You work hard all year, ask your boss for time off, book the flight, and plan the adventures you’ll have. Wanderlust is a strong desire to see the world and traveling is something we all look forward to. Many of us have a shelf full of travel guides and bucket-list destinations featuring exotic international cities. The day before our international holiday, we can hardly concentrate on work.
Travel is a grand adventure, but it can also be good for us. When trips are planned well, we can relax which is great for our typically overstimulated brains. When we bring along our friends or family, it gives us a chance to bond and refine our relationships. We learn more about ourselves through confidence and assertion. We also celebrate those moments when we navigate a new country using skills we didn’t know we had. Travel allows us to develop cultural sensitivity and enjoy different ways of living. It gives us a chance to immerse ourselves in unfamiliar settings, which in turn teaches us more about ourselves.
Most of these experiences, however, are direct results of having a well-planned adventure. And a well-planned adventure begins with a well-packed bag with accessories to make both the journey to your destination and your time spent there, smooth sailing.
It’s All About Planning
There are several important areas of travel that need to be considered when choosing the right accessories. Once you’ve chosen your destination and booked your ticket, it’s time to start mapping out all the details that will make for a smooth trip. Here are a few ideas for the best international travel accessories that will keep you entertained, comfortable and connected during your trip.
Packing
Compression sacks are excellent tools for making sure that you have the clothes you need. There are many kinds of compression sacks, from plastic zippered bags to stuff sacks with cinch straps. All have their benefits and drawbacks, depending on your needs and travel destinations. You can roll up your pants and shirts, evenly place them inside the compression sack, then remove as much air as possible. This compression allows you to fit more outfits in your luggage or to create more space for souvenirs.
Clothing
It can be hard to be away from home, especially when your clothes start smelling a bit stinky. Sometimes you have access to a laundromat, but other times you just have to make do with a hotel sink. Thankfully, there’s a detergent for that. Soak is a laundry detergent made for washing clothes in a sink. You fill up a sink, pour in the Soak, mix in your clothes, then let it sit for a while. After that, you just rinse out the clothes and hang them to dry.
Travel Kits
TSA security lines at the airport are a traveler’s worst nightmare. And with heightened security around the globe, how you store your liquids can make or break your experience in getting through them. There are many different types of bottle sets on the market to help you pack what you need while still meeting the TSA rules and standards. One set, the eBags 3-1-1 Nalgene Travel Bottle Kit, is durable and made to last through trip after trip. It’s dishwasher safe and includes many kinds of bottles to fit all of your needs.
Getting Rest
Flying can be an enjoyable experience or something that you loathe. But everyone can agree that being unable to sleep on a plane is not fun. Noise-cancelling headphones come to the rescue when you need a little shut-eye to make it through a long flight. There are many kinds available for purchase and some of them can be quite bulky. Luckily, there are also some that are easy to pack but make a world of difference to your sleeping experience. One of these is the Bose QuietComfort 20 headphones, which eliminates the noise around you and provides a high-quality listening experience.
Connecting
In our digital world, it’s important to stay connected to friends, family, and online guides. With different kinds of electrical systems on various continents, it’s important to be prepared with electrical adaptors. You certainly don’t want to arrive at your beautiful hotel in Venice only to discover that you can’t charge your smartphone. There are many kinds of adaptors on the market, but some work better than others. One such adaptor, the BESTEK International Travel Worldwide Plug Adaptor Set, includes plug adaptors for just about any country in which you might find yourself traveling.
Exploring
When you’re sightseeing and wandering around a new city on foot, you need to have everything close at hand. A daypack is a great solution to this problem. Daypacks allow you to safely carry water, a passport, a wallet, a jacket, notebooks, and any other items you might need. The best daypack will roll up into a small space to fit in your luggage. The Patagonia Lightweight Travel Tote is an excellent choice. It can be carried over your shoulder, as a tote, or on your back. It also stuffs into a small space, leaving room for all those souveniers that you’re bringing home.
Just In Case
When you’re traveling in countries during their rainy seasons, you’ll want to have an umbrella on hand. And with space at a premium, you want to make sure you choose carefully. The Lewis N. Clark umbrella is an excellent choice that will fit in a small space, hold up to wear, and keep you dry while sightseeing. In addition to these great features, it’s also very affordable. With this umbrella in tow, you’ll never have to change your plans due to the whether.
Travel Tips
It takes some effort and time to master the art of packing. Thankfully, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Someone else has already taken the time to figure out the best way to pack clothes that maximizes space while minimizing wrinkles. Doug Dyment, creator of the website One Bag, has created a system of packing he calls the Bundle Method. This involves strategically layering clothing and folding them together. You can see a video of his method in action on NBC.
Travel Smart, Travel Well
Traveling can be the highlight of your summer, or it can be a frustrating disaster. Over the years, various travel accessories have been invented and perfected that will make your experience more predictable and enjoyable. Through learning great packing techniques, investing in proper gear, and taking the time to make sure you’ve planned well you will be ready for your next great adventure. Over time and with experience, you will find the right supplies and systems that work for your style of travel. These tips will ensure that you’re off to a great start in becoming an expert traveler!
