5 THINGS TO BRING ON YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE

Knowing what to bring with you on vacation is probably one of the hardest things to resolve as you get ready for your next grand adventure.  Journeys That Fit is here to save the day though with a few items that will help you be as prepared as possible for the little hiccups that can happen while traveling. 

1. First Aid Kit - When we first started traveling a lot, we read that you should bring a first aid kit and stash it in your travel bag.  Unfortunately, after about 5 trips, it was still unopened, and we considered ditching the idea.  We realized though, it wasn’t that a first aid kit isn’t good idea, it just needs to be a kit with the right stuff in it!  So, we created a list for you of health/comfort items that are used the most by travelers:  Pain relievers, anti-histamine, band-aids, moleskin, Q-tips, cotton balls and a travel size container of hydrogen peroxide. (If you can’t solve the problem with these items, you should probably be seeking out professional medical attention anyway.)  Then, for life’s little emergencies, add in a pair of child’s scissors (blunt end), a few safety pins and one of those tiny sewing kits.   You can find this entire list in travel-sized options.  Customize your own kit for your next trip. 
 
2. Plastic baggies - Baggies are the unsung heroes of travel.  They are flat and lightweight and fit in even the smallest nook of your suitcase, but the fact that they have so many uses is the reason to bring a handful along on every trip.  What do we do with baggies while traveling?  1) keep a camera or phone dry; 2) keep wet clothes away from dry clothes; 3) keep toiletries that have a tendency to explode from destroying clothes; 4) add ice and soothe a hurt knee or ankle; 5) make your own washing machine(see Impossible to Pack Light, Think Again article for more info); 6) keep small souvenirs like match books or ticket stubs safe; and 7) put shoes in them to keep my clothes from getting dirty.  We could go on and on, but you get the idea.  Bring some baggies! 
 

3. Food - I’m going to break this one down into two categories: 1) Airplane food and 2) staving off starvation.  Let’s start with the airplane.  We all know the food they serve on the plane is pretty much a disgusting blob of chemicals and preservatives.  However, when you’re starving, anything sounds great.  What to do?  Make yourself an airplane picnic!  The night before your flight, freeze your favorite yogurt or apple sauce in a BPA-free container (3 oz or less so you’ll make it through TSA).  Make a sandwich, grab a piece of fruit, a little something sweet (because what’s life without dessert), a plastic spoon and a napkin and put them in a gallon-size freezer bag in the fridge.  Right before you leave for the airport, add the frozen items to the freezer bag to keep your other items cold and put it all in your carry-on luggage.  Once you’re on the plane, everything has thawed and is ready for you to eat at your leisure.  That handles the airplane food, but what do you do when you’re seeing the most amazing sunset from the top of a mountain and starvation is imminent?  You just dip into your plastic baggie (see what we did there?) of non-perishable food you were smart enough to bring along.  Any granola bar or trail mix will solve your problem and keep you among the living until you can get a real meal.  They are small, light, can take a beating in your backpack and (shhhh!) good for you, so stock up before you head out on your next adventure. 
 
4. A small change purse - Having a small change purse or additional wallet with you while traveling is a great way to not put all your eggs in one basket.  Each morning, load up the amount of money you 
think you’ll need for the day and one credit or debit card into your change purse and put in a really accessible place (front pants pocket or top pocket of backpack).  Then tuck your regular wallet with all the rest of your money, cards and passport away in a safe place – either strapped to your body in a money belt or in a safe in your room if one is available.  Then use your change purse to purchase anything you need during the day.  This serves three purposes.  1) It’s easy to access it quickly; 2) You’re not advertising to anyone who might be looking how much cash you actually have; and 3) If it does get stolen or lost, you’re only out a small amount of cash and one credit card. 
 
5. Travel wipes - People can say Americans are much too fastidious about being clean, but it’s not going to change the fact that you want to stay well while traveling.  We all know some of the best ways to do this is to wipe the fold-down tray at your seat on the airplane, not to touch the door handles when you leave the restroom and wash your hands A LOT.  However, you can’t really travel with your squirt bottle of Lysol, so bring travel wipes to do the job!  LA FRESH (http://lafreshgroup.com/travel-lite-amenities) sells travel wipes for everything from cleaning your hands to applying sunscreen in nice convenient travel packets. Check them out. 

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If you need help planning your perfect group adventure, send an email to mary@journeysthatfit.com or call 833-FIT-TRIP (348-8747). 

Cheers! 
Mary