These are 23 useful recommendations to pack a complete luggage, comfortable to carry and resistant to different contingencies, when you go on a solo trip.
1. Hard shell and wheeled suitcase
When we are alone in airports, train stations and other terminals, it is necessary to walk certain distances carrying luggage, so it is practically essential to have a wheeled suitcase.
The purchase of a 20-inch Samsonite Ziplite 2.0, more than an expense, is a long-term investment, due to its strength and durability. In addition, its dimensions of 49.53 x 35.56 x 22.86 centimeters provide a considerable volume to store everything you need.
This model also has an expandable zipper that provides that additional space that we always need at the last minute. Its price on Amazon is US $ 199.98.
2. Backpack with padded straps
A backpack is the ideal complement to round out your luggage on a solo trip. Even if you have to rush down the street to take cover in a sudden rain, with a rolling suitcase and backpack on your back, you can do it without getting totally drenched.
Vans' classic Old Skool II design features a spacious main compartment that comfortably holds clothes, essential carry-ons, books and other items. It also has an additional front compartment for handy things. It has a cost of US $ 45.
Cath Kidston also has a line of beautiful and practical backpacks, with different models with prices between 48 and 55 dollars.
3. Plastic bags
Having a wide assortment of plastic bags of different sizes facilitates the storage of different items such as medicines, toiletries and personal hygiene items, telephone, passport, tickets and other travel documents.
At the Japanese chain of discount stores Daiso, you can buy a pack of plastic storage bags for just US $ 1.50.
Clear plastic lets you organize, protect, and find things quickly. Thicker bags should be reserved for greater protection against moisture.
Leftover bags fit anywhere in your backpack, where it's good to have them on hand for an eventuality while traveling.
4. Money belt
These belts with pockets that hook around the waist are also called fanny packs and koalas and are extremely practical for storing bills, coins and other small items.
They are extremely useful when leaving luggage in safekeeping in hotels and terminals while you wait for your departure time, since they allow you to carry money, identification documents, credit cards and other essential items, without risking theft or loss in the guard.
The Lewis N. Clark money belt is black in color with multiple pockets of varying sizes for safe storage and essentials close at hand. It's so light that you forget you're wearing it around your waist and it's available for $ 12.35 on Amazon.
5. Zip pocket jacket
This jacket is very convenient to keep insured, for example, tickets and cards of means of transport; Those little things that can sometimes startle you because at the precise moment you need them you don't know where in your clothes or accessories you kept them.
The Columbia Titan Ridge II Hybrid Ladies Jacket is regularly priced at US $ 140, but currently the house has it for an incredible US $ 69.98 in its online store. A unique occasion for you to put on a comfortable, practical and high quality piece, at a very convenient price.
6. Foldable jacket
You can't go on a trip anywhere without a jacket, so you have a chance to keep warm in a pinch.
Classic jackets are a calamity to store in suitcases, because they take up too much volume and always arrive completely wrinkled.
However, a Uniqlo packable jacket solves that problem for you. You can fold it up to look like a thin box for packing, and you can also turn it into a pillow to support your head while traveling.
Uniqlo's ultralight packable jacket is priced at $ 69.90.
7. Scarf
The evolution of the scarf as a complement to clothing is very curious. The Greeks and Romans called it sudarium and used the piece on very hot days to wipe away sweat.
The nobility and aristocracy of the Middle Ages used it as a symbol of class superiority and, in the military sphere, some battalions of soldiers used scarves as a garment of identification.
However, its most common use has been to protect the neck in cold weather, although currently the scarf is widely used as an element to complete and enhance an elegant outfit.
A scarf is a lightweight piece that offers protection in freezing weather and provides an item to complete a classy outfit for a special occasion.
The beautiful Uniqlo 2-Way Scarf for Ladies is priced at US $ 19.90.
8. Foldable bag
These lightweight and easy-to-fold bags can offer you different benefits during a trip. There are people who use them as a substitute for the backpack when it is too large.
It can also be used as an additional resource when you go shopping and buy more things than you had planned.
Normally, they have a long strap to hang it around the neck and carry it across the body.
The Love Bags folding bag comes in bright colors and is so small and light that you won't believe how much it can contain.
There are those who also use it to save some extra money, so as not to carry all the cash in one place. On Amazon you find folding bag options between $ 16.99 and $ 21.95.
