We’ve all read those articles. Ones that supposedly are here to tell you how to make your travel life so much easier. So much lighter. So much more like the life that you left at home. Whether you are off on a two week or two year journey there are always a few vital items to leave at home.
As someone with over 15 years of travel experience I’d like to think that I have my shit together and know what to pack, when to pack it and how to pack it. Now in my travel life time I’ve made some fairly big travel packing blunders. James will never let me forget that time we backpacked around Europe and I had around 3-kilos of books and a commercial hair dryer. Hello 5 kilos of crap that I really didn’t need. Oh and then there was that one time that I flew to the Philippines for a fam trip and was really enjoying my comfortable sports bra that I wear for flying only to arrive in Singapore for a quick lay over, to the horrific reality that I hadn’t packed a regular bra. One plain ol’ style bra to be worn with the dresses and tees that I had packed. Thankfully Changi Airport is it’s own little cosmos of shops and I was able to pick up a bra from Uniqlo. Crisis averted.
There are a few items that I just can’t bring myself to take along on our travels.
Money Belt/Bag
Nothing screams I’m a scare tourist and I have money then a money belt/bag. Whether you’re buying a beer at the airport pub or haggling in the markets for a $1 tee shirt these are just awkward to use. You have to feel up your stomach, under your shirt, fiddle around with your precious money and then try hand it over. All while not giving the general public a nipple flash or dropping wads of cash on the ground.
If you want to have a secret stash of cash try getting an actual money belt. A belt that has a hidden pocket for a few pristine notes.
Zip Off Pants
These are hideous to look at and hideous to wear. There’s a few issues I have with zip off pants mainly being the square unlady like shape. And then there’s the zips. They bite at your legs, they get stuck on themselves and then they break. And before you know it you’ve lost the left leg and now you have hideous pant-shorts rubbing you the wrong way and one cold knee.
Full Size Pillow
This I something I see a LOT when I’m working at the airport. People waddling around carrying a full size pillow. I get it – travel in itself is uncomfortable. You want to be refreshed and ready to go when you are at your destination so you grab old faithful. Here’s a few issues that people never consider
Plane seats are small. Unless you’re flying at the pointy end of the plane in which case they’ll gvive you a pillow. You are taking up precious real estate on the plane with your pillow. Which means you miss out of that teeny tiny bit of space.
Bacteria- we know that planes are full of stinky people with stinky bacteria. Let’s not even consider what your pillow has to go through to get to your final destination – airports, bathrooms, taxis
A better option? A travel pillow! I love my Thermarest pillow. It’s foam filled and squishes down small enough to easy fit into my carry on pack and easy to use on the plane. It certainly isn’t as luxurious or comfortable as my at home pillow but it certainly does a good job of helping me get a good nights sleep.
A Travel Journal
Sorry to my lovely friend Amanda! I’ve tried a few times and after day three I’m so entrenched in my adventure that I forget to write all about my adventures. Live life in the moment I say. I do always carry a small notebook which comes in handy when people tell me interesting facts, places to go to, hotel bookings etc. I also carry an old school sudoku book to entertain me. Other then my literacy laziness I also don’t want the hassle that a travel journal can bring. In recent times there has been significant media coverage on people being refused entry to certain countries based on their diary. The trail of thought being that these individuals are going to overstay tourist visas based on diary notes and journal entries. Last day of work entries. Final farewell drinks. Now I get it – you’re really excited about going on this next chapter in your life. You are A-type personality and have all the notes, diary bookings and basically your entire life is sorted. Your now ex-boss appreciates this. Heck I appreciate this. Border control people don’t quite appreciate this.
Selfie Stick
Yup you can go stick the selfie stick right.. There’s nothing quite like being on a plane and being whacked in the head with a selfie stick. Or at an ancient temple enjoying the ambience and the selfie stick brigade barge on by waving their plastic flags of shame. There’s a perfectly good reason why so many places are banning selfie sticks. They are dangerous!
