have one and I would have had to buy one locally if I didn't have my own with me. That's a lot of space, though and you might be better off buying a new one rather than hauling one with you if you don't have special chair requirements (I am very fat). Of the might be a usable one there.
Wish I had brought: some of my games. I would have liked to be able to invite my new friends over for game night, if I had brought some of my smaller games with me I could have.
Wish I had brought: some larger glasses. I like to drink water out of pint glasses and the tiny 6 ounce juice glasses in the unit did not cut it. I ended up buying more pint glasses at the dollar store.
Brought:food wrap (saran wrap, tin foil, sandwich bags, etc) and Ziploc containers. It was helpful to have these with me so I didn't have to go out and buy them all once I realized I needed them. But again you have less space to work with than I did.
Brought: a flashlight, there might have been one somewhere but I was never going to find it if I actually needed it because the power was out. I brought my own and it was useful a couple of times.
Brought: collapsible suitcases. You can often find these at discount stores, they load from the top and have soft sides and can expand several times with zippers that make them taller. I packed most of my clothing and soft goods in these and then could just collapse them down and put them in the back of a closet so I didn't have to store bulky luggage.
Wish I had brought: my insulated lunch bag. I had to go buy a new one and it was hard to find one that met my requirements whereas I had already had one back home that I liked. But by the time I could have gone back to get it I had anyway needed and bought an inferior replacement.
All of the things I brought and all of the things I bought here fit into a well-packed Honda Fit when it came time to move them out again. It was a fair lot of stuff, though, Fits are kinda magic.
posted by jacquilynne at 10:31 AM on July 25, 2020 [2 favorites]
Here are a few things I brought and a few things I missed:
Brought: a few high quality kitchen items like my good knives and my favourite frying pan. You can eat off any plate, but you can't cut with any knife and the knives in furnished apartments are usually terrible to start with and then poorly cared for.
Brought: spices, condiments, and other small pantry items. I knew I wouldn't bake in the temporary place, not enough to make it worth buying a bag of flour, but I brought a small jar of flour for thickening sauces, for example. You have less space to pack than I did, though so your calculus on that one may vary. I had to buy more of my most commonly used spices while I was here but at least I already had the bottles to refill. Bringing along things like soy sauce and Olive oil didn't mean I would never have to buy them here but it did mean I didn't have to buy them all right away.
Wish I had brought : a few kitchen utensils like things and serving spoons and a whisk. I bought replacements for most of these at the dollar store while I was here because the unit either didn't have them or they were total crap. Like, worse than what I could get at the dollar store, how is that even possible?
Brought: towels. I have towels I like. They are huge but aren't that big when folded because of the way they are woven. I am glad I had them.
Wish I had brought: my own pillows and bed linens. I went back and got them after about a month, since that was an option for me. Not so much the sheets which I don't really care about, but my own duvet and pillows were important.
Brought and shouldn't have bothered : major hobby stuff like my sewing machine. I never really had the right space for that so they never got used. Instead I started doing more compact hobbies like paper card making.
Brought: my very expensive desk chair. The unit didn't have one and I would have had to buy one locally if I didn't have my own with me. That's a lot of space, though and you might be better off buying a new one rather than hauling one with you if you don't have special chair requirements (I am very fat). Of the might be a usable one there.
Wish I had brought: some of my games. I would have liked to be able to invite my new friends over for game night, if I had brought some of my smaller games with me I could have.
Wish I had brought: some larger glasses. I like to drink water out of pint glasses and the tiny 6 ounce juice glasses in the unit did not cut it. I ended up buying more pint glasses at the dollar store.
Brought:food wrap (saran wrap, tin foil, sandwich bags, etc) and Ziploc containers. It was helpful to have these with me so I didn't have to go out and buy them all once I realized I needed them. But again you have less space to work with than I did.
Brought: a flashlight, there might have been one somewhere but I was never going to find it if I actually needed it because the power was out. I brought my own and it was useful a couple of times.
Brought: collapsible suitcases. You can often find these at discount stores, they load from the top and have soft sides and can expand several times with zippers that make them taller. I packed most of my clothing and soft goods in these and then could just collapse them down and put them in the back of a closet so I didn't have to store bulky luggage.
Wish I had brought: my insulated lunch bag. I had to go buy a new one and it was hard to find one that met my requirements whereas I had already had one back home that I liked. But by the time I could have gone back to get it I had anyway needed and bought an inferior replacement.
All of the things I brought and all of the things I bought here fit into a well-packed Honda Fit when it came time to move them out again. It was a fair lot of stuff, though, Fits are kinda magic.
posted by jacquilynne at 10:31 AM on July 25, 2020 [2 favorites]
Incense that I use regularly which instantly makes me feel at home.
A hot water bottle.
posted by Balthamos at 10:41 AM on July 25, 2020
A hot water bottle.
posted by Balthamos at 10:41 AM on July 25, 2020
I agree that stuff you need to cook can be very important. Pans in rental places are generally extremely cheap, so if good pans are part of your life, I'd bring one or two - especially if you rely on nonstick - when I've been in rentals, the nonstick coating is usually flaking off. The same would go for knives. I bring my high-speed blender even on shorter trips, since I like to make serious smoothies with kale and frozen fruit. I really hate drinking out of plastic, so I would probably bring one or two favorite tumblers for cold drinks and mugs for tea. And I'd bring my electric kettle rather than trying to heat water for tea in a crappy pan (obviously, tea matters to me. YMMV).
Personally, I would bring my giant monitor and external keyboard for using my laptop, but I'm old and don't see well, and the keyboard on my Macbook is unbelievably crappy.
posted by FencingGal at 10:46 AM on July 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
Personally, I would bring my giant monitor and external keyboard for using my laptop, but I'm old and don't see well, and the keyboard on my Macbook is unbelievably crappy.
posted by FencingGal at 10:46 AM on July 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
I did this toward in the first half of last year — put my stuff in storage & house/pet-sat or sublet furnished places for 6 months. (I’ve been considering doing it again — living alone in LA during a pandemic is a huge drag & I’m reaching my limit, but anyway)
are you staying in one place for 6-12 months, or several different places?
along with all the useful things mentioned above, I recommend bringing a few items to make a place feel yours. living in other people’s spaces for so long can get pretty unanchoring, like living borrowed lives instead of your own. maybe a throw blanket you like, your favorite coffee mug. in one month-long sublet, I brought a handful of watercolors I painted & used mounting putty to temporarily hang them on the wall.
posted by changeling at 10:49 AM on July 25, 2020 [2 favorites]
are you staying in one place for 6-12 months, or several different places?
along with all the useful things mentioned above, I recommend bringing a few items to make a place feel yours. living in other people’s spaces for so long can get pretty unanchoring, like living borrowed lives instead of your own. maybe a throw blanket you like, your favorite coffee mug. in one month-long sublet, I brought a handful of watercolors I painted & used mounting putty to temporarily hang them on the wall.
posted by changeling at 10:49 AM on July 25, 2020 [2 favorites]
Just remembered - I moved to Germany from the US for a year, and I brought way more clothes than I needed. If I were doing it again, I would really pare that down.
Also - don't forget important papers, including birth certificate, passport - even if you are staying in the same country.
posted by FencingGal at 10:51 AM on July 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
Also - don't forget important papers, including birth certificate, passport - even if you are staying in the same country.
posted by FencingGal at 10:51 AM on July 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
In the last several years I have returned somewhat to the itinerant actor lifestyle of my 20s, and let me tell you, working actors have this shit down. (There are provisions in our union contracts about the size and weight of our personal belongings boxes that our employers are required to ship for us.) I have learned (and re-learned) so much from my fellow artists in my last few gigs.
My current list:
- pillow and set of good sheets
- small radio and extra bluetooth speakers
- small dop kit that holds a good chef's knife, measuring spoons, silicone ice-cube tray, and small plastic containers of my favorite spices and salts
- TRX strap, elastic exercise bands, yoga blocks, foldable mat
- daypack and day hiking kit, hiking boots
- Sticky putty & little fridge magnets for hanging postcards, photos, notes, etc
Things I've seen other people bring:
- cocktail kit
- posters and fabric tapestries to hang, fairy lights
- electric kettle and glassware
- candles, lots of scented candles
- small portable clothes steamer
posted by minervous at 10:53 AM on July 25, 2020 [9 favorites]
My current list:
- pillow and set of good sheets
- small radio and extra bluetooth speakers
- small dop kit that holds a good chef's knife, measuring spoons, silicone ice-cube tray, and small plastic containers of my favorite spices and salts
- TRX strap, elastic exercise bands, yoga blocks, foldable mat
- daypack and day hiking kit, hiking boots
- Sticky putty & little fridge magnets for hanging postcards, photos, notes, etc
Things I've seen other people bring:
- cocktail kit
- posters and fabric tapestries to hang, fairy lights
- electric kettle and glassware
- candles, lots of scented candles
- small portable clothes steamer
posted by minervous at 10:53 AM on July 25, 2020 [9 favorites]
I am living this now. I brought my pillows, my preferred pillowcases, Sonos speakers, Apple TV, sleep sound machine, also a flashlight, stamps - good slippers if you like that kind of thing.
The place I’m in has a great kitchen with all of the things people are suggesting.
Things I have bought while in the space - a good throw for naps and sitting on the sofa. Debated bringing with me, decided against it and have had to buy one for the temp space. Found it necessary.
I bought a fan as well, a yoga mat, a small handi-vac, a basket container to put “stuff” and “detritus” in, a set of reed diffusers (should’ve brought my small essential oil diffuser and various oils in retrospect), more cat toys and more clothes honestly.
I also in a pandemic haze decided against bringing most of my make up and now I wish I’d brought more “beauty” things. I didn’t realize how much that kind of stuff made me feel a little more normal.
I also brought my TSA approved trusted traveler ID to get me through security which was useful as I have flown while away.
posted by rdnnyc at 10:55 AM on July 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
The place I’m in has a great kitchen with all of the things people are suggesting.
Things I have bought while in the space - a good throw for naps and sitting on the sofa. Debated bringing with me, decided against it and have had to buy one for the temp space. Found it necessary.
I bought a fan as well, a yoga mat, a small handi-vac, a basket container to put “stuff” and “detritus” in, a set of reed diffusers (should’ve brought my small essential oil diffuser and various oils in retrospect), more cat toys and more clothes honestly.
I also in a pandemic haze decided against bringing most of my make up and now I wish I’d brought more “beauty” things. I didn’t realize how much that kind of stuff made me feel a little more normal.
I also brought my TSA approved trusted traveler ID to get me through security which was useful as I have flown while away.
posted by rdnnyc at 10:55 AM on July 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
I would bring a favorite blanket, 1-3 favorite mugs, a favorite bowl, and my beloved kettle. Also, my folding bike.
posted by pie_seven at 11:19 AM on July 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by pie_seven at 11:19 AM on July 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
Definitely a few of my most used kitchen items. For me, I'd bring my large cast iron dutch oven (I use it way more than any other pot), garlic press, one sharp large and small knife, most used spices.
I'd also bring my pillows, since my sleep set up is very important for my back.
posted by litera scripta manet at 11:20 AM on July 25, 2020
I'd also bring my pillows, since my sleep set up is very important for my back.
posted by litera scripta manet at 11:20 AM on July 25, 2020
I've traveled out of just two suitcases for extended periods and personally found that I didn't miss stuff all that much. The fact that digital media makes a ton on things available on-demand anywhere there's internet helps. The big thing for me was having what I needed to be expressive, which was music making software on a laptop and a camera or two.
If I were doing what you're describing, a top thing on my list would be a pair of small but good speakers, because I listen to music constantly and don't like to be always using headphones.
Nthing a small set of quality cookware and knives. If you drink wine, a good corkscrew. If you have space and tend to use one at home, an Instant Pot type pressure cooker can beef up rental kitchens nicely.
I like to use smart light bulbs in the winter to do the simulated sunrise effect. If you're going to be stationary long enough to make it worth the hassle of doing so, you might bring one.
Digital picture frames can keep strange places feeling familiar. If you don't want to travel with one, all the HDMI dongles like the Chromecast will let you turn the TV of wherever you're staying into one.
I'd Nth a pair of preferred pillows and possibly a good sheet set.
A nice pair of slippers.
From a practical perspective, at least one alternate legal ID and credit card that you don't keep with the rest of your wallet in case it gets lost or stolen.
A couple of coffeetable books that you love.
A smoke/CO2 detector that you can take with you so you don't have to rely on what's in the rental.
I like to travel with a picnic style mini cooler - it's nice to go off into the mountains or whatever on days off to explore a new area.
posted by Candleman at 11:24 AM on July 25, 2020
If I were doing what you're describing, a top thing on my list would be a pair of small but good speakers, because I listen to music constantly and don't like to be always using headphones.
Nthing a small set of quality cookware and knives. If you drink wine, a good corkscrew. If you have space and tend to use one at home, an Instant Pot type pressure cooker can beef up rental kitchens nicely.
I like to use smart light bulbs in the winter to do the simulated sunrise effect. If you're going to be stationary long enough to make it worth the hassle of doing so, you might bring one.
