10 travel accessories you really don’t need to pack
It can be tempting to invest in every cool travel gadget you see, thinking they’ll make your trip safer, easier and smarter. But that’s not always the case. Here are 10 travel accessories you can leave at home.
1. Money belt
Traditional travel wisdom says a money belt will keep your valuables safe. In reality, every thief worth their salt knows about them and will demand you hand them over. It also makes it incredibly awkward to get your money or cards out when you want to buy something. Just use your pockets or a bag and keep it close.
2. Other tricky safety gadgets
Thongs with a secret compartment? Wrist strap money belt? In most places, you don’t need to take any more safety precautions than you would at home. Just be sensible. Don’t waste your money on trying to protect it.
3. Special ‘travel’ clothes
Don’t spend a fortune on special quick dry shorts or vests full of pockets that are designed just for travel. Unless you’re climbing Everest, normal clothes will do just fine. And they look much better too.
4. Passport cover
How damaged does your passport get while sitting in the average handbag or backpack? Not very. A cover might look stylish but it’s just another thing to juggle when you’re trying to get through immigration.
5. Neck pillow
This one is contentious. Neck pillows can be quite comfortable and might make a difference on a long plane flight, but they are also really bulky and look ridiculous bouncing along clipped to the side of your bag. If you must, go for the inflatable version.
6. Giant headphones
Unless you are a DJ on a club tour, stick to the lightest, slimmest headphones you can find. Big, bulky headphones are hard to pack, annoying to carry and very (very) expensive if you lose them.
7. The medicine chest
They sell band aids and pain killers in just about every country of the world, so you don’t need to bring hundreds with you. A small first aid kit is sensible, but there’s no need to go overboard.
8. Washing detergent
Again, this is something you can buy almost anywhere. And if you just want to rinse out a t-shirt or some socks, regular hand soap is fine. Plus, lost of places have very nice, cheap laundries you can use.
9. Seatback organiser
We can’t believe this is actually a thing, but apparently some travellers like to bring along a fold out, hanging travel organiser to attach to the plane/train/bus seat in front of them. We’re really not sure that it actually makes things any easier and it’s sure to annoy your seatmates. Just use the seat pocket and your bag.
10. Duct tape
A staple on many ‘must pack’ travel lists. It sounds good in theory, with the thinking that it pays to be prepared. But in reality you’ll end up carrying an annoying roll of duct tape around with you for the entire trip without using it. If you really need it, you can buy it.
Do you generally take many travel accessories on holidays? Which ones do you feel are unnecessary?
Please let us know in the comments below.
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