The mantra when people go on trips is “pack less,” but what about traveling in style?
There is always a place for impractical rugged adventures and traveling with just a pack on your back, but sometimes the situation calls for more ways to entertain yourself and enjoy your time.
If you are going camping in one place, headed out onto a road trip, or are going to a special event that calls for specific things, it can be a joy to bring impractical things with you on a trip.
Here are five examples of stuff to bring with you that might not make the most sense.
A Guitar
When you’re camping or at a celebration, a guitar can be a great thing to bring with you on a trip.
Entertaining guests or passing the instrument around for campfire songs and stories, a guitar is always a welcomed addition.
There are travel guitars for this very purpose and guitars of all sizes.
If you have an amplifier at the destination, bring an acoustic electric guitar and broadcast the sounds of an acoustic guitar to a party, weddings, or other right of passage events.
You don’t need a reason to bring a guitar with you on the next appropriate trip.
A Barbecue
Like guitars, barbecues are welcome at all kinds of outdoor events and come in many sizes.
Travel barbecues are great for bringing with you on adventures. They are compact, come in their own carrying cases, and usually operate on propane tanks.
Just about everyone likes a barbecue at an event, even if they don’t eat meat. It establishes an atmosphere, a vibe that is unmistakable.
Nowadays you don’t need to lug around a huge barbecue to smoke some meats or grill some steaks.
When you get to your destination, all you have to do is fire up the grill and let the delicious smells entice people for hours on end.
Whether at a tailgate party or a wine tasting in the woods, you can always enhance your experience with drinks and food.
A Good Book
The last thing you would want while traveling is to be bored.
Traveling means that you’re doing things and going places; there should never be a dull moment.
However, sometimes it is nice to kick back with a good book (that has nothing to do with the trip) and enjoy some peace and quiet.
There are plenty of tiny books out there that fit this description perfectly.
They can fit in any pocket or purse and come in many different genres to suit just about everyone.
You don’t have to lug around a huge book that will be cumbersome to travel with, but you can bring along the perfect book for your mood.
A Board Game
It doesn’t matter if you are going to rugged wilderness or a high-end ski resort with many amenities, board games are always excellent things to bring on trips because they involve more than one person.
Traveling can be an exhausting activity, so sometimes it is good to take breaks from exploring and adventuring and sit down with some board games or cards for an hour or two.
Only choose games that can be played in short spurts of time if you plan on playing them at the destination.
This way you won’t get bogged down by a lengthy game that takes hours upon hours to play through.
As long as the game is easy to learn and doesn’t take too long to play, it will be perfect for the next trip out.
A Telescope
You can see some amazing things with your naked eye, but if you really want to get a good look at the universe around you, then it might be time to bring out the telescope.
Going on camping trips or heading out into nature in general is always a way to become closer to the Earth and enjoy all of her splendor.
If you are going hiking in particular areas that have great views, don’t just settle for what you see with your eyes.
Get out there and use telescopes so that you can take much better photos of distant landscapes or animals.
You will be surprised at how many stars you can see with your eyes using a telescope.
You might even get to look into deep space and enjoy some of the wonders that lie beyond our own planet.
For most travelers, going somewhere is about immersing themselves in the culture, place, or people, but there is also room for curating specific experiences for the sole sake of the romance.
Bringing impractical items with you may be a small burden most of the time, but if you have the right trip and the right idea for it, you can transform the experience into something truly memorable.
In general it’s smart to pack light, but in some cases blow it out and make the trip something truly unique and enjoyable.