What quirky thing do you always pack when you go on vacation?

[schenriq]

Ever since I started bringing my own body towel, my birthday suit is happier with 0% blisters after a vacation. So now you will find me dead without mine own towel during a hotel/timeshare stay. I got the one made of suede feeling fabric from some surplus store (new of course) so it's not bulky yet still very absorbent.

Also bring my own dual band Tomato-flashed wifi/router with VPN preconfigured. The 2.4GHz band connects to the hotel/timeshare wifi as a client whilst the 5GHz band acts as an access point for family members needing some secured browsing like paying bills or ordering stuff while on vacation. Of course, nothing stops my teens from hogging the bandwidth with their Netflix stream or downloading some crazy huge ISO image whilst I'm napping but the router is just about the heaviest tech thing (besides my L lens) that I'm willing to bring to my vacation spot.

 

[donnaval]

I pack lots of the items listed, but also must have my Silpat nonstick baking mat, my King Camp ultra-light high-back chair that takes up just a small space in a suitcase, and a couple of my hoarded Purex 3-in-1 laundry sheets. Oh - and a 6' extension cord in case I am able to use my Firestick but there is no available electric outlet nearby (but alas I am finding so many resorts are disabling the ability to change inputs). I have to take my Tupperware Swiss peeler, a nice large heavy coffee mug and a tall plastic drinking glass because they are almost always too small in the units. The last couple of trips I've taken a tiny 2-qt pressure cooker similar to an Instant Pot, but might stop doing that because I didn't use it as much as expected. No wonder I can never get by with just a carry-on!

 

[taterhed]

I pack lots of the items listed, but also must have my Silpat nonstick baking mat, my King Camp ultra-light high-back chair that takes up just a small space in a suitcase, and a couple of my hoarded Purex 3-in-1 laundry sheets. Oh - and a 6' extension cord in case I am able to use my Firestick but there is no available electric outlet nearby (but alas I am finding so many resorts are disabling the ability to change inputs). I have to take my Tupperware Swiss peeler, a nice large heavy coffee mug and a tall plastic drinking glass because they are almost always too small in the units. The last couple of trips I've taken a tiny 2-qt pressure cooker similar to an Instant Pot, but might stop doing that because I didn't use it as much as expected. No wonder I can never get by with just a carry-on!

If you're having trouble connecting your HDMI to the TV and changing inputs, there are a few solutions ....

first, Google is your friend. Many times you will find that there are hidden control inputs on the remote that can be used to change the default input. one such example would be selecting channel 00 or holding a single key on the remote or TV to enter maintenance mode

Or, some of the hotel televisions will still accept universal remote control inputs. for less than $10, you can buy a fine and dandy universal remote at Walmart and carry it with you.

My old Samsung note had a universal IR blaster and with a simple remote control application, you could change the TV channel in bars airport restaurants hotels, really just about anywhere you could see the TV.

I've never had so much fun as flying out of Baltimore BWI airport and changing the football channel over to a Steelers game in the airport bar.... Only recommended if you're wearing track shoes of course.

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[SandyPGravel]

I've never had so much fun as flying out of Baltimore BWI airport and changing the football channel over to a Steelers game in the airport bar.... Only recommended if you're wearing track shoes of course.

WOW, you're one brave soul.

 

[pittle]

The private modem allows for log-ins and secure (isolated) wifi while still using your resort wifi (or hotspot). No passwords, no splash screen, no limit on devices etc... It was great until the hard-wire got pulled from most.

Sign up for a VPN. We always do when we go to Mexico and have it automatically connected to our home city so that our email from Cox works correctly too. It is worth $10 for a month when we will be gone for 3 weeks or so. That way all my saved favorites and passwords work from my laptop and we can watch Sling TV connected to the TV in the unit via HDMI cable.

 

[pittle]

I guess the quirky thing that we always take is a lime squeezer. When we go to Mexico, they generally have the aluminum ones, but they start looking "yucky" - we will use them in a pinch, but we prefer to coated aluminum ones so one stays in my suitcase.

We took many unusual things to a place in Mazatlan we drove to for about 9 years. We took ice cube trays because they never seemed to have any - we bought drinking water and used it to make ice with. We also took 4 large square umbrellas and stands and an electric grill.

 

[taterhed]

Sign up for a VPN. We always do when we go to Mexico and have it automatically connected to our home city so that our email from Cox works correctly too. It is worth $10 for a month when we will be gone for 3 weeks or so. That way all my saved favorites and passwords work from my laptop and we can watch Sling TV connected to the TV in the unit via HDMI cable.

