We people are creatures of habits. And changing them can be quite hard. But it's possible, even when it comes to things that we've been doing for years or even decades.
A person who goes online by the nickname Mitjopudent made a post on the subreddit r/travel, asking everyone "What small upgrades have vastly improved your travel experience?"
As of today, they have received over 400 comments under that post, many of which share valuable information on everything from packing to surviving long flights, hygiene, and beyond.
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Put a geotag in your luggage. You can track it anywhere as long as you have signal. On the last trip, I can tell the moment I landed that my bag was still stuck at the connecting airport. 13 hours later I can track the bag moving and heading to my home at 3am.
I keep my toiletry bag always packed w everything so I never have to “pack” it. Basically I have two of everything… razor. Toothbrush, tooth pate, hair and face products, hair brush etc
I have a checklist that I reuse every time so I don’t forget anything important as I often have to travel at short notice.
A small case that fits into the seat pocket on planes packed with everything needed during a flight — charger, headphones, lip gloss, meds, etc. Helps me board quickly and keep track of the little stuff.
An Anker 26k power bank. It's slim, and I can speed recharge my phone to full, 6-8 time, off a single charge.
I just got a powerbank after having a powercut brought on by garage lights dodgy wiring for 24h and only 20% charge on my phone (and I needed to use it a lot to find local emergency electricians!)
Compression socks. For long or long-ish flights. No swelling at all.
Having a place where my passport ALWAYS goes in. Been using the same spot for 30 years in my computer case where the floppy disk used to go.
Shower flip flops. No way am I stepping onto the likely 20 yrs of grime in the shower of my airport hotel.
Funny how you'll happily trust that the sheets and towels, which will be in close contact to infection-sensitive parts of the body, often for some time, are properly laundered, but you don't trust them to clean the shower which is being constantly rinsed as you use it and which is going be in contact with nothing more than the soles of your feet. Wrong priorities, I feel.
If you travel a lot, keep essentials in your suitcase at all times, don’t unpack them and replace/replenish as needed.
- Charging cables
- Have an entire set of travel size toiletries ready. Toothbrush, toothpaste, hair brush, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, lotion, sunscreen, razor
- Small pill case with ibuprofen, melatonin, vitamins, etc.
Yup. I have a go back always ready for a quick trip-- restock all essentials, using travel size stuff, no thought required, grab bag and go
Body/hand wipes for long haul flights. Bring to bathroom and wipe your pits, crevices etc, and you’ll feel great going back to your seat!
Choose alcohol wipes, that way the alcohol penetrates your skin and helps you "feel great". More seriously, avoid the non-alcohol ones.
Packing cubes. Before I bought some I thought they were superfluous, just adding weight and taking up space in my bag. But now I realize they allow me to be much more organized, which makes packing easier. Everything has it's place in the main compartment of my pack. And if I realize I packed something I need on my person, it's so much easier to just open the one cube I need to grab that particular item, and then everything just goes back in in its designated place. Before using them, I ended up having to remove half the contents of my bag to rummage around for that one item, then everything had to get refolded/rerolled to go back into my bag.
I got a second toothbrush that I always keep in my travel toiletry bag. Since I couldn’t pack my toothbrush until the last minute, I ended up forgetting it and having to buy a new one. It’s such a small thing but it soothes my brain.
I carry rolls of painters tape, as it is nonstick but super sturdy to help close lids and secure things without leaving glue residue on them. Extremely useful.
And also zip ties. A lock broke? No problem, zip tie the bag and cut it open at destination. Many uses.
I saw another post where they used zipties when their shoelaces broke. They're now on my hiking/traveling list for that reason alone.
"Splurging" for bottled water everywhere I go. I have a sensitive stomach and the peace of mind is worth it to me.
Not a splurge-- depending on where you're going local waters may not be tolerated
1. Compression packing cubes. More for the organization ability than the compression, to be honest.
2. Airplane foot hammock. The strap goes over your tray table, and the "hammock" cradles your legs or feet, holding them at a better angle than resting them on the floor during long flights. I used it while I was sleeping on a flight out recently, and while I was using my laptop on the flight back and found my legs and knees weren't nearly as sore as usual.
using plastic freezer bags as packing cubes allows you to see what's inside each one quickly, without opening them up and digging through them.
