My adventures in travel started when I was very young. Back then, I had the luxury of having my parents pack my luggage for me. If I didn’t have my toothbrush and toothpaste when I arrived at my destination, I let the adults responsible for my missing toiletries work it out.
Ah! Those were carefree days.
Now that I’m an adult and have been traveling consistently for over a decade, I have found that it isn’t packing I dislike, it’s locating and packing small, travel-friendly items.
There was a pattern that emerged when it was time to pack my carry-on.
I found myself looking through cupboards, cabinets, and drawers for the items that were the staples of my travels.
The items I couldn’t find or didn’t have meant that I had to purchase them from the drugstore or that I had to spend time browsing the toiletry section of the nearest grocery store.
I seek efficiency when I travel, and this time-consuming process was inefficient.
During one search session, I had an “ah-ha” moment.
I remembered that I owned a 12-quart container that would fit neatly under my bathroom cabinet, and it could store the items I needed in one place until I was ready to travel.
All I had to do was keep the container stocked.
I have a thrifty side that was very helpful in this quest, and when I found an item on sale, I would stock up and add it to the container.
Paying special attention to expiration dates keeps everything usable and ready for the friendly skies, a road trip, or a weekend getaway.
Inside the Box
1. Tissues
Pocket-sized tissues are great for travel, but this tissue packaging is my favorite because of the secure attachment it provides. I never worried about losing the package when I carried these with me on my excursions in Alaska. I snapped the package onto the strap of the my backpack, and if someone needed a tissue, I didn’t have to dig around inside the backpack to find it.
2. Flushable Wipes
The package is flexible can be slipped into a pocket or purse for those times when toilet paper is not available.
3. Glitzy Makeup
The only time I need this type of makeup is when my travel wardrobe consists of formal wear. It’s kept in its own bag, so I always know where to find it. The bag can remain in the storage box when I don’t need to travel with it.
4. Hand Warmers
When I vacationed in Lake Louise, Alberta, I came home with extra hand warmers. I used them again in Alaska, and keep them for future cold climate travel.
5. Small Suitcase Bag
This soft-sided bag doesn’t take up much room in my suitcase, and I use it to store items that are above the 3.4 ounce carry-on limit. Even though I add tape to the cover of any liquid items, this bag is lined and gives me peace of mind that I won’t find sunscreen slathered all over my clothing.
6. Laundry Detergent
I travel with my husband and kids quite often and our vacations usually last a week. We vacation at resorts that have a washer and dryer in the room. Disney Cruise Line also has washers and dryers on board its ships.
“Who wants to do laundry when they’re on vacation?”, you may ask. I do. I wash a couple of loads on one day near the end of our vacation, and it has two benefits:
a. I pack less and have room for the things I may purchase while on vacation and,
b. I don’t have any laundry to do when I get home.
Win, win.
7. Lint Roller
A lint roller accompanies me on trips where I need to bring formal clothing.
8. Travel Sized Toiletries
Items such as toothpaste, mouthwash, and shampoo fit neatly into a quart sized bag. They are packed in the quart sized bag to protect my clothing in case they accidentally spill.
9 & 10. Change of Clothing/Personal Items
Durable, soft sided bags are perfect for carrying a change of clothing and personal items.
When I cruise, it takes time to have my bags delivered to my stateroom, and these bags keep items I may need at hand.
I’ve also experienced international travel with a 7-hour delay because of mechanical issues with the airplane.
Anything can happen when I travel, and these bags fit neatly into my carry on.
11. Perfume
A lightly scented perfume is perfect for those times when I travel and have a dinner date with my husband or a special event to attend during a trip.
12. Scented Toilet Spray
This product is 2 ounces of happiness in a bottle and makes sharing a bathroom so much easier.
13. Medicine Bottles
These were given to me by a pharmacist at my local drugstore. I haven’t used them, but keep them in the storage box because they will come in handy one day.
14. Q-tips
I found this tiny tin of Q-tips at a dollar store. I bought several of them and they always come in handy.
15. Extra Quart Sized Bags
The box of quart-sized bags in my pantry is always empty when I’m ready to travel. The best way for me to have a few bags available for use is to keep them stored in my storage box.
New Additions!
Like me, you probably had your travel plans canceled during the pandemic.
I had a summer filled with travel plans, and had to readjust to life at home.
When I reviewed my list of travel essentials, I realized that it did not include hand sanitizing products.
It wasn’t that I didn’t travel with hand sanitizer, it just wasn’t something I kept in my storage box.
Now, I consider it a travel essential that I will need to keep handy.
Because hand sanitizing products can lose effectiveness over time, there are expiration dates listed on the packaging of hand sanitizing gels, sprays, and wipes.
If you don’t plan on traveling soon, buy only what you need for use at home. If you know your travel plans, check the packaging and look for expiration dates that last well into the next year.
Hand sanitizers come in wipes, gels, and sprays, and no matter which form I choose, I have always been able to find travel-friendly sizes.
Travel-size hand sanitizer fits neatly inside my 12-quart container but there is one item that comes in its own case and has joined my list of travel essentials, even if it doesn’t fit in the container.
While I was checking expiration dates on the items inside my container, it dawned on me that the products inside my first-aid kit had not been updated in a long time. If there’s one thing that I want to be effective when I need it, it’s the gels, bandages, and other items that are life savers when injuries occur.
Everything inside the first aid kit I owned was there based on the knowledge I had about the things that should be included in a basic first aid kit. When I checked the items inside, almost everything had be thrown out, including the case because it was well-worn and had seen its share of travel. Besides that, I had gained new insight about what needed to be in a first aid kit that was prepared to handle most emergencies. There were items missing that I hadn’t thought of when I assembled my old kit, like a cold and hot compress.
I ordered a kit online that included all the things I needed. It’s made out of a flexible canvas material that makes it easy to pack in my carry-on luggage.
What’s included in your list of items to keep handy for travel?
Which travel-friendly product do you use that is your favorite?
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