Sherman's Travel

Several years ago my family was about ten minutes into a bus ride through New Jersey when my younger daughter puked. The cause was likely a bad meal choice beforehand, not the Garden State.

The point is, it was only luck that led me to pack a gallon Ziploc bag in my knapsack earlier that morning. While my daughter caught the first second of puke in her hands, I was able to reach over her seat in time so that most of the vomit ended up in the bag.

Thanks to kind strangers handing over paper napkins, my wife and I were able to contain the damage. And thanks to the Ziploc bag, I was able to largely contain the smell and mess for the duration of the ride. My daughter, of course, felt much better after throwing up.

Every parent has a vomit travel story, and from ours we learned that we must always deliberately pack that empty gallon Ziploc bag (along with a few paper towels for good measure). Another thing I’ve figured out from years on the road is that empty bags are good for more than puke. Here are a few more ideas.

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In today’s world of constant connectivity, odds are you’re going to be traveling with a laptop or tablet, even while on vacation. One of the worst parts of that experience is going through the rigmarole of unloading your laptop before enduring airport security procedures – while at the same time worrying about taking off your shoes, emptying all your pockets, and making sure your toddler and 90-year-old grandmother can avoid an invasive pat-down.

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