Packing for a day trip can easily be overlooked, but the fact is that a long day of shopping or touring around a new town can easily be ruined by not having just what you need to deal with little things that come up. With that being said, here is my day trip essentials to pack whenever you head out adventuring.
Pen and Waterproof Notepad
You never know when you will need to take a note, leave a message, or even do the old-school give your number to someone. For when you are out and about, the best thing to have with you is a waterproof notebook and equally waterproof pen.
My preference is the Rite in the Rain 3″ x 5″ notebook. These tough little pages won’t dissolve when they get wet. As for a pen, any pall point pen or pencil will work. Avoid gel-based pens as they aren’t waterproof. If you are looking to go hardcore on this, Rite in the Rain makes their own line of waterproof pens that are as weatherproof as it gets.
Medications
Regardless of if it is that surprise headache, and upset stomach from the Mexican food from that sketchy truck, or extended bathroom visits due to eating the convenience store sushi, having a couple of doses of medicine handy can make all the difference! I suggest having some individually wrapped packets of pain relievers, decongestants, antacids, and anti-diarrheal medicine.
These don’t take up much room, and will save you from scrambling trying to find medicine in an unfamiliar place. Here is a link for an inexpensive pack of medical supplies that will cover most of your immediate needs while out and about.
If you want to be really prepared, add in a couple of band-aids and a packet of antibiotic gel.
Obviously, you don’t need to take scads of these with you, but having one dose of each of these in your bag can really make a difference!
Quart Freezer Bags
Easily overlooked, is something to put things in. I like to bring along at least one extra quart size freezer bag. These can be used to store items, as vomit bags, to stick wet/messy things in, and more.
My suggestion is to stick your medical kit in one, then slide in a couple extra. Once you push the air out and seal it, they won’t take up much space at all.
Do be sure to use freezer bags, not sandwich bags. Freezer bags are much thicker, and are less prone to tearing or leaking!
Carmex Classic (with Phenol)
While I rarely use it on my lips, I do wind up using Carmex pretty regularly.
Know for being a lip balm, I’ve used in just about everywhere. It works as a temporary substitute for anti-biotic ointment, or as treatment for cracked heels.
The ingredients function as a mild antiseptic and pain reliever, so it comes in handy in a multitude of ways.
Eye Drops
Pollution, dust and more can irritate the hell out of your eyes. Usually, for me it is something getting in my eye, then me scratching the hell out of my eye in the process of getting it out that has my eyes irritated.
The best solution I’ve found for this is Naphcon A eye drops. These are medicated antihistamine eye drops that really soothe and take the inflammation out of your eyes. Whenever I get eye drops, these are always the ones I get.
Cash
No day trip bag, or any emergency bag for that matter should be without cash.
In a modern age, we are all a little too used to paying for things with our cards or our phones, but that doesn’t always work. We were just recently on a trip out to the Ho Valley, and on out way out we stopped at the Hard Rain Cafe. Cute place, but they had just lost power and couldn’t take any form of electronic payment. Luckily we always take a little cash on trips.
My suggestion is to put $50 or so in small bills into your day trip bag, just for those moments when cards don’t work. Cash is still king.
Swiss Army Classic SD Knife
If you haven’t seen these, the Swiss Army Classic SD knife is tiny, but is super useful and belongs in everyone’s day bag.
In it you will find a small, sharp blade, a nail file, and small scissors. You aren’t going to be cutting down trees with this thing, but all of these are big enough to cut a string, open a package, or trim a nail. On top of that, stashed in the side is a tweezers and a plastic toothpick. While I’ve never use the toothpick, the tweezers can be clutch for getting out splinters or the like.
These Swiss Army knives are essential, come in lots of colors and are inexpensive. Be sure to pick one up!
Power Bank and Cords
No day trip essentials list would be complete without a power bank.
Do you really want to be caught out in the city, especially one you don’t know well, with a dead phone? We use them far too much for our main communication and direction finding, to be looking at a brick because our phone is dead and we can’t charge it.
Take along at least a small power bank and charging cord and you won’t have to worry about that any more. Stick with a name brand like Anker or Belkin to make sure you get a quality battery.
