Hey Fox! Have You Got A...?

When we're traveling, and Vicky asks if I have a (fill in any slightly obscure but useful item here) the answer will almost always be yes. Good trips happen before you leave. That's our trip preparation and packing motto. We always resented wasting any valuable time at our destination by having to go out and buy something that we forgot to pack, so when we thought of anything that would be likely to come in handy, we wrote it down. (This started long before computers -- yeah, yeah, we're old -- so our original packing list was hand written and tough to re-organize as time went on. These days you can just whip up a document on your laptop and print out a fresh one for every trip to use as a checklist).

The Mother Of All Packing Lists

Our packing list itself is worthy of a separate post, but we'll start by mentioning a few of the handy items that can be part of your own "save a trip kit." (This concept grew out of the "save a dive kit" that our dive-master taught us to pack for every scuba diving trip. A small problem like a broken fin strap would put an end to an entire day of diving once you're out on the reefs, so having a spare would "save a dive". Did I mention that we're divers as well? No? Hmmm...we'll get to that later).

Deep Water Sea Fan - Depth: 100 feet - Cozumel, Mexico

Let's get your own kit started. Grab a plastic zipper bag, and.toss in the following items: toothpicks, paper clips, elastic bands, and pushpins. One or two of each is fine. You probably already have most of them, and if not, your local "Dollar Store" will be a one-stop-shop for the rest.

The seeds from which a mighty "Save A Trip" kit will grow.

Naturally these items can all be used for their intended purpose, but their application as "save a trip" items is limited only by your imagination. For example, the pushpins were added to our list when we needed one to fix a watch strap. This stuff takes up almost no room, and can be left in the baggie in a pocket of your suitcase so that it's ready to go whenever you travel. So the next time your partner says; "Hey honey, have you got a pushpin?" You can answer: "Yes!" and save the day. We'll be adding other items for your kit in future posts.

Fox & Vicky