They may not be the first things that spring to mind when packing for a holiday, but these everyday items prove surprisingly useful while travelling. The best bit? You probably already have most of these lying around at home.

Shower cap

We know that shower caps keep your hair nice and dry while taking a shower, but did you know that they’re really useful for travelling? To keep your clothes nice and clean, simply wrap a shower cap around your shoes to keep them separate from your clothing in your bag. There’s not much that’s dirtier and unhygienic than the soles of your shoes, and you don’t want them rubbing up against your clothing.

Of course, we recommend not using the same shower cap that you use to keep your hair dry!

Envelopes

Having a few envelopes comes in handy especially if you’re on a tour and need to collect tips and gratuities from everyone; simply store the tips in an envelope so the money is all together, and you can hand it to any guides or drivers who require group tips. They’re also useful if you’re carrying around spare passport photos with you and don’t want them floating about in your bag where they could easily get lost or damaged. The are also handy to have in case you need to store small documents or cash, and take up next to no room in your bag..

Safety pins

The usefulness of a few safety pins knows no ends! Pin together a broken backpack strap; take in a dress or top; fix a broken sandal; use it as a keyring; use it to attach a neck pillow to your carry on bag… mishaps happen when you travel, but safety pins fix quite a lot of them (or at least can be a temporary solution until you can get your broken item fixed).

Pegs (and rope)

If you’re planning to do any washing while on holiday (especially if you’ve opted for a minimalist packing approach and are travelling with carry-on only) then whatever you do, don’t forget to pack a few pegs! Use a length of rope as a makeshift clothesline in your hotel room and let your clothing dry in your room while you’re out exploring for the day.

You might also like: The Secret To Packing For Carry-On Luggage

Water bottle

Having a refillable water bottle on your travels, rather than constantly purchasing bottled water, not only saves you money, but is much better for the environment. Remember though, it will need to be empty when you go through airport security; unless you’re prepared to chug a whole bottle of water, you’ll be asked to throw it out, so pack an empty water bottle and fill it up at the airport after you’ve cleared security.

Handy hint: If you’re travelling to a country that has unsafe drinking water, purchase some water purifying tablets or a UV water purifying pen. That way you’ll still stay hydrated without adding to plastic bottle waste.

You might also like: 14 Easy Eco-Friendly Tips For Your Next Trip

Old phone case

If you’re travelling overseas and have a colourful, bright phone case, it’s going to stand out. Avoid the attention of potential petty thieves and swap your standard phone case with a plain one; you can either purchase one quite cheaply, or quite possibly you or a family member already have an old phone case lying around that’s not being used.

Plastic bags

While we try to support using as little plastic as possible on our travels, having a few plastic bags spare in your bag always comes in handy, especially if you need to transport wet or dirty clothing around. Pack a few plastic bags to keep your clean clothes and other items separate from your dirty laundry, and for any wet or damp items, like umbrellas, towels, bathing suits or raincoats. They’re also useful to cover up backpacks or bags to protect them from rain.

Torch

These days many of us rely on our smartphone as a torch, which is fine when you’re home and have constant access to a charger, but less reliable when you’re travelling. To ensure you’re not caught out in the dark, pack a small torch for any night-time activities.

Black pen

From filling out incoming passenger details to writing down the address of your hotel, sending a postcard back home or signing a disclaimer on a tour, pens are infinitely useful; especially if you have limited use of your phone to jot down notes. By packing a black pen, you’re never going to be caught out in those situations that require you to fill out a form – which happens quite a bit when you travel (and usually requires to be filled out in a black pen).

What else is useful on holiday? Getting from to and from the airport as seamlessly as possible. Jayride.com works with thousands of local transfer companies all around the world, so for an easy way to get from A to B, whether you prefer a shared shuttle or private car, pre-book your airport transfer on Jayride.com.