Planning a trip? Frequent flyer and DermaEnergy founder Sean Abel shares the five things he won’t leave home without.
#1 – ZIP LOCK BAGS
My number one travel tip is to never pack your suitcase without a dozen zip lock bags! A neat freak’s best friend, these handy bags allow you to stay organised and tidy. Pack zip lock bags to:
- Safely transport any liquids, without the worry of arriving with a soaked suitcase!
- Store all your medicines together for easy access.
- Keep all your international currency, especially coins, together.
#2 – EUCALYPTUS OIL
Airplanes, taxis and airports are breeding grounds for germs. Team that with frosty air-conditioning and sudden extreme changes in climate, and a bug can put a dampener on your vacay before it’s even begun. Who wants to be sick when there’s a whole new world waiting to explore! To help relieve a cold fast, sore throat or even a tummy bug, make sure you’ve packed some eucalyptus oil. Apply (diluted in a carrier oil) to the chest, throat or tummy. Plus, it also takes the ouch out of insect bites!
#3 – THINGS THAT HYDRATE
Eye drops, a hydrating spritz and moisturiser are my three musts to help relieve dehydration. But sometimes you have to improvise! Travelling once in Europe over Christmas, the skin on my legs was so dry. I hadn’t packed a body moisturiser, so my solution was to buy some cooking oil from the supermarket and apply it all over my body while standing in the shower, before running the water. Sounds weird but it instantly relieved all dry skin and created a thin film over my skin.
During a long-haul flight, a hydrating serum like the DermaEnergy Hydrate and Inflate is a skin saver!
#4 – TUPPERWARE CONTAINER
It took a few trips overseas to work out the best solution, but a tupperware/plastic container that holds all your electronic accessories is so handy. Pack your converters and chargers into one container and avoid random cords in your suitcase. For me, I need my laptop charger, phone charger and converters, which can all fit in the one container.
#5 – A SPARE BAG
How many times have you said to yourself, “I’m not going to buy anything overseas when I travel!”? I know I’ve left for overseas thinking this and every time I always seem to shop up a storm. Now, I always travel with a sports bag for any extra purchases. The bag can sit flat on the bottom of the suitcase, takes up no room, and is great to have “just in case”.
#6 – HOTEL WASHING BAGS
Hotel washing plastic bags are the best! Found in every hotel room, they’re great to keep your dirties separate from your clean clothes when travelling. If you’re planning on staying in a hostel, pack a few garbage bags instead!