It’s the night before your big trip. You’ve cleared your inbox and put on your vacation responder. You’ve organized someone to feed and walk your dog, water your plants and shovel your walk. You’ve gotten your immunizations, renewed your passport and notified your credit card company you’ll be making charges from abroad. You’ve cleared out everything in your fridge that will most likely go rank (but probably missed some things too!). And now you’re staring down a pile of clothes and a pile of who-knows-what that needs to miraculously fit into a suitcase and carry-on in under six hours (if you’re anything like the procrastinator I am).

Oh, the dilemma! This scenario was all too common for me and finally, after years of being on the move, I’ve got my packing down to a science. Tackled in this post are the ideal contents of your carry-on. Check out our FAQs sections for complete pack lists when traveling to South America.