Travel Tip: Leave this at home

Last week I reached out to friends to get their "don't leave home without this" tips. This week, I'm sharing some "you're crazy if you bring this" tips.

 

Full disclosure: the inspiration for this post came from the TSA's Instagram feed. Now, I know we all have our own opinions of the TSA, but their move a few months ago to publicly post photos of intercepted contraband is PR genius. It's frightening and fascinating and funny to see what folks try to get through security.

 

Some of my favorites from last week's catch (you can also follow their weekly blog here):



Photo credit TSA

 

Photo credit TSA

Photo credit TSA

In case you were unsure, please leave your grenade shaped e-cigarettes, blocks of marijuana and swords disguised as canes at home. And definitely don't pack them in your carry-on bags.

 

Duh.

 

But I did get some legit tips from my pool of guinea pigs fans Facebook friends. Generally people agreed that overpacking (clothes, not heat) was the biggest no-no.

 

From my friend Suzanne, who has traveled the world with friends, family and solo, and continues her world travels now with two kids in tow:

 

"I'd say too many clothes, or clothes the kids hadn't tried on yet. Except for one trip, I have always found that I packed too many clothes for me and the kids. I say that with the added detail that often, and yes, even with kids, we take carry on only.

 

The one time this didn't work as well was when Charlie was 11 months and we flew to Paris and the Alps for the week before Christmas. I packed three pair of pants for him, plus a romper. Trouble was, it hadn't been that cold here in Atlanta, so he hadn't yet worn the lined Osh Gosh overalls. We got to Paris and it was rainy and cold. Perfect for the pants! Except, apparently they were cut narrow. Every time I fastened the snaps, SPRINGGGG! They'd open. So we were there for a week with only two pair of pants. Which worked out okay."

 

I can attest that Charlie is alive and well as a thriving nearly three-year-old. He may need therapy later in life, but we wouldn't be doing our jobs as parents, now, would we, if we didn't provide some of these character-building childhood experiences.

 

My sister, who lives in Boston and has two kids, made a pact that she and her husband would not slow down their love of travel once they had kids, and they've made good on that. They even braved the wilds of the remote-est corner of Nicaragua last Spring Break (which is an entirely different blog post yet to come). So, she gets complete travel cred in my book and I would absolutely go by anything she says (even though she is younger).

 

"Too many diapers/supplies. Unless you're going somewhere remote (like, say, Nicaragua), so much easier to just pack what you need for the plane/day 1, and then either send an Amazon order in advance to your destination, or hit up a Walmart."

 

See, told ya she's legit. I was never that organized (nor am I now) to think about pre-sending diapers to your destination, but I think it's wicked smaht (that's a nod to her adopted Boston homeland).

 

Long-time family friends Marsh and Leonard were tour operators for many years. Their demographic is more of the silver-haired variety, but their lessons on what not to pack in your checked bags are golden.

 

"If you sport an ostomy pouch, never, never, never pack the replacement pouches in your checked baggage, which [if lost,] may not catch up to you for several days and result in an infection for you."

 

Ugh. Not the travel memories I would want to create abroad.

 

And then there's good ole Mo, who I introduced you to in last week's blog. Her response?

 

"Heroin."

 

Yeah, agreed. I saw Brokedown Palace. Spending the rest of my existence in a Thai prison is not really how I visualized my life turning out. Also, just to clarify, neither Mo nor myself have ever done heroin ... or transported it. And neither of us looks good in orange.

 

Which kind of brings this post full circle. What'd we miss? What are some things from your own experience you wish you would've left at home? Feel free to share below in the comments.

 

Until next time, Happy Trails!

 

Kate