What to Pack in a Day Bag: 5 Essentials
When you are planning your trip, do you determine what to pack in a day bag each day while exploring the new city? One thing to know is, you want to keep your day bag as light as possible. I had to learn this skill many times over. I was using too big of a bag where I could stuff “just in case” items in there as well.
When carrying a heavy day bag, you become super sweaty since you’re walking everywhere. Then it becomes annoying and tiring lugging all that stuff around when it could have been left in the room. Finally you just want to go back to your accommodations because you’re sick and tired of carrying around a heavy bag.
When you decide on a day bag, determine what you need to have with you and try to get one as small as possible with a zipper closure. Practice at home with your day bag and fill it with exactly what you are planning to put in there each day on your trip. Go out and explore your own city and see how it feels. If it feels too heavy, you know you need to adjust what you bring. This way you are able to figure this out prior to going on your trip and having some miserable days away.
So what should you pack inside your bag? People will have different needs, like I’ll have more camera gear in my bag, but these five items I think everyone should have with them regardless of their other needs. Charged Cell Phone Charged Power Bank + Charge Cord Small Wallet Guys, when carrying a wallet and you’re insisting on carrying it in your back pocket, I highly recommend that you grab a thick elastic band and put the elastic around your wallet. This way it is harder for a pickpocket to pull your wallet out of your back pocket. It’s just a little deterrent if you insist on carrying your wallet like that. A much better option is to keep a money clip and put that in your front pocket. A lot less chance of getting pickpocketed. Lightweight Scarf
Accommodations Address First Aid Kit I hope this helps you decide what to pack in your day bag when you head out on your trip. When you are ready to plan your trip, you want to have my FREE TRAVEL CHECKLIST in hand to ensure nothing goes wrong on your trip. Inside I go over the TOP 10 things you should do before you go on your trip. Grab your FREE TRAVEL CHECKLIST HERE.
What to Pack in a Day Bag #1
Your cell phone is not much help, if you don’t have it fully charged and ready to go for the day ahead. Always charged it up the night before. My cell phone is essential for Google Maps, the camera and a multitude of other apps.
What to Pack in a Day Bag #2
I carry a power bank and my charging cord because when using navigation apps and using the camera a lot, it will drain your battery a lot quicker than normal. Being able to charge on the go allows you to still use it for all your needs without any hiccups. I recommend you go with the Ankor brand as not all power banks are made the same. Some take a really long time to charge your phone, and some take a really long time to recharge, so you want to get a good one. Determine how many phone charges the power bank will do in one charge. Each phone will be different, but you’ll be able to Google this. I have two different ones, one that charges my phone up once, and one that charges my phone up just over 3 times. I mostly carry the larger one (10,000 mAH) each day and if you’re traveling with other people a couple of you can use it to charge your phones throughout the day.
What to Pack in a Day Bag #3
When you are traveling you don’t want to travel with a giant wallet. Big wallets are fine when we are at home, but when I go traveling I use a little wallet. I carry enough money for the day because if it gets stolen, you only lose a day’s worth of money. Remove all of the cards you’ll never use while you’re traveling. Carry a debit card, a credit card plus a piece of photo I. D.
What to Pack in a Day Bag #4
This is mostly for women, but a cotton scarf is super handy. I use it for a multitude of things.
What to Pack in a Day Bag #5
I keep a piece of paper in my wallet with the address written on it (or grab a business card if they have one) and I also take a photo of it so I have a digital copy too. Then if I get lost or I want to go back to my accommodations throughout the day, I have it handy to show a taxi driver or plug it into Uber easily. This is especially needed if you’re not staying at a hotel and instead at an Airbnb.
What to Pack in a Day Bag Bonus Item
This shouldn’t be the whole first aid cabinet, lol, it should be a few little things to pop in your bag. I usually keep them in a little plastic ziplock bag and I can always replenish it when I use certain items each day. Some headache tablets, a couple of band aids, hand sanitizer and tissue are really the only things you need while out exploring. Other first aid items can be left in your accommodations.
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