A digital suitcase scale. No more weighting myself with and without a suitcase. I take it with me and wight the suitcase to make sure I don’t pass the limit on the flight back.
YES. Moderately priced, last a long time. So useful on an international trip where our suitcases were limited to 50 pounds each and there was a large overage fee. Related - if you are at all in doubt about your carry on - take it to your local airport if you have one near you and compare it to the sizing box many airlines have near the ticket counter. You can often find specs online but sometimes not and just the wording about how it 'must fit under the seat in front of you or in the overhead bin'.
Getting rid of old clothes on travel to empty your carryon for more souvenirs. I bring old shirts, pants, sweaters, underwear, socks for travel to get rid of them as I go. I hate checking in luggage and I will have plenty of extra room to bring things back.
Had one flight where one bag with many clothes was accidentally left behind. We had a great time shopping for new clothes.
Maybe this isn't vast, but it's something I like to do: I keep a wrapped bar of soap in each piece of my luggage. It makes the luggage smell nice when it's in storage, and then I can use it while traveling (I hate liquid soap and have a preference for a certain brand of bar soap).
You can request a fan at a hotel.
Makes a huge difference when you’re room temp doesn’t drop below 70 and you’re used to sleeping in the tundra.
I always request one but more for the white noise than anything else.
A mesh laundry bag.
It allows me to comfortably divide my clean and dirty clothes, and not have to sort through them in my luggage when it comes time to do laundry. It's helpful on business trips and vacations, and short or long duration trips. Whether I just do my laundry when I return home or have to do it while traveling, the laundry bag helps me keep everything together and easily carryable so I can do my laundry when I am able.
Also, it takes up hardly any space on its own, and anything going into it was already in my bag before.
My "small" upgrade was literally teaching myself to pack super small, light, and in a single 20L backpack for any trip, any event or activity I might attend or do, in any location, or any weather. My bag stays permanently packed with these items. The only thing that changes is that I might throw in a swim suit.
Everything about this has improved my travel, 100%.
For example, I am going to the UK next month. My flight lands at 6:30am. My bag is so small, no airline would ever flag it to be checked. Lost luggage isn't a thing in my world. Because my kit is so small, I can walk out of the airport and spend all day carrying my pack, sightseeing, and not even notice I'm carrying it until 3pm when i can check into my hotel. The pack is so cute, it just looks like i choose to carry a pack instead of a purse.
But for items, I can't live without... my document organizer. It's my lifeline. I love it. Another thing I dont leave home without is a big pashmina scarf... there's a million and one uses for it!
Good luck wearing the same thing all day in the UK. Apart from heatwaves and dead of winter you'll need a t-shirt, light coat, heavy coat, waterproof coat, nice shoes, comfortable shoes and wellies if you're out for the day
Rubber band for your passport.
You’ll naturally hold onto the rubber band when you hand someone your passport so it reminds you to get your passport back, plus it keeps your travel documents snug inside!
A foldable travel pillow- not the kind that wraps around your neck, but an actual small memory foam pillow that folds into a traveling bag. I use it on trains/planes and to provide neck support at hotels
Apple AirTags
A Xanax prescription
Travel pillows - nice to have but whatever you get check it out before the trip to make sure it fits your neck. I had a really nice high quality memory foam one and found it was just too thick to be comfortable for me. Turns out a cheap poly filled one I bought in PI for two or three bucks was way more comfortable for me.
A denim button up. That sucker can go with everything and is an easy layer to add over singlets and under jumpers.
A good and sturdy leather satchel. It's got a flap and zip so everything is secure. It sits across my shoulders and at my front hip, so easily looked after. It fits the necessities for the day but is compact enough to slide under the plane seats or sit on my lap on a train.
I am a guy but on my last couple of trips I switched to a soft bag designed for carry on. It is made to be able to fit under the seat in front of me. I put my 'want it now' type stuff in there (electronics, snacks, wet wipe, whatever) and then I don't have to get it from the overhead bin when I want access after takeoff.