Digital picture frames can keep strange places feeling familiar. If you don't want to travel with one, all the HDMI dongles like the Chromecast will let you turn the TV of wherever you're staying into one.
I'd Nth a pair of preferred pillows and possibly a good sheet set.
A nice pair of slippers.
From a practical perspective, at least one alternate legal ID and credit card that you don't keep with the rest of your wallet in case it gets lost or stolen.
A couple of coffeetable books that you love.
A smoke/CO2 detector that you can take with you so you don't have to rely on what's in the rental.
I like to travel with a picnic style mini cooler - it's nice to go off into the mountains or whatever on days off to explore a new area.
posted by Candleman at 11:24 AM on July 25, 2020
So, I lived like this for a couple of years. One thing that's not super clear from your question is how frequently you expect to be moving around. You say "places" so I'm guessing at least once, but I think the answers might be different if you're spending a couple nights in a place and moving on. I, for instance, would not want to schlep frying pans that much.
while I can buy new things if I need them, I'll be taking a bit of a financial hit this year so I'd rather not do a ton of unnecessary spending.
The other thing is that even if you can afford stuff, it's annoying to have more. You want to avoid buying stuff just to avoid having to pack and unpack it all the time. I strongly recommend you try to minimize the amount of stuff you have to deal with. Even if you keep it in your car, if it's hard to get to stuff, if it takes forever to pack and unpack, it's just annoying.
It sounds like you are planning on driving from place to place, so I imagine things like jet lag and power adapters won't be much of a problem. Anyway, these are things that I found to be worth it:
posted by jeb at 11:26 AM on July 25, 2020 [6 favorites]
while I can buy new things if I need them, I'll be taking a bit of a financial hit this year so I'd rather not do a ton of unnecessary spending.
The other thing is that even if you can afford stuff, it's annoying to have more. You want to avoid buying stuff just to avoid having to pack and unpack it all the time. I strongly recommend you try to minimize the amount of stuff you have to deal with. Even if you keep it in your car, if it's hard to get to stuff, if it takes forever to pack and unpack, it's just annoying.
It sounds like you are planning on driving from place to place, so I imagine things like jet lag and power adapters won't be much of a problem. Anyway, these are things that I found to be worth it:
- One good knife in a plastic knife safe. The knife safe is critical because it makes the one knife a lot easier to pack. I would definitely not bring multiple knives. Even at home how many knives do you really use?
- Coffee rig. This has evolved somewhat since when I actually lived like this, but I had a little zippered bag with an Aeropress, a small grinder, a bag of coffee, and a ziploc of paper filters. I started writing how I've evolved this setup in the years since then but when I read back over it I was too embarrassed by how insane it made me look so I deleted it.
- Coffee rig part II: I've vacillated on water-heating. At some point, I got a cheapo kettle, and then I left it in a place and realized I didn't miss it. If you're staying in furnished places, you can probably skip it, as there is almost definitely some way to heat up water. Even the crummiest airbnb kitchen has some sort of pot or pan and a burner or hot plate. This can also be tiresome though if you don't move that much. I later ended up staying in a lot of different places for shorter stays and I got a really electric kettle. YMMV. If you envision staying in places where you're pretty confident you'll be able to heat up water, a kettle is a great thing to delete to save space. If not, there are pretty small ones.
- A bluetooth speaker. Major improvement for me. A small bluetooth that you know how to work, you can set up in a kitchen. Even just putting on podcasts and stuff it makes random places seem less lonely. A lot of places have stereos etc but they'll frequently be missing cords or have some other problem. A smallish rechargeable bluetooth speaker is really nice to have.
- Some sort of "house shoes": slippers, flip flops.
- A Kindle. Books are insanely bulky and heavy. The worst is that you buy new ones and you don't want to get rid of them and now you have even more bulk to schlep around. A Kindle is really, really light and small.
- A cable bag: the cables I generally bring are a few of these monoprice usb cables that plug into a normal USB A charging port on one side, but the other side has a combo lightning/usb micro b/usb c end. This helps you get rid of a lot of redundant cables. Then, get yourself a small multi-port charger and only bring that one charger.
- Other cables to consider (this will depend on what gadgets you have and what you care about): a low profile HDMI lets you plug your laptop into most TVs and watch whatever. A stereo 3.5mm to RCA can let you use stereos.
- A really small power strip. This is really more valuable for traveling between places, because if you go to an airport or a coffee shop and you desperately need to charge but all the outlets are full, no one is ever going to refuse you if you say "hey do you mind if I plug in this power strip and we both plug into it?" This one was the best design but its discontinued. If someone brought this back, added a couple USB ports, and figured out a clever way to handle the plug part for international travel, that would be a huge success on Kickstarter. Anyway, it's surprisingly handy to have the ability to make a few more power outlets some critical place.
- A headlamp. I had a really small one where the whole thing zips up into a tidy package. I know this seems kind of odd because obviously any furnished place you stay in will have lighting of some sort. It's hard to explain why it's so handy but it really is. The main thing is that while there are lights, you don't not know where they are. It's nice to keep this near you when you sleep, and when you wake up and forget where you are, or the power goes out, or have to go outside at night, you have light.
- Earplugs, eyemask.
- A laundry bag.
- Some sort of length of cord and clips I could use as an improvised drying line. Sure, if you stay within civilization the place might have laundry, or there's a laundromat somewhere, but it happens a lot that you don't have the right coins for the machine or you don't know where the laundromat is or you have a schedule that's not compatible with the laundromat. It would be very convenient to just be able to wash a few things and hang dry them. A lot of places, this is no big deal (e.g. there's a balcony and a chair or something), but a lot of places, it is.
- Internet stuff. I was working remotely when I did this and struggling with crummy, broken, etc wifi was a constant annoyance. I would try to bring a backup like a LTE hotspot and travel router. But this is because I really needed internet to make a living. You might have different priorities.
- A chromecast is handy if you don't envision staying in extended-stay hotelish places but more house-like places, because Chromecast can be kind of a pain to set up on captive portal wifi. But this would be solved with the travel router discussed above.
- One of those travel sleeping bag liner sets. Given you have your car, you could try to just bring sheets, but my guess is you won't know what size beds are going to be available. Most of the time, it's fine. Furnished places have beds with sheets. But sometimes you check in and you're not super psyched about the condition of the bedding. Not generally a huge deal, you can just wash it. But it would be nice to have a backup.
- One or two good towels, or possibly a travel towel. I never did this but you should generally assume a fully furnished place has crummiest towels in the world. Multiple times I ended up buying a towel and then abandoning it some time later. The problem is you're leaving, now you have a wet towel.
- A silicone ice cube tray.
posted by jeb at 11:26 AM on July 25, 2020 [6 favorites]
Any artwork that you own and love (including framed photographs) plus any sentimental little objects you have (like souvenirs from past travels). They will bring you even more comfort and joy then you can imagine. Also bring scissors and a box cutter and a small hammer and nails. And a plunger. And a bath mat. And a wireless audio speaker if you have one. Toss in a throw blanket if you have one. Maybe some of your own silverware if light flimsy stuff is going to bum you out at every meal. Bring tongs. And your toaster or toaster oven if you use them often. Bring or buy a potted plant or 2 or 3 or 4. Hope it turns out great for you.
posted by argonauta at 11:26 AM on July 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by argonauta at 11:26 AM on July 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
Things that have made it through international moves that were expensive/irreplaceable enough that I didn’t buy new ones: one good kitchen knife, a decent frying pan, my own sheets (pillows is possible), a familiar throw blanket, nightlight (I hate putting on the bathroom light when I need to pee at night), things I could bring that would go bad if I left them behind (spices I already owned, etc), my favorite water cup (insulated, screw on top with straw).
That’s really it. Everything else was purchasable in the new location for low to no cost. Sheets/bedding makes the biggest difference to me in feeling like it’s “my” home. I also like to get some photos cheaply printed and put those up, knowing that they’ll be left behind after I leave and don’t need to be framed/anything that would cost more money.
posted by raccoon409 at 11:32 AM on July 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
That’s really it. Everything else was purchasable in the new location for low to no cost. Sheets/bedding makes the biggest difference to me in feeling like it’s “my” home. I also like to get some photos cheaply printed and put those up, knowing that they’ll be left behind after I leave and don’t need to be framed/anything that would cost more money.
posted by raccoon409 at 11:32 AM on July 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
I'm sort of doing this now.
I remembered my aeropress to make coffee, and I have a reusable metal filter for it. I could have brought a French press or I guess an electric coffee maker. But there's no coffee maker, and that would have been a problem. I did not bring a kettle, so I ended up buying a super cheap one for like $6. I wish I had brought my own coffee mug. There's only one at my parents' house, and it's very small and dainty and highly annoying.
I wish I had brought workout stuff. I brought workout clothes, but not enough. (I didn't anticipate wanting to work out that much, but it turns out to be a good stress reliever.) I wish I had brought either weights or some sort of resistance bands. I'm doing body-weight strength workouts, but there are some things that are hard to do without weights.
I have an iPad, and I can check out ebooks from my home library on the Libby app. It's been a freaking godsend. If you don't have a library card for your home library, get one and see if they have an app that allows you to check out ebooks. I haven't used the Kanopy app, but that's a similar thing that allows you to watch movies for free by signing in with your library card.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 11:34 AM on July 25, 2020
I remembered my aeropress to make coffee, and I have a reusable metal filter for it. I could have brought a French press or I guess an electric coffee maker. But there's no coffee maker, and that would have been a problem. I did not bring a kettle, so I ended up buying a super cheap one for like $6. I wish I had brought my own coffee mug. There's only one at my parents' house, and it's very small and dainty and highly annoying.
I wish I had brought workout stuff. I brought workout clothes, but not enough. (I didn't anticipate wanting to work out that much, but it turns out to be a good stress reliever.) I wish I had brought either weights or some sort of resistance bands. I'm doing body-weight strength workouts, but there are some things that are hard to do without weights.
I have an iPad, and I can check out ebooks from my home library on the Libby app. It's been a freaking godsend. If you don't have a library card for your home library, get one and see if they have an app that allows you to check out ebooks. I haven't used the Kanopy app, but that's a similar thing that allows you to watch movies for free by signing in with your library card.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 11:34 AM on July 25, 2020
We did this! How stocked is the kitchen with cooking ware and spices, and how much do you plan to cook? Instant pot, kettle, my favorite pan, favorite knife, spatula, vegetable peeler, a few favorite spices.
Will stuff like sunscreen and bug spray be available to buy at the same price as at home or will you need to bring what you have?
A few books or a kindle/tablet.
Loofah/washcloths.
Will the apartment have enough towels, sheets, kitchen towels, pillow cases, cups, plates, etc?
posted by never.was.and.never.will.be. at 11:41 AM on July 25, 2020
Will stuff like sunscreen and bug spray be available to buy at the same price as at home or will you need to bring what you have?
A few books or a kindle/tablet.
Loofah/washcloths.
Will the apartment have enough towels, sheets, kitchen towels, pillow cases, cups, plates, etc?
posted by never.was.and.never.will.be. at 11:41 AM on July 25, 2020
I used to commute 75 minutes from home each way and if really bad weather struck I would just check into a hotel. So I kept a packed bag in my car with the following (minus things you said to ignore).
Flashlight
Collapsible Umbrella
Charger *WITH* Electric Razor
Spare batteries (e.g., for Electric toothbrush)
Hair brush --- no longer applies to me (:->)
Nail clippers
USB Reserve power bank
SD card adapter for USB
CAT-5 cable
Charging cable/adapters
Bluetooth headphones
Linux Laptop with Bluetooth mouse
Short extension cord with multi-tap and ground adaptor for fan, light and chargers
Jacket or coat or poncho
Flip-flops
Hangers
Swim suit
Chapstick
Sunscreen
posted by forthright at 11:48 AM on July 25, 2020
Flashlight
Collapsible Umbrella
Charger *WITH* Electric Razor
Spare batteries (e.g., for Electric toothbrush)
Hair brush --- no longer applies to me (:->)
Nail clippers
USB Reserve power bank
SD card adapter for USB
CAT-5 cable
Charging cable/adapters
Bluetooth headphones
Linux Laptop with Bluetooth mouse
Short extension cord with multi-tap and ground adaptor for fan, light and chargers
Jacket or coat or poncho
Flip-flops
Hangers
Swim suit
Chapstick
Sunscreen
posted by forthright at 11:48 AM on July 25, 2020
I do exactly this from time to time, extended stays in corporate-provided apartments for off-station projects. Many of my things are "just accept you have to buy them there at the beginning" things because the cost-to-carrying-hassle ratio isn't good. A few I bring anyway:
- Coffee preparation device of choice
- Mentioned above, either one all-purpose cooking knife, or lately just a sharpening stone for the crappy knife they give me.
- Umbrella
- 550 paracord for improvising all kinds of things, almost always used for a clothes drying line
- A long network cable so I'm not dependent on crappy/flaky wifi
- Sometimes a little 2 cup rice cooker
posted by ctmf at 11:49 AM on July 25, 2020
- Coffee preparation device of choice
- Mentioned above, either one all-purpose cooking knife, or lately just a sharpening stone for the crappy knife they give me.
