Perhaps the longest you've lived out of a suitcase is a two week holiday. Perhaps you spent your twenties couchsurfing around Europe or backpacking in Asia? I'm somewhere in the middle; a while ago, I lived out of a backpack for months at a time. In the intervening years, four weeks was the longest I could get away. But in either case, there is a very select group of items that I would always pack, regardless of my destination, activities, or the lists I'd make to get me through the working day planning my travels. In the public interest, therefore, I bring you item number 1 on that list.
Tweezers
Unconventional, I know. A toothbrush or passport would be a more predictable choice. But tweezers are one of the most important things I pack; here's why.
The people who've worked with me know that my commitment to professional appearance is sporadic – I can do clean and tidy, but I give up wearing make-up approximately ten days into a new job, and I have *never* had the inclination to get up 15 minutes earlier to 'style' my hair (as if I'd know what to do if I did).
Anyone who's camped with me (I'm looking at you, Lewtho) knows that, although I'll have a tantrum if my shower is cold, I'm also fairly ready to drop my standards of hygiene. Truly, I have earned this badge (see The Adventure Life's post on merit badges for the modern world for more):
"Dirtbag" badge
So I can live with baby wipes, and scuzz out with the rest. But I'm not prepared to compromise on my eyebrows.
My eyebrows may not be great. Heck, genetics gave me eyebrows that look like I've dipped a finger in paint and smeared a straight line above each eye. But over the years, I've learnt that so long as the brows are tidied, I don't look like I'm sleeping in my car. Even if I am.
So, before the route is planned or the visas are stamped, I'm packing the tweezers. Just don't look too close – it's not often I get a well-lit mirror in which to wield them.
Continental drift 