Packing for my first dive trip. Pls Help

[Chocoholic]

I always have my camera with me, so I took pics of my passport and c-cards. I also email the pics to myself on my hotmail account. I can check the hotmail from anywhere. I also emailed my phone list to myself, including 800 numbers for all my credit cards. Also take your sense of humor with you, something always happens to test you. Have fun.

[mrm777]

After experiencing a "near miss" with Delta losing my luggage...I now take a photo of luggage I plan to check...just in case. And I put a large sheet inside each bag on top with my itinerary on it along with first name initial, last name and phone number.

[kroorda]

That's a great idea and suggestion! While luggage often gets lost, or placed on a later or different flight, it really helps to properly identify your luggage. Taking a picture of your luggage and carrying that picture with you is great. Another MUST is: Put identification INSIDE of your luggage. One other thing we have learned is: When you actually check your luggage in at the ticket counter, YOU double check the luggage tags, not only to make sure that they are securely attached, but also make sure that they are checked to the correct final destination. Don't assume that the ticketing agent knows what they are doing. Everyone makes mistakes, and ticket agents are no exception. Taking all these steps will likely mean the difference between losing your luggage temporarily, or losing it permanently. Now... if we could only keep TSA's theiving little hands out of our luggage!

[heydn62]

Originally Posted by Chocoholic

I always have my camera with me, so I took pics of my passport and c-cards. I also email the pics to myself on my hotmail account. I can check the hotmail from anywhere. I also emailed my phone list to myself, including 800 numbers for all my credit cards. Also take your sense of humor with you, something always happens to test you. Have fun.

I did a digital scan of passports and c-cards and keep them in my yahoo e-mail account. The scans came out a lot better than the photos. Fortunately, I've never needed to pull them up, but they're there if I do. I also sent scans of these for myself and my children to them and their mom as well.

Also, if you ever need to use examples of the synonyms "they're, there, and their" for grammar school language arts, feel free to use the last paragraph.

[kroorda]

Again, those are great ideas, and, best of all, all those things are USEFUL things that you can take with you without adding an ounce of weight. Sadly, a lot of people load up on junk they don't really need, and then they cry when all their stuff gets lost and never gets returned to them because then didn't take the time or effort to take the measures you and I have suggested.

[gNats]

Originally Posted by mrm777

After experiencing a "near miss" with Delta losing my luggage...I now take a photo of luggage I plan to check...just in case. And I put a large sheet inside each bag on top with my itinerary on it along with first name initial, last name and phone number.

Good posting...

However, instead of putting my information in my luggage, I always put the name address and phone number where I am traveling TO in my luggage ID holder.

This way the handler does not need to open my luggage to find my contact information. Plus, if your luggage is checked by TSA at your departing gate, they put official TSA ties on your luggage that should not be opened.

Whether you use a airline provided ID tag or if you have an attached ID holder, write all the information someone would need to get your luggage to you.

I swap IDs and use my home address on my return flight.

[kroorda]

I would also put your name, address, and destination inside of your luggage. Generally, if your luggage routing tags get ripped off of your luggage, your ID tag will also be ripped off. If that happens, and you don't have ID inside your luggage, you will most likely never see your stuff again. Putting your name and destination on the outside is fine, but also put it inside. Doing so is free, and could mean the difference between getting your luggage and not getting it.

[mrm777]

A lot of times the resort/liveaboard will have ID books for local fish so you won't need yours...which will eliminate a good chunk of weight from your checked bag.

[Damselfish]

for the future, make your own list. Once you are on any trip, you will discover things you wish you had brought, and things you brought and didn't need, and you'll probably forget some of this by next trip.

I have a list I've been keeping for years, for dive and other types of trips. I don't necessarily take everything on it, but it's easy to look at and decide "do I need this for this trip?"

[unibrook]

Be sure to dive in a cenote on the mainland while you are there! Awesome and very different from an ocean dive.