Everything but the kitchen sink! (10 indispensable things to take on holiday with you)

Member Name: Little Miss

Product:	10 indispensable things to take on holiday with you
Date:	27/04/01 (113 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: lots

Disadvantages: none

1. Walkman (plus spare batteries and a selection of tapes) as opposed to a Discman which you cannot use on flights for some strange reason. A Walkman is essential for flights to drown out the noise of someone elses beloved children who are screaming and shouting sat behind you whilst their parents opted to sit several rows behind! It's also useful when they turn up in the hotel room next to yours, or on the next sunb lounger to yours. Try buying a tape of the music from which ever country you are visiting or language tape of that country just to add to the experience.

2. Suntan lotion - Whether your going some where hot or going skiing suntan lotion is always an esential, unless you want to spend your holiday looking like a beetroot or end up looking like a prune by the time your 40. And don't forget the aftersun, you can actually get spray on aftersun now, I don't think it feels quite as good as the cream but it's excellent for getting to hard to reach places if you don't have a friend arount to help. It's also good for spraying youself when just leaving the beach you know when you skin starts to feel tight when the sea water dries on it. Oh and don't forget your hair you can get some leave in conditioners with sunscreen in them, yes sun streak hair may look nice for a week or so (or it may just turn green when the pool chlorine hits it) but after that it's just dry and straggely.

3. Decent suitcase - there's nothing worse than struggeling through airports with a huge heavy suitcase, buy one with wheels (see my op on Wheelie Trolley's under travel equipment). Also there's nothing worse than arriving at your destination and finding your suitcase zip packed in somewhere along the way and has spilled your underwear all over the luggage carosel! Also a novel idea could be to try leaving some space in it for those tacky, I mean gorgeous holiday bargains you'll end up buying.

4. A Hat -
preferably with a rim which will cast some shade on your face and shoulders. Not only is this sensible to protect your head but it's very useful. How many pairs of sun glasses have you lost as you take them off and put them down, every time you go in a shop or cafe because you can't see when you go inside? I've lost or broken many a pair by doing this. A hat I can leave on. Also hats shade your whole face eliminating, nice panda eye suntans. Hat's also shade your eyes enough to take photo's, I cannot take photo's wearing sunglasses, but if I remove them I have to squint which can leave you with some rather interesting but not quite what you wanted holiday snaps!

5. Comfy shoes - I recommend those Reef style surfer sandals with the velcro, they're flat and very comfy, they don't keep your feet all enclosed and sweaty like trainers, you can walk on the sand with them and not worry about getting the sand out of them, in fact you can even paddle in the sea in them. Plus if like my Mum your feet swell slightly in the heat they're very easy to adjust so they stay comfy.

6. A good book - Whether your on the beach, by the pool, sat outside a nice cafe or delayed at the airport it's always nice to loose yourself for an hour or so in a good book. When else do you find the time?

7. A small first aid kit, including head ache tablets and allergy tablets is needed, do you really want to go trying new medicines whilst on holiday? Do you feel comfortable that you understood the directions correctly or that you bought the right type of medication in the first place? Whilst I'm all into trying new foods etc. I like to stick to what I know when it comes to medicine. Oh and don't forget some creme for insect bites!

8. A credit card, Ok normally I try to behave myself and taking a credit card on holiday can be even more tempting than normal with all those bargains you just can't get at
home. But I still take it, just keep it locked in the hotel safe if you feel you can't trust yourself. Just so you have it incase of emergency. It's amazing how many people loose their spending money on holiday, how many times have you left all your things by the pool or on the beach whilst you went for a quick swim? Or what if you need money for medical expenses, often you have to pay them when your abroad and claim them back when you return home.

9. A decent sized beach bag, one that you can put your towel, walkman, bottle of water, change of clothes, suntan lotion, bucket and spade etc in. There's nothing worse than struggeling down to the beach juggeling with armfuls of stuff. It may also come in useful as an extra bag to put those holiday souvenirs in to take home if you run out of room in your suitcase. Also look out for those little cool bag's the ones made from foamy stuff designed just to fit round bottles they're very handy for keeping drinks cool on the beach.

10. And finally a toothbrush, erm actually no you can always buy a toothbrush at your destination and you'll find hotels often have them if you ask at reception. So instead I'll go for some washing powder. Yes you think I'm nuts don't you! Well here's my reasoning, I try to pack economically so I may only take one cardigan for example now your guaranteed if you do this to spill something on it the first night. Or what about your swim suit, you probably plan on wearing it several times wouldn't it be nice to give it a quick swish in the sink (the hotel sink,I did say not the kitchen sink!). Ok you could try using regular soap or shampoo, but be warned, shampoo once trained the colour out of my favourite shorts.

Summary: