9 Things Not to Forget When Traveling
9 Things Not to Forget When Traveling
Only yesterday I was helping my friend pack her luggage for the hundredth time. For an OCD freak like me, organizing stuff is no big deal. I could run for the contest of ‘best closet organizer of the world’ title if such a title existed. I love helping people organize their things; I derive satisfaction out of the process of sorting through a mess. And while it might seem impossible to know what things you are going to pack with you on your summer trip, fear not! I’ll give you a precise list of items you need with you on a summer trip.
Contacts or Glasses
People who suffer from short-sightedness need to take this measure right away! If you forget to pack your contacts, you will have to travel without them, which is especially difficult if you are traveling solo. Also, as soon as you get to the destination, you will have to get a new pair of contacts or glasses. It is safe to say that your trip would be ruined. So, I suggest that you do not forget your glasses or contacts.
Your Passport
While some of you might think why I am reminding you not to forget your passport, some people do forget to carry their passports. If you are traveling outside the country, do NOT forget to bring your passport with you. You will only have to turn back to get it, and you might end up missing your flight, for which you will have to pay extra bucks.
Also, you will end up losing a day of your travel which might disrupt your entire trip schedule. A short turn of events can ruin your entire trip. Get a nice passport keeper to keep your passport safe.
A First Aid Kit
This is probably one of the most underrated items on my list. A lot of people overlook the value of carrying a first aid kit with them. While it’s true that airport staff and hostesses on an airplane can be accommodating should a medical need arise, if you’re traveling by road you can’t be so sure about getting help.
Always keep a few painkillers and medicine for cough and cold handy. Those of you who are on regular medication should carry a pills organizer box so that you don’t run out of medicine during your trip. If you are traveling to another country make sure you’re well-acquainted with their customs laws and check if your medication falls under the prohibited drugs.
Earmuffs
I always keep ear muffs when traveling via air but these days I have been packing a different kind of muffs. I love hunting, and on my hunting adventures (I’ve got the license) I pack electronic in-ear muffs which help me bear the sound of my guns. Your protection comes first, and therefore, it is imperative that you get yourself a fine piece of ear muffs if you go for hunting as well.
Always look for reviews online; a good review means the product is tested and tried! Check this one for instance: in-ear electronic hearing protection review.
A Rain Jacket or Umbrella
Another essential that you might need to pack for your trip is an umbrella. You can never tell when the weather decides to turn nasty, so pack a rain jacket and preferably carry it with you through the day if weather forecast says it might rain.
An alternative to that is an umbrella. It can also help you deal with the scorching heat of the sun, depending on the region you are visiting, so it serves two purposes.
Printed Itineraries
If you want a well-organized trip, you’re going to have to make a few efforts. You might have checked into your flight via those online apps, and you might also have booked your hotel online, but I recommend that you print a copy of your itinerary and the confirmation email for your hotel reservation.
I always recommend making reservations at hotels and paying at the desk instead of making advance payments. If the residence doesn’t turn out as good as you expected, your money would be safe except for the cancellation charges, and you won’t have to put up with lousy service.
Your Favorite Book
Your vacation doesn’t demand from you to leave that excellent spiritual-health-related book back home. Long flights and even longer hours of waiting in the transit areas of the airport will leave you lethargic. It’s better to carry a book than to let boredom eat away all the fun. I never travel without a book, and I completed most of my unfinished books while flying back to home.
That doesn’t mean you can’t pack your comics! I mean, you have to make sure you have your reading material; especially on road trips. You will feel accomplished for not wasting all that time.
Currency
It is one of the best pieces of advice for traveling, you guys. Always carry cash with you; you do not know what kind of trouble you might get into. And a card is not always going to be of help; also, you won’t be charged any ATM switch fees if you have cash with you. It is not very safe, but it is cheap. However, I must say that you should not carry a lot of money. You might get robbed, or you can drop it somewhere; won’t be a very good experience I can bet.
Your Favorite Tea
I do this ritual where I pack something from home whenever I am out for traveling. It helps me get over my homesickness, and I feel connected to my roots. I like to pack some teabags from back home, brew a pot and sip on it while I unwind on the first day of my vacation. I also like to give some of it away as a gift to the native residents who I have befriended during the trip. Such gestures help keep friendships. And it is just a ritual that I enjoy.
On a side note, you SHOULD also pack some snacks before leaving because they are costly at the airport.
I hope this list proves to be useful. Have a great trip!
Author Bio: This article is written by Katherine Joseph. She has been wearing hearing aids for over twenty years and still is a veteran of the audiology industry. She gives a holistic view of the hearing aid industry and the equipment available at https://doctear.com/.
What’s your favorite item you try not to leave behind when traveling? Can you think of any other things that should be added to this list? Let us know in a comment below.
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Great tips! My husband forgot his passport once and had to turn around at the Canadian border and come back for it.
Thanks Lori! I hope you all didn’t have to backtrack too far to get your husband’s passport!
Great ideas! This reminded me I need to get a passport for my daughter and our upcoming trip!
Yes, the kids need passports too. This may not apply to you but if your daughter’s dad is not traveling with you, you might need to get a letter from him saying it’s okay for her to leave the country.
Interesting tips I never considered, like tea? Now that I think about it, I always buy some wherever I go to relax & keep my immunity up, so packing it makes sense.
Great ideas! Thanks for the compilation!
Yes! I always bring my morning coffee as I can be a tiny bit particular about it. ha!
All super important things to remember!
Thanks Nicole!
Great ideas! I have never taken ear muffs, but I will keep that in mind for future trips!
On my trip to Portland, OR last month, quite a few kiddos were wearing ear muffs. At first I thought it was weird, since it was June, but in hindsight, they made a lot of sense as a noise reducer.
I love to pack my favorite tea when traveling – I always throw a few in my purse!
I love this particular tip too Pam!
Great list! I never want to travel without a great book or two. You have to be prepared in case you finish one! I still tend to forget something, though.
Thanks Stacey! I need this article for myself!
Cute with the tea and so easy to pack. We always forget the first aid and with kids, it should be the top on our list, but we always forget that one!
Even a very basic and easy to pack first aid kit would be great when you have kids.
This is a great list. So many of these I always have intentions to bring and then forget :/ The raincoat/umbrella was a great reminder as I don’t usually remember that one!
Thanks Cynthia!
Great tips for things that may not always be on our list. Even though I like the convenience of everything on my phone, I do like yo have paper copies as backup.
Me too!!!
Love that you too bring tea. So do we.
I knew I couldn’t be the only one! 🙂
Great tip! Currency is huge. And not just foreign. Most countries we have gone we have done fine with out cash (In fact I still have kroner in my wallet) but when we sent to northern Cali we learned that many places were cash only and and we had no cash! ATMs were not super easy to find either!
Funny thing about northern Cali and cash only and so good to know, I’m going there in three weeks and now I’ll be sure to bring plenty of cash.
We always take our tea with us. Glad we aren’t the only ones! Great list. The passport one almost got us at the Canadian border. I also had to show my girls birth certificates!
Yes, now that two of my daughters have children of their own, they keep me in the know about travel requirements for the little ones.
Great tips! I always forget at least one thing when traveling.
I hope this article helps you on future travels Jen!
Great list of things not to forget to pack. I like to bring an extra fold up bag for things I purchase on my trip.
Oh, me too Jennifer! Great tip!
Always great reminders. Thanks
You’re welcome!
So true about printed itineraries! Just this last trip, our phones died when we needed our itinerary information! Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome Glory!
Great tips! I always print out our stuff just so I have a hard copy in my hand. Heaven forbid my phone would die!
We depend on our technology way too much, I think. Until the day that they are guaranteed to work 100% of the time, I’m printing boarding passes!
This is a great list. I never remember rain gear. In fact, we are in NC on vacation this week and I forgot it! Also, love the idea of tea from home. I am picky about my tea and it would be nice to have what I like available to me. I packed a first aid kit for the first time ever. I saw it on sale and grabbed it. Well worth the 10.00 investment.
I like passion fruit tea that’s not widely served so I bring it from home. 🙂
Are those ear muffs meant to cancel sound? Cuz if so, I need them!
Yes!!! There are other noise cancelling headphones available but these are a much more fun fashion statement. 🙂
I have to add in instant coffee packets. Not having access to coffee as a coffee addict is a nightmare.