I recently read an article posted in Travel and Leisure on the most forgotten items when packing.
They listed phone chargers, toothpaste, sunblock, umbrella, swimsuit, and hair comb and brush as the top items forgotten.
I’ll start by saying, the remedy to not forget these items is to pre-pack the basics. Now, I understand that due to my profession and frequent travel this makes sense for me, however, if you travel just once or twice a year, this is still a good practice. If you travel less frequently, I recommend a packing list and to start early with the essentials.
Regarding T&L’s list of “Most Forgotten Items When Packing”:
A good practice for phone charges is to understand, you can never have too many!!! Whenever I receive free ones from trade shows or as gifts, they go in my travel bag. I actually have so many, I have at least one on my desk, in several rooms in the house, in my travel bag, and in several purses. The biggest thing to remember is to “CHARGE IT”. Also, have extra cables and extra-long cables. I even have plug adapters in case I need to borrow one that doesn’t fit my phone. The cable is actually just as important as the charger itself because most hotels have USB outlets and TV’s have USB’s as well, allowing you to charge without a charger.
I keep a toiletry bag packed with 2 mini tubes of toothpaste in my toiletry bag. Chalk that up to experience. When I return from my trip I check all items in my toiletry bag to see what’s low or gone and, replace them. Whenever I go to the dentist, which is the recommended twice a year cleaning, they give me a to-go dental care kit that includes travel size toothpaste, mouthwash, and sometimes dental floss – I ask for extras. When I get home, I immediately add them to my toiletry bag. FREEBIES!
As for Swimsuits & Sunblock? I have forgotten these items more than I care to mention. Not every vacation or trip calls for a swimsuit but, when I think about it, there are times when I wish I had one. After either a forced purchase or missing out, I keep a swimsuit packed in my travel bag, just in case. It’s actually one that I bought and paid too much money for at a destination because I forgot to pack mine. Certainly, if I’m going to a destination that screams, “BRING YOUR SWIMSUIT”, I don’t forget to pack one and I bring the really cute one. As for sunblock, that too has now made my list of, always have one prepacked in my travel bag. It’s one of those things you don’t feel you need unless the destination or your activities call for it. You could buy a travel-sized one and keep it in your toiletry bag. Side note, why is sunblock so expensive to buy at your destination? I know, it’s a convenient purchase and most of the time when you need it, you’re buying it from the souvenir shop or at the airport. Argh!
The umbrella, this too is an item I really don’t like to carry, not even at home. I keep a hat, rain scarf or poncho with me for wet weather. I find that I’m rarely in a situation when I’m in the rain long enough for it to be a problem. It’s up to you though, so if it is an item you’d like to have, once again, pre-pack it and never take it out, this means, you’ll always have one. Also, remember you can always buy an inexpensive one at the destination and either leave it or keep it in your travel bag. Note: many hotels have umbrellas you can borrow. They’re typically the 5-star hotels.
Now for the Hair Comb and Brush, yes, I capitalized them because these are special and essential tools, especially for Black hair. To pack light and avoid, “hair duty” during my travels, I usually have a protective hairstyle, aka braids, etc., and don’t need these tools. However, on occasion, I rock my own hair when I hit the road, and when my environment and activities will be low impact. What about the hotel amenities kit? They always have a comb in there. To that, I say, HA! Those combs are not for curly or coily hair. Those tiny, cheap combs just won’t do. This is truly a “Traveling While Black” moment. That toy hair comb will rip out our fragile hair. Yes, our hair is fragile, that’s why it coils. For most of our hair types, we need a wide-tooth comb. OK, in the prepacked travel bag you go!
All in all, the simple fix to commonly forgotten items is to keep your travel bag packed with essentials and have a packing list. I could have just said that but then I would have a blog post. 😉
Tell me about items you’ve forgotten to pack and how it impacted your trip. Or, if there is an item that wasn’t mentioned here that you often forget about. Sharing is caring!
Yours truly,
Ja’Vonne, aka, The Traveling Culturati