Not upgrades really, but wearing leggings with pockets is so great bc I can put my phone and airpods in them along with boarding pass and/or passport. I don’t have to dig in my bag and I know they’re securely on me.
I also bought an airplane blanket that has its own little holder bag that can be used as a pillow - it hooks to my backpack and there’s enough extra space that I stick my snacks, water bottle, whatever else in there that I’ll need at my seat. So I can put all that in prior to boarding and then I can just throw my backpack into the overhead bin and keep the blanket pack thing at my seat
I take contact lens cases and put a bit of ointments and gels in them. Label with a permanent marker.. P for polysporin, etc
Scrubba Bag. It is great to be able to refresh your clothes between washing machines and allows me to wear them a few times more.
If you are taking a laptop with you, buying the correct power cable for your destination can save a lot of hassle with heavy adpaters that fall out of the wall socket. Most laptop power supplies have one of two standard connectors on them and you simply buy pre-made lead with that connector and the mains plug for your destination. I had the UK one mine came with, a US one and a Euro one. It was when I was teaching a training course in the US that I had the issue with the heavy UK plug and adapter falling out of the wall and didn't notice until the battery alarm went off on the laptop!
If you are using a heavy adapter, you are carrying extra weight. I haven't seen a laptop power supply in the last 20 years that didn't accept 110-240vac. All you need is a plug converter. Same goes for your phone and nearly every other electrical thing you travel with. Every electrical device has a label with its input voltage requirements.
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Binder clips. You can use them to close stubborn hotel curtains, hang stuff from hooks that might not stay well otherwise, hang shoes or hats from hangers, hang paper notes in noticeable places, etc. The pinch arm can easily be removed if placing on a hanger that doesn't come off the rack and the pinch arm is also great for resetting device and pulling the felt back in a Zippo lighter, among other things. Just incredibly useful and don't take up much space.
On longhaul flights, if you have trouble with the dry air affecting your eyes & nose, then eyedrops, damp cotton pads under your eyemask, and using a cotton bud to lightly coat the inside of your nose with vasaline, especially before sleep, really helps. The vasaline sound weird, but it really helps with the dry-itchy nostrils. Chew peppermint gum for fresh mouth and to releave the constant dry throat/mouth feeling as well.
They make a saline nose gel. Look for "Ayr Saline Nasal Gel".
Load More Replies... If you are taking a laptop with you, buying the correct power cable for your destination can save a lot of hassle with heavy adpaters that fall out of the wall socket. Most laptop power supplies have one of two standard connectors on them and you simply buy pre-made lead with that connector and the mains plug for your destination. I had the UK one mine came with, a US one and a Euro one. It was when I was teaching a training course in the US that I had the issue with the heavy UK plug and adapter falling out of the wall and didn't notice until the battery alarm went off on the laptop!
If you are using a heavy adapter, you are carrying extra weight. I haven't seen a laptop power supply in the last 20 years that didn't accept 110-240vac. All you need is a plug converter. Same goes for your phone and nearly every other electrical thing you travel with. Every electrical device has a label with its input voltage requirements.
Load More Replies... Binder clips. You can use them to close stubborn hotel curtains, hang stuff from hooks that might not stay well otherwise, hang shoes or hats from hangers, hang paper notes in noticeable places, etc. The pinch arm can easily be removed if placing on a hanger that doesn't come off the rack and the pinch arm is also great for resetting device and pulling the felt back in a Zippo lighter, among other things. Just incredibly useful and don't take up much space.
On longhaul flights, if you have trouble with the dry air affecting your eyes & nose, then eyedrops, damp cotton pads under your eyemask, and using a cotton bud to lightly coat the inside of your nose with vasaline, especially before sleep, really helps. The vasaline sound weird, but it really helps with the dry-itchy nostrils. Chew peppermint gum for fresh mouth and to releave the constant dry throat/mouth feeling as well.
They make a saline nose gel. Look for "Ayr Saline Nasal Gel".
Load More Replies...