You might know that today I leave for the USA for 2 weeks for Alt Summit and a little bit of a break too. Whilst I was starting the process of packing for this trip, I realised that whilst I have a bunch of great stuff for travelling, it’s spread out all over the house in places where I think I’ll easily remember, but never really do. So today I thought I’d share what I’ll be doing when I get back: starting a ready for travel kit! Time to get all those things I always take with me in one kit box that I can get out of the cupboard when it’s time to pack! Here’s what will be in it.
What to include:
- Luggage Tags Even though some of my cases have in built ones, these are handy for carry on bags as sometimes they can get misplaced too.
- Toiletries Kit These are great to keep stocked up especially in case of emergencies. You can either make your own or get a ready made kit from the supermarket like this one.
- Grid-It Organiser These are ace for keeping all your electronics and leads in the one spot. Mine fits everything I need and fits nicely into my carry on.
- Luggage Scale If you think you might return with a full suitcase a luggage scale can save you money by allowing you to check your bag isn’t over the weight limit at the airport. I keep mine in an old hard shell sunglasses case so it is easy to spot and doesn’t get damaged.
- Zip Lock Storage Bags I love these for travel. They are great for packing things so that they’re easy to find and are a good way to protect paper from getting damaged if a bottle happens to leak in your bag.
- Eye Mask These are great for those long flights where you need to get some sleep, but the lights in the cabin are annoying. Sometimes they give them out on the plane, but it’s good to have your own just in case.
- Powerboard and Adapter This is my number 1 tip for travel (especially if you’re going for a longer trip to a foreign country). Instead of needing a bunch of adapters, you just need one and your local powerboard. This saved me when I lived in the UK with all my Aussie plugs. Note: AU goes to US and UK/Europe without any issues, but US folks might also need a converter for locations that use over 110v
- TSA Approved Padlocks Good for locking your bags when flying and also when leaving them in storage places. TSA approved allow them to check inside the bag if necessary without them bolt cutting the lock.
- Laptop Case I only really use my laptop case when I’m travelling so, for me, it’s a good one to also add to this kit as sometimes I can’t find the last “safe place” I left it.
- World Travel Adapter Kit I mainly have apple products so I bought this adapter kit whilst in the US a couple of years back. I will add it to the kit and just take the ones I need for the places I’m travelling.
That makes a basic but useful Ready to Travel Kit that will make packing next time around so much easier. Other things you could also include are: photocopies of important documents for travel, passport, back up chargers, sewing kit, etc.
Even if you’re travelling locally, having things like a powerboard are great as you sometimes get a hotel room with only one plug and three things that really need charging. Just don’t forget to take them home again!
What’s the number 1 thing you’d add to your ready to travel kit?
If you do try this, I’d love to see a photo or hear about how it went! Tweet me your pics at: @danniellecresp or instagram me at: @dannielle with the hashtag: #styleforahappyhome