We won’t ask you to pack the kitchen sink, just the essential. And by essential we mean small and light enough to put in your bag, but still vital when traveling.
Here are five travelers’ items that we highly recommend.
Travel scale luggage weigh
If you’re traveling by air, you must know what the standard checked baggage allowance is.
On the outbound trip, you can easily weigh your bag at home. But when heading home, chances are your bag will be stuffed full of souvenirs and damp laundry.
You might think that your luggage is still within the limit, but you could be wrong.
The easiest way to weigh is by carrying a portable weighing scale. With a size smaller than the palm of your hand, you can easily toss this inside your bag or pocket.
There are many choices available, with different weighing capacities. Whichever you choose, make sure to test it out by comparing the results with other scales.
Luggage locks or straps
Whether you are going to the US, Canada, Asia or somewhere in Europe, it is advisable to use specific luggage locks for your bags. These locks are also known as TSA locks or TSA-approved locks.
However, TSA is part of the US Department of Homeland Security, and the regulations might be different in other countries. So there will always be a chance that you will be asked to open your bags, even if you do use TSA locks.
But just to be safe, it’s always best to use locks or straps with a Safe Skies or Travel Sentry logo, since both of these are TSA-approved. The most convenient option is to use a bag already equipped with a Safe Skies or Travel Sentry logo on its lock.
Portable washer
A new device named Dolfi is said to be the next generation of washing machines aimed at travelers. This little device is hardly bigger than a bar of soap, but very effective at washing your clothes, especially your delicates. You just need a small container to put water and clothes in - a wash basin will do - and put the device in it along with detergent.
The technology behind it isn’t magic, because Dolfi uses ultrasonic technology that has been used on a larger scale, but now in a compact environment. With this, you won’t need to bring extra clothing or pay expensive laundry charges at hotels. You won’t even need to hand-wash your clothes because, after one hour, your clothes will be fresh and clean.
Unfortunately, you will need to wait - at least - until August 2015 to get your hands on one, since the device is part of a crowdfunding project.
Lint remover
Whether you are traveling for business or pleasure, you will always want to look sharp. But when packing clothes in a bag, you tend to mix all kinds of fabrics together. The end result is that some clothes will be full of fur or strings. This is where a lint remover or lint roller comes in handy.
And since you will be using it only a couple of times, a small one will do.
Universal charger adapter
Most three-star and up hotels already have - at least - one international electric wall socket. But one won’t be enough to charge your phone, camera and other gadgets you’ve brought.
This type of adapter is easy to find and is sold in every airport or gift shop in major cities, but why risk it if you can bring one from home?
