64 April 2019 _ PopularMechanics.com
THE TOURIST’S GUIDE TO SPACE
W HAT TO PACK
DECIBULLZ
EARPLUGS
Space travel is strangely
noisy, always awake with the
buzz of fan motors, valves,
and electronics, and whatever
else keeps the ship going.
These will help you sleep.AND ONE MORE THING: BRING A PIECE OF HOME
WHEN YOU GET TO SPACE, you look back at the planet and you get this cognitive shift that kind of changes
you. You’re going around the planet every 90 minutes. You see all of civilization and humanity in one big
marble... I took a baseball cap from my college and a pennant from my high school—different things that
were sentimental to me were now off planet. You only get so much space, but what are those treasured
mementos you’d want to take to see in a whole different way? —LELAND MELVIN, RETIRED NASA ASTRONAUTCABELA’S LEGENDARY
SEVEN-POCKET
HIKER PANTS
You might think you’d want
high-tech synthetics, but you
don’t. “They’re a fire hazard,”
says Kelly. These pants are tough
cotton canvas and feature plenty
of button-fastening pockets to
hold in your space EDC.READING
GLASSES (AND
CROAKIES)
The lack of
gravity may affect
the intraocular
pressure in the
eyes, changing
their shape and
making everything
blurry. Bring a few
pairs of reading
glasses at different
prescriptions to
compensate.BRAUN SERIES 9
Shaving cream will get every-
where. So will water. So will
whiskers. Using an electric
razor eliminates the first two.L.L. BEAN
FLEECE SOCKS
Getting warm blood
to your feet is more
of a challenge in
zero gravity, as is
protecting them
(you use your feet
a lot to hook onto
stuff), and shoes
are not ideal: Kelly
says in space there
is a real risk of being
kicked in the face.3M COMMAND
VELCRO STRIPS
Keeps a book in your
lap or a camera at the
right angle, among other
things. Just don’t put
the hook side on your
person. It sticks to stuff.TUMI SPLIT TRAVEL KIT
Because every rummage is a potential
to lose things, it’s crucial to get a bag
with clear plastic pockets that let you see
what’s inside without opening them.BIOLITE HEADLAMP
In space, you’re going to need light; this will keep
your hands free to navigate the weightless world.
Bonus: rechargeable—no batteries to float off.SCOTT KELLY, he of the record one-year stay on the ISS,
explains space as a pretty utilitarian place. “People ask
what I forgot,” he says. “My answer is, always, I’d bring
less stuff. You have to find a place to put it; it’s just
another thing to float away.” So pack like it’s a camping
trip: limited space, limited water, function over form.
Leave the firestarters on Earth.