We all know that you should never leave home without your toothbrush, and you’d be silly to forget your passport. But too often it’s the little things that make all the difference on the road. After travelling to over 80 countries, here are eight non-essential travel accessories that I’ve personally found to be, well, essential. If you have any of your own, feel free to post a note below.
1. Hot sauce
Anyone visiting Mexico, Thailand or Jamaica needn’t worry about the spice of their meals, but if you’re going to Europe, Africa, or just about anywhere else, a tiny bottle of hot sauce rescues any meal from certain doom. I always carry a bottle of Tabasco in my daypack, and you’d be amazed how often I use it to turn meals like Mongolian boiled goat into a gourmet feast. Handy hint: Hot sauce rescues most airline meals too. Remember to keep it in a plastic bag for security, and just in case it breaks and spices up your luggage.
2. Medicinal charcoal
In the world of travel ailments, everyone has their miracle drug, pharmaceutical or otherwise. I’ve found that small pills of charcoal work fantastic when it comes to stomach cramps, upset stomachs or dodgy digestion. What’s more, they’re natural, have no side effects, and are widely available, especially in developing countries. I also travel with a small jar of Tiger Balm, the multipurpose Asian wonder ointment. Dab a little on your mosquito bites and kiss the itch goodbye.
3. Elastic clothes hanger
I’ve never subscribed to the hardcore traveller’s ethos of carrying two pairs of underwear, washing one every night. I’ll pack a week’s worth and save the bother. That being said, an elastic clothes hanger surely meets the need of drying laundry, towels and raincoats. But what sets it apart is its other uses. Lose or break a belt in the jungle? Clothes hanger time. Break a strap on your backpack? Clothes hanger time. Need something to tie your gear to the car, keep the window shut, hang your gear above ground, or secure your belongings? Clothes hanger time.
4. Pillow case
An inflatable pillow is great but they’re easy to lose and easy to puncture. Instead, I usually grab an old pillowcase. It weighs nothing, but can easily be stuffed with my clothes to transform into a makeshift pillow for long bus rides, or hotels with mattresses made of porridge. Depending on its thickness (and your odour) you can use it to keep your laundry too, and just wash the whole bundle at the same time.
5. Alarm clock
Never, ever, trust a wake-up call. When you’re on the move you need to wake up early for flights, buses, trains and boats. If you get the rare opportunity to nap, you need to wake up to catch dinner (or starve as I found out once in Zanzibar). Finding a small, reliable alarm clock is as good as gold, but remember to change the time when crossing time zones, and to turn off the sleep function once you’re up. Nothing annoys people staying in the next room more than the sound of a rogue alarm clock.
6. Soap box
Say goodbye to the small, cheap and mostly useless hotel soap. Sure, it comes through in a pinch, but the difference between an “OK rinse” and a “shower of dreams” comes in the accessories. A soapbox has a full, thick bar of my favourite soap, an anti-bacterial brand that really helps in hot climates and dirty jungles. Forget your plastic soapbox in the shower (as I have done on numerous occasions) and you’ll find it’s a difficult item to replace on the road. Not to get on my soapbox or anything, but boy, I’ve come to love a good soapbox.
7. Plastic bags
Carry a few extra plastic bags with you and a couple small zip lock bags too. Use them to compartmentalize your luggage so your shirts are in the blue bag, your underwear in the green. Use them to keep your laundry so you can just easily hand it in when you get the chance. Use them to store your muddy shoes, or your potentially explosive bottles of lotion or creams. And, as I found out recently after visiting Chernobyl, use them to keep your radioactive jeans away from the rest of your stuff. Respect the environment and re-use the suckers too.
8. Hand sanitizer
I’m not sure if it does indeed kill 99.9% of all known germs but there’s little doubt that foreign nasties love to get around on our hands. Rub a little sanitizer on your paws before every meal and you’ll greatly increase your chances of staying healthy. If you’re shaking a lot of hands, using a lot of public transport, or even handling flaky old money, a few dabs a day might keep the toilet at bay.
Travel writer Robin Esrock is the co-host of OLN’s Word Travels. For more of his travel tips, visit his website: www.moderngonzo.com