A honeymoon, business trip or an adventure journey,  travelling with a backpack or 3 suitcases, heading to the northern or southern hemisphere; whatever it is you have planned, this is a list of must-haves that would make any trip go smooth:

#1 A World Travel Adapter: this appliance converts plug shapes to be used worldwide so you don’t have to worry about your devices fitting into sockets. They come in variations, from simple light ones to the bigger more heavy duty ones. Best ones also come with one or two USB ports so you can charge several devices at a time.

#2 Wet Wipes: as basic and simple as they may sound, wipes add a lot of convenience to your day when it gets to hygiene. Carry them around all the time and use them to clean hands or face, freshen up, or to disinfect surfaces.

#3 A Portable Battery/Charger:  this comes in handy if you are spending most of the day outdoors and need a constantly charged smart phone or tablet. Charge it overnight, put it in your jacket pocket or handbag when going out and you won’t be stuck with an “out of battery” device any more.

#4 Packing Cubes: a rather recent creation, most travellers don’t understand the need for packing cubes until they actually start using them (happened to me, got it as a gift never understood how great they were until I started using them). These are nylon fold-able zip bags used to organize different items inside a larger bag or suitcase. This makes packing and unpacking a much less painful task, organizes your things making it easier to find them, and creates more space in your bag. As I said you need to start using them to understand the difference they make, and once you do you won’t be travelling without them.

#5 An Emergency & Prescription Medicine Pack: an upset stomach, a headache or muscle/joint soreness these are common health issues that you may come across in your trip. Having an emergency pack with the usual medication you are used to for a quick on the spot remedy saves you the hassle of going for alternatives that may be foreign to you, or in some cases finding an actual pharmacy selling what you need (how many of us took that middle of the night search mission for one open pharmacy?) If you’ve got prescription medicine make sure you have more than enough to last for the whole trip (no need for risks here).

#6 An Entertainment Item:  A flight delay, a long bus ride, are examples of instances on your trip when you will need something to help pass the time. Depending on your preference this item can be a book, a kindle, an ipod with your favorite music, your i-pad loaded with new movies, and the likes.

#7 A Copy of your Passport: Not something that happens all the time but still something that can happen; losing your passport is a big problem. It is even bigger when you don’t have a copy with you. A copy on your phone (take a snapshot) and a paper copy kept somewhere safe will be a life saver if this ever happens.