Packing Guide For Travelers

By Sigrid Salucop

Photo via Yahoo.ph

Traveling this Lenten season? A number of Filipinos go back to their provinces during this time of the year and often, as we all rush to our flights, rush to head to the bus station, or to ride a ship going home, we forget to pack a few things.

Make A List There is such a thing as a universal packing list that will make packing easier for you depending on what activities you will be doing for the weekend or the holiday you have been looking forward to. You can also prepare a check list manually but be sure to go through it while you are packing so you do not forget anything. 

Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush Do you want to make sure that you do not forget to pack your toothbrush? There’s nothing more annoying than not being able to brush your teeth once you get to your destination. Sure you can always buy from the nearest store but what if you are going to the mountains for a few days and the nearest store is hours away? If lists do not work for you, maybe an email telling you not to forget your toothbrush and other essentials will do the trick. 

The Essentials Wherever you are going, you should have the following:

Contact Numbers –if you are travelling abroad, you should ensure that you have the number of your embassy. Your embassy this is  your second home while you are away from your country. You should also write down the numbers of people you may need to contact while you are there. Writing them down is important in an event where you lose your phone.

Passport or Identification – for those traveling abroad, checking the validity of your passport is a good idea –you wouldn’t want to be stuck at the airport just because you can’t get in your country of destination.

Travel Insurance – this isn’t really something Filipinos are fond of but having travel insurance will cover a number of things –hospitalization if you get sick while on vacation or if you ate something that just doesn’t agree with your tummy or got into an accident. Your travel insurance will also cover lost bags in case you lose them at the airport or the bus station.

Cash – you must have cash on you because you will never know when the ATMs decide to be offline. Be sure not to travel with stacks of money though because this is potentially dangerous. Getting mugged along the way will not only ruin your holiday but will also leave you helpless until of course you contact someone who would be able to rescue you.

Your Ticket – do not forget this or you won’t get inside the plane, the bus or the ferry.

Enough Clothes – if you are going home for a certain occasion, bring enough clothes. A dress jacket for example might be needed in some restaurants. You should also bring enough underwear, and shirts.

First Aid Kit – make sure you are equipped with a first aid kit especially if you are going hiking or camping.

Things To Do Before You Travel

• Make sure that you charge all electronic items you will be bringing.
• Buy bottled water and snacks if you are in for a long ride. Buying food along the way can be expensive. This is an important note to parents who are traveling with their kids -children get hungry all the time and you might be spending a lot of money along the way if you do not buy snacks before you travel.
• If you are planning to drive to your destination, you should perform a maintenance check on your car.