I confess I’m a travel blogger who does not own a selfie stick.
So there we have it. The five things you will never find me lugging around an airport with. Or on any adventure.
Top Five Things I Never Travel Without
- Travel Insurance
- Lip Balm
- Sunglasses
- First Aid Kit
- Clean Underwear.
Have you got a silly item that you travel with and wished you didn’t?? Let us know in the comments below.
Jeanette
Founder, Principal Blogger & Coffee Drinker
Coffee Lover | Travel Blogger | Horse Rider | Adventure Racer | Donut Dame. Generally nice lady-enjoys wine, indie movies & random dance parties in my tent.
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Travellers are some of the most financially savvy people you will ever meet.
Travellers are some of the most financially savvy people you will ever meet. Have you ever wondered how people afford to travel, invest & drink take away coffee?
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Our selfie stick is my husbands long arms. No selfie stick necessary and I agree with your list
Totally agree with your list, and hello clean underwear on the “must” travel withs!!!!
I completely agreed with your list! I always see someone carrying full size pillow in the airport. I can see the comfort it offers, but it is so huge to carry around and creates such a burden before and after getting off the plane. For me, I cannot travel without face masks. I always carry them with me, especially on long haul flights, to help moisturize my skin!
A money belt might be useful but I still haven’t found one that looks good enough. My husband usually just brings a backpack with all of our important stuff. For the travel journal, I didn’t know that it could become a liability! Good thing then that I am lazy when it comes to this. 🙂 He also doesn’t like to use a selfie stick so that’s crossed out on our list too! Haha
I’ve never found one that I like!
I think not taking along zip off pants is a general good rule in life, not just for travel. I have also recently discovered the joys of a travel pillow, and not only are the flights more pleasant you are right about being more rested when you get there. I’m glad that clean underwear was on the must bring list and not the other way around.
Agreeing on most of things but I don’t carry selfie stick. For me big size memory chip in my camera is very necessary. As I am vegetarian and do not get my food everywhere, i always carry dry-fruits and some food items with me always.
Oh my god, I curse the inventor of the selfie stick! Seriously people leave it at home! Enjoy your surroundings and appreciate where you are. No one really wants to see another photo of you in front of another landmark! Ha… ok getting off my soap box now!
Agree on most of these things, but I actually sometimes bring a pillow in order to fill the other half of my carry-on luggage on quick weekend trips. I just don’t need all that space, but throwing a pillow in with it helps fill up the cavity to prevent things from shifting around and getting wrinkled.
Could try a smaller bag? 😉
These are five things I never take either. I hate taking things that are useless and we learn as we go. It is always helpful to read a post like this and know from the get-go what to leave behind
I must confess I just put money in my back pocket, I have never had it stolen and the access is super easy, for this reason I don’t carry a money bag either! Some people are crazy carrying a full size pillow aren’t they! I am also anti selfie stick and I’m so happy in places where they have been banned, in fact I would be embarrassed to use one.
Hahaha Sorry but I take all of these things, a part from the pillow, thats just crazy! I’m a solo traveller and I rely on my selfy stick to take good images of myself. Mine doubles as a tripod so I can also use it for shots in low light. I also do a lot of hiking and my zip pants may now win me any fashion awards but when you are hiking up a volcano they are a life saver. Everyone is different I suppose. And I’m sure there are a tone of things I’d never travel with that most people couldn’t travel without :-). Thank you for making me chuckly at myself and my bad travel habits haha 🙂
Interesting point! But I do have a money belt esp while on the move, esp on international flights, for the passport and ID Cards. Its just better to have it in person that ways than in my bag. And on my solo travels I do carry a selfie stick too! Guilty as charged! Lolz!!!
It takes all sorts of travellers… 😉
I don’t also travel with some of these items. But i found that traveling with a money belt, just to put my passport, other impt documents and emergency money is actually pretty handy. A travel journal is also a must for me.