When we travel, we want to have those items we use the most. However, we need to be mindful of the size of the products and the real need for these products. I find that I prefer to have those items that are the most useful but also provide a feeling of comfort and home. For example, if your hotel room has a DVD player, you can bring along home fitness DVDs, such as the Beachbody P90X and P90X2. Read about the two here.
Here are some additional suggestions for the top items to bring when traveling — from how to preserve your products for the physical aspect of travel to what items you should have, that provide the information you really need to have.
The Art of the Bottle
First, use silicone travel containers/bottles. They make it unbelievably easier for the liquid to slide to the opening, so there will not be any waste at the bottom. Second, use saran wrap for protection. Place the saran wrap on the top of the bottle, then twist on the cover. This will help prevent spillage over all of your other items. The art of the bottle is probably the most important skill when traveling.
Knowledge Is Power
Yes, one of the most tried-and-true travel tips is to travel light. You know, mix and match clothes so that you don’t bring too many of them, only bring two pairs of shoes, use everything in travel size, etc.
Moreover, you need to be prepared if you lose important information. What can you do? Make photocopies of your passport. This is one of the most important top items to bring when traveling. Leave a copy with someone at home. Bring one yourself and leave it in your hotel safe. In fact, I have found that I never really need to carry my passport around with me in any destination, because I have my license for identification. Oh, and photocopy your license, too, and leave it in your hotel safe. Also make photocopies of your itinerary, airline tickets, hotel confirmation, and any vouchers that you might have for tours and excursions. Again, I keep them in my room’s safe box, and I use my smartphone to bring up any information that I might need. However, just in case I don’t have phone service, I have that photocopy.
Bag It
The ultimate top item to bring when traveling is the plastic bag. It can be a freezer plastic bag, a shopping plastic bag, or a garbage bag. The key here is keeping order and prevent ruining your other top items when traveling. The smaller plastic bags are great for placing travel bottles that might leak. Using garbage bags can be a way for you to separate dirty clothing from clean clothing. Plastic bags from food shopping can help you to separate items when packing. Other extra bags that you bring can help you to keep those souvenirs in one place, as well as to protect them.
Spring Cleaning
Another important item to bring when traveling is a box of wipes. Disinfecting wipes are useful for cleaning the insides of drawers and tables in your hotel room. They are also useful for cleaning up the tray table and area around your seat on the airplane. Makeup removal wipes are obviously useful for removing your makeup, and they are also a lifesaver to use on your special manicure for your trip. After you apply your sunscreen, use your makeup wipes to wipe your nails so that your nail polish doesn’t turn yellow.
Time for Tech
While we probably don’t need to bring all of our technological gadgets, we have gadgets that are indispensable. With all of the gadgets that we bring, there are other things that we must bring to keep them running. Which items are the best to bring when traveling? My picks — a travel power strip, a power adapter, and a travel router. A travel power strip is a must. As most of you probably already know, many hotels don’t necessarily have enough power outlets. So, be prepared. There are new travel-ready power strips on the market that are incredibly useful.
Go to Amazon and search for travel power strips. Amazon has a nice selection of them. As for travel power adapters, Maphappy points to the Satechi Travel Router. Next, they suggest the Targus World Power Travel Adapter and the Universal Travel Adapter Model 931L. Finally, bring a travel router. According to PCWorld, “Use a travel router to connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot or a facility’s broadband connection, and it will create a private, secure, wireless network with a robust firewall.” Their top recommendations are the D-Link’s DIR-510L and Netgear’s Trek PR2000.
