Top Ten Most Useful Travel Items:
© by Higher Rock Adventure Files
1. Duct Tape
Entire books have been written about this one. Hardly a trip goes by where it doesn't prove itself useful to me for everything from splicing snapped tent poles to patching bags of trail mix that have ripped in my pack mid-flight. Count on minor mishaps when traveling, but count on duct tape to handle a good deal of them.2. Bandana
Versatility, the key to light packing, is the highest mark of usefulness in an item. And the bandana tops on this point: stuff one in your pocket on the way out the door and save packing your eyemask, pasta strainer, slingshot...3.Wallet-Sized Supply Store
Keep one on you with a few items including a needle, a foot of duct tape, miniature hand sanitizer, small first aid implements (in addition to the main kit you'll be sure to pack, right?) and anything like salt/pepper, tea, powdered drink packs or other extras you think you could use. Make sure you keep certain essentials like the needle on you, so when you need it--say you're half-way through hiking along a snowy ridge and someone's snowshoe harness breaks, or you're heading to a Ugandan wedding and your friend's traditional costume has a hole (both true stories)--you can come to the rescue. Then, whenever you or someone else in your travel group needs something, you'll be glad you took the minute to throw this stash together.4. Dental Floss
Provides a sturdy thread for repairs, or serves as twine. I once used it to strap my sleeping roll onto my backpack during a forty kilometre hike. Someone else I know of used floss to help retrieve a backpack which had fallen from the great wall of China. --Oh yeah: it's a hygiene item too.5. Multitool
One of the more obvious essentials. Buy one suited to your needs--but double check before you go that it's not packed in with your carry on...we've lost more than one Swiss army knife that way.6. Crank Radio/Flashlight/Charger
Having multiple items in one, and being independent from batteries or electricity, this gadget already scores high. Bonus points if it's solar-powered and includes a weather station.7. The Right Clothes
Packing with your destination's culture, climate and activities will give you a great start, but also go for (yes) versatility. Depending on where you're heading and what you'll be doing, consider wearing "convertible" clothes: light pants that convert into shorts or capris, and camp shirts that can be worn either long-sleeved to keep out the sun/cold/bugs, or short-sleeved. Add a convertible jacket/travel vest and you'll have numerous combinations of outfits from just three articles of clothing!8. Your Phone or Tablet
Also one of the more obviously useful items, smart phones and tablets spoil travelers with endless conveniences and apps. Tide calculators, Trip Advisor guides, local weather and news, GPS tracking, google maps, google translate, flashlights, flight trackers, language dictionaries, travel alarms...and those are just the free ones!But watch, while a new country is swirling about you, that you don't spend your travels staring at a screen. You've been preparing for this trip for months! Don't miss out now.
