As you read this, Zab and I are in the throes of planning a big exciting trip that will start next month. To be among the first to find out where we’re going (hint: not Europe) over winter, sign up to our newsletter where we’ll spill all the beans in just under two weeks.
In preparing for this trip, we’re both digging through our (few) boxes of stuff in our flat in Berlin for those little things we rarely use while we’re at home, but can be so handy while travelling, as well as dusting off our backpacks from under the bed.
As a result, I was inspired to put together a list of these small things that take up almost no space but can make such a difference to the comfort of our travels.
Belkin 3.5mm Headphone Splitter Dongle
On those long train, bus or plane journeys, Zab and I like to share media sometimes. With this little headphone jack splitter, we can both have our own headphones on and listen to whatever it is that we’re currently obsessing over. Sometimes Star Trek or some other science fiction series, sometimes a Dan Savage podcast, it means that we don’t have to share one set of headphones and only have one earbud each.
20 Pairs of Howard Leight Laser Lite Ear Plugs
I am unfortunately very sensitive to noise when I’m trying to fall asleep (especially in a shared sleeping space) so earplugs are an essential travel accessory for me. While I haven’t found the perfect ones yet, these are pretty close as they are light and easily malleable, and do not put a lot of pressure on your ear canal. The fact that they’re in such bright colours also helps you find them in the bed after they’ve (inevitably) fallen out during the night. Unless you sleep like a corpse and don’t move!
Xylitol Spry Peppermint 30 Gums (Pack of 6, Total 180 Gums)
For those travel days when brushing your teeth is just not practical because you don’t have time or access to potable water, these chewing gum will clean your teeth and give you that fresh mouth feeling. Xylitol is a natural sugar substitute often extracted birch trees which has no calories and actually cleans your teeth! The peppermint flavour is my favourite, but there are others.
Moleskine Pocket Size Hard Portfolio
I find that there are several documents and miscellaneous items smaller than my passport that I need to carry with me when I’m travelling, and having one place to keep them all together is very convenient. Think of things like SIM cards, rechargeable transport cards, vaccination records, spare passport photos for visas, emergency bank cards. This mini Moleskine concertina folder is perfect for these.
What small things do you find really useful to pack when you travel?
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