I’ve been abroad on and off for a few years now and when I start to think about the items I need, my list is pretty solid. I see a lot of travel accessories like travel shampoo containers & neck pillows that I know I won’t use, and plastic travel toiletries bags that I could pay $15+, or just use a regular plastic zip lock bag.
But since my last departure from Australia 6 months ago, and with an undetermined return date, there are 5 items that I wish I had bought twice.
Lush Shampoo and Conditioner Bars
These are the best products I have ever used! And I am not being dramatic or over enthusiastic. Before leaving Australia I spotted the shampoo and conditioning bars in my local Lush store and thought they would be perfect for travel. Plus, made of all natural ingredients and some products also vegan, I had to try. From the first use I knew that they would be perfect not only for travel but as a natural, inexpensive hair product. I have been using the bars for 6 months and they are only half finished. Only the smallest amount of these bars is needed and my hair is amazing because of them. Unfortunately Lush do not have a store in Ecuador, nor does Ecuador have the explosion of natural cosmetics the western world is obsessed with. I really wish I had bought more of these.
Lush Shampoo Bar
Amazon Kindle
I know this is not something that most people own two of, however before I left Australia my Kindle that I had used for 5 years in all places of the world started to fail. Stupidly thinking that I could live with it’s small problems and it would not break further I didn’t buy a new one before I left Australia. This was a mistake. Two months after my arrival in Ecuador my Kindle broke permanently. Devastation ensued. Reading is one of my favourite pastimes, travelling or not. So being in Ecuador where it is impossible to buy a Kindle was upsetting. Fortunately, a good friend in the USA was able to ask some of her visiting Ecuadorian friends to bring a new Kindle to me. The smile was on my face for a week after not having been able to relax with a book for months. So my lesson: if something electronic is starting to break before you travel, replace it.
Vitamin B12
Being vegan the only dietary supplement I need to take is vitamin B12. I bought a bottle of B12 before I left Australia, thinking I could buy more here in Ecuador when I needed them, they are just vitamins after all. This was another mistake. I have not been able to find any vitamin B12 here in Ecuador at all. The closest I have come is a multi B vitamin which has miniscule amounts of the vitamin I actually need. When it comes to any form of medication or dietary supplement, take more than you will need when you travel because it may not be available
‘Comfortable’ Shorts
I packed quite a few pairs of shorts in my backpack. Knowing I would be spending most of my time in a tropical climate I was prepared. However as always happens with clothes, I find I have one particular pair of shorts that I love and live in. They are my ‘comfortable shorts.’ They are the shorts that I wear around the house, the shorts I wear when I exercise, the elastic band, soft material shorts that are so comfortable I could sleep in them (actually I’m pretty sure I have.) I wish I owned a second pair, possibly even a third. I didn’t realise how much use I would get from this item of clothing until I was here.
Packing Cubes
Do not underestimate the power of a packing cube! These zipped bags are so handy when organising suitcases, separating products, containing little bits and pieces that otherwise get lost in the vortex that are many traveller’s backpacks and suitcases. I only bought two packing cubes with me, but I wish I had a couple more. Inexpensive yet so handy, I highly recommend them.
Leave A Comment