10 Essentials that All Travelers Should Pack
Oh, the joys of traveling! In preparation for your next trip, there are a few essentials that you may want to consider packing.
Below is a helpful guide of essentials that all travelers should pack.
1. Electronic Devices
Electronic devices are needed for both entertainment and information. You will need your electronic devices to keep you entertained especially during flight delays, layovers, or for longer flights. If kids are traveling with you, you may want to have an electronic device handy to have them sit still through all of this.
These devices can also assist you in getting travel or weather updates for you intended destination. In addition to this, you can check your security cameras at home or even a work email while you await your flight.
2. Chargers – (wall, portable, vehicle)
Chargers are essential because you will need to power up your electronic devices. After prolonged use at the airport like watching those you-tube videos for both you and the kids, your battery life will start to go down. You can always use a socket at the airport to charge up however, if all of the sockets are in use for some reason, you can always pull out your portable charger. A good portable charger can last for a couple of hours before requiring a re-charge.
Lastly, a vehicle charger can come in very handy when traveling. You want to ensure that if you need a charge while on the road, you can get one. A vehicle charger can be very useful especially in instances where you may be using your phone’s GPS system for navigation. Additionally, if by chance you happen to catch a flat on the road or if you need to make a call for some other reason, you want to ensure that you have battery life support. You don’t want to risk it.
A good practice is to ensure that all your electronic devices have a full charge before embarking on your journey.
3. Neck Pillow
Oh yes, the neck pillow! This is an extremely useful item if you are a person who usually falls asleep while traveling, especially on an airplane. It helps to keep you comfortable while you are in a small seat or space.
4. Camera & Headphones (optional)
These items are optional, but headphones will help you keep your electronic use a personal experience. As an added plus, you also avoid annoying other travelers!
Cameras can assist by helping you save phone memory storage. After all, trips sometimes result in hundreds of photos being taken.
5. Comfortable Shoes
Comfy shoes are important for most trips. Let’s face it, sometimes just navigating the airport or train station can put a strain on the feet. You want to ensure that your feet are as comfortable as possible where a lot of walking is required.
6. Travel Bag (shoulder or crossbody) to Hold Important Items
There are always those items like money or passports that you want to keep within close range. A good bag that can hold important items close to you is a plus.
7. Medications/ Vitamins
Don’t forget the meds! You want to ensure that you can function well on your trip. You also want to bring the vitamins along to give you that extra energy to keep going. You may need that energy to keep up with the little ones! Don’t leave home without them.
8. At least 2 Changes of Clothing
Two changes of clothing are recommended for light packing. The thing is, how many clothes you pack may solely depend on where you are traveling to, the purpose of your trip, or your length of stay. For instance, if you are travelling with the intent to do some shopping, you do not need to pack heavy because you don’t want to add any excess luggage for your return.
Having at least 2 changes of clothing gives you something to wear for 24 or 48 hours until you can purchase some other clothing items. If you are travelling with little kids, you may want to up this number of clothing by 2 though!
9. Printed Itineraries or confirmations
It is always a good idea to print out important itineraries and confirmations. At the least, you should consider printing the important documents for perhaps vacation rentals, theme parks, etc. You just want that added security in the event that a computer system at a business establishment is down, or if you lose cell service or data, or cannot access your email for some other reason. You want to ensure as much as possible that you don’t lose too much time on your trip trying to figure things out.
10. Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is recommended as an added layer of protection. Plans can sometimes change so suddenly and unexpectedly. If you must cancel some part of your trip or all of it for any reason, you may want travel insurance to ensure that you don’t lose money on everything.
Pandemic Essentials – As an extension to the above, pandemic essentials include, face masks (if required), hand sanitizer, and hand towel or tissue.
Hope this guide helps!
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