I'm one of those people who always carries more than I probably need because I keep thinking, "There's a chance this could be useful later."
Most of the time I'm wrong. But every now and then, one of those little items completely saves the day.
The best example is a compact umbrella that lives in my bag year-round.
Not because it rains that often, but because when you need an umbrella, you really need an umbrella. It's one of those things that does absolutely nothing for weeks at a time, then suddenly becomes the most valuable item you're carrying.
A few other small things I've found surprisingly useful:
Mini hand cream – Sounds boring, but if you wash your hands frequently or travel a lot, dry skin can become surprisingly distracting. Having one tucked away in my bag makes a bigger difference than I'd expected.
Travel-sized wet wipes – Kids, dogs, sticky tables, dirty hands, mystery spills... I've used these for all of the above.
Coffee, ketchup, yogurt pouches, mystery toddler substances—there's always something. Being able to deal with a stain immediately instead of spending the rest of the day annoyed by it is weirdly satisfying.
It's one of those products nobody talks about until you own one.
Small Item that Improved Your Day
Started Caring More About Daily Routine Than “Style” — What Small Carry Item Improved Your Day?
I'm one of those people who always carries more than I probably need because I keep thinking, "There's a chance this could be useful later."
Most of the time I'm wrong. But every now and then, one of those little items completely saves the day.
The best example is a compact umbrella that lives in my bag year-round.
Not because it rains that often, but because when you need an umbrella, you really need an umbrella. It's one of those things that does absolutely nothing for weeks at a time, then suddenly becomes the most valuable item you're carrying.
A few other small things I've found surprisingly useful:
Mini hand cream – Sounds boring, but if you wash your hands frequently or travel a lot, dry skin can become surprisingly distracting. Having one tucked away in my bag makes a bigger difference than I'd expected.
Travel-sized wet wipes – Kids, dogs, sticky tables, dirty hands, mystery spills... I've used these for all of the above.
A stain-removal pen.
This became essential after having kids.
Coffee, ketchup, yogurt pouches, mystery toddler substances—there's always something. Being able to deal with a stain immediately instead of spending the rest of the day annoyed by it is weirdly satisfying.
It's one of those products nobody talks about until you own one.