For the inexperienced, sometimes packing for a vacation, a family visit, or a business trip can feel like attempting to solve a rocket science problem. How do you carry every essential thing and not end up carrying too much luggage or breaking TSA rules?

Plus, what do you do in case some of your belongings are stolen or go missing? Planning ahead by strategically packing is very important. Hopefully, this article will help you pack the smart way.

1. Daily medications

Always ensure that you carry along a small medical kit with you. A traveler’s medical or first aid kit should include not only all your prescribed medicine but also every other essential medication. If you have allergies, then you should pack your relief medications. It is also a good idea to have some basic first aid items in case of an injury. This is especially important if you are planning to go hiking or camping.

Prescribed painkillers should also be part of your luggage. Aside from your medications, other essentials such as eye drops and contact lenses should be included. And if you are going to be exposed to the sun, it is a good idea to get sunscreen products and sunglasses - you can visit this website for some of the best designer glasses collections. These won’t be included in the first aid kit, but they are important to have on you.

2. A travel wallet

You can have a travel wallet or, at least, a small plastic envelope that will contain all your travel documents in one place and keep them well organized. This will put everything you need in a single reach whenever you are required to produce any document. No need to shuffle through your bags trying to find a particular document, or forget where you have placed your IDs.

Here are some of the things your travel wallet should contain - your passport, flight tickets (with copies on your phone where possible), a pen or pencil, photocopies of your IDs and credit cards, the address of where you are staying, a copy of your booking receipt, etc. It is important to separate the photocopies from the original documents, just in case you lose any of them, or you can’t access your soft copies for whatever reason.

3. Power banks and chargers

This should be a no-brainer. It is a complete no-no to travel without your chargers and a power bank. Power banks are very important, whether you are traveling to a place with a reliable power supply or not. How many times has your phone battery run down while you are in public? The last thing you need is to be frustrated when you need to make an urgent call. If you do not have a power bank, then make sure you pack your charger, at least. If it is possible to purchase an extra phone battery or battery for your laptop or tablet, then do so.

4. Accessories for sleeping

If you are expecting a very long flight, then it is important to set off very prepared. Hoodies, neck pillows, earplugs, etc. will all come in handy during a long flight.

You can also carry a mini sleep bag if you have one - especially if it weighs almost close to nothing. Your sleep accessories may also come in handy when you are experiencing first night insomnia - you know, those first nights when sleep simply refuses to show up? Having a sleep aid will also relieve any worry about sleeping in upright positions for long periods and arriving at your destination exhausted.

5. Carry your own toiletries

Prepare a small bag to carry all your essential toiletries. This bag should include at least two small toothbrushes, toothpaste, wipes, body lotion, shampoo, etc. Although you will find most of this stuff in your hotel room (that is if you will be staying in a hotel), it is best to carry your own supplies.

There is no need to carry the huge sized bottles, specific travel ones will do. This is very important if you have sensitive skin or you are allergic to certain skin products. Just keep the TSA liquid rules in mind when packing your lotion and shampoo. Your toiletries bag should also contain your chapstick, travel deodorant, as well as perfume.

6. Entertainment

We have already mentioned the need to carry some sleeping accessories for the long flight. But what happens if you do not want to sleep or you are travelling with excited young children for whom sleep is the last thing on their minds? Even though most planes come with entertainment accessories, the possibility of ending up in an old-school plane is also very high.

Your family entertainment accessories can include your earphones, smartphones, tablets and ebooks. We have mentioned ebooks simply because carrying paperback books along can take up space and make your luggage more weighty. But if ebooks are not your ‘thing,’ then you carry a couple of travel books with you.

7. Appropriate clothes for the location

Be mindful of the place you are traveling to. Take into consideration the weather and culture of the place and pack the appropriate clothes. If you are venturing into a blistering winter or escaping to the tropics, then pick the right clothing to accommodate the change in weather.

The last thing you want is to start your vacation or holiday freezing in the cold or experiencing heatstroke. It is also important to pack a change of underwear with you. You never know when your luggage doesn’t make it past the airport or gets stolen when you need to freshen up and change clothes after your flight.

8. Lots of satisfying snacks

You never know when you may find yourself on a very long bus ride or stranded somewhere far from a restaurant or your hotel room. Thus, always make it a point to pack your own travel snack - anything satisfying that you can munch on on-the-go.

However, make sure that your snack is non-liquid and properly wrapped, as that is the only way your snack can pass through security without any problems. Plus, this is certainly a cheaper option compared with the expensive snacks you are likely to find at the airport.

We hope you find this a useful list to check ready for your next trip. Which hopefully will be soon!

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.