I’m firmly in the ‘bottled water is a scam’ camp, but I know that water in certain cities is pretty suspect, or tastes just nasty (looking at you Seattle.) That being said, I loathe buying bottled water and needlessly adding to the plastic waste on the planet. Taking along a refillable water bottle is the easy solution.
My go-to water bottle is my Klean Kanteen stainless steel 32oz bottle. I’ve had it a couple of years and it has been great. That being said, for day trips into the city, you may want something a bit smaller that fits in a bag or cup holder.
whichever you choose, my big points are that it fits in a cup holder, is insulated, and has a strong loop/handle for carrying.
Cut Proof Cross Body Day Bag
The last item seems pretty obvious, but again it is easily overlooked when it comes to day trip essentials. A sturdy bag gives you a secure place to put all your essential items, and not worry as much about someone stealing them.
You want a cross-body bag so that it is cut to be worn in that position and be comfortable. Wearing your bag cross-body reduces that chance that someone till try and grab it off of you.
A cut-proof bag means that it is much harder for someone to cut the strap and steal your bag, or slice it open and take the contents. Yes, people do that sort of thing. Spending a little more for a cut resistant bag is worth the money in my book.
There are lots of cheap Chinese made versions on Amazon, but I’d avoid them and go for something built with better materials that you can trust. I’ve had a Pacsafe® Metro bag for decades and that is what I use whenever I’m wandering around a strange city. Now they make the Pacsafe® LS200 that would be great for day trips shopping. If you need a little more room, they do also make the LS250 bag. Both of these will keep your gear safe for decades to come.
While these bags are not inexpensive, keeping your phone and other valuables safe is priceless, so this is one place not to skip on quality!
Final Thoughts On Your Day Trip Essentials Bag
No list of essentials is ever truly complete as you will need to personalize it for yourself. These are just the basic items that I think every day trip bag should have.
Build off this list and add the items you think you might need for a long day of shopping or exploring a new city!
Day Trip Essentials – Complete Guide
Packing for a day trip can easily be overlooked, but the fact is that a long day of shopping or touring around a new town can easily be ruined by not having just what you need to deal with little things that come up. With that being said, here is my day trip essentials to pack whenever you head out adventuring.
Pen and Waterproof Notepad
You never know when you will need to take a note, leave a message, or even do the old-school give your number to someone. For when you are out and about, the best thing to have with you is a waterproof notebook and equally waterproof pen.
My preference is the Rite in the Rain 3″ x 5″ notebook. These tough little pages won’t dissolve when they get wet. As for a pen, any pall point pen or pencil will work. Avoid gel-based pens as they aren’t waterproof. If you are looking to go hardcore on this, Rite in the Rain makes their own line of waterproof pens that are as weatherproof as it gets.
Medications
Regardless of if it is that surprise headache, and upset stomach from the Mexican food from that sketchy truck, or extended bathroom visits due to eating the convenience store sushi, having a couple of doses of medicine handy can make all the difference! I suggest having some individually wrapped packets of pain relievers, decongestants, antacids, and anti-diarrheal medicine.
These don’t take up much room, and will save you from scrambling trying to find medicine in an unfamiliar place. Here is a link for an inexpensive pack of medical supplies that will cover most of your immediate needs while out and about.
If you want to be really prepared, add in a couple of band-aids and a packet of antibiotic gel.
Obviously, you don’t need to take scads of these with you, but having one dose of each of these in your bag can really make a difference!
Quart Freezer Bags
Easily overlooked, is something to put things in. I like to bring along at least one extra quart size freezer bag. These can be used to store items, as vomit bags, to stick wet/messy things in, and more.
My suggestion is to stick your medical kit in one, then slide in a couple extra. Once you push the air out and seal it, they won’t take up much space at all.
Do be sure to use freezer bags, not sandwich bags. Freezer bags are much thicker, and are less prone to tearing or leaking!
Carmex Classic (with Phenol)
While I rarely use it on my lips, I do wind up using Carmex pretty regularly.
Know for being a lip balm, I’ve used in just about everywhere. It works as a temporary substitute for anti-biotic ointment, or as treatment for cracked heels.
The ingredients function as a mild antiseptic and pain reliever, so it comes in handy in a multitude of ways.
