Travel Must Takes

You know, those things you have to take when you travel. I'm talking about beyond the basics of toothpaste, band aids and dental floss. Every traveler has stuff that gets packed regardless of where or for how long they are going. Here's my list of eight don't forgets:

Plastic bags

Not even zip locks. I'm talking about the kind you get at the grocery store when you checkout. Countless times these have come in handy for wet clothes, opened shampoo bottles or the shells we found on the beach.  Usually I wrap shoes in them on the outbound trip so they keep the rest of the clothes clean and don't take up extra space.

 Coffee, sugar and my mini French press. 

I admit it, I'm a bit if a coffee snob. I'm not one of those people that has to get my double espresso, macchiato with skim milk and a shot of hazelnut coffee shop snob, but I also never had a cup of coffee from one of those in-room machines that tasted any better than tar. I use the in-room machine to heat the water and then enjoy a nice cup of coffee. Since I don't drink crap coffee at home why drink it on vacation?

String bag

Another little thing that comes more in handy than you
might think. Who wants to lug around a big backpack or even purse when you are out sightseeing or on a hike? Conference totes work ok too. Zipper pockets hold the phone or camera. It's easy to pack flat and makes bringing back stuff simple. Or you can toss it if it was a freebie.

Big scarf or pashmina

They say that the blankets on a plane get dry cleaned after use but I'd rather use a big scarf or pashmina as my blanket, thank you.  And you never know when you'll be stuck next to one of those travelers. They also come in handy if you're visiting a country where you may need a head scarf.

 

Sanitary wipes

Who knows who was in that seat before you? I've seen people change diapers on the tray table! Or when a bathroom is out of paper towels? Or worse yet, TP! Or when the kid gets a little messy. There are a thousand uses for these wonderful little things.

Snacks

Granola bars, peanut butter crackers, chocolate bar. Staving off the growling stomach while in the air or after the crew comes back from a dive and they are ravenous, I've always found its worth it to schlepp some snacks along on every trip.

Cough drops

Good for the plane, good when someone gets a sore throat, good for the annoying coughing passenger next to you.

Triple antibiotic

Solves so many problems it's hard to list them all. Just take it.


What's on your list of must takes?