When you have the right tools for traveling a trip can be much easier. By taking the time to research what you might need and finding the perfect products for your trip you can save time, money, and hassle while on the road or in the air.
We recently took a trip to South Dakota to visit friends and found that our trip was made much easier with the help of a few essential tools. Read below to find out exactly how these five must have’s made our lives much easier!
5 Must-Have Tools for Traveling 
1. Organize Your Suitcase
A great trip starts with organization in the suitcase. With these EatSmart Travelwise Packing Cubes you can keep clothes neatly stowed away in your suitcase leaving room for other items you want to pack!
We used these cubes to pack away my daughter’s clothes separately from my own as well as my unmentionables and Nutrisystem food. It worked out very well and made the suitcase much easier to manage once we got to our destination.
Another great tip is to roll your clothing up instead of laying them flat in the suitcase. It takes up less room and leaves clothes wrinkle free.
2. Pack Some Entertainment
Whether it’s tunes, a good book, or movies, make sure you don’t leave home without some form of entertainment. This trip we brought three tablets along with us that contained downloaded movies and music, a nook filled with books to read, and toys for the kids.
Not only were we entertained on the road and on the plane but we also had something to do when we were waiting around. We also had plenty of time to people watch and chat with our family but being prepared with some entertaining devices helped a lot.
And with the entertainment comes extra batteries, chargers, etc all packed up and easily accessible throughout the trip.
3. Bring a Scale
With the rising cost in airline travel one main concern while you’re on vacation can be the weight of your luggage on the way back. If you aren’t staying where there’s an accessible scale this is the perfect solution!
The EatSmart Precision Voyage Luggage Scale is not only easy to use but is very accurate and portable. It fit nicely in my backpack the whole trip and saved us an extra $50 (and time) when we realized that one of our suitcases was over the airline limit.
Simply buckle the scale around the handle of your luggage, turn the scale on and lift to get the exact weight of your luggage and its contents.
4. Invest in a Great Backpack
One thing that makes travel 10 times easier for me is to use my backpack when I’m on-the-go. A great backpack with multiple compartments, comfortable straps, and easy access can make a huge difference when traveling.
My husband and I headed to REI 5 years ago in search for a pair of great backpacks for our trip to Europe when I was pregnant with my son. Not only did those backpacks work out amazingly in Europe, they’ve been with us on every single trip we’ve taken since then!
I’m able to carry my laptop, DSLR, a change of clothes, toiletries and snacks with no problems whatsoever. And I have a mesh pocket on one side for water and a zippered pocket for keys and a cell phone on the other that are easily accessible when I’m wearing it.
Our backpacks are very similar to these REI Traverse 30 Packs. Definitely head to the store and try them on to make sure it’s a good fit for you.
5. Travel with a Buddy
If it’s a possibility never turn down a travel buddy. It’s always easier when you have someone else watching out for you and it can make for a great adventure.
While traveling with my family we not only had my husband, my kids and I but we also had my dad, stepmom, sister, uncle and cousin around. That made managing luggage, kids, etc a whole lot easier and the whole process was much less stressful. I don’t know what I would have done without those extra hands!
Even when traveling on business it’s always great to have a friend or colleague along. On my trip to NYC last August for BlogHer’12 I was grateful to be traveling with two other friends. Because without them I might have missed my flight!
What’s on your list of must-have tools for traveling?
Disclaimer: I received one or more of these products for free. This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own.
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I would love that travel scale! I never know how much my bag weights and that can sometimes get me into trouble at check in! I love how easy it is to use too!
BOOKMARKING THIS! These are great tips. I have none to share, I always forget something 🙂
I love those packing cubes. My suitcase never looks that organized. Great idea.
Great post! When it comes to must-haves for travel, I always include a surge protector. You never know how many plugs will be in your hotel room, so a surge protecter will over you in case you have to use lots of electronics on 1 outlet.
So smart! I need to pick one up and add it to our travel electronics.
What a smart idea to have a packing scale! I will definitely need that for our next trip. Thanks!