I’ve Traveled Half the World and Now Understand Which 15 Things Can Save You Money and Effort During a Trip

Hi guys! My name’s Pasha. I love to travel and always try to take only those things that I’ll definitely need during a trip: the things that will help me save my money and make my life a little bit safer. I’ve already told you about the most important things for an experienced tourist and now I want to add a few useful tips that have already helped me to see half the world.

Today, I’m going to tell Bright Side followers how to use ordinary things that can solve the most common tourist problems during any trip.

15. A duplicate passport

I’ve been travelling with 2 passports for quite a while. One Ukrainian traveler I met in Ushuaia told me about this life hack. He had 3 legal international passports.

It’s really convenient if you’re visiting a country where you have to apply for a visa from a different country (for example, in Peru, I applied for a Bolivian visa). I used the duplicate to book a hotel, rent a car, and buy a train or bus ticket.

You may also use your duplicate as a deposit. For example, if you want to rent a car in Asia where they blackmail you for every single cent and say you have to pay if you want to get your documents back. In this case, it wouldn’t be so terrible to lose the second passport if you see that you’re being blackmailed.

It’s also good to have a second ID in case you lose the original one. This way, you shouldn’t have problems on your way home.

14. Using elastic as a wallet

After I was robbed in Mexico and Chile, I’ve started sewing my money into my pants’ elastic. I wear it under my belt and if I need cash, I take my belt off and take the money from a self-made pocket. You need to buy a wide elastic, fold it in half, and sew it up so it forms tiny pockets. It’s really comfortable to sleep with it at night and you don’t have to worry about thieves.

13. A stopper

If you’re going to visit a dangerous country and want to make your trip safer, this device can really help you. It lets you block any door so that no one can bother you when you’re napping in your room.

12. Duct tape

I believe duct tape can fix everything. It may be useful both during a trip and in everyday life if you need to clean your clothes, fix a banknote, or remove a price tag from a souvenir. What’s more, you can use it to make a secret place in your room — for example, you can fasten a bag with valuable belongings under the bed. Wrap the tape around a pen so that it doesn’t take up a lot of space in your luggage.

11. Waterproof bags

Want to take underwater photos or take a pic under a waterfall but you don’t have a waterproof camera? Buy a special transparent bag for documents (it usually costs not more than €2.) First, it’s safer to keep your documents in it. Second, a smartphone fits into this bag well. It might be difficult to press the button, so you can start recording in advance, then put your gadget in the bag, and go swimming.

10. Hair bands

Hair bands are as useful as duct tape. You can use them to tightly pack and roll your clothes so that they don’t take up too much space. They also can fix different things: they can be used to attach a smartphone to a selfie stick if its fastening mechanism is broken. Take hair bands to the beach since they can fasten and fix almost everything.

9. Thread, needles, a pin, and a ring

Take some needles, pierce a sheet of cardboard with them, and wrap everything with thread (make sure that the colors of the threads match the color of the clothes you take with you). First, this set will help you fix your favorite clothes. Second, you can use a needle to remove a splinter (don’t forget to disinfect the needle with alcohol or lighter flame.)

What’s more, a needle can also help you get rid of sand from your gadgets or accessories. A pin can easily fix your bag or a zipper and a ring can fasten 2 zipper sliders so that it won’t be easy to steal anything from your bag.

8. Soap, dry shampoo, and oral care foam

Instead of shampoo and shower gel containers, it’s better to take a bar of natural soap: there are certain kinds that can be used to wash both the body and the hair. First, this soap may be carried in your hand luggage without any weight restrictions.

Second, it won’t ever spill inside your bag and after using it, you can wipe it with a towel or a napkin. Third, it deals with stains better than liquid soaps. Finally, it’s more eco-friendly than plastic containers that you have to throw away after using.

If you’re going somewhere where you won’t have a chance to take a shower for quite a while, dry shampoo and oral care foam are a must. These products don’t need to be used together with water.

7. An S-hook

Don’t forget to buy an S-hook. Using this hook, you can hang your backpack on handrails on public transport during long journeys so that you don’t have to hold heavy luggage.

6. An ultraviolet flashlight

Almost all smartphones are supplied with an ordinary flashlight today. But I recommend taking an ultraviolet one. It can help you identify counterfeit money that you might get while exchanging your currency. It’ll help you check your room for cleanliness. For example, it’ll show those stains that are invisible under ordinary light.

It’s also better to take it together with you at the beach so you can avoid stepping on a scorpion that could be hiding in the sand at night. Under ultraviolet light, scorpions start glowing and can be noticed even when they’re covered with sand.

5. Pincers against ticks

It’s a really simple and useful tool that doesn’t take up too much space, but can be helpful during a trip when you’re going to spend a lot of time outside. In a different country, you don’t always know where to seek medical attention. And if you were bitten by a tick, it’s important to remove it as soon as possible.

4. Salt

Salt in a matchbox can be useful if you need to salt your food or remove a stain, or it can save you from dehydration. When it’s hot, we sweat. To maintain the water and salt balance in our body, you have to drink special sports drinks with electrolytes or you can replace them with ordinary water with some salt added to it.

3. An adapter-socket

Sometimes when you need to charge your gadgets your hotel rooms sockets don’t work. But there are always light bulbs. For example, it’s a situation that tourists in Nepal often face. In this case, you’ll need a special portable adapter that is screwed into a lamp the way it’s shown in the picture. Thus, you’ll always have light and 2 spare sockets.

2. A lip balm instead of a cream

If you like to travel without heavy bags or simply always take a small bag to walk through the city, don’t forget to take a hygienic lipstick. It can be used instead of moisturizing cream to prevent a callus and so on.

1. Wi-Fi extender

The Wi-Fi signal is often really bad in hotel rooms and you have to go to the lobby to check your social media sites or email. A portable extender that plugs into an outlet in your room can boost your Wi-Fi signal.

If you had to take only one useful thing with you when traveling, what would it be? A smartphone and a wallet don’t count.