10 Essentials to Always Bring in Your Travel Daypack & 10 That'll Only Take Up Space
How to Pack Lighter & Travel Smarter
When you're traveling, your daypack is your best friend—that is, if you know what to put in it. Stuffing every last item into your pouch might make you feel prepared, but you'll likely regret it hours later when your shoulders start aching. To help you pack lighter and smarter, we've put together a guide to sort out your essentials. Here are 10 items you should always bring in your travel bag, and 10 things that will only take up more space.
1. Portable Charger
Always, always bring a portable charger with you in your travel daypack. Unless you know you'll be heading back to the hotel to freshen up or repack your essentials, your phone will lose battery at the most important moment, so having a power bank ready in your bag will always come in handy.
2. Wallet
You're traveling—of course, you want to bring your wallet! Whether you're shopping for souvenirs or items for yourself, always remember to bring various payment methods with you. Here's another tip: even if the city you're in has gone mostly digital, bring loose change with you anyway. Street food carts and smaller vendors often only accept cash, so you don't want to miss out!
3. Water Bottle
Even if you won't be walking all day, it's still a good idea to bring a water bottle with you so you can stay replenished all day. This is especially important if you're vacationing in a humid or warm city; you can quickly become dehydrated, which is the last thing you'd want.
4. Compact Umbrella
Weather can be extremely unpredictable, and it can rain even when the forecast says it'll be blue skies and sunshine all day. Unless your outfit has a hood or you have a hat to shield you, it's a good idea to bring a compact umbrella with you so you're prepared when the rain clouds roll in.
5. Reusable Bag for Shopping
If you know you'll be doing lots of shopping, make sure to bring a roomy reusable bag (or two) with you. Though it'll depend on what the policy is in the city you're traveling in, most may charge for plastic and paper bags. To avoid this fee, prepare your own.
6. Passport
You should bring a form of identification with you at all times when you're traveling. Most of the time, this means your passport. You might prefer to bring a smaller ID card, but it's best to bring your passport: you'll often be able to show it to avoid paying taxes, and it's safer to keep your most important travel document with you, not in your hotel room.
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7. Bandages & Disinfectants
Obviously, you don't want to get scratched up when you're on vacation, but minor scrapes and accidents can be inevitable sometimes, depending on your travel activities. Make sure to always bring a couple of bandages, blister patches, and disinfectants with you, so you're prepared for whatever happens.
8. Sunscreen & Chapstick
Even if it's overcast out, harmful UV rays can still damage your skin, so remember to bring a bottle of sunscreen with you wherever you go. Lip balm is also a must—you don't want to deal with chapped or cracked lips in the middle of an adventure!
9. Transportation Cards
Taking local transportation? Make sure to bring the necessary cards with you so you're not scrambling for loose change every time you need to get through a turnstile. You'll also want to ensure your funds are topped up for the journey!
10. Sanitizing Wipes & Napkins
Your hands are bound to get dirty while you're exploring the city. Having wet wipes, hand sanitizer, and tissues in your travel daypack will come in handy when you need to clean up any messes or accidents. Plus, not all places hand out napkins for free, so you'll want to be prepared with your own!
Now that you know what to pack in your bag, what are the items you can't safely leave out? Here are 10 things to take out of your pouch as they'll only end up hoarding space:
1. Thick Layers
Avoid bringing thick layers with you in your travel bag, such as heavy jackets, sweaters, or coats, as these will only weigh you down. Instead, dress appropriately for the weather so you're well prepared for the entire day. If you do need to make an outfit change, head back to your hotel.
2. Non-Collapsible Umbrella
Bringing a compact umbrella is a good idea, but taking a non-collapsible umbrella with you is a bad one. Because it won't fit neatly in your bag, you'll have to carry it by hand the whole day, which can quickly become inconvenient if it doesn't rain.
3. Physical Book
Even if you're making a long journey out to a nearby city and need a novel to keep you entertained, it's best to bring an e-reader or download a digital copy on your phone. Physical books can be heavy and take up too much space in your bag, which may end up weighing you down.
4. Extra Shoes
Unless you're going swimming or hiking, leave the extra pair of shoes behind. Decide on which footwear will get you through the day depending on what activity you have planned, and stick to it. When you pack too many options, you'll only be carrying more things, and you might not even actually need them.
5. Headphones
You're on vacation—listen to the sounds of the city! Don't plug yourself in and ignore what's around you. Plus, over-ear headphones can be extremely bulky to wear and pack, so if you must, it's better to bring compact earbuds with you.
6. Snack Bags
While it's a good idea to bring small treats with you in case you feel peckish before your next meal, it's not a good idea to bring full-size snack bags with you. These can take up too much room, and if they're not properly sealed, they can cause a mess.
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7. Entire Makeup Bag
If you want to bring along some makeup products to do touchups throughout the day, pick the items you need most—don't carry your entire kit with you. A lipstick, powder, and pack of oil blotting sheets may be all you need, so choose wisely.
8. Valuables
It might feel safer to bring your valuables with you instead of leaving them in your hotel room, but this, too, poses a risk. You may accidentally place your bag out of sight for a moment, or items might slip out while you're rummaging for something else. Hotels often have a safe, so use that to your advantage instead.
9. Physical Maps & Guidebooks
Unless you're better at deciphering physical maps, it's better to use your phone to guide the way. You'll often experience much smoother navigation and easier instructions to get to the places you want to go, so leave the books behind and save space in your bag.
10. "Just in Case" Items
We get it: when you're traveling, you'd always rather be safe than sorry. That often means you end up bringing dozens of "just in case" items—backup chargers, cables, sunglasses, socks, cameras, and more—to help you feel more prepared. But most of the time, you realize you didn't need half of those items or any of them at all, which meant you were lugging them around for nothing. Instead of taking everything with you, sort out the ones you know you'll actually need.