9. Multipurpose shoes
The feet are one of the parts of the body that we must pamper the most during a trip and there is nothing more horrible during a walk than uncomfortable shoes.
The problem is that we cannot put all the pairs of shoes that we normally wear in our city of residence in the suitcase.
That is where the need for multipurpose shoes comes in, which can also be used to tour a museum, take a long walk and go out to dinner in an elegant restaurant.
With Cole Haan shoes you will still perform admirably walking down a cobblestone and dancing on a polished nightclub floor.
10. Emergency blanket
Remember that you are traveling alone and that no loved one is by your side to give you warmth or to give you a hand, so it is best that you put a blanket in your suitcase for any emergency that may arise.
The Coleman aluminized polyester blanket fits in a small hole in the suitcase. This blanket will keep you warm on a cold night and can also be used as a cover above ground as it is very easy to clean.
It is easily foldable into a compact package. It retails for $ 9.99 on Amazon.
11. Head Lamp
If you travel through urban environments and there is a sudden power failure, the flashlight of your mobile phone will surely get you out of trouble, but if your trip is to the mountains, the desert, or another natural space, you will need a lamp.
Headlamps are very comfortable because they allow to illuminate the path optimally, leaving your hands free.
A person was in Cuba preparing his luggage in a hurry when the electricity in the hotel failed. Thanks to having one of these lamps, he was able to finish packing his suitcase and get to the airport on time.
The Energizer Vision Headlight is lightweight, compact and available for less than $ 13.00.
12. Plastic folders
These folders are useful for classifying printed documents such as maps, plans and sketches of places of interest, reservation papers, transport confirmations, travel insurance, vaccination certificates and other travel-related papers.
The 5-Pack Premium Zippered Folder Set, Velcro Brand, retails for $ 7.95 at Amazon. They are light, have a clasp closure and come in different colors, so you can use your favorite shades on your trip.
The 5 colors are blue, green, purple, yellow, and light, and the pieces are 13.0 x 9.4 inches in size. The folders provide a secure safeguard for your documents and the translucent colors allow identification of the contents.
13. Dry Bags
A dry bag or dry sack can be the difference so that a vital electronic item does not get wet while you kayak, canoe and raft, or when you ski or snowboard.
The largest ones are used to keep sleeping bags and spare clothes completely dry while camping. The smallest ones are used to store the mobile phone, the camera and other electronic components.
Prices on Amazon for Sea to Summit dry bags range from $ 12.95 to $ 26.95, depending on size.
They are made with nylon, so they are lighter and easier to store than ordinary bags. Sea to Summit dry bags are a favorite with backpackers and fans of water sports and adventure travel.
14. Last wear clothes
We all have old pieces of clothing, such as socks, flannels, tracksuits, and pants, that we are about to throw away or give away.
A trip is an opportunity to put those treasured pieces one last use and leave them in the hotel room, freeing up space in the suitcase to bring in additional souvenirs.
For example, sweatpants and an old-fashioned flannel make a practical pajama; Nobody will be watching you while you sleep on your trip that you have done without company and your appearance at that moment goes to the background.
Likewise, if you have plans to go hiking, an old jean could go in the suitcase so as not to return. Someone you may never know will appreciate your generosity.
15. Wipes
Seats on buses, trains and planes, and hotel rooms, despite the careful maintenance they may receive, are not totally hygienic points and the last thing you want when you go on a trip is to contract an infection that will ruin everything.
To avoid these setbacks, you have Clorox disinfectant wipes, which you can buy for US $ 1.02 a pack and are particularly useful for cleaning hotel seats and furniture.
For hands, the best antibacterial wipes are Wet Ones, priced at $ 1.52 a pack. Cottonelle disposable cleaning towels are convenient if you have the need to use a public toilet.
16. First aid kit
These kits may be necessary if you have an urban tourism program and they become essential if your plan is to go to the countryside or the mountains.
A minimum kit should include a product against dizziness and nausea, such as the well-known Dramamine; an antidiarrheal, such as Imodium; some pain relievers and flu; a nasal decongestant, which can be Sudafed; and something to prevent infections from scrapes, cuts, and burns, like Neosporin.
Also, the kit should include a set of bandages and some eye drops, not forgetting your multivitamin, to avoid any fainting at the least indicated time.
