Whether you are sick of work and need a break, or visiting your relatives in a different country, vacations are always something to look forward to. Whilst holidays are a gateway to the endless carefree fun and relaxation, the planning that goes into it is not all that simple. Staying at a hotel that you are not sure has enough power outlets? Preparing to travel 15 plus hours? When travelling to have the best time of your life, the accessories that go with you cannot possibly be mediocre. Here’s a list of essentials that everyone needs to ensure that you travel not only in style, but without hiccups. Accessories are divided into three sections: Packing, travelling and reaching your destination.
When getting ready to stuff all your belongings into a tiny space, the best thing you can buy for organization is packing cubes. Suitcases don’t usually come with many dividers, maybe two pockets at most. Cubes help to make unpacking much easier as you can freely label them according to their contents. This makes dirty laundry getting mixed with the brand new clothes you bought at the mall, very unlikely. It makes sharing a suitcase, much more efficient as you and your partner can allocate certain amount of cubes to each other, preventing belongings getting lost or mixed up. This point is brought up brilliantly on this Costa Rica blog.
Most hotels provide cheap shampoo and conditioner, which does nothing to benefit your hair. It is imperative that you buy a travel kit inclusive of a mini empty spray bottle, three bottles for shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, and two small containers for lotion and sunscreen. Taking your own products prevents hair from being damaged and skin from breaking out. Travel size makes the possibility of leakage very low, and saves space. Always keep a compact electronic luggage scale to ensure that you won’t have to pay extra at the check in counter, and that your luggage is good to go.
A document organizer or travel wallet is an essential. It is very important to keep your official documents such as ticket and visa in a compact wallet along with your passport in the same place. This prevents documents from getting lost or torn during travelling and makes it easier to whip out if need be. A travel lock is a major must have when it comes to security. Keep your belongings safe by buying a good padlock. Getting a backpack that is anti-theft, shockproof, water and fire resistant, and big enough for your laptop and other goodies is also important. Remember to keep hand sanitizer, hand lotion, lip balm and a mini set of toothpaste and toothbrush in the case of layovers. Remember to take care of yourself during your travel. Make sure to keep a sleeping mask and an ergonomic neck pillow- to avoid bad posture, back aches, and neck cramps – to help you stay comfy throughout your flight. Investing in a pair of compression socks will make travelling more comfortable. They will keep your feet warm and at the same time, prevent your legs from losing blood circulation.
Travelling for consecutive hours can not only be uncomfortable, but also painfully boring if you are not one to easily fall asleep. No one would normally sit in a chair for hours on end. Keeping an iPad, tablet, iPod or an E-book reader such as a Kindle can save you extreme boredom. If you airplane does not come with a built in TV, or you’ve spent hours browsing through the one provided and can’t find anything decent, then consider the aforementioned options. A tablet can keep you entertained by providing movies, music and games. By keeping a portable Wi-fi dongle and a portable power bank, you won’t have to worry about streaming Netflix and having the batteries run out. Having a multi USB charger takes it to the next level, so you can easily put many electronics to charge all at the same time. Take it up a notch and get yourself an earphone jack splitter, which will enable your partner to join in on the fun with their own personal pair of headphones. Make sure to keep a sweater, cardigan or jacket in the case of unexpected weather.
When you do finally reach your destination, there are things that you will realize you will need. If you plan on staying at a hotel in a foreign country, you will realize that the power outlets may be different. For that very purpose, be sure to keep an international power adapter. It is essentially a large power adapter with power outlets built in that will enable you to fit in any type of sockets in it. Along with this, keep a multi user cable, which contains several different types of charging cables connected to one USB port. A digital and cable organizer can make wires from getting jumbled and tangled as it has allocates spaces and pockets for all your cables! A Bluetooth speaker such as those by JBL, enables you to play your own personalized music out loud, anywhere.
Keeping your own towel is a must and the best to own is the micro-fiber towel. It’s fast absorbing, and dries faster than other towels. Some hotels do not provide towels, and in many you have to pay to get some. Having sachets of detergent can come in handy to avoid dry cleaning costs. These come with rubber gloves and sink stoppers, so you can easily wash your undergarments and socks by yourself. Along with this, an attachable laundry line with suction cups can easily be hung on top of the tub. Washing and drying made compact and easy! A pocket blanket is also the best essential. It’s compact enough to be folded to the sixe of a playing card, and can be taken anywhere. Travelling is always an adventure, why not make the experience safe and fun at the same time? Remember to keep the best accessories mentioned above with you to make your journey comfortable, enjoyable and exciting.