What Every Parent Should Know About … Having a Handy, Dandy Travel Packing List
by Greg Husisian
This post is simple: one of the most disconcerting things is arriving at a tournament and realizing you left something important behind. To help prevent that, here is a travel list that we have used for years. Happy packing!
But before I get to the list, don’t forget the (another dated Boomer reference coming) Prime Directive of Fencing Travel: Assume Something Will Go Wrong. So plan for mishaps and breakage. At one international tournament, Hadley snapped three swords; at her last Junior Worlds, she somehow had five body cords go intermittent. Airlines have lost her fencing bags four times; Heathrow, in particular, seems to be firmly within the Bermuda Triangle of Lost Luggage (with Frankfurt forming another point of the Triangle). We are probably in over-kill mode, as we basically travel with double the normal recommendation for all key items, both to minimize risks of lost luggage and to anticipate unexpected fencing item failures. So if you are wondering why some things show up twice, it is because we have learned that strange things happen at (and along the way to) fencing tournaments, leading to some items appearing in two travel bags.
Personal Carry-On (Backpack or Duffel Bag) | ||
Official Travel Items | | Passport |
| Any visas/official paperwork for entry | |
| Photocopies of passport and itinerary in extra places & stored in phone | |
| Travel itinerary/tournament/hotel info printouts | |
| Covid vaccine proof (if needed) | |
Proof of passing covid test (if necessary) | ||
Health | | Medicines (if necessary) |
| Benadryl | |
| Gel hand sanitizer & wipes | |
| Feminine hygiene products | |
| Snacks for plane | |
| Water bottle for flight | |
| Extra contacts | |
Identification/Money | | Cash (including small bills); foreign currency (if needed) |
| Driver’s license/permit | |
| Credit cards | |
| ATM card | |
| Insurance card | |
Miscellaneous | | Eyeglasses & case |
| Hair ties | |
| Phone | |
| Travel charger | |
Schoolwork | | Calculator & charger; confirm charged. |
| Books | |
| Homework | |
| Pens/pencils | |
Electronics | | Travel adapters |
| Computer | |
| Headphones (preferably noise-canceling); confirm charged. |
Rolling Suitcase (Carry On) | ||
Toiletries Bag | | Makeup |
| Hairbrush | |
| Hair ties | |
| Deodorant | |
| Feminine hygiene products | |
| Toothbrush | |
| Toothpaste | |
| Backup travel alarm clock | |
| Sickness medicines | |
| Extra hand wipes and gel | |
Backup Papers | | Extra copies of passport |
| Extra copy of itinerary | |
Fencing Outfit | | 1 packing cube with fencing jacket, knickers, underarm protector, plastron |
| 2 gloves (confirm no holes) | |
| Body cords (at least four) | |
| Favorite mask | |
| Favorite fencing shoes | |
| Fencing socks | |
Fencing Clothes | | Fencing shorts |
| Fencing t-shirt | |
| Warm-up suit |
Fencing Bag | ||
Fencing | | 6 swords |
| Back-up fencing shoes | |
| Strip bag | |
| Extra set of fencing socks | |
| Extra set of fencing shoes | |
| Backup mask | |
Other Fencing Items | | Repair kit (including hair brush); confirm sufficient tip screws, springs, etc. |
| Water bottle | |
| Backup contacts (in repair kit) | |
Clothes | | Clothes appropriate for destination (use travel pouch to protect from swords/allow TSA to quickly inspect) |
| Underwear & socks (same) | |
| Coat if cold destination | |
Other | | Snacks for trip |
| Snacks for venue | |
| Snacks for return trip |
Fun Fact of Interest Only To Me: Ever wonder why it is called “foil” fencing? It is because in eighteenth century France, fencers would train by blunting the point by wrapping foil around the blade, which made training safer. The foil could then be removed for an actual duel.
Tangentially, ever wonder why aluminum foil is only shiny on one side? It is because the final processing step is to pass the aluminum through two steel rollers. To double the output and prevent tearing, two layers of aluminum are passed through at the same time, with the side facing the rollers becoming shiny while the side on the inside stays dull. It makes no difference in cooking which side is used; the difference is purely aesthetic. I imagine the same is true when wrapping a dueling sword.
Get In Touch
Think I forgot something on the list? Want to suggest a new, non-metallurgical fun fact for a future post? Roll out an email to me at usfafencingblog@gmail.com. And prior posts are now happily living on the USFA website, as sparkly and new as the shiny side of a square of aluminum foil.
For questions about your membership or tournament registrations, visit the USA Fencing Contact Us page.