Road Trip Tips - Basic Helpers Kit

We're on a two+ week road trip through beautiful British Columbia Canada right now so I thought I'd share a few tips I rely on to make family road trips run a little smoother. Today I'm talking about my Basic Helpers Kit.

When we are on a Road Trip we typically stay at condos instead of hotels as we like the extra space and the ability to cook and eat our meals in our pjs and swimsuits! I've learned the hard way that most resort condo kitchens aren't very well stocked with some household basics, and I've had to spend waaaaaay too much money at resort convenience stores on items that I could have brought from home if I had thought about it, 

So now I put together a compact kit of helpers that comes with us. It doesn't take up too much space and I am covered for many situations. Here's what I bring:

• Zip loc bags: sandwich, medium and large size
• Several sheets of tin foil, folded up
• Bowl covers (or plastic shower caps!)
• Bag clips
• Liquid dish soap
• Dishwasher tabs
• A paring knife (with sheath)
• A pair of scissors
• Duct tape
• Laundry bags
• Liquid laundry soap
• Laundry pods
• Tide stain stick
• Tide single wash sachets
• Downey Wrinkle Release (or make your own with water and a little liquid fabric softener in a mini spray bottle)
• Drain stopper
• Door stopper
• Night light
• Norwex microfibre cloth and polishing cloth
• Wine/bottle opener (not shown in my photo, but I remembered to pack it! Whew)

And it all fits into a Zipper Pouch from Thirty-One Gifts, taking up very little room in my bag. I love the Zipper Pouch...its small enough to fit in my purse or tote, but big enough to hold lots (it holds my full size iPad) and the inside is wipable to keep everything clean. I have several - I use them for my son's Meds, my iPad and charge cords etc and even for my planner. They are affordable (only $18.00 CA), can be personalized and comes in lots of colors and patterns with new ones coming out August 1st!

I can't tell you how many times some item in this little kit has saved me time and money, not to mention kept my frustration level down. Do you have any "helpers" you bring on trips? I would love to hear about them - please leave a comment below!

Happy travels!
*And be sure to check back over the next few days as I share more Road Trip tips!