Whether you are planning a city break, a six-week cruise or a trip around the world, packing the right eyewear is essential. Wherever you are going, popping into the optician to get an issue sorted out is not as easy as it would be if you were at home. Packing the right eyewear is essential. Below, we help you to select the right glasses, sunglasses or goggles for your trip.

So, if you are trying to choose between new horn eye glasses, old school aviators or a sassy pair of cat-eye frames, you just need to read on. We’ve got you covered.

Get your prescription up to date

If you wear prescription glasses, it is well worth getting your eyes tested before you go. You want to be able to see properly. If you cannot you won’t get to enjoy the landscape as much and little tasks like reading a map will be difficult.

The longer your trip is, the more important it is to get your eyes tested, so you have an up to date prescription. Be sure to leave enough time for this. Factor in time to get the appointment with the optician and for your new glasses to arrive. Remember that you will also have to wear your glasses for a couple of weeks to be sure that they are right for you. If they are not, you may have to go through the whole process again and order a new pair. So, it is wise to allow double the time you think you need to update your prescription before traveling.

Choose a versatile pair of glasses

If space in your suitcase is tight, consider buying all in one eyewear. For example, choosing a pair of closely fitting prescription glasses with reactive lenses may work for you. The prescription allows you to see and read. When it is sunny the reactive lenses will darken and if they fit closely to your face you could potentially use them as an alternative to goggles.

Looks matter too

You need to make sure that you buy a pair you really like and will look right regardless of what you end up wearing. Start by looking at the classic frame shapes. If you are a man, this guide will provide you with inspiration, and it contains great advice about narrowing down your options. For women, this is a good guide. That article is written with buying sunglasses in mind but, the advice you will find there applies equally to prescription glasses.

Be prepared

Unfortunately, when you travel it is all too easy for your glasses to get lost or damaged. So, it is usually worth taking a super cheap pair of prescription glasses with you, just in case. This will get you through until you can buy a proper replacement set. Provided you have your prescription with you, it is possible to order what you need online and have them shipped to anywhere in the world. Often, that is a more practical option than relying on a local optician’s shop.

About The Author : Emily is a UK based fashion writer with a passion for travel. When she’s not off traveling and discovering all the world has to offer, you’ll find her keeping a close eye out for all the latest styles and trends coming around the corner.

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Paper travel soap? What is that? Did you hear about such soap before? I also found about it only recently. Soap and paper? Hmm…I hadn’t used it yet myself, but it works by reviews I read. It should be fantastic item in the backpack. It is light to carry, there are no issue to bring it through security at airports, because it is just paper. It is very simple to use, as you just simply add water and you have a soap. I found only one issue with paper soap – you must touch it only with dry hands, as otherwise all sheets of paper soap can become wet. You don’t want this to happen (you can read more reviews here from buyers’ at amazon). Other then that paper travel soap is probably must to have item in any backpackers’ backpack.

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Isn’t it cool? It is not such effective as compression sacs, but it would be very useful  if you are on long term (Round The World) backpacking trip and need clothes for all kind of weather. This sacs won’t help much to compress t-shirt, but sweaters  or jackets  will take less space within it.  You can buy such sacs at amazon.com. It cost only 10-15$US depending on size. But be careful to check size first before buying any of these bags as larger ones may not fit inside your backpack, so should choose it depending on size of backpack.

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Why do you need light daypack? Doesn’t matter how you are traveling – backpacking with large backpack or traveling with big suitcase – you most likely will need daypacks for daily use. There is large variety of daysacks, but current trend is packable lightweight daysacks. They are so great. Usually weight only 200-300g (7-9 oz) and are very compact. You can keep it packed away in your bigger bag until you need it.
I am using Lifeventure daysack. It is 18l daysack and when it is packed, it is only 200 x 190 x 70 mm (8 x 7.5 x 3) dimensions.
I am not sure can you still buy such bag. But now there are many similar bags and they are much cheaper comparing with the price I paid. For 25-40$US you can get decent daysack and your back will be thankful for such light burden.

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