Tuesday Travel Tip #25

Adventure is a State of Mind

Plastic bags are one of the most useful little extras you can pack in your luggage. You can use ziplock-type resealable bags, or it can be a way to recycle bags you may have received from a store. You can also use reusable silicone bags to avoid adding plastic to the environment. (I reuse plastic ziplock bags too. They can last a long time if treated right.)

The uses of plastic bags are numerous. Here are my favorites:

• If you’re packing up to travel to your next location or to go home and your swimsuit (or recently washed shirt) isn’t dry yet, putting the wet clothes in a plastic bag will keep the rest of your bag from getting damp and funky.

• Bags that can be resealed are great to have on hand if you have left-over food you want to store or snacks you want to keep fresh.

• Keep dirty items, such as shoes, separated from the other items in your luggage by putting them in a separate bag.

• Small bags can keep small items that have a tendency to migrate toward the bottom of your bag organized and easier to find. As the number of electric cords and chargers we carry with us increases, I’ve found a resealable bag is a great way to keep such items from playing hide-and-seek in my backpack.

• And, of course, the required clear plastic bag if you’re flying and have any liquids or gels you want to carry on — remember you need a quart-sized bag to hold the containers, all which should be 3.4 ounces or less and need to fit into the bag.