Eye Drops
Pollution, dust and more can irritate the hell out of your eyes. Usually, for me it is something getting in my eye, then me scratching the hell out of my eye in the process of getting it out that has my eyes irritated.
The best solution I’ve found for this is Naphcon A eye drops. These are medicated antihistamine eye drops that really soothe and take the inflammation out of your eyes. Whenever I get eye drops, these are always the ones I get.
Cash
No day trip bag, or any emergency bag for that matter should be without cash.
In a modern age, we are all a little too used to paying for things with our cards or our phones, but that doesn’t always work. We were just recently on a trip out to the Ho Valley, and on out way out we stopped at the Hard Rain Cafe. Cute place, but they had just lost power and couldn’t take any form of electronic payment. Luckily we always take a little cash on trips.
My suggestion is to put $50 or so in small bills into your day trip bag, just for those moments when cards don’t work. Cash is still king.
Swiss Army Classic SD Knife
If you haven’t seen these, the Swiss Army Classic SD knife is tiny, but is super useful and belongs in everyone’s day bag.
In it you will find a small, sharp blade, a nail file, and small scissors. You aren’t going to be cutting down trees with this thing, but all of these are big enough to cut a string, open a package, or trim a nail. On top of that, stashed in the side is a tweezers and a plastic toothpick. While I’ve never use the toothpick, the tweezers can be clutch for getting out splinters or the like.
These Swiss Army knives are essential, come in lots of colors and are inexpensive. Be sure to pick one up!
Power Bank and Cords
No day trip essentials list would be complete without a power bank.
Do you really want to be caught out in the city, especially one you don’t know well, with a dead phone? We use them far too much for our main communication and direction finding, to be looking at a brick because our phone is dead and we can’t charge it.
Take along at least a small power bank and charging cord and you won’t have to worry about that any more. Stick with a name brand like Anker or Belkin to make sure you get a quality battery.
A power bank of 10,000mAh in size is usually sufficient for just a day trip.
Water Bottle
I’m firmly in the ‘bottled water is a scam’ camp, but I know that water in certain cities is pretty suspect, or tastes just nasty (looking at you Seattle.) That being said, I loathe buying bottled water and needlessly adding to the plastic waste on the planet. Taking along a refillable water bottle is the easy solution.
My go-to water bottle is my Klean Kanteen stainless steel 32oz bottle. I’ve had it a couple of years and it has been great. That being said, for day trips into the city, you may want something a bit smaller that fits in a bag or cup holder.
Hydroflask is the big name in water bottles and they are good, but I think you get more bang for your buck with something like the Klean Kanteen 20oz insulated bottles.
whichever you choose, my big points are that it fits in a cup holder, is insulated, and has a strong loop/handle for carrying.
Cut Proof Cross Body Day Bag
The last item seems pretty obvious, but again it is easily overlooked when it comes to day trip essentials. A sturdy bag gives you a secure place to put all your essential items, and not worry as much about someone stealing them.
You want a cross-body bag so that it is cut to be worn in that position and be comfortable. Wearing your bag cross-body reduces that chance that someone till try and grab it off of you.
A cut-proof bag means that it is much harder for someone to cut the strap and steal your bag, or slice it open and take the contents. Yes, people do that sort of thing. Spending a little more for a cut resistant bag is worth the money in my book.
There are lots of cheap Chinese made versions on Amazon, but I’d avoid them and go for something built with better materials that you can trust. I’ve had a Pacsafe® Metro bag for decades and that is what I use whenever I’m wandering around a strange city. Now they make the Pacsafe® LS200 that would be great for day trips shopping. If you need a little more room, they do also make the LS250 bag. Both of these will keep your gear safe for decades to come.
While these bags are not inexpensive, keeping your phone and other valuables safe is priceless, so this is one place not to skip on quality!
Final Thoughts On Your Day Trip Essentials Bag
No list of essentials is ever truly complete as you will need to personalize it for yourself. These are just the basic items that I think every day trip bag should have.
Build off this list and add the items you think you might need for a long day of shopping or exploring a new city!
Amazon Shopping List For This Complete Kit!
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MadMadViking
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