I cannot believe that March is already halfway through! This year has been going by so fast, probably because of all of the fun I have been having traveling around. I just came back from one of my favorite places on Earth, West Palm Beach (Singer Island, Riviera Beach). This post is more about the items I bring when traveling then that trip, but I will be posting more about what I did on my Instagram and later on in another blog post. I have been trying to think of other ideas for blogs besides just destinations, so I thought I would start with my own travel essentials.
First off, when traveling I tend to try to stick to only carry-ons for a couple reasons. One, I would rather have all my stuff with me on the plane, two I have the possibility of saving some money and three I can leave the airport right away without waiting around for any bags. Sometimes airlines lose bags or misplace someone's luggage making for a stressful experience. By taking all of my items in a carry-on I can assure that I have everything with me at all times. Next, not everyone has the money to pay for extra luggage. Yes, some people travel so much that they get it for free and others have credit cards that have the benefit of free checked bags, but some people do not. This makes it an extra cost that some people would rather avoid. Lastly, sometimes I do not want to have to wait for my luggage to come off the plane and onto the carousel. This allows me to just get off the plane, get a car to my hotel or home, avoiding 30-40 extra minutes at the airport.
It is not always possible to fit everything into a carry-on. Sometimes I have to bring liquids or I just have too much stuff. When I travel to a place with lots of sun or for a long time, I find it best to check a bag. I do this to save money on items like sunblock, shampoo/conditioner and lotion. A checked bag usually ranges from $30-35 based on the number of bags you check and the weight. It is usually cheaper to pay for the checked bag with how much those liquid items cost when getting them on vacation. Again it depends on the length of the trip and where I am going.
Inside of those bags there are some things I always bring with me on any trip. Let us start with the carry-on bags. I always put anything valuable such as jewelry, credit cards, passport, tickets and medicines. These are things that I would most certainly need 100%, so it is important I always keep them on me. I like to put my jewelry there, so it does not accidentally go missing from a checked bag for any reason. Why put anything valuable at risk. If I am checking a bag, I like to only have one carry-on that will fit under my chair, so it is guaranteed to stay with me. This bag usually holds my laptop. iPad and headphones, anything electronic. I always bring my own snacks in this bag too. If I am not checking a bag, I have the bag under the seat and a smaller roller with all of my clothes. I never really had a problem with getting all the items I need for a trip in any combination of bags. I think this is because I take the time to think about what I really need and edit out anything that would just waste space.
The next really important items I always have are printouts of my tickets/reservations. I am the person who loves to have paper copies of all my tickets and reservations. I have run into some issues with my name not coming up on the reservation and having this printed copy makes getting everything straightened out so much easier. Something else I always bring with me, that my dad taught me to do, is have a paper with all the passwords and usernames for anything you might need. We have accounts with all the large airlines to collect miles when we use them, so having all that information written down might come in handy. If a flight gets canceled or changed you can easily book another ticket since you have all your information. We recently needed to pull that paper out when in the airport in Newark. My family got Clear (which is so awesome, FYI) and if we used our United account, we got a discount. It is pretty hard to remember a number like that, so I was able to take out that paper and get the discount from that.
When traveling alone I bring my tripod with me and a couple books. This allows me to get the most amazing pictures and keep myself busy during the day. I do have to say that I love to read and take total advantage of my time alone, reading as many books as I possibly can. Sometimes I get annoyed when people start talking to me (they are just being nice and friendly) because all I want to do that day is read! Traveling solo has really taught me to appreciate my alone time and I feel myself getting annoyed when I am at home and cannot find time with myself or just some peace and quiet. I also make sure I have my wireless earbuds and my wireless headphones. I use the earbuds by the pool since I can have one in my ear and one left in the case (can still hear others around me) and the other headphones I use when working out since they go over both my ears and do not fall out when running.
