WASHINGTON — It doesn’t matter if you’re beach-bound for a weekend or plan to spend several weeks in Seville — packing for a vacation of any length is never as simple as it seems.
Should you make room for your running shoes in case you get the itch to use the hotel gym? You’ll have free time on the flight, but are you really going to whip out your laptop and knock out your “to do” list during your time off? Will you wear hot pink heels at the lake house?
Meg Biram, an entrepreneur and lifestyle expert, often tackles the topic of minimalist packing on her website megbiram.com. Here are her best tips for your next trip:
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Meg Biram’s 5 Travel Essentials
After years of traveling and “learning from past mistakes,” Biram has packing down to a science. Here are five essentials she never leaves home without.
1. A book
Biram always has a book when she travels. It serves as entertainment on the plane, relaxation in the room and amusement at the ocean. Often times, she’ll opt for a real book over an electronic version, citing that the glare from electronic reading devices makes it a challenge to read — especially at the pool or beach.
2. Portable phone charger
Biram doesn’t leave town — and rarely leaves her house — without her portable phone charger. Her Anker charger has two USB ports, so it can charge two devices at the same time. Having a portable charger is especially nice when traveling, since chances are, you’ll be using GPS and looking things up while on the move.
3. See-through bag for cords and electronic accessories
Biram keeps her cords, chargers and camera accessories all together in one bag (she uses this see-through case from Truffle), which makes them easy to locate.
“I can just pull that bag quickly out of my carry-on and find the thing that I’m looking for, because I feel like that’s always the panic moment, right? You’re looking for something and can’t find it,” Biram said.
To keep her headphones from tangling with other cords, she stores them in a cord taco.
4. In-flight essentials
Similarly, she keeps her in-flight essentials (lip balm, tissues, eye drops and a pen) together in a bag so she can easily locate them when she needs them.
“When I’m on a flight, I only want to reach for one thing to get what I need,” Biram said.
5. A travel wallet
For international trips, Biram uses a travel wallet (such as this one from Cuyana) to keep track of important documents, including passports, train tickets, hotel reservations and currency.