Your carry-on bag may be the key to solving your next travel crisis.
If you lead enough trips, sooner or later you’ll be on one where something unexpected goes wrong. Fortunately, you can be prepared to solve issues that come up for you or your travelers by keeping a few necessities in your bag.
You already know how important it is to have your ID, medications and other essentials on hand when you travel. Here are a handful of things to bring whenever you take a group out on an adventure.
Charging Cables
Running out of smartphone battery power is a nightmare for many people. And on the road, when travelers are taking photos, using navigation apps and more, phones are likely to hit the red zone faster than normal. To help solve this problem, keep a handful of charging cables on hand that you can share with people throughout the day. Make sure you have cables that fit both Apple and Android devices, as well as adapters for both USB-A and USB-C plus. A fully charged power bank is another great thing to have on hand in case there isn’t a power outlet nearby.
Hard Copies
Electronic devices make life easy — except when they fail. That’s why it’s important to print copies of critical travel information to carry with you. You’ll want to have things like itineraries, trip rosters, emergency contact info, rooming lists and other things on paper. Having hard copies of this data will make it easier to find what you need when you’re flustered or in a hurry — or in case your devices aren’t working.
First Aid Supplies
Bumped heads, scraped knees, split knuckles — there are lots of minor injuries that can happen on a trip that don’t require a hospital visit but do require some basic first aid. Your motorcoach or hotel ought to have a first aid kit, but it’s also a good idea to keep simple first aid supplies in your own bag. Think bandages, gauze, alcohol swabs and burn cream. It’s also helpful to have some over-the-counter pain relievers and antacids. Extra sunscreen and bug spray are great, too, especially if the itinerary includes outdoor adventure.
Shipping Labels
Every now and then, someone on a trip is going to want to buy a souvenir that they can’t take home in a suitcase. So, it’s helpful to be prepared to ship it. If your organization has an account with FedEx or UPS, grab two or three shipping labels pre-printed with your account info and put them in your bag. Then when the need arises, you can use those labels to ship souvenirs home. Ask the shopkeeper to box the item up, then drop the box at your hotel’s front desk and schedule a pickup with your carrier. Your traveler can pay you back for the shipping charges, or you can choose to cover it as a courtesy.
Emergency Cash
You and your travelers are likely using credit or debit cards to pay for things on the road — and, indeed, that’s the most secure way to go. But if your wallet is ever lost or stolen, those cards won’t do you much good. So, to be safe, keep a separate envelope of cash (and maybe an emergency-only credit card) somewhere in your travel bag. You probably don’t need more than $200-$300 to cover most of the expenses that you or another passenger incur for a couple days while waiting for a replacement card to arrive.
