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Travel Tips
What to Pack
Buy the best walking shoes for your feet. I had some Easy Spirit shoes that are wonderfully comfortable here at home, but they were horrible when it came time to walk for hours. Rockport, Teva, Mephisto are all some good brands. Talk to a knowledgeable shoe person and just remember that comfortable when you're home and comfortable when you're travelling may not be the same things.
Ditch the cotton socks!!! Like the shoes, what is comfy for daily where will get you blisters on your feet when you're walking all day. Cotton socks bunch up, they don't wick away moisture, and you will be sorry if you don't invest in some good socks. The best brands either say CoolMax or Wick N Dry on them. They dry quickly (good for washing them out in sinks) and pull moisure away from your feet. Quality brands also provide some extra padding for the points of impact when you move around. This helps prevent blisters. A pair of good socks will cost about $8-14/pair, but they are worth it! Don't skimp here or you will regret it.
If you need nice soft toilet paper for your tush, bring it from home and hope you don't run out. Even in countries that don't typically have it in their bathrooms will still have it for sale in pharmacies. I won't bring my own t.p. with me again.
Bring Ziplock bags in several sizes. Bring more than you think you will need. They will turn out to be useful in more ways than I could even think about.
Bring some baby wipes or something similar. See comments on toilet paper above.
Don't bring many clothes with you -- maybe just what you wear on the plane. Native clothes are made for native climates and will also ensure that you are covered enough to be acceptable to locals. (T-shirts, shorts, etc. are not acceptable for women or men in many countries. It would be like heading out in pyjamas in the States.)
If you're female, bring tampons. They can be hard to find and/or expensive.
Take more film than you think you need. If you run out, you might not be able to find anything beyond 100 or 200 speed, it will be expensive, and may be out-of-date.
Don't bother with the little Woolite packets. You can take some liquid hand soap in a container and use it for bathing and for washing your clothes.
Hat and Sunblock!
In Egypt and many other countries, you can buy any pharmaceutical over the counter. Check the expiration dates before making your purchase. I could buy Cipro (antibiotic for diarrhea) for less money than my copay in the US. So don't bother packing much in the way of emergency medication. Just talk to your doctor about what to take for what sort of problems.
Silk long underwear (available from places like REI) can help when you need layers of clothing to keep warm or cool off.
Bring a universal shower plug. If you manage to get a plug at all, it probably won't fit your sink or tub. You need one if you want a bath instead of a shower, but most importantly, you need one for doing any washing in your room.
Other Helpful Hints
If you find a place that will do your laundry, do not give them your underwear. Socks are okay but not panties, bras, or underpants. Wash those yourself in your hotel sink.
Book a hotel room before you get to your destination country. You don't want to be exhausted and trying to figure out where to sleep. You will be ripped off (paying too much) but it's worth it for a night. Don't bother to pay for an airport pickup. While it's nice to not stress about anything, it's cheaper to find a cab. When you do get a cab, insist on going to the place you've booked. Cabbies will lie to you and tell you the place burnt down or it's full. They will get kickbacks if they bring you to the hotels they are recommending to you. Rather than arguing with them about it, just insist that you are meeting a friend and keep smiling.
Don't sit in the front seat of taxis if you are female. Men may try to touch you. If the backdoor won't open, get another cab.