By Shawn Gallagher
For me, packing is the single least favorite thing about travel. I find myself always procrastinating and getting my luggage together at the last minute. Despite my dislike towards it, I also realize it’s a very important part of travel that should get a good amount of thinking. A part of it is deciding what to put in your carry-on and your check-in. It’ll make big differences to your trips, whether that’s for better or worse. Based on my encounters, here are 5 things you should NOT put in your checked luggage.
1. All Valuables
And I mean ALL valuables. Jewelry, important documents, cash, and items with personal value like family photos or your child’s favorite toys.
The reason for this is that they aren’t things you can easily replace if your luggage goes missing. Although we like to believe it won’t happen to us, it’s inevitable. Suitcases do go missing. My luggage has gone missing twice during my lifetime. It happens.
So the next time you fly, don’t just mindlessly throw whatever you want into your check-in suitcases. They won’t be in your hands for a good portion of your trip.
2. Leave Aside 2-3 Days Worth Of Clothes
This also connects to the previous point. If you choose to put all of your clothes in your checked bags, you’re going to be without a change of clothes if and when your airline loses them. This is why it’s a good idea to set aside a few days worth of clothes just in case.
I had to learn this the hard way. My luggage got stranded during my connection in Dallas and didn’t make it home until 3 days later. Luckily, I had other clothes at home I could wear, but it wouldn’t have been possible if I was staying at a hotel.
Related: 7 essential items to bring when you travel
3. Gifts And Souvenirs
It’s often a good idea to bring gifts and souvenirs with your carry-on when you fly, especially if you’re going to immediately hand your gifts to your loved ones. I always tell people that you want as much control as possible on what happens to the gifts, especially fragile items such as glassware, even if they’re wrapped well in bubble wrap. You never know how many bumps and drops your checked luggage will go through.
In addition, there’s always the aforementioned risk of your luggage getting lost and not coming back. Souvenirs are usually something you can’t get near your home, so you wouldn’t wanna risk losing them.
4. Electronics
Electronic items that contain lithium-ion batteries are prohibited from being in checked luggage. These batteries pose a risk as they’re hard to handle when they start a fire, and you definitely don’t want a fire on your flight.
Although other electronics are often allowed to be checked, I recommend keeping them with you in your carry-on. As I said in my previous point, you never know how your luggage will be handled at the ramp. I imagine you don’t want to get home to see a dent in your Playstation 5.
In my case, I recently brought a brand new keyboard with my on my flight. I made sure to put it in my carry-on, and I also made sure to wrap them in 2 layers of shirts to prevent further damage.
5. Medicine
I often fly with medicine. When I do, they’re always with me in my carry-on. You never know when your travel plans will get disrupted. Your flight may have a delay, and all of a sudden it’s time to take your prescribed medicine, only for them to be stuck on the ramp in your checked luggage.
They can be hard to replace if they get lost, especially if you reach a destination that your health insurance won’t cover. Always have them with you.
Summary
Here are the 5 things you should not put in your checked luggage:
- Valuables
- 2-3 days worth of clothes
- Gifts and souvenirs
- Electronics
- Medicine
Keep this in mind when you travel next. You’ll always want to be ready for whatever air travel throws at you.
Photos taken by the author.