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Pack Travel Basics In Advance


Bronze Post Medal for All Time! 146 Posts

With vacation time just around the corner, now is the time to start planning what you want to take with you. Many items are now restricted on airplanes, so you need to get a list first thing in order to know what is and what isn't allowed. There are a few things you can have ready ahead of time that will end up saving you valuable minutes as you're doing your final packing. Below is a list of some things you might want on your list. Most of these items, you can have ready to place in your luggage when you begin to add clothing, etc.

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Basic First Aid Supplies

  • Small packets of sugar to stop bleeding if you have nothing else.

  • Baking soda is good for so many things that I always keep a small container of it in the larger pieces of luggage, and maybe in one carry-on as well. It's great for sunburn relief.
  • Some type of antiseptic. If all else fails, use Vodka - small bottles of vodka bought at the liquor store are great.

  • Sterile Gauze. I also keep large pieces of white t-shirt fabric that's been washed, bleached, and placed in Zip-Lock freezer bags. I've wished several times that I'd taken a lot more of this fabric. It is good for so many things.

  • Adhesive tape, Dermicil Tape or Micropore Tape. Don't forget some folks are allergic to regular adhesive tape.

  • Antibiotic Ointment (like Neosporin).
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  • Band-aids (several sizes and types).

  • Sterile Cotton Balls.

  • A bar of soap wrapped in a clean wash cloth with several sizes of safety pins attached.

Add to this First Aid list as you think of things you might or can use. Better to have them and not need them than the other way around.

Toiletries

  • Toothbrushes and Toothpaste. I buy the small individual sizes of toothpaste and inexpensive toothbrushes just for traveling.

  • Deodorant (again, find the small or sample sizes and keep them for travel).

  • Shampoo and hair conditioner in a tube.

  • Body lotion in a tube

  • Your favorite bath soap. I keep a new bar of TONE wrapped in a clean wash cloth in every single piece of luggage (even carry-ons). Add a few safety pins to the wash cloth for any clothing emergency.
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Other Useful Items

  • Several sizes of safety pins.

  • Small pill bottles with needles, thread and a few buttons of various sizes. You will not be allowed to take scissors or knives of any kind.

  • Wire or plastic clothes hangers laid on the bottoms of large luggage pieces before adding the clothes.

  • 2 Old Clean Pillow Cases. I can't tell you how many times in the night I've had to change a child's pillow case. They also come in very handy as a dirty-clothes bag or toy bag.

  • A few plastic clothespins. They come in handy for lots of things (closing bags of chips is a good example).

  • About 25 feet of good strong twine or braided yarn for things you can't even imagine right now. It'll make handy clotheslines for damp bathing suits for one thing. You'll think of other ways to use this too.
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  • Small packets of salt, pepper, sugar and coffee creamer. You can collect extras from one hotel to another if you forget them. The packets of plastic flatware with paper napkins, salt and pepper are perfect.

  • Post Cards. Use local ones when possible. You can usually find them on sale at drug stores.

  • Tablet and pens (I don't know if pens are allowed now or not).

  • Postage Stamps. If traveling outside of our country, you'll most likely have to use the destination country's postage stamps.

I print out several lists and keep one in every piece of luggage, noting which piece of luggage things are in when possible. You will not believe how much time this is going to save you in searching for what you need when you need it. Keep in mind that everybody's list is going to be a little bit different. Only you can predict what your family might want or could possibly need. You'll be adding and deleting from this list every year for the rest of your life, so don't feel that you need to carve it in stone.

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By Julia from Boca Raton, FL

A well packed suitcase with travel basics.
 

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May 20, 20100 found this helpful

If you like to do some sort of stitchery while you fly, a pack of dental floss is great in your carry on, as it will cut your thread being how you can't take a pair of scissors on board. Ü

 
November 7, 20160 found this helpful

I agree with most of what's on your list, but as far as the medical items, I wouldn't even know how to use most of them. If I were injured badly enough to need those items, I would go to a walk in clinic or emergency department.

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I wouldn't attempt to treat serious injuries on my own.

 
June 27, 20220 found this helpful

How does dental floss cut your thread?

 

Silver Post Medal for All Time! 267 Posts
June 28, 20220 found this helpful

She is talking about the little metal blade on the dental floss package that is intended for cutting off the length you need. That could be used to cut off sewing thread or embroidery floss too.

 
May 21, 20100 found this helpful

I make a list, then forget it or where I put it.
I like the idea of making several copies of my
master list and keeping one in each piece of luggage.
Why didn't I ever think of that? Such
an easy solution, really.
Thank you, thank you.
StarWarsCollector

 
May 22, 20100 found this helpful

Thanks for the tip IPlay. You can also take along a small pair of nail clippers. They pass airport security and work on thread, cutting luggage tags, etc.

 

Bronze Post Medal for All Time! 146 Posts
May 23, 20100 found this helpful

Thank you to BooBear and IPlay for the great
ideas. This is the best group of people to share
with. You always end up getting as good as you
give.

All the best,
Pookarina

 
November 15, 20200 found this helpful

These are very helpful. I keep a small train case packed for overnights with the basics (i.e. toothbrush, toothpaste, a pair of undies, nightshirt, pocket sewing kit, etc.) I also keep an index card as a reminder of the last minute things to add-medicines, cell phone charger (if I don't have a spare to keep in the case) for example. I once had a friend who traveled a lot tell me the most important thing was any prescriptions. Anything else can usually be purchased in a pinch. May be expensive, but it takes away the stress of forgetting something.

 

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June 25, 20221 found this helpful

Everyone should have a "Go-Bag" that you can just grab in case of a sudden emergency (earthquakes in my area). This article is a good start on what to put in it. Mine has whatever I would need for a week when I can't get back into my home such as prescription medications (changed out weekly) and underwear, socks etc. The big stuff like shoes, tshirts and jeans are stored in the trunk of my car. I never let my car get below a quarter tank of gas as pumps may not be working in an emergency. It is also a good idea to store some small bills cash in your bag. In an emergency the ATMs will not be working!

 
Anonymous
June 24, 20230 found this helpful

I keep a travel list on my computer. The list contains everything I have taken anywhere for more than two decades. When planning to pack I print one copy, cross off the items I will not need for this particular trip, and then use the list to assemble what I am taking. This takes up two columns one a page, leaving the third blank for listing the top layers of clothing needed for the particular trip. Any new non-clothing items are added to the ongoing computer list.

 

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