Things You Need to Remember on Your Packing List

Who doesn’t love getting out of the house for a bit? Vacations, big or small, are great opportunities to experience new things and learn about other cultures. They can also have the potential to stress you out more than relax you, however, especially if you start your vacation on the wrong foot by not being prepared. To make sure you can enjoy yourself fully on your get-away, remember to pack these often-forgotten things!

Needed Medications

People too often forget that health matters, even on vacation. If you have prescribed medication, make sure to prepare beforehand by measuring out the right amount and include it among your toiletries. It might be a good idea to bring a few extra doses too, in the case of travel delays. Traveling in general can take a toll on your health too, and being exposed to new places and lots of people can get you exposed to illnesses. So, while you should hope for the best, you should prepare for the worst. At the least, bring yourself a generous amount of aspirin or other good travel medication, and consider cold medicine and Pepto-Bismol as well. Though you may not end up with all you need in the event of feeling sick, you’re a lot less likely to be unprepared if new food doesn’t sit well with you.

Good Shoes

While you want to look your best on vacation, often that can lead to some unwise shoe decisions. Just because those platform heels look good with that outfit doesn’t mean they’re a wise choice for travel! You’ll need good, sturdy shoes that can be worn and walked on all day without leaving you uncomfortable or even in pain. How to pick the right shoes for your vacation? According to Smarter Travel, you should consider the weather of wherever you’re going. You may be going somewhere with a lot of rain, or a lot of mud, or a lot of heat. Also think about your terrain—will you be walking around rocky mountain trails, or the sandy coastline? All of this will influence the type of shoe you choose, whether they’re close-toed or not, waterproof or not, or easy to slip on and off or not. One feature good travel shoes will always have, however, is feeling comfortable on your feet!

Sun Protection

Sunscreen is a necessity thought about usually when you’re traveling to someplace sunny, but the truth is you’ll need sun protection no matter where your vacation is. Vacations as a rule tend to involve the great outdoors, so even if the sky is cloudy or the weather is cool, you’ll still be exposed to a lot more sunlight than usual. Without proper protection, you could develop heat exhaustion or even heat stroke, putting a real damper on the trip. Plus, according to Dessna Dermatology, sun damage can cause several different kinds of cancer, so it is important to keep your skin protected. Along with sunscreen, it’s a good idea to bring some soothing relief cream with aloe vera in it in the case you do get a sunburn—that way you won’t be out for the count the next day!

A Good Camera

If you’re going someplace especially picturesque, you’ll wish you had brought a good camera to snap shots of the beautiful imagery. Even if you don’t, capturing moments and memories along your trip will exponentially increase the value of all you did—because you’ll be able to remember it better! Often these days people opt for phone cameras, but unless yours is especially amazing, nothing beats a professional camera to capture that gorgeous mountainside or city lights.

Weather-Appropriate Gear

Besides just shoes, there is a lot of essential wear that will make the difference between you running for cover or dancing in the rain! Important gear for rainy weather includes umbrellas, ponchos, hats, and even rain boots. If you know you’re going somewhere wet and will be trudging through it a lot, don’t forget these items! If it’s somewhere sunny, bring sunglasses, and if it’s cold and windy, grab a coat and scarf. When backpacking or going on a lot of hikes, too, wilderness gear will definitely improve the experience. Essentially, do your homework on the weather of the place, and come prepared!

Important Documents

Next, remember that the more travel your vacation demands, the more documentation you’ll need to remember. Crossing any borders will require identification and a passport for everyone that is on the trip, so when packing make sure these are both put in an accessible but secure location to be shown later. You’ll also want to have any tickets you’ve bought for the trip easily on hand, so printing them out and/or electronically saving them before traveling is a good idea. You’ll save yourself a lot of pain later if you have all the information to get on the right transportation at the right time. Reservations for a hotel, a car, or even a campsite also should be easy to access, so that when you’re checking in there are no problems.

Essential Electronics

This might be the type of item people forget most often, especially as people’s number of electronics grows! Remembering everything you’ll need to bring when it comes to electronics on vacation—especially if you need to stay on grid at least some of the time—can be quite stressful! It helps, however, to remember them in pairs: phone and phone charger, laptop and laptop charger, camera and batteries, earbuds and earbuds charger (if Bluetooth), and tablet and tablet charger! Phew! This isn’t mentioning all the travel gadgets, like a portable charger! Maybe you only need a certain amount of these, but writing a list beforehand of what you need is a good idea!

With so much to plan, the last step of packing can either be exciting or exhausting. Your vacation has a lot of potential to be one of the best experiences in your life, so don’t forget anything that might detract from that experience. You can make sure you have everything you need for your trip by remembering these items!

Read this next: 3 Things That Can Land You in Hot Water While Traveling

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