I found packing to be really stressful, so this trip I decided to write down everything I wish I had and that I’m glad I brought. Hopefully this can help me pack lighter in the future and avoid some stress.

Toiletries, medical, comfort #

• Body wipes - I have Wilderness Wipes, I use them to keep from getting stinky when I’m in coach and can’t shower. Wash your feet!
• Tissues
• Extra socks - this is so critical. having fresh socks to put your clean feet in feels so good
• Small blanket - I’ve been using my keffiyeh and a heavy fuzzy blanket we brought from home, depending on temperature, but the best is a thin “cocoon” blanket I borrowed from my mom once.
• Sleep mask - you can use the blanket to cover your eyes too. For safety reasons, the lights in coach never fully go off.
• Slip on shoes/slides/slippers - Something you can slip into and out of quickly. Helps avoid feet stink (want to maximize time out of shoes)
• Earplugs - I use my Loops a ton. I have the ones that let you switch between levels of muting, and they’re awesome on the train.
• Something to help you sleep
• Basic pain killer
• Cough drops - don’t be the person coughing all night
• Face wash - having a clean face makes a big difference in comfort. I have a tendency to associate a dirty feeling face with feeling like a man, so this is a must for me - it can double as shaving cream for me too, which is helpful in the dysphoria department.
• Bandana for hair (optional) - curly hair people, you won’t be able to shower for a couple days. Keep it contained
• Gum (optional) - high elevation routes (the top of the Zephyr is nearly 10,000ft above sea level) can get your ear pressure messed up, chewing something helps.

Entertainment #

• Books - I always bring my Kindle, and sometimes a paperback book too. Reading on the train is one of the best experiences.
• Notebook - I write a lot down
• Cards/games (optional) - if you’re traveling with someone.
• Camera (optional) - will probably bring you joy. fwiw it is challenging to take good photos through the train windows.
• Headphones, earbuds, etc - if you listen to anything without headphones you deserve to be thrown off in Helper.
• Download some music you like. Maybe this is the excuse you needed to ditch streaming and start buying. I often download a couple Well There’s Your Problem episodes too.

Food #

• Dr Pepper - I love Dr Pepper and Amtrak only serves Coke products on board. On the Zephyr I usually bring one and buy another at the Grand Junction, CO store on day two.
• Something spicy/hot sauce - the only remotely spicy menu item is the greek salad, which comes with two peppers with a bit of a kick. If you like spice you should bring your own hot sauce (no liquid restrictions on Amtrak) or spicy instant ramen or something.
• Cash or a credit card - sometimes the cafe car machine can’t process debit cards. Bring a physical card or cash, because the tappy thing breaks occasionally too. You’ll also want to tip your car attendant.
• High calorie filling snacks - the cafe isn’t super expensive but it adds up. I’ve seen people subsist entirely on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I usually bring some nuts and rice cakes.

Misc #

• Water bottle(s) - you can fill them at the bar in the upper level of the lounge car.
• Sunglasses
• Dual USB brick - everything I use is USB-C in some capacity, so I bring a double 60W brick and a single 60W. I’ve seen people bring extension cords for the aisle seat (outlets are in the walls) and run small fans and other things off them.

If you have recommendations or things I forgot: [].