Traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic can be nerve-racking. To help ease some of your anxiety, use the COVID-19 packing list below for ideas on what you should bring on your trip.
To help reduce your risk of exposure to COVID-19 while traveling, you’ll want to sanitize surfaces, reduce direct touchpoints, social distance, and wear a mask.
The items in the COVID-19 packing list below will help you achieve these goals.
Related:
- 10 COVID-19 Travel Resources You Need to Check Before Traveling
- COVID-19 Travel Questions You Need to Consider
Negative COVID-19 Tests (if required)
Before your trip, research whether negative COVID-19 test results are required at your destination and any stops you make along the way.
If so, make sure you have copies of your negative COVID-19 test results ready to share.
Touchless Door Opener
Has anyone else been using the sleeve or bottom of their shirt to open doors?
Give your shirt a break and add this item to your COVID-19 packing list. You can even carry it on your key chain so it’s always with you.
Portable Power Bank
Outlets are often in short supply when you’re traveling.
Rather than crowd around limited outlets with a number of other people (and violate social distancing recommendations), bring your own power bank with you.
Carry-On Luggage
If you have fly during the COVID-19 pandemic, carry-on luggage is your friend.
You want to reduce the time you spend in airports as much as possible. Checking luggage means you have to spend time waiting at the baggage carousel or worse – waiting at the lost luggage counter.
Avoid this additional time spent at the airport and carry-on your luggage.
Dirty Laundry Bag
Include a dirty laundry bag on your COVID-19 packing list.
A dirty laundry bag helps you to separate your dirty travel clothes from your clean clothes. A cloth bag like this one can be tossed in the laundry with your dirty clothes.
Laundry Detergent
Doing a load of laundry while traveling helps reduce the volume of clothes you need to take with you.
Pack some travel-sized laundry detergent so that you can do a load of laundry while on the road.
Portable Washing Bag
While you can do your laundry in the sink while traveling, I prefer to do my laundry in a portable washing bag.
You can use a bag specifically made for washing clothes like this one or you can use a standard dry bag.
Snacks
Add snacks to your COVID-19 packing list.
By bringing your own snacks, you can reduce the number of times you need to interact with individuals in stores.
Instead of stopping at gas stations or ducking into airport convenience stores, you can instead dig into your own stash of snacks.
Water Bottle
Like snacks, if you bring a water bottle to fill up at water fountains, you can reduce the number of times you need to go into a store and closely interact with others.
Water Purification Tablets
You can’t always trust the water on your travels.
Add these water purification tablets to your COVID-19 packing list to help ensure you have clean drinking water throughout your travels.
Coffee Mug
As with snacks and a water bottle, bringing your own coffee mug (and filling it up with coffee you make yourself) can help reduce the number of interactions you have with other people. Less interactions = less exposure risk.
Portable Espresso Machine
If instant coffee doesn’t cut it for you, travel with your own portable espresso machine.
You can use this machine and your own coffee mug to get your caffeine fix while on travel.
Physical Copies of All Travel Arrangements
How many times have you had to scroll through your phone to find travel arrangements because the ticket counter, hotel clerk, or tourist attraction couldn’t locate your reservation?
Skip this time-consuming task (which prolongs your time in close proximity to others) and have physical copies of your travel arrangements readily available to provide at a moment’s notice.
Face Mask
Many indoor locations require you to put on a face mask before entering. Be prepared by packing several face masks.
Besides, all the cool kids wear face masks.
Hand Sanitizer
When soap and water aren’t available, hand sanitizer is the next best option for sanitizing your hands.
Pack this hand sanitizer and have it readily available while traveling.
Hand Soap
If you want to kill germs, soap and water is the way to go.
I love this travel-sized foaming hand soap. Use some water from a water bottle and this hand soap to really get your hands clean.
Disinfectant Wipes
Include disinfectant or alcohol wipes on your COVID-19 packing list.
You can use them to wipe down airplane tray tables, plastic picnic tables, hotel room remotes, and all the other germ-laden surfaces you come across on your travels.
Disinfectant Spray
Lysol disinfectant spray can be used on hard, nonporous surfaces to kill germs.
I love this to-go size, which means it can come with me on flights to disinfectant my seating area.
Gloves
Gas station pump handles are not pleasant to touch. Neither are hotel room remote controls.
Keep some gloves at the ready for those surfaces you don’t want to directly touch.
Tissues
Tissues are always a good idea to include in your luggage. They’re small, but mighty – good for sniffles, mopping up a sweaty brow, and cleaning up minor messes.
Comments or Questions?
Have a comment or a question? I’d love to hear from you! Visit me on Instagram @eastbymidwest and leave a comment or DM, or send me an email at pam@eastbymidwest.com.
