It’s the imperfections of travel that make it worthwhile. Right? Well, most of the time – but in the case of a forgotten packing items, it’s often just annoying. In this respect, I am a forgetful traveller. I’ve forgotten to bring items on pretty much every adventure vacation of my life. You name it, I haven’t packed it.

Here’s a list of 10 commonly overlooked items so you can learn from my mistakes.

1 » Remember Your Sarong

Travel towels are gross. They never have enough time to dry, get covered in sand, and are generally a complete mess. This is why sarongs are the perfect alternative. They are light, easy to pack, dry quickly, and have more uses than the Once-ler’s Thneed.

2 » Remember Your Ear Plugs

Irritability has the nasty habit of increasing during long-haul flights. Don’t like the sound of crying babies, snoring, and jovial chit-chat? Ear plugs are lifesavers.

3 » Remember Your Travel-Ready Credit Card

Travelling with a credit card is good; accidentally compromising your credit card by using it abroad without informing your credit card company is not.

4 » Remember Your Bug Repellent

The suspicious lack of mosquitoes in pictures of your destination can be very misleading. Bug repellent is the kind of thing that’s never available for purchase when you need it, like the middle of a backcountry forest for example.

5 » Remember Your First-Aid Kit

A common impediment of the packing process is that your often preoccupied with the good times you’re about to have. Take the time to think of the potential bad times and be prepared for them. First-aid kits are small enough that they should go with you practically everywhere.

6 » Remember Your Medicine Cabinet Essentials

Life’s highs and lows are magnified during your travels. Make sure you have the proper medication for relief.

7 » Remember Your Tissues

“Does any have any tissues?” Sound familiar? Lots of situations call for tissues. Fortunately, they’re small and easy to pack.

8 » Remember Your Phone Charger

How painful is it to slowly watch your phone run out of batteries and become a $150 paperweight. We’ve all been there.

9 » Remember Your Headphones

Sometimes a pair of headphones are your closest thing to “being alone” during your travels. Plus, fewer and fewer airlines are giving away freebies for the in-flight movie.

10 » Remember Your Tiny Bottle of Shampoo

Many times I’ve had to flirt with the idea of washing my hair with bar-soap. I wish I didn’t have to…