There is no doubt that just reading the word ‘holiday’ would be the reason for that smile on your face. This could be either because of the flashbacks you are getting of your previous holiday as you are reading this or you are thinking of a possible one in the near future. Even though all of us spend months planning our perfect trip away, there are still things that skip our mind or we deem them to be not too important. I thought listing these things would make for a very efficient use of my time and make my planning for those future trips a lot less time consuming.
Without wasting any more words, here’s the breakdown of things that you should definitely pack for one of those ‘just in case moments’:
1. An extra bag
I know this might be confusing but this is one of the most important things if you are planning to go nuts while shopping on your trip. An extra bag comes in very handy when you have a suitcase already full of your belongings and nothing to carry that enormous pile of shopping you did without thinking ahead.
As they say, you learn everything from experience, I learned this while I was in Barcelona with my girlfriend. Having no plans of shopping initially and then suddenly going on a shopping spree, ranging from corsets to boots to full-blown dresses, a suitcase was the additional item we had to put on that list. This should be at the top your list especially if you plan on buying lots of souvenirs whilst on your travels.
2. Photocopied set of your documents
An intelligent traveller knows that carrying an extra copy of your documents is a must in case you lose the original. These documents would be a passport, driver’s license and your medical and travel insurance. Not that you won’t have to make round trips to your respective embassies in case you lose your passport, but it would make the process a lot faster and more efficient.
A set of passport size photographs won’t hurt as well. These are very crucial in some cities where you may need them for your travel passes (Paris, for instance) and other recreational events.
It is possible to store most of this information on a USB or even in a folder on your emails, but carrying a printed copy is handy if you’ll be visiting places where access to the internet or a computer could be tricky.
3. First-aid kit and Medical supplies
No-one wants to think of anything terrible happening to anyone when you are away from home and having a good time, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it won’t happen. Solution? Go prepared. A first-aid kit is an absolute necessity and something one cannot simply ignore. There are a lot of things that might not go your way which may spoil the rest of your trip. For instance, taking a road trip, on a bike witnessing the country view is bound to give you a backache. Therefore, to take care of motorcycle pains you need to have a first aid kit handy.
If you are on any kind of medication, make sure you have the prescriptions for at least 3 days more than your length of stay. You don’t want to run out of your supplies and then not be able to buy in case of emergency.
4. Emergency contact details
This is very crucial for the solo travellers who live to explore new worlds and “find themselves” on these trips. Before going all spiritual, make sure you make a list of all your contacts in case a tragedy befalls you. That tragedy being losing your phone or getting your phone stolen. Trust me, you can’t thank yourself enough for taking this measure because the only worse thing than losing your phone is not being able to contact anyone after that.
5. A Dry Sack
For all of you adventure seekers out there, this a must. These bags are indispensable when it comes to protecting your electronics in case it rains or you manage to slip into the river because let’s face it, you can. I learned this the hard way when a trek cost me my phone’s display and my charger. If anything, it acts as an extra pouch and knowing my camera is safe and dry gives me another sense of relief.
6. Your Financial data
This includes all your passwords related to bank accounts and credentials needed for you to login to make necessary changes. Why would you need it? Well, there have been cases where travellers lose their stuff, including wallets and credit cards. In order to access your bank account, for blocking cards and withdrawing money, you would want to keep those credentials within reach as a soft copy or a printed copy safely.
Carrying an extra credit card just in case of need also proves to be useful for keeping things managed and under control.
There must be a million other things out there which are a must-have while traveling. But, I’m sure just like I learned from my experience, you’d do the same.
Keep rocking!!
Author: Jessica is a traveller by heart and a fashionista. She loves to pen down her thoughts related to her travel experiences and her knowledge about motorcycle adventure products. Donning a corset, she travels in style! She loves to go on long road trips and meet new people.