Okay, so not like, literally save your life. Unless defibrillators become wildly available, of course. But until then, I mean saving your life in the sense of making your life at least 87% easier with these items that may not be on your initial radar to pack, especially for budget or long-term backpacking. Sometimes you’ll luck out and have access to a second hand or dollar store nearby with these cheap items. But until then, enjoy my tried-and-true swear-and-wear products of Dollar Tree that I make sure to bring around the world.
- Agenda. The stationery options in Dollar Tree slap my friend, and there is no end to the size and shape of paper products. My recommendation is for the smaller agenda planners that are small enough to fit in purses, passport holders, or pockets. They usually come with miniature calendar dates that make planning so much faster, especially if you have more than one flight or bus route itinerary planned. And trust me, as one who relies on phone notepads, some things are best written in stone for practicality’s sake. Plus, apart from the writer in me, it’s just handy to have a pad a paper and pen. The nice part is you can always throw the paper away as you go to make for lighter travel.
- Baby wipes. Forget hand sanitizer – these babies are made to leave you smelling better than before. Not only are they handy for wiping any spills the accident-prone like me are bound to have, but they also wash your face, remove makeup, and can work for a shower if you’re on the go sans access to a normal sanitary shower situation.
TMI note: I so wish I had these with me in the jungle of Tayrona. My period would have been a lot less miserable.
- Flip-flops. I’m talking the crap kind, the ones that have sharks on them, bananas, or neon pink smiley faces. I pack my nice sandals for everyday wear, but these bad boys are reserved as shower shoes, especially for use in communal hostel showers. They also double as water shoes if you don’t want to pack those for their clunkiness or price, or don’t want to risk your nice slides in a waterfall vortex. (True story on that one: never saw the leftie again.)
- Cutlery. The plastic is lightweight and easy to clean. Sometimes I just want a spoon for better yogurt capacity, or a knife cut cutting into bread, as they’re not the common cutlery offered at fast food places or airports. And sometimes you don’t wanna dirty metal cutlery in the hostel and eat in your bunk bed.
- Fuzzy socks. This you may not agree on, but there’s nothing nicer and more secure on a cold day in Paris or an uncertain day in general than warm socks on your feet. They are also nice to put on during extended plane flights or train rides for comfort, not to mention I am always freezing on flights anyway.
- Toilet paper. Some countries charge for paper as well as the toilet use, so I like to bring my own paper on the off-chance. I have also lost at TP roulette at public bus station bathrooms, and make sure to have some TP in my purse just in case the facilities are empty.
- Headlamp/flashlight. Not every dollar store sells these, but if they do, don’t pass up the opportunity to snag one. They typically come in the small sizes if at the dollar store which is a big win as far as size and weight are concerned. There may be some hikes or excursions that last into the night, and while using up phone battery for a hike isn’t the worst thing you can do, it’s so much easier to use a handheld flashlight, or even a headlamp. I had to use my phone for a last-minute night hike in the Sierra Nevadas (see previous post of “A Night Hike gone FUBAR”) and seriously regret using up the battery I wanted. Same thing for the Grand Canyon: did not bring a flashlight/headlamp for that shindig, and seriously regret not having a headlamp, especially since I used me hands for walking poles.
- Tylenol. Resist the urge to ‘panic-pack’ bringing a Costco-size bottle. Unless you have a serious disease, you most likely will not need them, and the amount in the teeny bottle should be enough to tide you over for an unplanned headache, cramps, or a bad sunburn.
- Dog blanket. It is exactly what it says. The dog-sized blankets are warm enough with their fleece or polyester, though compact enough to pack or attach on the back of a pack. As a caveat I haven’t seen these in dollar stores as of late, though I have seen them in Euro stores in Germany.
- Poo bags. Y’all can call me crazy if you want, but these have multiple uses for multiple occasions. (Not to mention sometimes there just isn’t a public restroom, and you gotta do what you gotta do, ya know what I’m sayin?) In addition to the obvious, I also use them to bag dirty clothes, waterproof my phone, tie up leftover food, bag up tampons when out and about, and sort loose makeup, to name a few. The rolls are small and lightweight and fit in those random pack pockets.
That’s the shortlist for this week my friends. So happy packing, and best of luck on the roads you and your pack are about to attack.