6 Weird Things I Always Travel With
I’m a frequent traveler—it’s unusual if a month goes by without an overnight trip. Trial and error have taught me what things are essential and what overpacking looks like: I’m thinking of you, that Caribbean cruise I took for my tenth wedding anniversary. FYI, you do NOT need two large suitcases for a 7-day cruise. Next time, I’ll pack a carry-on, wash some things in the sink, hang them to dry on the convenient line in my cabin, and wear them again, content in knowing I won’t be dragging too much luggage through the airport and cruise terminal. Over the years, I’ve tried every travel hack in the book. I’ve gone ultralight with nothing but a backpack, used packing cubes and vacuum-packed bags, and swapped this-for-that in search of the perfect packing formula. But trip after trip, the following items make my list of travel essentials—even though they’re unusual enough to raise some eyebrows even among seasoned travelers. Each one comes with a story of how it became indispensable. Really, isn’t that why we travel in the first place—to gain new insights to better ourselves and share with others? Travel Packing Tip 1: Duct Tape Holds the Universe (and Your Travel Plans) Together Some people say that duct tape fixes everything. As a frequent traveler, I’d have to agree with them. Ripped a hole in your pants? Duct tape. Broken suitcase handle? Duct tape. Slippery-soled dress shoes? A little duct tape on the bottom will provide grip on even slick flooring. Perhaps the most useful it’s ever been was when I brought exactly one pair of fancy shoes for the dress-up dinners on the above-mentioned Caribbean cruise. The stitching that held the strap on the back of the sandal came loose as I graced the stairs to the dining room on the first night, but I was able to fix it with duct tape and use the shoes all week long. In fact, sandal straps detaching from the soles have long been the bane of my existence, but a good, strong tape will make them last until a replacement is possible. Visible repairs are why I always select “decorative” patterned rolls of tape. The blue star pattern was hardly noticeable on my shoes when I placed a matching piece on the unbroken sandal. Travel Packing Tip 2: All Sorts of Grocery Bags I always keep at least two types of bags—zip-lock sandwich bags and plastic grocery bags—in my travel case. The larger bags are perfect for storing dirty clothes, especially wet ones, preventing odors and moisture from reaching everything else in the suitcase. You can also use them to wrangle all those souvenirs that won’t fit in the suitcase for the trip home. The smaller bags are helpful for leftovers, taking lunch and snacks for the day, organizing small toiletry items (essential for carry-on liquids if you’re flying), or even collecting small souvenirs like seashells. I’ve also taken to carrying expandable woven bilum-style market bags because they take up almost [...]












