3 Surprising Things To Pack For A Trip

Are you planning a vacation? Check out my three surprising things to pack for a trip

We just got back from an amazing summer vacation with my family. My kids are 9,11, and 14 years old and are the perfect age to be world travelers. They don’t mind walking for miles each day and we no longer have to worry about nap times. 

I would much rather give my kids experiences and memories than stuff. We have so much fun exploring new places and new foods so we try to take a vacation each year to a new destination. This year it was Paris and now we can’t wait to plan and save for another international vacation. 

I learned a few things from this trip. We managed to only have 3 suitcases for our family of 5. And one of them was smaller and only used for pillows and blankets.  And we each had a backpack. 

So we packed light and we had everything we needed for our trip. There were a few things we packed that you may not think you need for your next vacation – but they were so helpful for our vacation. 

3 Surprising Things To Pack For A Trip

A Better Apple Watch Band

My Apple Watch was sending me constant notifications about all the goals I was hitting. When you walk 10 miles in a day – you close your loops quickly and then close them again.

Just before we left I received a Groove Aspire Watch Band — part of the New Watch Band Collection at Groove Life. It’s much prettier than the black band that came with it and it as so much more comfortable. My Groove Watch Band was so much lighter. I didn’t sweat under the band and it is so much lighter. 

The watch band actually lets you breathe. On the inside of the band, it has cutting-edge, patented Grooves. The band keep your wrists dry and rash free by bringing air in and keeping moisture out. It’s flexible and comfortable while maintaining a high level of durability. There are many colors and designs to pick from! You will also find bands for your Fitbit, Garmin, and Samsung watches. 

I love it and have received compliments on how pretty my new watchband is! Even if you aren’t on vacation – you need this band. It’s so much lighter and pretty!

 

Pack a power strip!

On this vacation – everyone had a device. Plus my husband had his camera battery and we also had a Nintendo 3DS and everyone had wireless headphones. That’s a lot of plugs. It was even harder for us because we had to have a power convertor. 

As we were packing, my husband suggested we take a power strip and I am so glad he did. We were able to charge everything while we slept. Something so simple was so important to have to make sure all our devices were charged. 

It was even great to have at the airport on our layover so we could charge everything while we waited for our next plane. 

    

Sling backpack

A few months ago I had a coupon for $10 off $10 at a store. I used it to buy a Stowaway Packable Sling Bag. It’s bigger than a fanny pack and goes over your chest and back – like a crossbody. Then you can flip it inside out and it turns into a small pouch so it takes up very little space. 

It held all my husband’s camera stuff with the battery and lenses. And it was safe because he was able to keep it across his body. 

I have also used it to go on field trips with my kids. It has a few pockets so there was a place for my phone, wallet, lunch, and more. 

A sling backpack is light and ready to go on an adventure with you! 

These are just 3 things that I noticed were helpful to pack for a trip. It has been a while since we took such a big trip as a family and these items made it even more enjoyable! 

Printable Travel Checklist – Things To Pack For A Trip

If you are planning on taking an international vacation, check out my Vacation Planner For An International Trip + Tips for a printable travel checklist! These items will also be great to add to you international travel packing list!