Travel Hacks, Part 1: Packing

Packing for a trip tends to be, for many of us, the least exciting part. So, what are some ways to make this less of a dull chore and more of a honed skill?

Just for you, we’ve compiled a list of popular tips and hacks that savvy travelers swear by. While many of these pertain to airfare travel, many also apply to road trips and other forms of travel.

For efficiency and cleanliness…Roll your clothes, stuff socks inside shoes, use shower caps to cover shoe bottoms,and bring a plastic grocery bag or tote for soiled laundry to keep your luggage clean. (Clothes can be easily washed; suitcases are a different story.)

If travelling with a partner or friend, cross-pack some useful items in each other’s luggage. If one suitcase gets lost, the ill-fortuned one of you will have a bit more than what’s in your carry-on bag.

For long flights…Bring slippers for comfort and compression socks for circulation. The former are nice to have for planes, hotel rooms, and other indoor places where you may not prefer outdoor shoes.

If you’re prone to dryness or nosebleeds in that arid airplane air, Vaseline protects the inside of your nostrils.

If you plan to shop ‘til you drop…Put your carry on in an empty checked suitcase. That way, you’ll have a spare bag to fill with all your trip purchases. Getting there is that much easier: just one suitcase in tow, with no need to purchase a second.

Also, buy or bring a beach towel to wrap fragile gifts (a bottle of wine, for instance) in a checked bag.

Clothes

Don’t anticipate swimming? Pack a bathing suit and microfiber towel anyway. You never know when the occasion may arise.

For wet or soiled laundry, invest in quality wet bags that effectively separate them from your clean clothes.

Important Documents

There are two steps you can take to ensure important documents stay both secure and with you during your travels. First, bring printed copies of your driver’s license and your passport; for multiple travelers, keep a copy of each in multiple suitcases.

Second, you can email them to yourself. Should you lose everything, you simply need access to a computer. (Use an email that doesn’t require two-factor authentication, should your smartphone go missing, too.)

Multi-Purpose Items

Emergency sew? Broken shoe lace? Makeshift clothes line? Jewelry detangler? Dental floss, a MacGyver’s best friend,can serve many nifty purposes in a pinch.

Tiger balm works for muscle aches, soreness, and insect bites.

Either a Turkish towel or a thick-materialled sarong works as a towel, sunshade, seat cover, sheet, curtain, hat, sling, wrap, or bag. Select in a neutral color that goes with most outfits.

Technology

Do a preemptive back up. Along with your smartphone, bring a second cheap phone that’s backed up with all your data. Should you lose your primary phone, having a backup option prepared will spare you tremendous stress, time, and effort recovering your data, especially while far from home.

If space allows, consider bringing a three-outlet adapter, which saves lots of room in favor of a power strip. For personal belonging recovery, Apple Airtags are a must.

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Got any travel hacks of your own? Leave a comment below with your savviest tips and tricks.