4 Things That Should Be In Your Pack, But Probably Aren’t

3 comments | October 8th, 2008 | Trackback

You know when you are half way through a trip somewhere and you think to yourself; “dang, I should have brought…” Well that’s what this post is for. I have travel the world many times over and found some things, as small as they might be, to come in more useful than one would think. No, I’m not talking about expensive gadgets that can do everything from slice bread to charge them self with solar panels. No, these are small and cheap items that should be in your pack on any trip. Many of these items have a world of uses and those uses are only limited to you imagination. So, what are these mystery products that will make your traveling life that much easier?

Duct Tape
This one is kind of of a given. Everyone knows there are 101 uses for the stuff, but so many people forget to pack it. My real piece of advice here is something I learned from my years of kayaking. Don’t just toss a roll of duct tape in your pack. Odds are it will make its way to the bottom of the pack and you’ll never be able to find it again. Instead, wrap the tap around something like your flashlight or water bottle. That way you will always be able to find it.

Zip Ties
These are amazing and can be used for so many things. They are a great for repairing backpacks, broken zippers, shoelaces, and more. You can get these for just a few bucks and they take up almost no room in your pack. Don’t worry too much about getting long ones, as you can zip several together to make one longer one.

Zip Lock Bags
I’m sure many of you pack a few of these already. I like to pack all of my clothes in these to maximize space. Stuff your clothes in the bag, zip up the bag 90%, then squish all the air out, and zip it up. Now you have saved yourself some space in your bag and have a extra plastic bag should you need it. These bags are great for small things, wet clothes, dirty stuff, and a world of other things.

Business Cards
I know what you are thinking, why are earth do I need business cards? Its simple really, borderline genius if I do say so. Think about it, when you are traveling, how many time do you scribble your email address on a napkin, in a book, etc with other travelers? Rather than doing this, why not just hand them a business card? If a business card sounds too boring, check out Moo.com and some of their products. They will assure that no one looses your email address.