Sadly, my bags have been lost on several flights while going on vacation.  One time in particular comes to mind when I was going on a cruise.  This is an exceptionally bad time to have the airline lose your luggage because you’re on a timetable and the cruise ship is not going to wait around for you. 

The airline found my luggage within one day, but unfortunately, we wouldn’t be getting to our first port for 3 days.  Luckily, I’m a fairly good carry-on packer and was able to get by for those three days.  UNFORTUNATELY, the airline didn’t get my luggage to the next port in time and I had to wait yet another 3 days while it was sent to our next port.  Back to the fortunate part, I was with my Mom on the cruise and we are fairly similar in size and she is quite fashionable, so I wasn’t embarrassed to wear my Mom’s clothes;)

As you can imagine, I now make sure to bring a carry-on with all my basic essentials that could potentially get me through an entire two week trip if I HAD to.  Keep in mind, I am not including small items that are easily bought wherever you go – toiletries, scarves, hats, sunscreen, etc.  My plan now is to take items that I can wear for many different occasions and that can be mixed and matched, easily washed in a sink, can dry quickly and can be scrunched up and packed in a carry-on along with my Kindle and my iPod.

This week, our Mother/Daughter challenge was to come up with our own Honeymoon Emergency Kit.  If on the way to YOUR honeymoon the airlines  lost your luggage (heaven forbid), what would you want to have with you? 

Here are our picks, what do you think?  Anything to add, comments, suggestions for others?

 Daughter’s items include: 

• A one-piece bathing suit that can double as a tank top;
• A pretty skirt that can be worn during the day or dressed up for an evening dinner;
• A pair of casual, comfortable pants;
• A pair of GOOD walking flip flops (the expensive kind that you can practically hike in, not the flimsy kind that give you blisters);
• A pair of wedge heels that can be easily worn while walking on cobble or uneven streets, but will dress up an outfit so I can go out at night;
• A tank top – dress it up with jewelry, dress it down, easily washed;
• A jewelry roll with inexpensive fun jewelry (again we’re talking dual purpose pieces here);
• A cardigan for cool days or nights, or tours in churches that have dress restrictions or, once again, to dress up that tank top;
• And, finally, a good map of the place I’m going.  I would likely have my travel guide on my Kindle, but I want a really good map so I can hunt down all those other necessities I’ll need to buy – sunscreen, hat, scarf…

Items not pictured and that cannot be easily bought that I also pack in my carry-on are:  my cell phone charger, Kindle, iPod, copy of passport & birth certificate along with international phone numbers of my credit cards that I’m taking with me in case my wallet/purse gets stolen.

You can find the pop-out map and the mini jewelry roll at Travelproducts.com (link below), info as follows:

Mini Travel Jewelry Roll
$8.00

• Ideal for home or travel
• Zippered compartment to hold plenty of accessories
• Strap fastens with secure button fastener for rings
• Full length band to hold earrings
• Snap closure
• Size: 4.5″ x 6.6″ (11.43 x 16.74 cm) – Open
• Size: 4.5″ x 2.5″ (11.43 x 6.35 cm) – Closed
• Material: soft black velvet.

The Amazing Pop-Out Maps™ Double
$8.00
Cities: Amsterdam, Atlanta, Barcelona, Beijing, Berlin, Boston, Brussels, Cape Cod, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Dubai, Florence, Geneva, Jerusalem/Bethlehem combo, Las Vegas, Lisbon, London (longer format), Madrid, Mallorca, Miami, Milan, Minneapolis, Naples, Nashville, New Orleans, New York (Manhattan & Subways), Oahu/Honolulu combo, Orange County/Los Angeles, Orlando (Disney World & Universal), Paris, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Prague, Rome, Salt Lake City, Santa Barbara, San Diego, San Francisco, Sydney, Toronto, Vancouver, Venice, Vienna, Washington DC (Greater Washington, The Mall, Georgetown, Alexandria).

Let’s see what Mom came up with…

Well, seems that we came at this challenge in very different ways which is a benefit for all of you.  While daughter looked at the challenge as the items she would want to get her through a whole trip knowing she could buy the necessities, Mom looked at it as making sure you have all your necessities for an easy trip in a handy dandy compact way.  Here are Mom’s Honeymoon Emergency Kit items:

This list is good for men or woman, excepting a few things (<:

Trial size everything!

• antiperspirant
• hand & body lotion
• sunscreen
• hair spray or gel
• comb or mini brush
• toothpaste, brush & floss
• disposable razor
• roll aids & gas pills
• gum or mints
• soap bar
• nail polish remover towelettes
• female hygiene towelettes
• pain reliever
• tube spot cleaner
• vitamins in a AM/PM case

Things that can’t necessarily be trial sized, but could be important to have.

• contact case and cleaner (if applicable)
• phone battery charger
• birth control pills (if applicable)
• medications (in original bottles)
• ear plugs
• a no-wrinkle dress or pants
• T-shirt
• 2 pair underwear
• 1 quart zip lock bag

As an added bonus, I am adding this great item, even though these days you would need to pack this in your check-in luggage.  I bought two, one for myself and one for my daughter. I just couldn’t resist sharing it with you ! From, Travelproducts.com
Happy Honeymoon !

Miss-a-Kit™ (The “Miss Army Knife”)
$16.00

The first Swiss Army knife designed for women. A thoughtful gift for the girl on the go.
Perfect kit for handbag, glove compartment, backpack and desk.
(If traveling by plane, store in checked luggage, not carry-on)

Includes: Mirror, Flashlight, Scissors, Nail file, Tweezers, Pen, Pill box, Perfume bottle, Knife, Ruler, Bottle opener, Screwdriver, Corkscrew, Safety pin, Needle and Thread, Key chain.
Measures: 3.5″ x 1″ x 0.75″ Lightweight Color: Hot pink.