5 Items Most Travelers Forget to Pack

1. Reusable Water Bottle

Hydration is important when traveling. Stow an empty water bottle in your carry-on, and fill it up at a hands-free hydration station after passing through airport security. To keep your drinks cold as you drive or sightsee, load an insulated reusable bottle with ice before leaving your hotel room. If you are traveling to a cold climate, pack an empty insulated hot and cold mug to fill with steaming coffee or tea on the go.

2. Emergency Snacks

Hunger does not make a good travel partner. Stash granola bars, nuts, and other non-perishable snacks in your carry-on bag. A protein-rich meal is a lifesaver when your late-night connection is canceled, or you arrive too late for dinner at a hotel.

3. Hand Sanitizer

In a world filled with coughing and sneezing travelers, staying healthy is sometimes a challenge. Keep the germs at bay on the road with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Squirt a few drops on a cloth to sanitize hotel room toilets, remote controls, and phones. This multifunctional magic gel also cleans cellphone screens and eyeglasses, removes stains, and dries up surprise blemishes.

4. Device Chargers

In spite of their importance, cell phone chargers are easy to forget when packing. To avoid this costly disaster, store portable chargers for smartphones and smart devices, such as iPads, Kindles, and other digital devices, in your tote bag, briefcase, glove box, or luggage. Because they are battery operated, these slim devices provide power on the go if your device dies while you're out sightseeing or running errands.

5. Travel Document Copies

The thought of losing travel documents is alarming, and it is always best to prepare for this challenge. Before traveling, print and store copies of passports, reservations, and credit cards in your carry-on luggage, or email photos of the documents to yourself. The copies aren't legal documents, but they speed up the replacement process.
Mastering the challenge of packing takes some practice. Be sure to add these often forgotten items to your packing list, and take care of as many details as possible in advance to avoid the last minute scrambling that makes it easy to forget.

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Hertz recommends that you never drink alcohol before or whilst driving a vehicle. To read about all of Hertz's Safety Tips, click here. To check out Hertz Rental Terms, click here.