What’s the first thing you think of when planning to go on a trip? The food? The fun experience? The long trip? Or the entire planning process?
For the most part, traveling is exciting and fulfilling until you throw in the planning process, which involves packing and checking off mental lists. This could make the entire planning exhausting, but once you get the hang of what you need to pack, it doesn’t have to be tiring at all. Even while checking and re-checking, sometimes, the most important things are left behind, which is why this list would be presented as a physical checklist that you can save on your device or print for use.
Having physical checklists makes it easier to pack and reduces your chances of leaving the essentials behind. By essentials, we mean items that make traveling and vacationing safer.
Empty bottle
A bottle of water would do you some good, but if you would be traveling via air, then the flight protocols may not permit you to carry a truckload of water. However, having an empty bottle with you means you can fetch some water when you get to your destination. If your destination happens to be a forest with no vendors and only streams, you would realize how much of a life hack this is.
Face masks
The 2019 pandemic taught us a lesson, if not more – the importance of face masks. Even before the virus, face masks have been valuable in preventing inhalation of dust particles and germs in the air. Still, the pandemic made it even more important for us to take a mask everywhere, not to mention when going on a trip. For trips, one mask wouldn’t suffice, so pack as many as you can in case you can’t afford to wash the one you have on.
Penknife
If you are a fan of Peter McKinnon, then this shouldn’t even be an item to question. Knives come in handy when you need to rip, slice, or chop down stuff, but they could be life-savers even more. In cases when you or anyone on the trip gets stung by something deadly, first aid would be required, and a family of knives could save the day – if you know how to use them properly.
Portable power
The further you are from home, the more important it is to have a power bank on you. You can never fully rely on the power situation in any part of the world because anything could happen (like the frozen story in California some months ago), and you would be left with a dead battery and nowhere to charge it. Now we all know having a dead battery could increase your chances of getting in trouble.
Band-aid
Nobody hopes for accidents, but when they happen, they cannot be undone. Depending on the location and type of accident, first aiders may not be on the ground to salvage the situation before proper medical assistance arrives, so you would have to be your Red Cross. Make sure you get band-aids before your trip as they might come in handy.
Tissues
Thankfully, the tissue apocalypse did not last too long, so don’t forget to take one with you on your next trip. Tissues can go places where your fingers can’t. Never underestimate them.
Safety whistle
It’s all fun and play until someone walks off and can’t find their way back. Safety whistles are not only useful in Hollywood adventure films; they have proved valuable in real life as well. Get one for yourself and for your team (if you are going along with one), and remind everyone to keep their whistles in a place they can quickly reach, preferably in their pockets or hanging from a strap on the neck.
First aid ointment
As mentioned earlier, it is important to prepare for accidents even if you have “prayed” them away. You could be sparing yourself or someone around some pain by having a first aid ointment on hand.
After packing all of these, it would be pointless if they got missing on the way or at your destination, so this final item is just as important as the rest – a backpack. Unlike regular backpacks, it is more difficult for thieves to steal from these types of backpacks or make away with them altogether. The locks and zippers are designed specifically to prevent theft, so consider investing in one before your next trip. This may sound like a lot to have on you in addition to all the regular items, but hey, you could never be “too safe”.
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