Essential Items to Bring When You Travel

In this article, we’ll talk about essentials to bring while traveling. While it may seem trivial, packing may be the dealbreaker when it comes to travel. After all, you can be charged with an overweight bag fee you hadn’t factored into your trip budget.


So if you’re unsure what to pack for your next trip, you’ve come to the right place! Don’t forget to check out my other travel-related articles if you’re interested. 


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Important Documents, Local Currency, and More!



If you’re traveling out of the country, you will absolutely need your passport. This is a nonnegotiable for international flights. You will need it to get out of the country as well as to get a SIM card for your possible internet needs. Be that as it may, it is also one of the easiest essential items to lose while traveling. 

A great way to make sure you always have access to your documentation is to keep pictures of your passports and further identifications on your phone. For Apple users, I suggest you put all photos of your documentation on a note from the “Notes” app most Apple devices have. As for other phone owners, you could simply create a photo collection of your documents.



*Please note that you will still have to have your physical passports with you when at the airport’s immigration area (so that they can stamp your passports and prove ownership of them). Pictures of your documents will only be accepted if you are getting something like the SIM card I mentioned before.


Along with your passport and other means of identification, you may also be required to provide a travel visa. In my experience (for example, when I visited Bali, Indonesia), I was able to get my travel visa when I got to the country. That doesn’t happen everywhere, though, so be sure to do some research on the country you are traveling to beforehand. 


If you decide to get travel insurance, you must save the receipts of said insurance as well as other information provided to you on your phone. You can also save copies of any emails the insurance providers may send you as verification of the insurance. 


This is to prove your coverage further in case your provider’s servers aren’t up-to-date when you need them to be. Yes, this happens sometimes. Technology is constantly evolving and mistakes can still happen. Make sure you can bounce back from those mistakes!


Having the local currency of the country you are traveling to is self-explanatory. However, some people don’t know that you can find different conversion rates in different places. Usually, you can find an abundance of currency-conversion stalls while you are in the airport. It helps to take a look around to compare conversion rates so you can get the most per dollar (or whatever currency you had to begin with). 


The Right Clothes


Before traveling, make sure you have checked what the weather will be while you are there. It’s up to you how many clothes you choose to bring, but I think it’s safe to bring one outfit per day so that you save suitcase space. With that, you can bring an extra set in your carry-on in case you get stuck in the airport. 

Along with the clothes you’ll need to bring comfortable shoes. I would say three different pairs at the max. Those include tennis shoes, slides, and heels or other formal shoes if you decide to attend an event that warrants them. If you have plenty of space in your luggage, go ahead and bring what you want (IF you have everything else you need) because you're grown!


I’m not an accessory person, but I’m sure you could get away with bringing some items to flair up your outfit. You are (possibly) going on vacation, after all. If you do decide to bring something like watches, bracelets, necklaces, and more, you should keep them all together in a box that won’t catch the material your accessories are made from. Things like hats and scarves can be placed in the main area of your luggage so you shouldn’t have to worry about them too much. 



Toiletries and First Aid


Common toiletries include soap, toothpaste, a toothbrush, and whatever you wash with (rags, loofahs, etc.). Some people, however, need extra personal care items such as lotion, shampoo and conditioner, razors, and other things of that nature. 


Regardless of what you bring, make sure all of your liquid items are secure in a plastic bag of some sort. It could be a Walmart bag (in case you want to save money) for that matter. It’s just important to keep your liquid items away from belongings they can ruin.


There is no telling when accidents can happen. That’s why I highly suggest you invest in a travel-sized first aid kit (or even a full-sized one if you have the space). It’s a great purchase because it is always useful! I keep one in my purse and one in my car at all times. Then, when I travel, I just take one with me and replace it when I get back. 


Technology


I won’t bother telling you to bring the electronics you feel you will use while you’re vacationing. Instead, I’ll give you some advice on where to pack them. I’ve found that when packing my computer in my check-in suitcase, TSA agents flag it as an item that warrants inspection. 



Even though I always traveled with locked bags at the time, the agents were able to bypass the lock and inspect my bag anyway. This made me a bit uncomfortable since I always brought the Macbook that I purchased myself in the 11th grade (so worth it by the way).  


My solution was just to start packing all of my technology in my carry-on bag. That way, I was always able to have access to them and to make sure no one had their hands on them but mine (unless I wanted them to touch them).  


If you’re packing your computer, then I would keep the charging cord in the carry-on. For items as big as or smaller than a phone, I would keep both the item and the item’s charger on your person in case you need to access it quickly. If you’re looking to make the process easier on yourself, you can keep the charger in your carry-on and then transfer it to your person after the TSA (security check) process.

What Are You Waiting For? Get to Traveling!


Now that I’ve shared some tips on the most essential items you should bring with you while traveling, it’s high time you put the tips into action. Make sure to share your ideas if you think I’ve missed something on this list. There’s a possibility that you may see your suggestion in the next travel-related article

Until then, just remember that everybody may not like me, but they have no choice but to love me because I’ll always be there for them and accept them for who they are. Safe travels!



Lakyra Reeves

Hey, it's me... Lakyra. If you're here then that means you're somewhat curious about what I have going on here. The truth is, I've got a bit of everything going on here! The one-stop shop for advice is here, whether you're looking to get some travel tips or wondering what your next steps should be for your business. The great thing about learning it from me is that you'll always be in a safe space. That's the most important thing to me here, and I'm grateful you're here too!

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