Let's talk about some liquids I always bring with me even if I do not check a bag. I love my skincare and will never skip a night for any reason. I find that most of those are under 3.4oz making it an easy fit into my bags regardless of if I checked my bag or not. I also purchased little travel size containers that can find any of the liquids I have over the limit. They are some of the best things I have ever purchased from amazon, I even got an extra set to make sure I always have the right bottle available for whatever I need. They have never leaked open, and they come with a little funnel to help you transfer the liquid into it. Sometimes if I know that I will use a lot of one product, I fill up two of the bottles to make sure I have enough of it for my trip. These travel bottles have allowed me to bring all the things I used to have to buy or leave at home. It also has allowed me to cut down on checked bags by get all of my items into my carry-ons (use this link to check out the product). The next item is technically not a liquid, but a liquid container. I always have an empty water bottle that I can fill up when at the airport or in the hotel. This has helped me have so much money by not having to pay $4 for one bottle, I just use filtered water to fill it up. This is one of my favorite ways to save money with anything you do. The mark up on water that is considered convent is crazy and it is better for the environment anyway (less plastic waste).
My clothes definitely change with how long I am away and where I am going. I always bring a sweater or sweatshirt that will keep me warm. Sometimes, even if it is 100 degrees, I still feel cold and need an extra layer of clothes. I always check the weather before I travel anywhere. This allows me to see if it will be raining at all to know if I should bring a rain jacket or umbrella. I can fold my rain jacket to be so tiny and I have a small umbrella that does not take up any space. If I am traveling to Florida, I always take those two things because even if it says no rain, it always rains there. I also always bring two sets of workout clothes. These will be enough to get me through the trip for any outdoor activity or working out I might do. I usually stay at a resort with a washer and dryer in the room. During those times I only bring one set to save room for something else. I also like to bring one or two nice outfits (dresses do not take up much room). Sometimes plans change or I meet people who want to do something that I did not have on my schedule. This gives me the opportunity to be able to tag along without standing out. Sometimes I also get inspired to get some nice photos and those outfits make the perfect match. Most of the places I travel to are for the sun, sand, beaches and pools, this means that I always have a bathing suit in my bag. Actually my bag usually consists mostly of bathing suits since it is my main activity when away. Who does not love to relax and get a tan?
Some other essentials I always bring with me that some people might overlook are over-the-counter medicines, snacks, plastic bags, tea bags and wipes. Ever wake-up with a headache and not have anything to help? I have and will never make that mistake again. I bring things like Advil, Tylenol and ginger. Ginger is a great thing to eat if you ever have an upset stomach, something my grandma told me that I love to use. I have a little pill box that can hold 7 different types of medicine that might come in handy if I need it. Next thing I always bring are a couple snacks. I sometimes get hungry at the worst times and hate to be caught without a little something in a pinch. I like to bring some granola bars or microwave popcorn that I can snack on when I have absolutely no other options. I always bring a couple extra plastic bags on every trip. Sometimes I use them for things like seashells, I can put a liquid bottle that might have leaked to protect my other items and I could put some snacks inside them to take to the beach, pool or on a hike. I am a tea drinker and always have one tea bag on me. This is because some places might not have the tea that I like or have it at all. The last item is wipes. I always try to always keep some on me. Never know when a bathroom is out of toilet paper or if you need to touch something gross or just simply wipe your hands.
I bring a lot more items than just what I talked about above, those are just the essentials I would never go anywhere without. All of my other items are based on the activities I plan to do when away, how long I plan to stay for and the type of weather the area will have. I like to basically pack twice to make sure I did not miss anything. The first time I take everything out and put it on the couch or bed and the second time I actually put those items in my rollers and carry-on. This allows me to take out any unnecessary items and think of anything I could have missed. I like to do this one or two days before I go to give me the most time to remember anything I could have forgotten. No matter what I do I always bring clothes I never wear (nothing crazy just a tee-shirt or pants), so I really try to take out anything that I am really reaching to take. Maybe one day I will master exactly what I need and at what time, but I do try to prepare for the unexpected and that means sometimes bringing a little extra. I never want to be in need of something and not have it.
Hopefully this will help you when thinking about preparing for your next adventure and to maybe remember something that you might have overlooked. If you have any questions about anything I talked about in this post or want to share some of your own travel essentials, head to the forum and leave a comment. As always I hope you find some adventures this week and maybe start planning your own solo trips.
-G
Comentários