Before you head out onto your next trip – whether it be a 14-day vacation across Europe or a 3-day weekend just a few hours away – we discovered these 7 things you don’t want to forget to pack. Here are our favorite 7 Packing Hacks. 
Yes, Yes. I know you know how to pack. So why am I writing an article on packing? I mean everyone has their own style of packing (we prefer rolling) and timing of when they pack (we prefer last minute). But over the years of traveling, I have discovered a few vital items that you don’t want to forget to pack. These items can mean the difference between relaxing and enjoying your well-deserved trip or frantically looking for the nearest drugstore.
So before you head out on your next adventure, take a page from our book and read these 7 Packing Hacks.
7 Packing Hacks: Don’t Forget to Pack These 7 Things
Packing Hacks: Chargers/Batteries
Sounds like a no-brainer, right? In 2008 we took a family vacation to Walt Disney World and forgot the charger for my DSLR camera. I had about one-day’s worth of photos on our 7-day vacation. This was before the great smart-phone cameras but you better believe I have never been on a trip since without triple checking for my chargers.
That said, with our various devices and cameras we take on vacation, along with the chargers, don’t forget a few portable batteries to help charge them remotely.
Packing Hacks: OTC Medications
I have a little bag that I keep in my cosmetics bag that holds various over the counter medications that you never know when you might need – aspirin, allergy meds, heartburn medication, band-aids, and decongestants are what we seem to use the most. If you wait to purchase them while traveling, you will pay triple what you paid at home or run the risk of not finding them when you need them.
Packing Hacks: Plastic Bags
I always grab a few plastic grocery bags and stuff them in a zippered pocket of my suitcase. The uses are numerous but the ones I use them most for are wet bathing suits, cover dirty shoes, dirty clothes, souvenirs, and a carry-on bag.
Packing Hacks: Anti-Bacterial Wipes/Hand Sanitizer
You just never know where you won’t find a bathroom to wash your hands. We never leave home without anti-bacterial wipes. They are in my car, my purse, and permanently in my suitcase.
Packing Hacks: Emergency Contact Info Card
I have a laminated card in both my suitcase and my purse with my “ICE” Contacts – In Case of Emergency contacts. It’s a good idea to have names & numbers readily available in case something happens to you while traveling.
Packing Hacks: Sunblock
This one seems like a no-brainer, right? But notoriously, it is the ONE item I seem to forget. I seriously have paid hundreds for sunblock at resorts over the years because I forget to pack it. Not to mention, what you are picking up in the gift shop might not be the best quality of sunscreen. Just pack it along – even if you are heading out for a snowy-vacation.
Packing Hacks: Travel Insurance
I gambled for years without travel insurance. And lucky enough for me, I never paid the price for not. However, after watching several friend’s trips fall apart over the last few weeks due to Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria (all in a matter of a few weeks) and can’t imagine booking a trip without it.
But with a simple purchase of travel insurance, many things that can go wrong on a vacation can easily be fixed. I have recently looked into travel insurance and was surprised to see how many ways travel insurance can help you when things go wrong while on vacation:
- Lost Luggage
- Illness
- Car Accident
- Flight Cancellations
- Hotel Closures due to Natural Disasters
- Lost Passport
- Injuries while on vacation
After reading thru this list, I was kicking myself for not “packing” one of the most important items. I have lost my luggage. My son has been sick while on vacation, requiring medical attention. Our flight has been cancelled numerous times. Luckily we have not had to cancel a vacation due to severe weather but we ski each winter – it could happen.
Allianz Global Assistance offers travel insurance through most major U.S. airlines, leading travel agents, online travel agencies, other travel suppliers and directly to consumers. For more information on Allianz Global Assistance and the policies offered for travelers, please visit: http://www.allianztravelinsurance.com.
I know the most important item we will be packing from here on out when we travel will be travel insurance.
This post is sponsored by Allianz Global Assistance (AGA Service Company) and I have received financial compensation.