- Umbrella
- 550 paracord for improvising all kinds of things, almost always used for a clothes drying line
- A long network cable so I'm not dependent on crappy/flaky wifi
- Sometimes a little 2 cup rice cooker
posted by ctmf at 11:49 AM on July 25, 2020
Also if I got a whole carload and not just what I could take on the plane, I'd bring some soft items like a throw quilt, a small rug, and maybe something to put on a wall. Something to make the place feel less generic-plastic-beige-anonymous. And first thing, take down any naggy posted signs like "please turn off AC when you leave" kind of things. They really subconsciously make it feel like not-home.
posted by ctmf at 11:58 AM on July 25, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by ctmf at 11:58 AM on July 25, 2020 [3 favorites]
Also it's super important to me to have warmer light sources, I cant stand the coldness of the more blue-end, so one of the first things I do is replace some light bulbs or buy my own lamp. It would be hard to know what bulbs to bring in advance though.
posted by ctmf at 12:02 PM on July 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by ctmf at 12:02 PM on July 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
I am currently doing this, having given up my apartment and moved a seven hour drive from my home to live with my parents in order to help them and assist my extended family with childcare for the duration of the pandemic. I had the benefit of living down here for a couple of months at the beginning with just clothes, schoolbooks, and a laptop, so I kept a list of the things I wished I had, and was able to set them aside to bring when I went back north to pack up my apartment. You might try keeping a list of everything you reach for, or enjoy looking at, over the next week or so.
This time, besides basic clothes and two pairs of shoes, I took: pillows, my favorite blanket, two bathmats, two towels, washcloths, desktop and laptop computers, a microphone with stand and filter, important papers, toiletries (including some back up stuff that I wanted to use up), one shelf of books (all for school/research), my spices and teas, my small coffee press, my favorite mug and favorite insulated tumbler, one knife and kitchen shears, my garden trowel, a box of craft and painting supplies, my embroidery stand and hoops, my archangel Michael icon, and a rolled-up map to decorate my room.
Everything else is in storage, and I look forward to resuming getting rid of as much of it as possible whenever I can go home. There's nothing that I miss.
posted by notquitemaryann at 12:05 PM on July 25, 2020 [2 favorites]
This time, besides basic clothes and two pairs of shoes, I took: pillows, my favorite blanket, two bathmats, two towels, washcloths, desktop and laptop computers, a microphone with stand and filter, important papers, toiletries (including some back up stuff that I wanted to use up), one shelf of books (all for school/research), my spices and teas, my small coffee press, my favorite mug and favorite insulated tumbler, one knife and kitchen shears, my garden trowel, a box of craft and painting supplies, my embroidery stand and hoops, my archangel Michael icon, and a rolled-up map to decorate my room.
Everything else is in storage, and I look forward to resuming getting rid of as much of it as possible whenever I can go home. There's nothing that I miss.
posted by notquitemaryann at 12:05 PM on July 25, 2020 [2 favorites]
Bring some of your favorite toiletries and over the counter medications. Especially true if you will be going abroad as they may difficult to source (or not available at all) in other countries.
Your own pillow.
Yoga or exercise mat.
Kindle or other e-book reader.
If you're particular about it, your preferred means of coffee/tea production, e.g. an Aeropress (I'm assuming you wouldn't be hauling a giant espresso machine with you or anything).
A hearty plus one on bringing one good kitchen knife and one or two all-purpose pots and pans. Quality of cookware in otherwise nicely furnished rentals is universally terrible and it's expensive and cumbersome to purchase upgrades when you arrive.
A lot of consumables will fall into the "don't worry, they have stores there too" category. But to avoid having to go shopping for absolutely everything at once when you first arrive it's useful to bring some kitchen staples like cooking oil and spices, a few bottles/cans of your favorite beverage, and some snacks to start off with.
posted by 4rtemis at 12:08 PM on July 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
Your own pillow.
Yoga or exercise mat.
Kindle or other e-book reader.
If you're particular about it, your preferred means of coffee/tea production, e.g. an Aeropress (I'm assuming you wouldn't be hauling a giant espresso machine with you or anything).
A hearty plus one on bringing one good kitchen knife and one or two all-purpose pots and pans. Quality of cookware in otherwise nicely furnished rentals is universally terrible and it's expensive and cumbersome to purchase upgrades when you arrive.
A lot of consumables will fall into the "don't worry, they have stores there too" category. But to avoid having to go shopping for absolutely everything at once when you first arrive it's useful to bring some kitchen staples like cooking oil and spices, a few bottles/cans of your favorite beverage, and some snacks to start off with.
posted by 4rtemis at 12:08 PM on July 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
Some decent hand tools and repair supplies. Having the ability to improve or fix something, but not the tools, is super frustrating to me.
posted by wenestvedt at 12:23 PM on July 25, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by wenestvedt at 12:23 PM on July 25, 2020 [4 favorites]
Lol, I know the feeling wenestvedt. I once had to watch the in-house repair guy break my toilet and flood everything, including the carpet outside the bathroom, by overtightening the leaky attachment point to the porcelain. I could have fixed that myself and avoided a huge hassle. But then I started thinking to myself, had I had tools, I would have attempted to fix it. And I probably wouldn't have broken it, but if I did and had to be responsible for the damage...
So back to the topic, I don't bring tools.
posted by ctmf at 12:34 PM on July 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
So back to the topic, I don't bring tools.
posted by ctmf at 12:34 PM on July 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
*nods* It's always good to know your limits.
posted by wenestvedt at 12:40 PM on July 25, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by wenestvedt at 12:40 PM on July 25, 2020 [2 favorites]
I did a version of this this spring. I had planned to travel from New England to San Francisco, Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan,* moving every few days, so I pared things down to what I could fit in a 70-liter backpack and a 22-liter daypack (which was designed to be carried in front when wearing the larger backpack).
Besides clothing carefully chosen to cover the gamut from the tropics in the summer to the Southern Alps in the autumn, and my exercise clothes (running kit and one pair of bike shorts), I brought a few gadgets and charging cables, a four-outlet travel extension cord, a universal plug adapter with integrated USB charger, guidebooks (in some cases, I used a knife to cut out only the sections I needed), a headlamp, a small multitool, a paring knife with a sheath, basic toiletries, antimalarial meds, antibiotics for GI tract distress, a Tempur-Pedic sleep mask, ear plugs, and an umbrella.
