Traveling is associated with expense and plastic waste. An industry prone to overconsumption, tourism has a contributing role in the global plastic pollution. Much of the packaging used in the tourism industry is single use, and tourists generally discard way higher single-use plastics than locals.

If you’re a traveler who is also conscious of the environment and interested in tips on how to minimize travel cost, this article is for you. Here, I listed some of the things you can bring with you for a less expensive trip that will also minimize your impact on the environment.

Eating home-cooked food using my reusable tumbler and food container while on travel.

Emergency food. I always bring bread and canned food when I travel. This habit has saved me from hunger and time spent looking for food. They come in handy when you arrive at your hotel in the wee hours of the morning, or you get hungry while hotel food is not yet ready. In my case, they always come in handy whenever I need to work on something urgent and I won’t have time to go out to eat.

I also bring my own coffee (and personal coffee maker) and sugar. Some hotel restaurants do not serve brewed coffee, and for me, coffee is life, but it’s not coffee if it’s not brewed.

Reusable tumbler. You can fill it up every morning at the hotel restaurant, before going out, and again at night, before going to your room. This way, you won’t have to use the bottled water served in your room, or worse, buy bottled water whenever you’re out. You don’t only save money on bottled water, you also make mother nature happy. 

Reusable food container and utensils. Not only will you have utensils to use when you need to eat inside your hotel room (not all hotel rooms have these), you will also have something to put leftover food in. In some places, serving is too large for one person. You might end up having to ask the hotel to pack it for you (often, they use plastic or Styrofoam), or simply leave the leftover food, which means you’re producing food waste. Neither is practical for mother nature or for the pocket.

Your own toiletries. Some hotels are now using dispensers for their toiletries, a real win for the environment. But some hotels still use small containers, if not sachets. If you have your own toiletries, you will not only use your own brand, you will also not use those single-use stuff, thus minimizing plastic waste.

Emergency kits. It doesn’t always happen, but when traveling, we sometimes experience small emergencies. Of late, I have started bringing these things (in small quantities) with me in addition to some medicine: masking tape, pin rubber band (to open tight lids), etc.  

Reusable bags. It’s common to want to bring something back home when traveling. I am not one who buys souvenirs, but I do buy things I really need. I buy pasalubong too, but often in the form of food. Whenever you go out, make sure to bring reusable bags with you. Say no-no to plastic bags.

Notebooks and pens. If you’re attending conferences, you won’t have to use those pencils and loose sheets of paper hotels usually provide.

Shopping in a local market in Bali, Indonesia using reusable clothe bag.

Clothes that are good for at least one day in your hand carry. Lost or misplaced luggage is not a regular occurrence, but this does happen. Luckily for me, I haven’t experienced this yet, but a couple of my colleagues have. One of the airlines took one day to return the luggage to one of my colleagues, the other took two days. If you have emergency clothes in your hand carry bag, then you will have something to wear while you wait for your luggage. Otherwise, you may have to shop—which may be inconvenient and expensive. Moreover, what if you don’t have time, or extra cash to do that?

Sanitary napkin. For the ladies of reproductive age, it’s always advisable to bring napkins in your hand-carry bag when you travel. It comes in handy when your period suddenly comes when you’re on the plane, or out there touring. You will not only avoid getting into an awkward and messy situation, you will also not have to shell out cash for pads which are often disposable. 

Medical kit. This is basic, but it is surprising that many do not take this seriously. I always bring pain relievers (because I am allergic to some pain reliever medicine), anti-allergy medicine, antacid, oral rehydration salt, and band-aid. One important note: Always make sure you have these medicines in your hand carry bag. I once made the mistake of putting my medicine kit in my check-in bag, and of all time, I suddenly had an allergic episode. I had a runny nose the whole four-hour flight.

Laundry soap. If you’ll be away for at least a week, chances are, you will be carrying a lot of luggage if you bring clothes for the whole duration of your trip. I don’t like carrying big and heavy luggage, so I always bring laundry soap with me. If the hotel has a balcony, I usually hand wash my clothes. If none, having the clothes laundered can be an option. 

Beautiful sunset at Fig Sunset Resort in Siquijor, Philippines.

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Do you have tipid and nature-friendly travel tips to share? Do share them in the comment section!