One of the most exciting and thrilling things in life is to embark on solo travel. You get the opportunity of experiencing new things while being completely independent. This is also why you should never take traveling solo lightly as being ignorant can land you in a lot of hassles.
One of the most important things to do when you travel solo is to be savvy with the planning in addition to light. Make sure that you avoid carrying items that could be cumbersome to handle restricting your movement.
Since you can never be too careful, we have come up with a list of travel essentials that you immediately need to add to your arsenal.
Hard-Shell Carry-On Suitcase
Trust us when we tell you that hard-shell suitcases are much better in comparison to soft suitcases. A lot of people prefer the latter as they assume that they will get more space for putting in extra items, but when you take into account protection, the former will win hands-down. If you do have a soft suitcase, try wrapping up your clothes in plastic bags to make sure that your stuff doesn’t get soaked during impromptu rain.
Get a hard-shell carry-on suitcase that has an expandable zipper.
Fanny Pack
In addition to being the latest fad, a fanny pack or money belt is the safest way that you can carry your money and other essential documents. Try these bags on before you place your order to verify that they are lightweight and have multiple pockets for organized storage.
Scarf
One of the more underrated travel items, there are multiple uses of a scarf: it can keep you warm, can be used for outfit layering, or simply use it as a head cover. Once you are about to return from your travel escapades, you can also use this for extra padding to shield the item for breakage.
Neck Pillow
A neck pillow is an essential that is helpful for your journey as well as after you have arrived at your destination. It helps to provide you with support protecting your neck, shoulders, and head from any added strain.
We would recommend that you opt for the traditional U-shaped neck pillow as they are compact and lightweight. But, you can always try out the other neck pillow options available in the market such as neck pillows with slings or wraparound neck pillows.
Entertainment Alternatives
It’s important to have a few entertainment options in hand to escape boredom. If you love reading books or comics, you can always carry one or two in your travel bag to spend days lounging under the sun or when you’re traveling from one tourist spot to another.
If you prefer to listen to music, podcasts or watch videos, you can do that as well. For travel purposes, we would recommend you carry Bluetooth earbuds, as they have a travel-friendly design and can be directly connected to your electronic device.
Reusable Bags
Foldable, reusable bags can be quite handy for traveling as it’s not possible to carry your suitcase or travel backpack with you on every occasion. Just store essentials in this bag and you’ll be good to go. Look for bag designs that are spacious and sturdy. After all, you wouldn’t want your bad to fall apart at random times.
Anti-bacterial wipes
Not many of us consider carrying any kind of wipes whenever we are traveling assuming that we will always get towels in hotels. While there is no doubt in this, it’s important to have anti-bacterial wipes to protect yourself from germs and remain healthy.
As soon as you sit on the flight, wipe your seat as well as the food tray in front of you. After you reach the hotel, quickly swipe at the headboard, side tables, and any other places you think it would be necessary.
Since we are already speaking about wipes, we would advise you to carry makeup wipes in case you have a lethargic emergency. Don’t sleep with your makeup on if you want your skin clear and fabulous for your Instagram photos.
Emergency Contact Information Card
It’s important to stay on your guard whenever you travel solo but it’s equally vital to be prepared in case of emergencies. Write down all your emergency information on an index card or business card and store it in your wallet. Make sure that you use a sharpie for this process so that the ink doesn’t fade or get ruined in case of rain.
This will be extremely useful in case you get hurt and somebody tries to help you.
Snack Bars
Whether you are traveling solo or with a companion, you should always carry sweet and savory snacks with you in case you have those sudden hunger pangs. Even when you are out exploring your destination, it can be easy to lose track of time until your stomach starts growling reminding you to feed it. Hence, simply buy a box of snack bars and store them in the reusable bag mentioned above.
You can also store your favorite beverages such as soda or fruit juice to keep yourself hydrated. The best option, of course, is to carry your own personal water bottle.
Skin Care Essentials
One of the biggest minus points of traveling can be that our skin, with the change of climate and environment, can get irritated and inflamed. This is something which you most certainly want to avoid as it can lower your confidence, become a source of irritation, and really mess up your travel photographs.
Keeping such situations in mind, always ensure that you carry your skin care essentials with you in travel-friendly containers. You can also indulge in travel-friendly face masks such as sheet masks that can be directly applied to your face. Not only e is this incredibly refreshing, but it can also help to hydrate and moisturize your skin while curbing breakouts and inflammation.
Resources – Altitude Lodges, Travel & Leisure
