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Welcome to Day 22 of 30 Days to Packing a Better Bag.
Being prepared is half the battle when it comes to packing better. We want you to have the least amount of items that cover the most amount of situations.
However, there are some extra bits and bobs that may not be 100% necessary but are still worth packing because they add so much value to your trip.
We refer to these as travel tools.
Here is a list of some of those tools and when you might want to pack them.
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Optional Travel Tools
Headlamp or Mini Flashlight:
Staying in hotels? Chances are you won’t require one of these.
Staying in a hostel? A headlamp or mini flashlight will help you find your belongings in a dark dorm room at night without disturbing your roommates.
Camping? Of course, campers and hikers will put these at the top of their list.
For everyone else, even a small keychain light can come in handy more often than you think.
Sewing Kit:
Hotels will often come stocked with a mini sewing kit, but backpackers and hostel-goers should think about packing a tiny kit of their own to fix random holes, lost buttons, and tears.
Just a needle or two, buttons, safety pins, and a tiny bit of thread will suffice.
Umbrella:
Umbrellas are generally awkward to pack.
There are several pocket-size umbrellas that can be packed or carried in your purse without much space usage. However, if you’re traveling to a place where you know it will rain a lot, take one that will offer better coverage.
Luckily many hotels these days stock umbrellas for their guests.
- See other ideas for things to pack to keep you dry.
Pocket Knife or Multitool:
A tiny multitool can serve more purposes than you might think. Get one with a tiny pair of scissors, a pocket knife blade, and a flathead screwdriver.
These are a great addition for camping and road trips.
DO NOT try and pack a pocket knife in your carry-on bag as it will get removed by TSA.
Yoga Mat:
Yoga mats are great for those who like to exercise when they travel, but they can also double as a sleeping mat on a long layover in an airport.
Reusable Water Bottle:
A reusable water bottle is perfect for the traveler who wants to cut down on disposable plastic bottles and beverage fees. You can even get a collapsible water bottle to save space in your bag.
Duct Tape:
Fix holes in almost anything, tape bottle caps closed, waterproof your shoes, and so much more. We can think of uses for duct tape for almost every trip no matter your trip style.
There’s no need to bring a full roll. You can buy travel-sized rolls of duct tape or simply create your own by wrapping duct tape around a pencil, drinking straw, or card until you have the desired amount.
Luggage Scale:
Sure, your bag was under the weight limit when you left home… but now with the souvenirs you picked up along the way it may not be.
If you love to do some serious shopping while traveling, a luggage scale will be a good addition to your packing list to ensure you stay under the weight limit.
Travel Mug:
If you’re an eco-friendly traveler, you might want to add a reusable travel mug to your travel packing list. Choose a collapsible mug to save space.
Not only can you use it for hot or cold drinks, but you can also use it as a bowl to eat out of in a pinch or to store food.
- For more travel tools, check out these posts: The One Little Thing You Can’t Travel Without and Travel Like MacGyver: Items to Pack That Solve Problems
NOTE: You do not NEED to pack all of these items. Think about your trip style and what would add value to your trip rather than taking up precious space. For example, don’t pack an umbrella if you’re traveling at a time when there will be no rain.
Take Action: Pick Your Extras
Think about any extra items that will add value to your trip.
Make sure you take your trip style and destination into account.
Let us know which items you choose, and why you think they will add so much value to your travels in the comments below.
- PREVIOUS – Day 21: How to Pack and Protect Electronics
- NEXT – Day 23: How to Pack a Suitcase Step by Step
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a padlock!
many dorms don’t supply them and you can also use it to lock your bag
Absolutely! We mention locks in another post in this series 🙂
Along with the reusable water bottle would you recommend a steri-pen?
I’m considering buying one to save on plastic waste while travelling through S/E Asia, India & Nepal for 3 months.
I bring most of these items along. However, I am not sure you can bring a pocket knife on a plane if you are a carry on only traveler. I would love to bring one, and there have been many times where it would have been useful, but I wouldn’t want to bring a quality pocket knife along only to have it confiscated by security.
Love these tips. Quick question can you take the sewing kit in your carry on bag as it has needles and scissors?
Hi Jonathan, According to the TSA app, you can. The scissors blades have to be less than 4 inches: https://apps.tsa.dhs.gov/mytsa/cib_results.aspx?search=sewing%20kit
i was ‘caught’ by New Delhi airport security with a tiny pair of manicure scissors in an equally tiny first aid kit (which i bought at Zurich a/p). also ‘caught’ by Portland OR security with a small metal flashlight which they identified as a possible weapon. the flashlight resulted in a police ‘incident’ report being created. the flashlight is approx 5′ long and is a miniature of a light i carried years ago as a police officer.i’ve also been escorted to the ‘special attention’ area at LAX so i could explain my flat retirement badge which looks like shuriken on xray. after those incidents i start packing for every trip with absolutely empty bags/purses and check every item. i don’t want hassles OR police reports and i am absolutely not going to argue with security. i leave any questionable items in plastic bag on top of my clothes in checked bag.
Duct tape!
I roll 10-12 feet around a small pencil and keep it in my toiletry bag. One trip, we used the whole roll for everything from keeping shoes together until they could be replaced, to keeping a door shut during a windstorm so we could “sleep”. On the last night of a cruise, I gave it to a poor lady whose suitcase zipper had busted so she could get it home. And my daughter used her roll when her phone took a leap onto a tile floor in Africa.