Changes in packing routines. Flying with sheets and more.
 

Ok, I haven't actually flown with sheets, but have bought them while traveling when the sheets provided were't cutting it. Same with grill grates.
When traveling locally, I always bring pillows, a comforter and sheet.
Sometimes I bring a spa robe.
My new during covid trends were bringing cutlery and plates and a sharp knife and cutting board. After our first foray into a local hotel with restaurants booked, it makes a huge difference in take out when you have proper dinnerware.
My craziest item packed was and ice machine. Nothing says clean ice. like your own machine and spring/filtered water. How often does that motel/restaurant service their ice machines. never mind all the dirty hands that reach in.
And yet, I do not consider myself a germaphobe.

I would fly with 4 pillows if it was logical to do. How often are those pillows at your lodging really washed properly. Still, I can pack my own pillowcases to double up in those provided.

What crazy and new packing practices do you roll with?

We pack our pillows whenever we have room. Not because we're worried about them being clean, but just because we're picky about pillows - hate the overly full firm ones, prefer ours a bit on the flat and squishy side.

No new COVID trends for us.

Oh, my routines aren’t crazy. Are they? Maybe because I don’t often use ice in my drinks!

Along with my own shampoo and conditioner I bring a small bar of soap in case I don’t care for the hotel’s brand.

We sometimes meet other family members at a vacation or Thanksgiving holiday destination and rent a VRBO to accommodate all of us. My son-in-law now brings a small knife sharpener and saves us all the frustration of coping with dull knives.

I’ll often pack real glassware so I don’t have to drink wine from a paper cup. Cutlery and paper plates are always in the picnic basket for the in-room breakfast or take-out dinner. Even if flying to our destination, I’ll bring along a few paper plates.

Aside from masks and sanitizer, no major changes for me.

I do have a knife roll for Airbnb-type stays.

Haven't traveled post-pandemic yet. I brought a light robe when we stayed at a VRBO. Also never learned to use those tiny square "towels" so always bring a puff sponge. Shampoo as I don't know what brand will be provided.

Depending on type of accommodation and expected weather, we sometimes pack along some microfiber towels. They take up very little room in luggage, weigh nearly nothing and dry quickly. We found that they cost much less if purchased from an automotive shop than a home goods store.

I’ll often pack real glassware so I don’t have to drink wine from a paper cup.

I do that too, but always have, so not a new thing, but only for road trips.

Sorry. I wasn’t responding to the new packing practices question because we haven’t been traveling. I was thinking instead of my own usual habits that might not be so ordinary. Driving for hours on the PA turnpike tomorrow, we’ll pack our own lunch.

k_marie - I like your ideas a lo - probably because they are very similar to my own. I always take my own shampoo etc, decanted into little bottles that I got ages ago and keep reusing. Ditto my own soap as i find that many places only supply shower gel which I hate. I hadn't thought of paper plates [good idea!] but I always take my own tea bags as in continental Europe the ones you can get there are never strong enough. i like the idea of a knife sharpener too and for me a bottle opener/cork screw is essential.

<<My craziest item packed was and ice machine. Nothing says clean ice. like your own machine and spring/filtered water. How often does that motel/restaurant service their ice machines. never mind all the dirty hands that reach in.
And yet, I do not consider myself a germaphobe>>

Inakauaidavidababy - count me amongst one of those who will not be taking my own ice maker; I just don't use enough ice. I do use pillows but honestly I wouldn't bother to take my own, though I suppose that if I was really worried I could take my own pillowcases.

I've racked my brains to think of something "crazy" that I travel with but I'm so out of practice it's hard to think of anything. I always take slippers and a thin dressing gown, and those thin shower caps they give you in hotels which I use to wrap my shampoo bottles etc in case they leak. I also used to have a collection of almost used up deodorants, moisturisers, etc. which I can chuck away before I come home but I've been working my way through them as it seemed daft to have them lying around doing nothing. I don't think that any of that is particularly eccentric.

I always pack my own hairdryer. I really don’t do well with those gutless little dryers that hotels etc supply

I always take my own hair dryer. I try not to go anywhere without my white noise machine. I take my own pillow if we are driving somewhere but wouldn't take it if I'm flying somewhere.

Other than masks and hand sanitizer nothing covid related.

When I rent a flat in the UK or Europe I will pick up a couple of ice cube trays from the $ Store and stick them in my carry on. Ice trays are usually either missing from the fridge or are just very small/miniature. I always leave them behind when I check out.

Because my wife is sensitive to scented laundry soap we have always travelled with a set of sheets in a bag. So nothing new there.

...I do not consider myself a germaphobe...... By who's standard ???? Or maybe I spent too much time eating from Army field kitchen or cleaning the mess kit with sand when we didn't have access to water and soap. I love it that there is such a thing as portable ice machine --- I didn't know.

I don’t imagine packing anything different in my Covid- era travelling, with the exception of masks & hand sanitiser.

