I was unpacking after returning from a quick weekend trip to Paris, and it occurred to me to snap this photo. When it comes to these 2- or 3-day trips, I have a pretty firm routine in place for packing what I know I need on a short trip. Besides the more obvious items like clothing, my phone and its charger, I always take (from top left):

• A canvas tote that’s about the size of a 13-inch laptop — I’ve found that not wearing a small messenger bag makes you blend in more easily with the locals
• Passport holder that can also hold tickets and such
• Reusable utensils – including a straw!
• My trusty portable Anker charger, which has saved me many times
• Worldwide adapter that comes in four settings: US, EU, UK, and ANZ. Sadly Switzerland isn’t covered.
• A cute little pouch I saved from my Qantas flight last year. Holds a small mirror, floss, and box of pills
• A semi-transparent pouch from MUJI that holds makeup brushes and an eyeshadow palette
• Toothbrush
• A pouch for everything liquid or hygiene-related — moisturizer, toner water, eye primer, sunscreen, toothpaste, contact solution, makeup cleansing wipe, razor
• Glass water bottle
• Little notebook and pen (also from MUJI!)

Everything fits in a padded Adidas gym bag, which is another great way to not stand out as a tourist. (Although I still got harassed and followed by one of those scammers posing as student campaigners by the Seine yesterday, so there’s really no fail-proof way to avoid this.)