Sometimes when we travel we focus so much on what we are going to wear that we don't thing much about all the other little things we might want to take a long that can really make or break a trip or at least make it so you don't spend your precious vacation time trying to find a store that sells what you need. So here are seven of my favorite things for keeping organized and happy while traveling.
Item 1
Passport and document wallet
A document wallet is handy to keep all your paper doc's, passports, debit cards, spare credit cards, train tickets, boarding passes, etc all in one place. It's easy to throw into a hotel or cruise ship safe and know that nothing is going to drop and scatter so things stay safe and sound while you go out and explore your destination. While you will find many versions of this in black, I like this one as the colorful pattern as it's easy to see inside a safe and thus harder to forget. Also it comes with some nice RFID sleeves (which block your info being stolen by someone scanning your pocket or your bags with an RFID scanner - yup that is a thing). Also I think the pattern makes it easy to see in your bag while traveling between cities and reassure yourself that it is still there. Keeping your documents safe for only $19.99 is money well spent. To order this item, simply click on the photo or on this link.
Item 2
Voltage Converter
If forget your Euro-to-US plug adapter and an outlet strip to keep all your technology charged up you could be heading for trouble. This is especially true if you are planing on using your phone as your camera, or to listen to your favorite tunes while traveling between cities it need to be charged and ready to go. And while you may not use your phone for much beyond that during your trip, your lack of ability to charge your phone for these uses could be a heart breaker! Voltage in Europe is different than voltage in the US. European voltage is 220, in Japan it's 100, in the UK, Ireland and South Africa it's 230, in Mexico it's 120 and and voltage in the US 110. The solution is to buy a universal adapter (only $17.58 if purchased with the link below) that will work no matter where you are traveling. Keeping all your electronics charged up and ready to go will help you make sure you are ready to snap a photo or listen to your favorite tunes no matter where you are! To order this item, simply click on the photo or on this link.
Items 3 & 4
Rume Products
Being organized while you travel is a must. Digging through your carry on to find your train tickets or stuffing receipts into your pockets is stressful. So having the right things to use to pack your gear is essential. I love a line of products by Rume for this reason. They offer scads of innovate and fun looking stuff, all designed to keep you organized on the go. And I have a nice little 20% off discount code that you can use for anything you find on this site that you like! It's: RRCarol988 or you can use the link below and the code will automatically be added to your cart. http://www.rumebags.com/
Two I especially like are:
The Baggie All: Use one pocket for guide book or papers you want to keep handy, another pocket for your beauty must haves and the third pocket for all your receipts. Or use the three pockets for any combination of stuff you want to find easily. Throw this in your day pack or carry on bag and you instantly know where every thing you need can be found! They come in lots of different colors and patterns so you can easily find one (or two) that suit you! For only $11.95 this is a bargain to keep your vacation stress free and use the link and you get 20% off that price to boot!
The TechTaco: Between your charging cords, your ear buds, your all those other small device cords your vital tech gear can end up a tangled mess. Welcome to the Tech Taco. It corrals your cords with a handy wrap of the taco are your charges, MP3 cords, USB cords or anything else you have. Throw those now neatly bundled cords into this hand little Revel pocket bag that comes with the tacos and never untangle your cords again. You can also get a Tech Burrito set for larger cords! Only $9.95 for three tacos plus a bonus bag to put them in plus 20% off in your cart by using this link or the promo code above.
Rume has a TON of useful packing products. If you want to browes the site, you can use the links and discount code above or just use this link and the 20% off discount code will automatically be added to your shopping cart. (Note: If a link pops up to get you 10% off by signing up for their email list, remember that you can come back to the link here and get 20% off your order any time.)
To get the Rume 20% off in your shopping cart start here and then add the items mentioned above: Rume
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Item 5
The right packing cubes
I feel like we all know about packing cubes by now and you may be tempted to just skip over this tip. BUT…the right packing cubes can make a big difference when you travel and in your closet. What do I mean? First off many packing cubes are fabric on all sides. That means they are fairly stiff and inflexible and that can limit you in a couple of ways. Packing cubes that are too rigid or have fabric sides don’t let anything breathe and that means you can’t squish air out of them so they don’t compress well, leaving you with less room in your suitcase. They also don’t store very flat or compactly and if you have limited space in your closet for these type of things that is sort of a drag.
My favorite packing cubes by Kiva are mesh on three sides and thus let the contents breath so that air can be compressed out and this design ensures that they store flat. This is handy not only for your closet but also if you want to take an extra one to neatly corral all the goodies you acquire on your trip. To order this item, simply click on the photo or on this link.
Item 6
Tide Packets
Okay, sure you can buy those little plastic bottles at the drug store and try to pour some liquid soap like Woolite into them but what will you do if they leak all over the contents of your suitcase while you travel? Better to find a way to hand wash your items in your hotel sink and dry them out in your room without the potential for a mess. Enter the Tide packets. Handy little packet that you can throw into your kit with no mess, what a bargain for only $3.65 for 4 packets. To order this item, simply click on the photo or on this link.
Item 7
A clothes line
So you decided to pack lighter and do a little sink laundry on your trip, great! How will you get those much needed items dry? Well, if you get a travel clothes line you can hang up what you just washed and it will be dry in no time. The Kiva Designs clothes line comes a stretchy design that lets you push a corner of your clothing item into the line so that there is no need for clips. It compacts down to a very small size in your luggage and can be looped around almost anything. While a bit pricey at $19.00 I have had one of these for well over 15 years and it’s still going strong. To order this item, simply click on the photo or on this link.
By using these handy items you can make your trip easier and more care free. A little bit of advance planning and buying the right items will pay off in the rewards of a less stressful and easier trip. And that is what we all want on vacation, isn’t it?