I take my pillow if there’s room. Same as Melnq8, because I’m used to it, not because I’m worried about the cleanliness of those where I’m staying. Always take my own hairdryer. Also small containers of hair & skin care products.

I’d like to be planning some overseas travel!

Oh yes, always my own shampoo and conditioner. I’m yet to find a hotel brand that doesn’t turn my super fine hair into a frizzy mess.

eta: to properly answer the OP’s question. The only covid changes are, as for most people, is a couple of masks and some hand sanitiser.

The bed sheet requirement was the subject of a great Fodors thread some seventeen years ago. On a par with “tipping the pilot”.

https://www.fodors.com/community/tra...sheets-346084/

I take a pillowcase.

When we traveled last year, mostly by car, we brought our own pillows, hand sanitizer and clorox wipes to clean every surface of our hotel room.

Now I'm back to only bringing hand wipes (which I packed pre-pandemic) and my hair dryer because the ones provided by most hotels don't have enough power. I have the same scent issue as Jubilada's wife, so I try to request a scent free room, but I should at least pack a pillow case.

When my children were small, I always put a small 6 x 8 inch cutting board and rounded serrated knife in my carry-on. Both were perfect for making a quick PB&J, cutting fruit and cheese. I stopped packing both after 9/11 because the knife was no longer allowed through security.

wtm003 - your post reminded me of what we used to carry in our luggage pre-911. A small bag with corkscrew, Swiss army knife, cheese slicer, church key, metal nail file and sometimes a decent kitchen knife, as they can be hard to come by in accommodation. After 911, we began leaving behind what we now refer to as our "implements of terror".

<<I always pack my own hairdryer. I really don’t do well with those gutless little dryers that hotels etc supply>>

Cathies, this and your other post about your hair going frizzy reminded me of the torture I went through in Cuba without a hairdryer until Bill came up with the idea of using the air con unit as a dryer! worked a treat. I can't tell you how much happier I was after that. Daft or what?

After our experiences in Cuba I always traveled with hand sanitiser any way, and handy packs of moisturised TP, and a spare roll of TP too when there's room. I also wished that we'd taken our own towels - microfibre ones - as the local ones were awful . But the sheets were fine!

I only use one brand of shampoo and conditioner so I always take small bottles of those, a small travel-size packet of make-up remover face wipes, a small container of Keri lotion, a small container of curl stuff and a travel size tube of toothpaste, and I think that's about it for personal items. I've gotten used to carrying a small bottle of hand sanitizer in my purse so I'll probably stick with doing that. Otherwise, I've stayed in some pretty rough cheap hotel rooms in my early travel years so whatever a four or five star hotel throws at me now I'm pretty sure I can take. I just don't want to know too much about it! :s
I don't think I've ever used the ice machine in a hotel and I do NOT like those coffee makers they leave in hotel rooms so I'd rather do without coffee till I can get it in a coffee shop. One of the best perks in my favourite NY hotel (which, sadly, is now closed), is that if you were a 'loyalty member' they'd bring you carafes of hot coffee with real cups and linen napkins, gratis, every morning. What a luxury!

<<I don't think I've ever used the ice machine in a hotel and I do NOT like those coffee makers they leave in hotel rooms so I'd rather do without coffee till I can get it in a coffee shop. One of the best perks in my favourite NY hotel (which, sadly, is now closed), is that if you were a 'loyalty member' they'd bring you carafes of hot coffee with real cups and linen napkins, gratis, every morning. What a luxury!>>

lol, goddesstogo - I don't think that there's one of those machines that I haven't broken or caused a flood with or had another disaster. All I need is a kettle for making my tea and I'm happy. I wouldn't have said no to that coffee though.

annhig, they would have brought you tea!

<<annhig, they would have brought you tea!>>

sounds like a great place to stay. Shame it's closed down, goddesstogo.

I can't think of anything that will change except having mask(s) along for the plane ride, assuming that continues to be a requirement or recommendation.

I usually pack a pillowcase or two (comes in handy for many reasons). Love it when hotels have an ice machine!

The flights I've been on didn't include a pillow, so bring if you need one on the plane.

I have a plastic LIght My Fire "spork" with a knife edge that has replaced my "instruments of terror" for carryon only flights. I always take a handful of plastic utensils, maybe more now than before.

Most of the hotel rooms these days are single-serve coffee makers like Keurig or the one with the flat filter sachets. If I have them bring extra pods and sachets from home as well as a few teabags and instant coffee sticks. I need coffee as soon as I get up and don't want to have to track some down that early, or to be interrupted by room service. I had a few instances of the room not being replenished with coffee pods after the last guest cleaned them out. Hotels are very short staffed right now.

I have been in a few rooms with no hair dryer this year, not sure if it is COVID related but I can do wash and air dry anyways.

No change in any of the toiletry stuff for me.

I have left so many hand towels and pillowcases behind in hotel rooms I can't count them.

Shampoo? Hair dryer? 🤣

Plus 1 ;) There are many advantages to being follicularly challenged!