How many times has it happened to you where you were in the middle of your vacation and you wished you would have taken that extra pair of pants with you? Or you find yourself at the security counter at the airport having to move around all your things to make them fit into your carry-on because your luggage is too heavy? It can happen to the best of us, we know traveling can be stressful. However, we have part of the solution!
There are several things that seasoned travelers never travel without! Maybe they also forget to pack an extra pair of pants with them, but they never leave without these essentials, especially if they travel by plane! After all, why not make your transit time and vacation as stress-free and comfortable as possible? From making sure you are ready in the worst-case scenario to keeping your luggage organized, we have gathered a list of things we are sure would help you on your next vacation!
Let us know if you have any other recommendations for your fellow wanderers!
Luggage scale
It has happened to all of us to see someone at the baggage check scramble to take things out of their big suitcase to their carry-on bag. And, to be honest, it can be quite embarrassing to witness it and we often think about how they overestimated their bag’s capacity so much that they are playing Tetris with all their things on the airport floor. The easiest way to avoid this is to take a seasoned traveler’s advice and invest in a good luggage scale.
Do not imagine anything huge that will just take off suitcase allowance be it by size or weight, it is just a big handle and a strip of fabric that you can attach to your suitcase. It is extremely easy to use and believe us, it will be a lifesaver on your travels. We all like to indulge in a bit of souvenir shopping, especially when in a new country so a luggage scale is the easiest way to make sure you are not going to have an embarrassing airport moment or to buy extra baggage allowance for your ticket. Thank us later.
Slippers
Let’s be honest, in some hotels we are all scared of walking around barefoot. And even if it is not the case, it can easily be a case of getting the heebie-jeebies at the thought of walking around with no feet covered on dirty floors or carpets. It can even be the case for going to a water park and using the public shower to rinse off, the baseline is that you should protect your feet from fungi or any dirt that could be laying around.
That’s why you should always bring some slippers with you! Or, given the season, a pair of flip-flops for indoor purposes. You can enjoy your time without worrying about the diseases you can pick up on your soles, and, in worse case scenarios, if your shoes break you can wear the flip flops until you can hit the closest shoe shop. A win-win, if you ask us!
Medical bracelet
These might sound weird, but they can actually save your life, especially if you know yourself to be allergic to certain medications or have any underlying conditions. Think of it this way, you never know what can happen and if God forbid, you have an emergency and cannot communicate, wouldn’t it be a blessing to have the emergency services know about all of those things? You can do that and more with a medical bracelet!
You can have different tags for whatever your needs are, from any medical condition you may have, your emergency contacts, where you are from, any allergies, and so much more! They’re invaluable to have for you and your loved ones, especially if you have any youngsters in your family. If they get lost, finding them will be a lot quicker!
Compression Socks
Long haul flights are a nightmare for all of us, no matter how well we’re able to sleep on a plane: especially since the flight attendants are instructed to have us move every few hours. This is because, due to the pressure, we are all at risk of developing blood clots, which is not something to joke around with!
If you have any long flights ahead of you in the near future, you should invest in a pair of compression socks. Not only will they encourage blood flow as to not have it all concentrated in your legs and feet, but they will also be useful on your travels! During all-day tours, they are a lifesaver, as they will provide comfort and help your feet feel less tired when you spend all day walking around and sitting in lines.
Granular laundry detergent
No one expects this when they set out to travel, but the unexpected can always happen! Maybe you spill something on a shirt that will stain forever if not washed out fast, or the weather changed out of the blue and you have to reuse clothing that you already deemed not clean enough. Anything under the sun can happen, but you have to make sure you are prepared for anything, and that includes an impromptu bathroom sink laundry session.
That’s why you should look into taking a small bottle of granular laundry detergent with you. It doesn’t weigh a lot and you can get it in your favorite scent to avoid having to get confused in an aisle of a supermarket in a foreign country, and possibly waste half of that detergent because you have to throw it away. Moreover, since it is in powder form, it is not subject to the 3-1-1 rule at security, so it can just chill in your bag during screening.
Tablet
We all try not to be that person, but sometimes the time on airplanes, trains or busses just passes so slow. Not to mention that if you are on a long flight, their entertainment selection might not be what you expected and you may have nothing to watch. You are at the aircraft’s mercy, and it can be quite disheartening if you cannot fall asleep. That’s why you should always make sure you pack a tablet with you.
Not only will you be able to enjoy your favorite TV shows, movies, or book while you travel, but if you need to look over something important, it is always easier to do so on a bigger screen than your phone. Moreover, tablets are not as heavy as a laptop and we guarantee you will not regret bringing it with you, even if you don’t end up using the tablet as much as you expected. Better safe than sorry!
Sealed plastic bags
Sealed plastic bags are a traveler’s dream! We all know just how disorganized everything can become after a few days of travel, especially if you are on a tight schedule. So, in order to make sure you do not lose anything, you should bring a few ziplock bags with you. You can organize everything beforehand too: separate your cords, earbuds, spare battery, and any other small electronics in a bag for easy security check, keep some snacks in another to avoid them spilling in your bag, and likewise all the liquids you are allowed up in the cabin in another.
Moreover, if you get different sized bags, you can store medication easier, by picking up blisters as opposed to a whole box, and you never know when you will need to store away a bathing suit that has not yet dried all the way through. Sealed plastic bags are so versatile you will definitely find a million uses for them, so make sure the next time you travel you give them a chance! Even better, they’re reusable!
Power strip
If you leave this list with one item you should start including in your luggage, it is definitely this one! How many times has it happened on your travels that you needed to charge multiple devices at the same time, only for the hotel room to not have enough outlets? It happened to us one too many times!
That’s why we started to travel with a power strip, and everything was resolved. It happens that you are traveling with at least a phone, a camera, a smartwatch, a laptop, or a tablet, and, as chance would have it, all of them need charging at the same time. Instead of worrying about which one to charge first, it is easier to just have a power strip with you and get them all charged at the same time. Not only this, but if you happen to be traveling outside of the United States you will need a plethora of universal adapters and voltage converters to cover all your devices.
Why not make your life easier and get just one of each (and a spare, just in case!) and a power strip? That way you know you are set wherever in the world your travel plans may take you!
If you knew about all these things already, we bet you didn’t know these could get you banned from U.S. planes!
1 thought on “8 Things Travel Pros Never Leave At Home”
The new laundry leaves are better than carrying the granular laundry detergent. They weigh next to nothing, can be torn in half or quartered for the small load in the sink. They get the clothes clean and are fabulous. I love them.