Most of us love to travel. This is a good thing because, while you are in this business, you can find yourself living out a suitcase for a good portion of the year — traveling to events, conventions, meetups with other cam models, shoots and more.
When living life on the go, packing is essential. Even for the best packer however, over the course of many trips, it is inevitable that you will forget something important or run into an emergency that may change the entire outcome of your trip. Sure, that “If I forgot it I can just get it there” outlook works in a pinch. There is no reason to waste money (or time) putting yourself in such a situation when a little packing forethought is all it takes to alleviate many stressors.
Here’s a list of essential must-haves for your travel bag — One key tip: have a travel bag that always contains essentials, items that are never even unpacked, at the ready! — to help guard against some of those unwanted inconveniences and keep things moving smoothly.
1. A sewing kit
A sewing kit is an essential thing to have for any travel plans. Whether on vacation and a button pops off your favorite dress or you need a safety pin for your bra strap, a sewing kit has been a lifesaver on many occasions — especially red carpet events!
The great thing about having one is they aren’t that expensive to put together. You can start yours with a generic kit then add in items — an assortment of safety pins, duct tape, scissors and many other that items can be purchased at a dollar store.
A cute lil’ sewing kit doesn’t have to take up much space (and it can save your ass). Make your’s your own!
2. Extra chargers
An extra charger(s) for your phone is definitely helpful in situations where you leave your charger at home, at the airport or at a hotel. Or, it breaks… Or, who knows where it went!
Save yourself from having to run around to different stores looking for the charger type you need at a price that is reasonable or paying extra money simply because you have no choice. I usually pack a couple of extras just to be sure that my phone can be charged at any time.
3. Period protection
Always have a stash of feminine products on hand just in case Aunt Flow pops in without notice. Awards shows, conventions and other events can be hectic. It’s easy to forget to pack these items, not realizing that your time may come early. Having these already in your possession will be a great way to be ahead of the game if this strikes you or a friend while out on the road.
4. Accessible flip flops and/or slippers
A comfortable pair of slippers or flip flops can save your life. Red carpet events, ridiculously long hallways in hotels, late nights at the club and long days on the convention floors will have your feet screaming. Having a cute pair of small, transportable comfy shoes you can easily slip in and out of have saved me more times than I can count. They also come in handy in your hotel room.
Pro tip: Find a super portable pair of foldable flip flops or ballet flats that can fit into an evening bag for red carpet events #trust
There are endless ways that “travel flats” can come together, even these Minnie Mouse ones. You get the idea!
5. Business cards
Business cards should always — like, at all times — be in your pocketbook, wallet or somewhere on your person. You never know when a networking opportunity will present itself and having a business card eliminates awkward searches for a pen and a napkin hoping to be able to read the information later.
I carry business cards with me everywhere, at all times — both at business events and during personal errands. Keep your business cards easily accessible for any opportunity to network.
Pro tip: In order to have business cards on you, you actually have to have business cards on you — meaning, made. This is a small cost to incur that can pay enormous dividends, so don’t skip it. Keep your card design simple, clear and current. If you are not a graphic designer, sites like Fiverr or Upwork are great places to find solutions.
6. Public restroom spruce-up supplies
Personal hygiene products are a must and can be very useful in situations where you don’t have access to a full bathroom and/or need to quickly spruce up.
My little bag of goodies inside of my pocketbook has a travel size of deodorant, a mini toothbrush and toothpaste, breath strips, body spray, lotion, lip balm, ibuprofen, imodium ad, benadryl and a few other odds-and-end items that have literally been my lifeline in many situations. Editor’s note: Add to that baby wipes, nail file, tweezers and dental floss.
Just like the sewing kit, tailor your on-call toiletry supply kit to your own needs.
7. Level up your charging station
No joke: I travel with a power strip equipped with USB ports and three prong plugs. It may sound excessive, but this will be a huge help when you have multiple items to charge and you get to a hotel that has only a few wall plugs located in various inconvenient places around your room.
Another bonus of having a power strip: It minimizes the likelihood of leaving something behind. I like everything to be in one place where I know where it is when I need it. I have left cameras behind and other important items because they were charging on the floor in a random wall plug that I neglected to notice while packing up my stuff. I retrieved my items shortly after, but imagine that feeling of leaving something behind — especially if you have smut (!!) on it or it’s an expensive item.
8. Portable power bank
We’ve all been there — wandering the airport or crawling around on a convention hall floor looking for an outlet. Or, standing in the restroom even a moment longer than is necessary to get just a little more juice into whatever device…
Nowadays, a dead phone battery isn’t just an inconvenience. You can’t request a ride, post on social media, take pictures or even make an emergency phone call if your phone is out of commission. A potable power bank will be your superhero as long as you keep it charged and take your charging cord with you. A fully charged phone bank will help you out when you need it the most — or, at the very least, it will keep you from getting in a sassy exchange over the last plug at one of those outlet trees in the McCarran airport.
Power banks getting cheeky, yeehaw!
9. Extra room key
When you check into any hotel, always ask for an extra room key. This is so important.
Whether you are out enjoying a party, at an awards show or just hanging out with other models, when it’s time to go back to your room, not having your key can be a major fiasco. You walk all the way back to the front desk and ask for a new one, and they ask for ID. You tell them your ID is in your room, but they don’t have to let you in.
Though many will find a way to verify who you are, it can still be a long and frustrating process, killing the vibe of your night, maybe even your entire trip. Save yourself the trouble, and carry an extra room key with you. And — maybe this is obvious — always have your ID on your person.
10. Press-on nails
Hear me out! Press on nails may seem like a weird item to have in your bag, but if you have ever broken a nail at 11pm or needed to shoot but didn’t have time to get your nails done, you know what I am talking about. Having a set with you to put on real quick is a huge time saver.
I have even purchased really cute press-on nails and had my nail tech do my actual acrylics in the same design just in case. This way, my press-ons match my acrylics. This is especially important for red carpet events. I am hard on nails and breaking them isn’t uncommon for me, so I try to plan ahead for these kinds malfunctions in advance.
No love for press-ons? Reconsider, because these are AMAZING!
You can never be too prepared for mishaps. And although these items won’t guarantee everything for your trip is perfect and smooth, they may be the difference between a quick “I have that in my bag” versus hours and dollars wasted trying acquire something you need in a moment of distress.
I am sure there are quite a few things not on this list, and we would love to hear what items you suggest. So, what are your must have travel items?
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Kari “Platinum Puzzy” Anthony is an events trailblazer in the adult industry community. She created and organized BBWFANFEST, the first BBW niche trade and awards show recognizing plus size performers, and BBWCAMHOUSE — the first live 24-hour voyeur house filled with curvy adult stars, cam performers, dancers and more. Email her at platinumpuzzy@ynotcam.com.
Header background image by C. Cagnin via Pexels.
Camming from outdoors in my backyard from my cell phone Now live on https://t.co/FJaw383LBZ pic.twitter.com/tGpXyAweSm
— ?QueenofBBW.com?????️ (@PlatinumPuzzy1) August 20, 2019
