7 Ingenious Things To Pack.

by Alap Parikh.

You know that gnawing feeling just before a trip, that you've forgotten to pack something really important? It never goes away. But we're attempting to make it easier for you with some things you never imagined you could pack. Things that will keep your bags light, yet aid you in most situations you encounter.






Our trick? Pack multipurpose items; more utility in less space. Besides, with increasing airline baggage restrictions, it seems necessary to revise our bag packing strategy anyway.

Photo by Danka Peter.

Here are 7 ingenious things to pack and yet not add on to the weight on your shoulders:

1. POWER STRIP For the technology freak 

Phone, camera, video camera, iPod, Kindle, tablet, laptop... The list goes on. If you're on of those who can't leave these 'essentials' behind, a power strip could make all the difference. The best part is you probably won't forget one particular gadget behind with all of them charging in the same place. If you're travelling international, don't forget to carry a converter/adapter!

2. BANDANA For the aspiring super-light traveller

The uses of a bandana are endless, and the more creative you are with it, the more you will realize this. It can be anything from an impromptu handkerchief to a something to soak up dripping sweat to a table mat. Depends on you.

3. CONTACT LENS CASES For the women

Contact lens cases can be an ergonomic and compact way to carry cosmetics. Of course, if you are travelling too long you'd run out eventually, but for short trips they're ideal. You can even label the cases with a marker.

4. BALLOONS For the DIY clothes-washers

Without the luxury of a clothes-line, drying clothes can become quite a problem, but not if you can inflate balloons and put them inside your wet clothes. Quite ingenious.

5. AUDIO RECORDER For the travel journalist

You can forget about forgetting your experiences, as you can have have them recorded on an audio recorder! Just carry it with you and record your thoughts as and when you like. These days its easy to get your hands on really small ones as well (try one of these).

6. ZIP-LOC  For everyone

We love carrying around our food don't we? A Zip-Loc bag is a great way to do it. You can even use it to temporarily store food you bought on the road. A really large Zip-Loc could even be used as a washing machine: just add your clothes, the detergent and water. Shake it, expel the water, add some more, repeat.

7. DUCT TAPE AND SAFETY PINS The Usuals

We know we should, but do we? Duct tape and safety pins are the little useful items we always forget to pack. You can patch up tears in pretty much anything with duct tape, and use safety pins for almost as many functions as you can a bandana; you'll discover them on the way.

Image Credits (Flickr Creative Commons): 

Top row, left to right - kalleboo, Natalie Maynor, Lee J Haywood 

Bottom row, left to right - ShimmeeGrrl, cogdogblog, Jen

A Couple of Useful Links:

http://www.independenttraveler.com/packing - If being organized is your thing, make your own checklist and print it out here.

http://www.travelindependent.info/whattopack.htm - A great comprehensive guide to packing for a backpacker. It might take you a while to go through, but it's worth it.


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