When going on a trip, we all want everything to be perfect. We also don’t want to waste time, money, and energy.
We at Smalljoys collected for you some useful advice that can greatly facilitate any trip and help to get rid of many unnecessary worries.
1. Sage protects against mosquitoes
This advice is absolutely perfect for those who enjoy hiking. All you need to do is throw bundled sage leaves into the fire, and the mosquitoes will forget about you for a long time.
2. A container for contact lenses to store cream
Even if you don’t wear contact lenses, you can buy a container in any pharmacy for a small price. It takes up very little space, but you’ll have enough cream for several days, and you won’t need to worry about it leaking. It’s also a good way to store toothpaste.
3. A bay leaf to avoid motion sickness
If you feel sick when you travel — no matter if it’s a plane, train, or car — a bay leaf is the perfect solution for your problem. All you need to do is put it under your tongue. Don’t worry about the taste: it’s actually pretty nice and will remind you of chewing gum.
4. A pillbox to store jewelry
A pillbox is the best container for jewelry. It occupies minimum space and gives maximum convenience: your necklaces, chains, and earrings will be neatly organized.
5. A Tic Tac box for bobby pins
Store bobby pins and hair clips in a convenient Tic Tac box while you’re traveling.
6. How to avoid clothes creasing in a suitcase
To prevent your clothes becoming wrinkled in a suitcase, you should roll them instead of folding them. If you want to be sure that your clothing won’t unroll, you can secure each roll with a rubber band.
7. Hiding the extra key in a flowerbed
A foolproof way to hide the extra key from your house so that no one would find it: instead of putting it under the doormat or on the door head, place it in a pill box and stick a stone to its lid. Then dig a small hole in a flowerbed or a plant pot near your house and put the pill box inside. Now anyone who looks at it will only see a stone.
8. CB radio
If you travel mostly by car, you can buy a special radio to communicate with the truckers. You can be sure that they’ll help you in a difficult situation, and you’ll always know all the necessary information about traffic, potholes, and even food at the roadside motels.
9. A clean solution
Cover the kitchen utensils you cook on with foil: you’ll get meals without dirty dishes. The foil won’t make frying more difficult — on the contrary, it’ll help to distribute the heat properly.
10. Popcorn in a bag
Here is an extremely convenient and unusual method of cooking popcorn. Take a disposable foil pan, and mix together some vegetable oil and 1/4 cup of popcorn grains. Cover the container with foil so that it forms a dome. Fry over high heat for about 8 minutes, shaking until the corn grains cease to pop. Enjoy!
11. Keep your shoes clean
In order to save your shoes from sticky burrs and other stuff, wipe your shoes with paraffin wax before going into the woods.
12. Chips in a fire
Chips can become perfect kindling. Set them on fire, and put them between some branches.
13. Follow the trucks
When you decide to have a snack on the road, choose a place with a lot of trucks next to it. The truckers usually dine in one place they know, and you can trust their experience.
14. A selfie with a stranger
If you decide to hitchhike, always do your best to protect yourself. If you get into a stranger’s car, talk to him about his travels, hobbies, or something else. You should offer to take a photo together, and then post it on the social networks.
15. OK Maps
OK Maps will save an image from Google Maps, and you’ll always have offline access to it. Just tap ’OK Maps’ in the search bar, and Google will do the rest for you.
16. Pack a jacket in its hood
This is a really convenient way to carry your jacket. When rolled this way it takes up less space and can serve as a comfortable pillow. It’s better than puzzling over where to put it, right?
17. Deodorant to cure an itch
If you want mosquito bites to stop itching, take some deodorant and rub it over the bites.
18. Careful clothes storage
If you want your clothes to stay clean and not absorb smells from the suitcase, put antistatic wipes on the bottom and sides of the suitcase.
19. A different meal on a plane
Most airlines are ready to provide their passengers with a number of different foods. You can choose between a vegetarian, kosher, halal, Hindu, and Lenten meal. Why not try something new? As a rule, you don’t need to pay extra for it. The only thing is that you need to choose the type of meal at least 72 hours before the flight.
20. ’Fragile’ stickers
The airport staff transports the luggage with these stickers really carefully, and, by the way, they also unload it first. You can ask for a sticker at the reception desk, and you won’t need to worry about the safety of your luggage.