Items You Need That You Never Thought To Pack
Trust me when I say that, I am no expert on organization. Growing up, this was my mother’s biggest complaint: I was a very unorganized kid. I frequently misplaced my things and ran to her for the answer… It’s sadly hilarious to look back at the start of my travels and see that I carried this trait over to that aspect of my life too. But when you love traveling as much as you love breathing, you figure out ways to make every trip better than the last! When I am home after a long flight, what I do is no different than what I think most people do… I lay in my bed, eat, binge watch TV and talk to nobody. Exciting stuff, right? Nope, but when I return home from a trip, I need recharge my introvert energy by spending some time alone, doing things that require minimal to no effort. When I am able, I can start to reflect on the cons of the way that I packed and plan on how I can avoid blunders in the future. I have realized over time that there are some items that you just wouldn’t know you even want until you’ve trekked and found out along the way! Here is the list I have compiled over the past couple of years for myself that I wish I had seen before my very first trip… Though not all of these will be for you, I still think you will really, really appreciate the items below. Click on the each number to find a link to the product (:
Travel-sized Bug Spray + itch Creme - Mosquitos are rude as heck and are hungry in every country you’ll go. Ugh. Keep them away!
Poo-Pourri Mini - Never know when you might need to go… this makes it easier if you are with someone you just met at their apartment or sharing a place. Recently, I was in Biarritz, France and made friends with the waitress at this cute little dinner spot. The next day, she offered her extra bed to me. Long story short, the poo-pouri came in handy when I needed it!
Wrinkle Releaser Spray - You won’t always have access to an iron but you will have wrinkly clothing. This is the perfect solution when your clothes need some extra help for a night out!
Micro Fiber/Quick Dry Towel - Worrying about a wet towel when traveling might just be one of those hell on earth situations. Weeell, these take less than 30 minutes to dry and when we’re traveling, we know we don’t have the patience or time to be waiting for a towel to dry. This one can be used as a beach towel too. You’ll thank me later!
Laundry Bag - You absolutely need to have a bag that keeps your dirty clothes away from the clean. Nobody likes to mix smelly underwear with clean stuff. Ew. Here is my favorite because it’s mini enough to fit your underwear without taking up too much space.
Laundry Detergent Sheets - For hand washing your underwear and socks! Sheets are the better option since they take up virtually no space and it is one less liquid to declare when going through the security lines at the airport. These eco-friendly, plastic-free and zero-waste laundry sheets are super easy to use, just rip off a piece, run it under water and use it to clean your stuff on the go. They last 60 full loads. Plus, these come with an added bonus of guilt-free-ness.
Charcoal Tablets - These are a life-saver. You don’t want to let a stomach ache stop you from your plans or your plans to wing it in that new city. I recently found out about the benefits of this tummy ache remedy while at a day party in Lower Austria. The host gave them to me when I asked for chemical-heavy Pepto or Imodium. She offered me these instead because they are completely natural and actually coat your stomach and help to get everything moving along smoothly. Whereas, those other drugstore brands just keep everything in and are just a bandaid to the problem. Charcoal actually absorbs the toxins! I went from having a horrible time at this party, to chatting for hours with new friends; able to eat and drink comfortably again.
A Thin, Foldable Bag - For carrying groceries or beach supplies, or just when you need to quickly get together some items for the day to bring with you. This way you can easily separate the things you need to-go and leave the rest of your stuff in your locker at the hostel or hotel room. This one folds over 8 times and doesn’t take up much space but then can expand into a full-size duffel bag with pockets! It is unreal. Ya need this one!
Pedialyte Electrolyte Powder - These are the perfect addition to your luggage. Whether you’re planning on hiking or dancing for hours, these will replace your electrolytes so fast. They are so conveniently sized and easy to just add to a bottle of water. I have to admit, these little packets have definitely saved me multiple times when I have just needed that extra bit of hydration.
You made it to the end of the list! Now you can carry on with your wanderlust-ing, worrying less about the little things while still having packing space for the important things (like fuzzy socks or that extra swimsuit thats perfect for selfies).