17. Card with emergency information
You are never totally exempt from an accident and the odds increase a bit when you travel; Therefore, especially when you go to another country, you must exercise extreme caution.
We tend to think that the data we upload to the mobile is enough to contact a family member or friend in case of an emergency, but these devices can fail.
What will not fail is a card kept in the wallet with some contact information in case of emergency. The wallet is the first thing the police or someone who has come to the aid will look at.
Write the data with an indelible ink marker and additionally paint a red cross on your emergency card. Most likely, it will never be necessary.
18. Mini bungee cords
These ropes begin to be useful from the departure terminal itself, to keep suitcases and other pieces of luggage together.
You can also use them to keep a door open or closed, to hang things turning them into a makeshift mini clothesline and even as an emergency hair tie.
The 8-pack of mini bungee cords costs $ 1.86 at Amazon. They are 10 inches long, with steel hooks at each end; They are made with elastic rubber with high resistance to traction and have several uses at home and when camping.
19. Flip-flops
The floors of the showers and the surroundings of the pools in hotels, clubs and other establishments like that, can contain germs and to avoid exposing yourself to them it is convenient that you use these services wearing flip flops.
The three pieces of footwear that the suitcase of a person traveling alone should carry are multipurpose shoes, tennis shoes and light rubber flip-flops, preferably with a flat sole to put them on one side of the suitcase while taking up a minimum space. You will also need them to go to the beach.
Some flip-flops are nearly disposable, so a cheap purchase ends up becoming a little splurge. For this reason, it is convenient to buy quality, comfortable and durable pieces, such as Havaianas, which can be purchased from $ 22 in your online store.
20. Envelopes
If you throw 3 or 4 standard-size paper envelopes in your suitcase, you will not have added weight or bulk and will surely use at least two or three during your trip.
They are very practical for classifying and storing the large amount of papers that are requested in Cuba and in other places where the traveling bureaucracy continues to be cumbersome and almost entirely of physical documents.
These envelopes are also good for keeping extra money out of sight.
There are people who prefer to be discreet when giving a tip or a gratuity and these envelopes provide a very cheap and reserved means of doing so.
If you come back from the trip with all the unused envelopes, maybe you were so lavish in rewarding the tour guides that you preferred they were on display!
21. A couple of passport-like photos
A tourist recounted the experience of a bad time he had in Paris while on vacation. This person bought a 7-day card for the subway, which had a space for a photo.
This visitor from the city of light used his card without problems until a policeman who was doing a check made him see that he was committing a small infraction, which cost him a fine.
The possibility of such a thing happening is really remote, but adding two passport photos that you already have to the suitcase does not mean anything in terms of weight and space.
22. Old mobile phone case
There are places and countries with high street crime rates, which we visit because we cannot resist the temptation to discover some attraction that is of particular importance to us.
In these places, it is best to avoid attracting attention with accessories. We generally think that by shedding expensive chains, bracelets and earrings, we have the matter settled and we forget about the cell phone, which has become almost an extension of our body.
The mobile phone is an expensive device and highly sought after by the urban underworld of many countries; Therefore, the less attention yours draws, the safer it will be in your hands.
One tactic is to place the mobile in a used case and as humble as possible, so that when seen from afar, your device seems not worth stealing. These kits can be purchased at the corresponding sales positions for less than US $ 3.00.
23. Energy bars
The bustle of some trips often makes us lose track of time and the hunger bug ends up attacking us at a time when we do not have a place nearby to buy a snack or snack.
Therefore, it is always appropriate to take the precaution of acquiring a box of energy bars for these eventualities.
It is advisable to avoid bars that contain too much chocolate or other ingredients that can melt in a hot environment, since the idea is not that you satisfy your hunger and immediately need a sink in which to wash off the globs.
Some people, after opening the box to eat the first bar, put the rest in a Ziploc bag.
Kind Bars of Honey and Toasted Nuts provide that energy supplement that will keep you from feeling sick.
The pack of these Kind bars brings 4 units at a price of US $ 4.99; so each unit is $ 1.25. They contain little sugar, are very low in sodium, are gluten-free and are delicious!
We assure you that if you follow these 23 practical tips, you will not miss anything on your solo journey.Happy traveling!