Yeah, I'm a lifetime member of the 'NordVPN' club. Great VPN and very cheap. NEVER travel and do anything official without a VPN. Starbucks is the worst.

I change my post. "I always bring my VPN with me"

 

[VacationForever]

Oh, we always pack an air fryer when we go to a drive-to timeshare location. Then we hit the local Costco and buy ribeye caps to cook in it.

 

[JohnPaul]

We take our espresso maker with us everywhere. It even had it's own bag when we flew. It was always interesting going through security. Now most of our travel is by car with the espresso maker.

 

[taterhed]

We drink way too much coffee, and we're thinking about starting to carry a small portable coffee maker with us as well.

Does anybody have a recommendation for a compact travel, single serve coffee maker that will do Keurig K-Cups as well as ground coffee?

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[PaulaC]

We drink way too much coffee, and we're thinking about starting to carry a small portable coffee maker with us as well.

Does anybody have a recommendation for a compact travel, single serve coffee maker that will do Keurig K-Cups as well as ground coffee?

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I always pack my single serve Keurig when we visit timeshares, since my husband and I have much different tastes in coffee. It fits nicely in one side of my carryon and then we can both enjoy coffee that we like.

I also pack a small bottle of a woolite, color catchers, a tiny nonstick frying pan, and zip lock bags in various sizes.

 

[taterhed]

I always pack my single serve Keurig when we visit timeshares, since my husband and I have much different tastes in coffee. It fits nicely in one side of my carryon and then we can both enjoy coffee that we like.

I also pack a small bottle of a woolite, color catchers, a tiny nonstick frying pan, and zip lock bags in various sizes.

Good results with the Kuerig mini (or mini+?)? Mixed reviews on some sites..... Thanks!

 

[PaulaC]

Good results with the Kuerig mini (or mini+?)? Mixed reviews on some sites..... Thanks!

Yes, we have found we much prefer it to the coffee we make in the timeshare coffee pots.

 

[PamMo]

For a packable coffee maker, I much prefer Nespresso over Kuerig. It's almost as good as my big Jura coffee machine at home.

 

[clifffaith]

Well, Merry Christmas to us -- I've suspected that there are mini pod machines, but have carefully avoided confirming that. Two years ago Cliff got me a big Kuerig for Christmas. We got off to a very slow start with it, but by the end of the year were only making pots of coffee on card night and the occasional Sunday morning. He became obsessed with trying different brands; for the first time in my life I realized one coffee can taste different from another, and was on a quest to find the least bitter, most insipid decaf pod I could where one sugar cube would take the bitter edge off -- in other words I don't much like coffee. I've settled on Safeway Signature decaf, Green Mountain half-caf, and occasionally Donut Shop decaf. Cliff drinks three cups over the course of a day and evening. Two out of three of those he fusses with the self fillable pods. Sounds like a mini- Keurig could be in our future, if not for travel then to free up a bit of counter space when we move to senior living.

 

[sun starved Gayle]

We grind our own coffee at home, Starbucks Breakfast Blend whole bean. So, a few years ago, in lieu of packing our grinder, I started grinding the coffee and packing it in individual ziplock snack bags. I grind the exact amount we use each day and it makes it very easy to pack use each day. And, as someone said above, life is too short for bad coffee!


I do the same thing, only with Starbucks French Roast. Life IS too short for bad coffee!

 

[geekette]

Not quirky, but I bring disposable tupperware and a whole bunch of ziplock bags.

Lately I’ve started bringing car air freshener.

I do like to bring scented candle and air freshener. Sometimes I cook stinky stuff or someone in a nearby unit did.

 

[rapmarks]

I really was hoping for more exciting responses.

 

[pedro47]

My manual French fries cutter that is 25 yrs old.

 

[pedro47]

I really was hoping for more exciting responses.

To the OP, please give us another example.

 

[happymum]

Late to this thread, but I wanted to second donnaval . We now take ultra-light travel chairs with us when we fly to a beach holiday. Their prices have come down enough to warrant their purchase ,rather than relying on rentals or "Tommy Bahama" camp chairs from Costco.
We have a different brand but this is the basic idea. They really are lightweight, sturdy and compact. I see these are rated for up to 300 pounds, which is more than many brands.

Also have to add to Bigbears suggested Poopourri - Costco had a pack of 2 travel size + 1 large refill bottle reduced to $20 last week .