UPTOURIST

Although some people elect to pack their entire vacation into their carry-on, this isn’t feasible for most of us. Instead, there are some things everyone should keep in their carry-on luggage whether or not they’re currently on a trip. These items are good forever, as long as the paperwork doesn’t expire and can easily fit into the average carry-on bag.

Important Paperwork

In your carry-on luggage, you should keep a trip itinerary, like when and where you’re looking at Calgary homes for sale, your visa information if you need one, and your plane tickets. Although it may seem like you should keep these in your wallet, it’s better to keep almost everything together. You should still keep your passport in the front pocket of your clothing to keep it safe, but everything else is there just in case something happens.

Simple Clothes

You shouldn’t pack a detailed ensemble, but you should pack a simple low-fabric outfit. Shorts and a tee-shirt are the most simple combination. Ensure that you pack a spare pair of undergarments and socks and anything else you need on your person every day. This will be the bulkiest part of your luggage, but it’s good to have a spare change of clothes if anything happens to your carry-on luggage.

Paper Cash/ Emergency Money

A little paper money is always helpful to have. Whether it’s a safety net in case you run out of gas while you’re there and their card readers are having a problem, or if you lose your wallet and need backup cash: it’s good to have some spare money in your carry-on. Hopefully, there won’t come a time that you have to use this money, but keeping it there is for the same reason you’d keep airbags in a car or floatation devices in a plane. Better to be safe than sorry.

Chargers for Electronics

If you get separated from the rest of your luggage, you’re going to need a backup charger for your phone and whatever other electronics you have on you. A sound investment for anyone who travels more than once a year is to find a charger that you can keep in your suitcase year-round. This doesn’t have to be anything expensive, just something you’ll know is there if you ever need it. Not only is this useful because it means that you don’t have to risk losing the chargers you use at home, but it also means that you have one less thing to forget when you pack!

Contact Information

Before the mid-2000s, it was common for most people to have dozens of phone numbers memorized. This was because, unless you had someone put into a speed dial option, you had to type someone’s number any time you wanted to call them. With phones that store all of our contacts for us, this magic is gone, and most of us hardly remember more than our numbers and maybe our parents’ numbers.

A contact information sheet will be vital to have somewhere that someone can contact you if your bag gets lost and refer back to if your phone gets stolen.

Cover photo credit: Alexandr Podvalny / Pexels