I also threw in a couple reusable grocery bags with zip-top closures, and a couple more without zippers. The zip ones are quite useful not just for groceries, but also for stowing things. In my case, if I wanted to use my day pack for a hike, I would put the laptop etc. that usually lived in it into one of the zip-up bags so it wouldn't get lost or scattered about. That may be less important if you're not moving around from place to place very much.
One thing I didn't have but have since acquired is a small knife sharpener for travel. I didn't want to carry a chef's knife in a knife safe, so I brought a sharp paring knife. Most of the time I stayed in places with reasonably equipped kitchens, but most of the time the knives were dull. A few strokes in a pocket sharpener would have made them much more useful.
* In the end, I made it to New Zealand, where I had intended to stay for a month. Instead, I stayed there for nearly three months, including the lockdown, then returned to Massachusetts.
posted by brianogilvie at 2:22 PM on July 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
Besides clothing carefully chosen to cover the gamut from the tropics in the summer to the Southern Alps in the autumn, and my exercise clothes (running kit and one pair of bike shorts), I brought a few gadgets and charging cables, a four-outlet travel extension cord, a universal plug adapter with integrated USB charger, guidebooks (in some cases, I used a knife to cut out only the sections I needed), a headlamp, a small multitool, a paring knife with a sheath, basic toiletries, antimalarial meds, antibiotics for GI tract distress, a Tempur-Pedic sleep mask, ear plugs, and an umbrella.
I also threw in a couple reusable grocery bags with zip-top closures, and a couple more without zippers. The zip ones are quite useful not just for groceries, but also for stowing things. In my case, if I wanted to use my day pack for a hike, I would put the laptop etc. that usually lived in it into one of the zip-up bags so it wouldn't get lost or scattered about. That may be less important if you're not moving around from place to place very much.
One thing I didn't have but have since acquired is a small knife sharpener for travel. I didn't want to carry a chef's knife in a knife safe, so I brought a sharp paring knife. Most of the time I stayed in places with reasonably equipped kitchens, but most of the time the knives were dull. A few strokes in a pocket sharpener would have made them much more useful.
* In the end, I made it to New Zealand, where I had intended to stay for a month. Instead, I stayed there for nearly three months, including the lockdown, then returned to Massachusetts.
posted by brianogilvie at 2:22 PM on July 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
+ Nthing flip-flops for dodgy floors or showers
+ A sarong is pretty versatile—a quick wrap-around, a towel in a pinch, a top sheet, a beach mat...any 2 meters of cotton will do
+ An extension cord for when the outlet isn’t convenient
+ A microfiber cloth from the dollar store to wipe down dusty surfaces, dries very fast
+ A collapsible valet tray to corral receipts, keys, clutter
posted by TWinbrook8 at 4:50 PM on July 25, 2020
+ A sarong is pretty versatile—a quick wrap-around, a towel in a pinch, a top sheet, a beach mat...any 2 meters of cotton will do
+ An extension cord for when the outlet isn’t convenient
+ A microfiber cloth from the dollar store to wipe down dusty surfaces, dries very fast
+ A collapsible valet tray to corral receipts, keys, clutter
posted by TWinbrook8 at 4:50 PM on July 25, 2020
Having done something like this, I found that I over packed and brought too much stuff. I hated myself when I had to move out. It depends what you’re doing, but you can live with a lot less than you think.
If I had to do it again, I’d pack no more than I could easily carry in a suitcase and a small backpack or large purse. For me this looks like around 2 weeks worth of clothes, a couple of good pairs of shoes, a laptop, a phone, toiletries or medication that I couldn’t easily get in my destination, maybe a decent chef’s knife and pairing knife (they always suck in rentals), and maybe stuff related to a lightweight hobby. Really anything that you’re super particular about, like a pillow or that sort of thing, bring with you if you have the space.
Then I’d leave some room in my budget to buy things in my destination. If, for example, the winters are colder there than where you’re from, buy a winter coat there. You’ll more easily find something appropriate there, and you can get advice from a local about what to buy and where. Plus, clothing is a great souvenir.
posted by Maeve at 4:55 PM on July 25, 2020
If I had to do it again, I’d pack no more than I could easily carry in a suitcase and a small backpack or large purse. For me this looks like around 2 weeks worth of clothes, a couple of good pairs of shoes, a laptop, a phone, toiletries or medication that I couldn’t easily get in my destination, maybe a decent chef’s knife and pairing knife (they always suck in rentals), and maybe stuff related to a lightweight hobby. Really anything that you’re super particular about, like a pillow or that sort of thing, bring with you if you have the space.
Then I’d leave some room in my budget to buy things in my destination. If, for example, the winters are colder there than where you’re from, buy a winter coat there. You’ll more easily find something appropriate there, and you can get advice from a local about what to buy and where. Plus, clothing is a great souvenir.
posted by Maeve at 4:55 PM on July 25, 2020
Bed stuff - pillow, favorite blanket.
A handful of books. Some I turn to over and over, and maybe a coffee table book to make the space feel more like yours.
Framed photos and/or art.
Sentimental dishes. Not a full set or anything, but if you have a favorite coffee mug or something. I have a personalized cereal bowl.
Welcome mat.
Whatever is on your refrigerator- magnets, notes, etc.
Outdoor stuff, especially stuff that can be packed up and brought inside. A camp chair, a bocce set, some string lights, a hammock.
A nightlight.
Something (cup or whatever) to hold your toothbrush and other sink toiletries.
posted by kevinbelt at 5:37 PM on July 25, 2020
A handful of books. Some I turn to over and over, and maybe a coffee table book to make the space feel more like yours.
Framed photos and/or art.
Sentimental dishes. Not a full set or anything, but if you have a favorite coffee mug or something. I have a personalized cereal bowl.
Welcome mat.
Whatever is on your refrigerator- magnets, notes, etc.
Outdoor stuff, especially stuff that can be packed up and brought inside. A camp chair, a bocce set, some string lights, a hammock.
A nightlight.
Something (cup or whatever) to hold your toothbrush and other sink toiletries.
posted by kevinbelt at 5:37 PM on July 25, 2020
Assuming there is internet service, laptop and phone will cover reading, movie-watching, net surfing, journaling and work needs. And a set of headphones, if I'm not going to be alone in the space.
For an extended period away I'd want a compact version of my most-loved hobby supplies which for me would mean a small sketch book, tin of colored pencils & sharpener; or maybe a crochet project.
Spiritual supplies, if you have a practice. Such as Bible and devotional book; or portable altar with supplies; meditation cushion; crystals, candles, incense; deck of tarot cards.
I'd want my own pillow and maybe a cozy blanket. I'd bring a fan for the bedroom as I find it hard to sleep without the white noise and air flow. A hoodie and some socks, in case the room is chilly. Sleep mask and ear plugs.
