The vast majority of travelers don’t have unlimited budgets or hundreds of thousands of frequent flier miles. Many of us scrimp and save not only to get the time off to travel, but also to make the most of it. That means we have to make choices. In most cases, I’d rather splurge on a luxury like a helicopter ride to a glacier to go dog sledding versus a more comfortable seat for a midday four-hour flight. I’d rather go economy class on a 10-hour flight than not go at all.

You’ve saved for your bucket list vacation, acquired all of the necessary gear and the luggage to get it there. The forecast is perfect, the flight gets off without a hitch, but when you arrive at the baggage claim it’s the nightmare scenario. Either your rod tube doesn’t arrive or its contents are destroyed. Here’s how to avoid that nightmare scenario.

Have you ever seen someone waltzing onto an airplane with just a paperback book, a small tablet, or perhaps nothing at all? I’ve always wanted to be that guy, someone who travels light and doesn’t seem to miss anything, but the truth is I will never be that guy. I’m an overpreparer, a true belt-and-suspenders type.