A vacation on the road is an exciting adventure—that is, until you realize you forgot to bring something you really need. Remembering to pack essentials like swimsuits, toiletries, and hiking shoes is easy. But what about those important specialty items that you’d rather have and not need than need and not have?
That’s why it’s a good idea to assemble a travel kit to take along on any trip. By having it ready well in advance of your next road trip or vacation, all you have to do is throw it in the car or your luggage and you’ll be good to go.
But what should your travel kit include? Mostly that depends on you, but here are a few suggestions that will absolutely come in handy as you travel:
• First aid kit. This doesn’t have to be big, but it should contain the basics like bandages, gauze, antibiotic ointment, scissors, medical tape, painkiller, etc. You can assemble your own if you’d like, but since we are already talking about assembling a travel kit, why worry about assembling another to put in it? There are several pre-packed first aid kits on the market, but we recommend the Melaleuca first aid kit. It contains all the essentials, plus multi-purpose tea tree (melaleuca oil) ointment, which is great for soothing burns, cuts, scrapes. and bites. (Melaleuca makes a lot of other great items essential for travel including sunscreen, insect repellant, and heartburn relief. You may want to check out some reviews to see what others have to say about Melaleuca products from Melaleuca.com.)
• Needle and thread. There’s a reason why most hotel chains have complimentary sewing kits in their rooms. They’re super handy. But if you are going to be staying somewhere other than a Marriott, or if you are going to be roughing it in any way, shape, or form, you’ll want to pack your own sewing kit for mishaps that involve your clothing or shoes.
• Nail clippers. These babies are super versatile, and there’s really nothing that can replace them when it comes to manicuring on the go.
• Baby wipes. If you don’t have kids, than you may not know just how many uses there are for baby wipes. They’re great for sticky hands, wiping car surfaces, cleaning up spills and stains, removing makeup, and even quick-buffing your shoes. We recommend the unscented variety.
• Umbrella. Have you ever noticed umbrellas for sale everywhere…until it’s raining and you need one immediately? There’s nothing that puts a damper on traveling like being caught unawares in a deluge. And just because you may live in a place where it hardly ever rains—sunny Southern California or Phoenix—that likely doesn’t apply to where you are traveling to. If you can easily pack a compact umbrella, do it.