Packing for success for blind or low vision travellers — Vacayit

Suitcase or backpack? Rolling or stacking? Less is more, more-or-less….Oh, and don’t forget your toothbrush! We’ve all been there…facing the packing dilemma and receiving (somewhat) helpful advice. We’ve all rummaged through overstuffed bags in search of that essential item ‘I’m sure I packed,’ ending in frustration and a mountain of clothing strewn across the hotel room. But how does one manage these challenges without the use of their sight?

In this post, Lisa McEwan, Head of Content here at Vacayit, shares some life hacks on packing for success and travelling with a white cane, with no or low vision, based on her own extensive travels with sight loss. It’s also crammed with some helpful hints for anyone seeking a less stressful packing experience. And in an upcoming blog post we’ll also share some personal packing tips for travelling blind specifically relating to packing for your dog guide based on the lived experiences of our wonderful guest contributor, Nicole Forbes-Hood. Stay tuned!

Before We Begin

Everyone experiences life and vision loss in their own unique way. Therefore, there is no ‘one approach fits all’ solution when it comes to packing. These tips for travelling blind are simply a collection of ideas and suggestions I have found helpful. Hopefully you may find them useful too.

It’s In The Bag

Debate often rages amongst avid travellers concerning the best choice of luggage for the ultimate escape. While some common-sense rules of thumb apply, there are some special considerations which may make your life easier when travelling with low vision.

When travelling through airports blind, or unfamiliar areas such as subway stations, you will likely have one hand occupied with navigation (such as holding on to a sighted guide, white cane or dog harness). For ease of mobility, you need luggage which is easy to manoeuvre one-handed. Suitcases with long, extendable handles and spinner wheels which rotate easily can be a great solution. I have also found backpacks handy for hands-free travel, but you will need to be mindful of your proximity to others as these do extend out behind you, taking up extra space in your surroundings.
You will also need to choose luggage which is easily identifiable to you and to others (if they are assisting you to find or handle your bags). I personally choose the brightest and most obvious coloured cases I can find (my current version is bright orange). I often find outlet baggage stores stock a greater variety of colours. As I have a tiny bit of usable sight remaining, I have a better chance of spotting a distinctive case on the luggage carousel and can easily describe it to others if assistance is needed. If you can’t find (or don’t want) bright luggage, I suggest you consider using distinctive markings to identify your bags (such as a piece of fluorescent ribbon tied round the handle, a large adhesive sticker or similar). Irrespective or how much vision you may have, when travelling through airports blind, this will aid anyone assisting you to locate and verify the bag is yours (it’s not always fun arriving at your hotel with someone else’s gear!).
It’s also helpful to consider using tactile markers to identify your luggage. This may include keyrings or charms on zip pulls, textured ribbon on handles or a uniquely shaped bag tag. This is a quick and easy way to ensure you’ve got the right bag. You may also wish to explore the use of Bluetooth tracking devices in your luggage. Used in conjunction with your smartphone, these devices may help you locate and verify your items when you reach your destination.
Because I have some residual vision, I find a case or bag with a non-patterned, light-coloured interior is hugely helpful as it allows light into the bag and creates higher contrast between the bag and my gear, so I can locate my belongings.
I typically find key locks for luggage easier to manage than combination locks, unless a combo lock has clear tactile markings. I make a practice of always keeping my bags locked when not in use, as I don’t have the ability to see if someone slips something into my luggage. This is a smart move for any savvy traveller, but especially for those of us with no or low vision.
A daypack or cross-shoulder bag is generally preferable for carry-on or daily exploring, as it allows you to have your hands free for navigation and convenience. One with pockets will allow you to stow your items in specific places so that you can find them more easily.

ID: A large bright orange spinner suitcase with extendable handle with bright orange ribbon and fluro yellow bag tag attached to top handle sitting beside a red and black daypack/carry-on backpack. The backpack has a pug bag tag attached for easy tactile identification. External pockets on either side of the backpack hold a white cane and water bottle for easy access when travelling.

Planning Is Key

Some preparation is important for any successful packing experience, but for those of us travelling with low vision, I find it’s an essential ingredient to a stress-free holiday.

First and foremost, wherever possible, pack your bag yourself. This way you’ll know what’s in it and can organise it in a way that suits you. Then you’ll be able to find what you need when you need it and maximise your independence. It’s never fun having to ask for help to find your favourite undies 😊.
I strongly suggest that you do not share a bag. I don’t care if you’ve only got a bit of gear or how close you think you are to your travel companion. Trust me – it’s just not worth the stress! Sharing a bag invariably means your stuff gets mixed up with theirs, creating a mishmash of unidentifiable items and a recipe for disaster. In the interest of my own sanity, I stubbornly refuse to share a bag – EVER! The only exception was when my children were babies, I was responsible for managing their items, and they were too young to go digging through the case. Even then I separated their gear from mine using zip lock bags or packing cubes.
My kids often joke about my avid list-making tendencies. I admit I’m a bit of a list junkie. However, I strongly suggest writing a packing list, ideally using the Notes or another app on your phone so it’s easy to find. You may like to be very specific and itemise each article to help plan your outfits, or as is my preference, simply jot down the key details like number of shirts, types of shoes, list of random items etc. This list-making process not only helps to ensure you pack everything you need. It will also serve as a checklist when preparing to return home. For those of us without vision, glancing around a hotel room to ensure you have all your belongings isn’t an option, so a packing list can be extremely helpful to ensure you don’t forget your nightlight or phone charger (can you tell I’ve done this before?).