When I stay in a hotel where I don't have cooking facilities except for a microwave, I always pack tea bags and instant oatmeal packets in case I get hungry at an odd hour. In addition to my daily meds and vitamins, I always bring a small supply of my most-used OTCs and herbal remedies such as acetaminophen, Pepto pills, cranberry capsules, Emergen-C packets, l-theanine.
Swimsuit and workout clothes, if there are facilities for such.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 5:40 PM on July 25, 2020
For an extended period away I'd want a compact version of my most-loved hobby supplies which for me would mean a small sketch book, tin of colored pencils & sharpener; or maybe a crochet project.
Spiritual supplies, if you have a practice. Such as Bible and devotional book; or portable altar with supplies; meditation cushion; crystals, candles, incense; deck of tarot cards.
I'd want my own pillow and maybe a cozy blanket. I'd bring a fan for the bedroom as I find it hard to sleep without the white noise and air flow. A hoodie and some socks, in case the room is chilly. Sleep mask and ear plugs.
When I stay in a hotel where I don't have cooking facilities except for a microwave, I always pack tea bags and instant oatmeal packets in case I get hungry at an odd hour. In addition to my daily meds and vitamins, I always bring a small supply of my most-used OTCs and herbal remedies such as acetaminophen, Pepto pills, cranberry capsules, Emergen-C packets, l-theanine.
Swimsuit and workout clothes, if there are facilities for such.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 5:40 PM on July 25, 2020
A practical way to go about this is get yourself 3ish colors of tape and/or post-it notes, and carry them around for 2-3 days. One color is for "obviously I'll bring this", needs - hygiene/bathroom stuff, your phone, the bag you generally carry, your computer etc.
The other two colors are for "Very Want/Almost Need" and "Nice To Have". You may quibble back and forth about things in this category, give yourself time to consider because that's an important part of the process.
MY big problem making these decisions is that I get very aspirational and have to be realistic with myself. No, I'm not going to take up watercolor painting, weightlifting, or candlemaking while I'm away. Modest supplies for one actual ongoing hobby is enough; I'm mostly going to entertain myself with my computer or mobile devices.
Creature comforts come down to what you really depend on a lot and what you know you'll have where you're going. I am very particular about pillows, but mostly just the one that supports my neck, so when I travel I take a body pillowcase and stuff two of whatever's on hand into that. I need my (tiny) white noise machine to sleep, and frankly I will have to have a fan urgently enough that I'd give trunk space to a powerful compact one. I also strongly prefer a bath sheet to tiny towels, so I bring one for longer trips.
I do carry a small mobile kitchen that packs up in a box like this, which is large enough to hold a decent cutting board, full-size knife, and keep a couple modest oil-type bottles (and one slim oil spray bottle) upright with a ton of room to tuck in baggies of preferred seasonings, a few small but critical tools (good peeler, one good steak knife + fork + spoon, favorite spatula, a good pair of scissors, roll of masking tape and sharpie, a small supply of storageware and baggies, and if you have a really good mitt that works for you, bring it. In my kitchen box I also carry 2-3 flour sack towels + 2-3 washcloths, so I have hair/face/kitchen cleanup textiles that I can stain or wreck without worrying about fucking up someone else's stuff. When I travel I always take one good insulated cup as my daily use water/coffee/soda vessel, again so I have less stress about mis-handling other people's stuff.
A lot of those comfort/kitchen items can be updated or replenished in modest-sized containers from dollar stores, if you'll have access to those. Cooking supplies, shampoo/soap/cleaning supplies, basic spices, basic cooking/eating tools - don't take up precious space with bulk quantities if you can reasonably expect to be able to restock cheaply later.
Aside from my flour sack towels and washcloths, something I carry with me now when I travel - hotels, airbnbs/vacation homes, other people's houses - is a cheap dollar store yoga mat. I rarely use it for yoga, but I have cut strips off it to stop weird vibrations, put it up in windows to black them out, cut off a non-slip mat for the bathroom, use it to protect a surface I know I'm going to mar if I'm not careful (you can make coasters out of it!). If you're going to be traveling in your car, get yourself a decent reflective windshield shade as well, because that too can be stuck into a window that gets a terrible glare or is lacking privacy.
I have no idea what kind of security concerns you might be facing, but you should decide if you need to bring padlocks and security cables for electronics, a lockbox for critical ID/papers, portable door lock, driveway alarm (these come in plug-in or solar versions for the driveway sensor), door bar, wifi cam. You may also want to consider a cellular mobile hotspot (there are many, that's the one I have and turn it on prepaid month by month when I'm traveling, it works significantly better than hotspot or tethering with my iPhone, and gives me an alternate non-AT&T network source). If you're going to be using onsite internet, you may want a VPN service (we use Tunnelbear).
posted by Lyn Never at 7:05 PM on July 25, 2020
The other two colors are for "Very Want/Almost Need" and "Nice To Have". You may quibble back and forth about things in this category, give yourself time to consider because that's an important part of the process.
MY big problem making these decisions is that I get very aspirational and have to be realistic with myself. No, I'm not going to take up watercolor painting, weightlifting, or candlemaking while I'm away. Modest supplies for one actual ongoing hobby is enough; I'm mostly going to entertain myself with my computer or mobile devices.
Creature comforts come down to what you really depend on a lot and what you know you'll have where you're going. I am very particular about pillows, but mostly just the one that supports my neck, so when I travel I take a body pillowcase and stuff two of whatever's on hand into that. I need my (tiny) white noise machine to sleep, and frankly I will have to have a fan urgently enough that I'd give trunk space to a powerful compact one. I also strongly prefer a bath sheet to tiny towels, so I bring one for longer trips.
I do carry a small mobile kitchen that packs up in a box like this, which is large enough to hold a decent cutting board, full-size knife, and keep a couple modest oil-type bottles (and one slim oil spray bottle) upright with a ton of room to tuck in baggies of preferred seasonings, a few small but critical tools (good peeler, one good steak knife + fork + spoon, favorite spatula, a good pair of scissors, roll of masking tape and sharpie, a small supply of storageware and baggies, and if you have a really good mitt that works for you, bring it. In my kitchen box I also carry 2-3 flour sack towels + 2-3 washcloths, so I have hair/face/kitchen cleanup textiles that I can stain or wreck without worrying about fucking up someone else's stuff. When I travel I always take one good insulated cup as my daily use water/coffee/soda vessel, again so I have less stress about mis-handling other people's stuff.
