What I Like to Pack

In case you're interested, here are a few items I like to bring that mostly aren't on the usual packing lists. What finally ends up in my bag depends on how much room there is, but I'm hoping reading this may stimulate your own ideas for what might make your trip a bit more comfortable. Just don't drive yourself crazy with details!

IMPORTANT
Electrical converters! You already know about them if you followed the link to Rick Steves' packing list in an earlier post called Packing Thoughts & Lists, where he has a link to a nice explanation at Electric Europe: Adapters and Converters. Wise and experienced traveler LindaL helpfully reminded me to emphasize this: "For those who are bringing cell phones and other electronic gadgets, they will need to figure out a proper electrical plug adapter and maybe a converter. Our standard US plugs won't fit. I wouldn't count on the hotel, because everyone might be requesting to recharge cellphones. At a minimum you need to have a compatible electrical plug adapter."
Think through your everything you're bringing that uses electricity. Are you bringing an iPad? an eBook reader? (By the way, I got Kindle as a gift and find it great for travel. Did you see that Tharpa has ebooks for The New Heart of Wisdom and The New Guide to Dakini Land, as well as Eight Steps and Modern Buddhism and some sadhanas? It's nice that most of the books are also available as audio MP3s, for listening to on the plane with an iPod, for example. The Kindle only comes with a USB recharger, and I'm not planning to bring anything with a USB port, so I went looking for a wall charger. Amazon had various ones for around $20, but for $5 more, you can get a wall charger that comes with 6 adapters for international travel, as well as a long cable.)

It might not just be recharging your cell phone. (By the way, is your phone even going to work over there? Click the Phone label in the right column of this website to get more info; warning: potentially complicated!).
Linda and I both thought this page had some useful details: Electrical Plug/Outlet and Voltage Information for Portugal. See also the post Electricity in Portugal

Safety travel pouch - for keeping your passport, a credit card, and other essential items close to your body, away from thieves. They come in different forms, such as money-belts and over-the-neck pouches. You can see some of the styles at the Rick Steves Travel Store, all of which are reduced in price through the end of the day. For more information, see the excellent Rick Steves' article Travel with a Money Belt: Your Portable Safe.

FOOD/DRINK
Travel Food - I like healthy energy bars (especially Lara Bars, which taste good and have a short, simple list of ingredients) and nuts or trail mix. Trader Joe's seems to have the best prices on both. For the first leg of the trip, you can bring food like carrot sticks, peanut butter sandwiches and hard-boiled eggs (stored in a egg container, such as the cardboard container they're sold in the store pared down to fit the number of eggs you're bringing), along with salt & pepper packets. The bars and nuts are good for later in the trip. I like knowing that if there are delays and I'm stuck somewhere, I won't go hungry and won't have to overpay.
Go Greens - a health-conscious Sangha friend uses these all the time. A powder made of organic fruit and vegetables that comes in small, light packets that are easy to add to a bottle of water and are reasonably priced. I got mine at Vitacost, and I know they sell various kinds on Amazon, but saw online that they also sell them at Costco. Note that there are other products named "GreensToGo" that are much more expensive, which seem to be sold  by possibly dubious alternative healers.
Emergen-C - the supplement mix that has vitamins C and B, electrolytes,
nutrients, and antioxidants, for preventing colds and infections. It comes in travel-friendly light packets, but check the ingredients for the somewhat healthier flavors with less sugar. The Lite version, which the Vitacost website which helpfully lists the ingredients of the supplements they sell, says it has 1g of sugar (vs 6g in some of the other flavors), but I'm the  not sure if that's sweetened with one of those more dubious chemicals such as Aspartame. It's cheaper at SuperSupplements and Trader Joe's.

Teabags - I love tea and always carry around a few of my favorites in my bag. When I travel I bring various flavors, including some chamomile in case I need a mild sleep aid. Traveling tends to constipate some people; I recommend a senna-based tea such as Smooth Move, a mild but effective laxative. Some places don't offer green tea, and some have really bad black tea.
Coffee drinkers may want to get some of those instant Starbucks Via packets, which I've heard are pretty good for instant and sometimes appear at Costco.

Water Bottle - I don't like water in plastic bottles, because they're not environmentally friendly, the water is not good quality (although it presents itself as healthier than drinking from a tap) and I have reason to believe the plastic leaches possibly toxic substances, particularly if the bottles have been in the sun. They are convenient, however, and I do buy them occasionally, particularly for Go Greens or Emergen-C so that I don't have to clean out my bottle.

Travel Mug - optional if there's room, but I've found I'm happy to have it. I often put my teabags inside, to save room and keep things organized.

By the way, if you want to save money on meals, even if you don't have access to a kitchen, there are some tips on things to pack that will allow you to prepare simple meals at Self-cater Meals in a Hotel Room: What to Pack

OTHER
NoJetLag - see the post Jet Lag Remedies for more information.

Thumb drive - for a few essential computer files. I'm going to try to learn how to encrypt the info. Apparently Windows comes with an encryption program, and I know there are others on the Web. Do I need to warn you about installing software from the web on your computer? Find a trusted site, possibly CNet?

Travel Pillow - finally decided to get one when I saw my acupuncturist with hers at Summer Festival. Certainly nice to have on the plane. For me it's a very optional item, only if there's room.

Headlamp - useful for safe, hands-free walking at night and for reading in bed.

Compass - a quirky item, I admit, but there have been so many times I've wished I had one. I don't have a good sense of direction. I'll have a good map but not know what direction I'm facing.

Map - because I like them, especially paper ones. If you've gotten used to relying on your smartphone, you'll want to think through how that's going to work in Portugal.
Speaking of maps, I've found some interesting or useful ones online.
For example, there's a post Good Cascais Map Showing Attractions, Hotels, Grocery Stores

Other Travel Info - for example, because I'm a vegetarian and a lot of countries have largely meat-based diets (ever been to Scotland?), I research vegetarian restaurants for the cities I'm going at websites like Lucky Cow and Lonely Planet, then and pack a printout. For more info, see the Vegetarian Restaurants & Portuguese Desserts post.