Get Your Gear Sorted

Being in an unfamiliar place can be a little daunting. Not being able to locate your medications or find matching outfits adds unnecessary stress to what should be a fun experience. Take these few simple steps to avoid a tangled mess and losing items into the luggage abyss.

As a bit of a free spirit, I always balked at the notion of implementing systems to make blind life easier. However, some systems do have their place, and organising (or compartmentalising) your belongings is one of them. Whether travelling with a backpack, suitcase, or duffle bag, I always find it helpful to organise my gear into manageable sections using packing cubes, mesh washing bags or zip-lock bags. Packing cubes or packsacks are awesome because they come in assorted sizes, colours and shapes for easy identification, compress your gear, and often have easy grab handles for carrying to the bathroom (a bit like a mini drawer). They can also be easily marked with large print, tactile or braille labels so its easy to know what’s in them.
To easily identify matching outfits and for sheer convenience, I personally like to place items that make up an outfit into a bundle and roll it together before placing it into a packing cube with other outfits of a similar nature (e.g., a cube of hiking outfits). This way all I have to do is grab a clothing roll and know that it contains the items I need for the day.
If I am planning to get a second wear out of items (such as jeans or pants when hiking), I may opt to roll shirts individually and place them with other similar items in a cube, keeping the pants separate. In this circumstance, I tend to choose neutral-coloured bottoms so I can mix and match the tops without too many fashion faux paz.
I sometimes also audio or tactile label my clothing, for ease of identification, particularly in poor lighting. The PenFriend device has proven to be a handy and compact tool to record audio descriptions on laundry labels. This helps me to identify an item and any relevant information relating to it such as colour, matching suggestions and laundry instructions.
I also use a packing cube or soft pouches to bundle my chargers, underwear and small items together and keep them contained. Using pouches or sacks with different colours or textures can help me more easily identify which one I need.

Touching on Toiletries

Toiletries can be tricky to manage when your vision is impacted. When travelling, they’re usually in those little bottles, all shaped the same, with tiny writing that’s impossible to read. And you’re usually trying to use them in the shower naked, which isn’t the ideal scenario for asking for help. So, here’s a few helpful hints for less embarrassing bathroom visits.

Consider placing your toiletry items in differently shaped and/or coloured bottles for easy identification.
If two bottles are the same shape (e.g., your shampoo and conditioner) place a rubber band on one of them to help differentiate which is which.
I find it helpful to carry bathroom supplies in a toiletry bag with a handle for hanging on towel rails or bathroom hooks. This means I won’t accidentally knock it off a bathroom bench and allows me easier access to feel my way through the contents. I also prefer toiletry bags with two or three separate compartments so I can keep similar items together, and everything in its place.

ID: A bright pink toiletry bag hangs from a towel rail/door knob by a small coathanger-style handle. The bag has three clear zippered compartments containing differently shaped and coloured bottles. The shampoo and conditioner bottle look and feel almost identical so a rubber band is wrapped around the shampoo bottle for easy tactile identification.

Have a Backup

Travel doesn’t always go according to plan for anyone, especially when travelling through airports blind. Flights are delayed, transport doesn’t show up or mother nature sends us on an unexpected path. Don’t stress! Often unexpected changes to plans lead to the greatest adventures and make the best travel tales. However, it pays to have a backup if your plans (or aids) go awry.

Travelling with a white cane: If you are a cane user, consider travelling with two canes – one in your carry-on or hand luggage and one in your checked luggage. This provides a safeguard if one of your canes gets damaged or your luggage goes astray. The same goes for essential aids such as monoculars and other devices (where possible).
Wherever allowed, always carry the items you depend on most in your hand luggage or on your person. This includes passports, tickets, insurance details and emergency phone numbers (in an accessible format for you), essential mobility and reading aids and the like. If your luggage is lost or stolen, you don’t want to be without these.
Ensure you take all chargers for your phone and other assistive aids. Label them for easy identification and ensure you pack appropriate power adapters when travelling abroad. Where possible, also carry spare batteries as a backup.
Be sure to take along your Companion Card if you have one, or check your eligibility to obtain one. This handy card allows you to take a sighted companion along for free to assist you at a host of participating attractions and venues.
Even if you’re not a regular cane user for mobility purposes, it may be worth considering carrying and using an identification cane when travelling. I admit I don’t love travelling with a white cane, but I always do so now when travelling as it helps people identify that I may need assistance and tends to create greater understanding and tolerance if I bump into anyone or am slower manoeuvring in unfamiliar surroundings.
Since discovering their value on a recent hiking trip, I now always travel with a good-quality head lamp, even when I’m not venturing outdoors. This provides a compact and lightweight means of putting some extra light on the situation if the need arises. You can change the output from a concentrated to gently diffused beam, meaning I can tailor my lighting needs anywhere. Better yet, it’s hand-free, allowing me full freedom to use mobility or reading aids or explore with both hands. Winning!

Remember to stay tuned for more specific packing tips for travelling blind with a dog guide from guest contributor Nicole Forbes-Hood in the coming weeks.

Finally, don’t forget to pack your phone, charger and headphones, so you can access all the great audio content on the Vacayit travel app! These immersive and multi-sensory stories allow you to research and experience your destination like never before. Download it now for some awesome travel inspiration! Happy packing!

Travelling with Low Vision - Packing Tips