A lot of those comfort/kitchen items can be updated or replenished in modest-sized containers from dollar stores, if you'll have access to those. Cooking supplies, shampoo/soap/cleaning supplies, basic spices, basic cooking/eating tools - don't take up precious space with bulk quantities if you can reasonably expect to be able to restock cheaply later.
Aside from my flour sack towels and washcloths, something I carry with me now when I travel - hotels, airbnbs/vacation homes, other people's houses - is a cheap dollar store yoga mat. I rarely use it for yoga, but I have cut strips off it to stop weird vibrations, put it up in windows to black them out, cut off a non-slip mat for the bathroom, use it to protect a surface I know I'm going to mar if I'm not careful (you can make coasters out of it!). If you're going to be traveling in your car, get yourself a decent reflective windshield shade as well, because that too can be stuck into a window that gets a terrible glare or is lacking privacy.
I have no idea what kind of security concerns you might be facing, but you should decide if you need to bring padlocks and security cables for electronics, a lockbox for critical ID/papers, portable door lock, driveway alarm (these come in plug-in or solar versions for the driveway sensor), door bar, wifi cam. You may also want to consider a cellular mobile hotspot (there are many, that's the one I have and turn it on prepaid month by month when I'm traveling, it works significantly better than hotspot or tethering with my iPhone, and gives me an alternate non-AT&T network source). If you're going to be using onsite internet, you may want a VPN service (we use Tunnelbear).
posted by Lyn Never at 7:05 PM on July 25, 2020
When I was in my twenties and doing a lot of traveling in Asia, I always brought some duct tape with me. It came in handy in so many ways- you can use it on blisters, to repair your bag, to tape a towel over a window if the sun is too much.
posted by momochan at 7:42 PM on July 25, 2020
posted by momochan at 7:42 PM on July 25, 2020
My primary electronics including laptop, tablet, phone, backup drive and all chargers and adapters. A power strip. Bluetooth headphones.
Multi-purpose scissors, bottle/can opener, a screwdriver that has various removable bits. Needle-nose pliers.
A pillow is great especially with a favorite pillowcase. If you hate scents like I do, bring a few unscented laundry pods.
Something homey and comforting - my mom and I made a quilt together that I use every day and I'd definitely bring that.
A couple of the notebooks and the pens that I use all the time. A little notepad/post-its for quick notes.
Several pairs of reading glasses.
All official documents - birth certificate, passports, driver's license, insurance cards. And photocopies and digital uploads of all of these.
I'd get a big paper map of the city/area I'd be living in so I could make notes and marks on places as I found them.
A few old non-digital photos.
Appropriate bags for different situations: a laptop backpack and a smallish day out bag that holds a sweater, an external battery for your phone, a water bottle and has room for a couple small purchases. A bag big enough for a weekend away.
posted by bendy at 1:16 AM on July 26, 2020
Multi-purpose scissors, bottle/can opener, a screwdriver that has various removable bits. Needle-nose pliers.
A pillow is great especially with a favorite pillowcase. If you hate scents like I do, bring a few unscented laundry pods.
Something homey and comforting - my mom and I made a quilt together that I use every day and I'd definitely bring that.
A couple of the notebooks and the pens that I use all the time. A little notepad/post-its for quick notes.
Several pairs of reading glasses.
All official documents - birth certificate, passports, driver's license, insurance cards. And photocopies and digital uploads of all of these.
I'd get a big paper map of the city/area I'd be living in so I could make notes and marks on places as I found them.
A few old non-digital photos.
Appropriate bags for different situations: a laptop backpack and a smallish day out bag that holds a sweater, an external battery for your phone, a water bottle and has room for a couple small purchases. A bag big enough for a weekend away.
posted by bendy at 1:16 AM on July 26, 2020
sleep mask
noise-canceling headphones
my favorite gel pen + extra ink refills
lots of heavy-weight paper
comfy clothing with pockets (drawstring pants, roomy sweaters, flannel shirts)
dry shampoo
duct tape (agree with above, it's very handy for multiple reasons)
nail clippers (another multi-use tool)
tampons (another multi-use tool)
appropriate bags as above is PARAMOUNT, if only for hefting all the things mentioned
posted by honey badger at 7:34 AM on July 26, 2020
noise-canceling headphones
my favorite gel pen + extra ink refills
lots of heavy-weight paper
comfy clothing with pockets (drawstring pants, roomy sweaters, flannel shirts)
dry shampoo
duct tape (agree with above, it's very handy for multiple reasons)
nail clippers (another multi-use tool)
tampons (another multi-use tool)
appropriate bags as above is PARAMOUNT, if only for hefting all the things mentioned
posted by honey badger at 7:34 AM on July 26, 2020
Both myself and my husband have done this for work a few times, staying at either an extended stay hotel or corporate housing.
Helpful things:
People have mentioned a portable hotspot. The places we stayed had internet, but often the WiFi was shitty. Bringing a small router (airport express) allowed us to plug in to the Ethernet in our room and set up our own network. This makes it much easier to use something like a chrome cast or Apple TV. I find one of the most frustrating/jarring things about hotel tv is being stuck with live tv. Being able to control my entertainment is very helpful.
Husband brought his bike. Your space may vary.
Comfy slippers
Drying rack for my delicate laundry
Fan for white noise/comfort.
Things I wish I had done:
I’m picky about water taste. I wish I had bought a water filter pitcher, instead of mostly using bottled water (this was a long time ago...)
Brought less clothes
posted by bluloo at 8:21 AM on July 26, 2020
Helpful things:
People have mentioned a portable hotspot. The places we stayed had internet, but often the WiFi was shitty. Bringing a small router (airport express) allowed us to plug in to the Ethernet in our room and set up our own network. This makes it much easier to use something like a chrome cast or Apple TV. I find one of the most frustrating/jarring things about hotel tv is being stuck with live tv. Being able to control my entertainment is very helpful.
Husband brought his bike. Your space may vary.
Comfy slippers
Drying rack for my delicate laundry
Fan for white noise/comfort.
Things I wish I had done:
I’m picky about water taste. I wish I had bought a water filter pitcher, instead of mostly using bottled water (this was a long time ago...)
Brought less clothes
posted by bluloo at 8:21 AM on July 26, 2020
Ack, please do not bring/use incense, reed diffusers, air fresheners, etc., into a furnished apartment. Those smells seep into furniture and will be extremely irritating to anyone who is sensitive to them who lives there in the furniture.
posted by radioamy at 10:13 AM on July 26, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by radioamy at 10:13 AM on July 26, 2020 [3 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
I'd bring my own pillow, an eyemask, a fan and earplugs, since good sleep (or lack of it) can make or break me.
posted by larthegreat at 9:46 AM on July 25, 2020 [11 favorites]