Want a glorious Memorial Day weather weekend, Boise? You got it
Whether you plan to attend the city of Boise's Memorial Day Ceremony, go for a walk, bike ride on the Greenbelt or just spend time in the yard this weekend, you're in for a treat with blue skies and lots of sun.
Sunday's forecast high is 87 degrees, making it the warmest day of the weekend. Memorial Day itself should be around 80 degrees. And that's after an 80-degree Saturday.
The normal high temperature for this time of year is about 75 degrees, according to National Weather Service data.
Clear conditions are expected for the weekend, and as of now, there is no sign of rain in Boise.
'We're not looking for any precipitation right now for Memorial Day. There could be some thunderstorms around on Monday, but we don't have anything here in the valley; it's going to be mostly in the mountains,' said Josh Smith, a meteorologist overseeing Boise for the National Weather Service.
Although the weekend is expected to be pleasantly warm with no extreme weather, conditions will be most favorable for outdoor activities on Saturday and Sunday, with those two days being the 'clearest and the warmest,' according to Smith.
'If you're going to stay in the valley, I would not expect any adverse weather,' Smith said.
If you are leaving the valley to spend time in the mountains on Monday, weather conditions won't be as clear.
'Some people are going to be out camping or hiking in the mountains, so there is a chance for some thunderstorms … most of the day Monday. So that might be a concern for some people outside,' Smith said.
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E&E News
36 minutes ago
- E&E News
Chaos at FEMA, NOAA as hurricane season starts
The nation enters the 2025 hurricane season with significant fear about the federal government's ability — and willingness — to help with natural disasters. Yet much of the worry isn't centered on hurricanes. Rather, state and local officials are concerned the Trump administration won't provide much, if any, assistance to U.S. communities after less-than-catastrophic disasters, which previously have received federal aid. Advertisement Democratic-led states also fear President Donald Trump will cut off disaster aid if they spurn his efforts to deport undocumented immigrants. At the same time, the nation's vaunted weather forecasting and warning system is eroding, experts say, as personnel cuts limit the use of sophisticated equipment such as weather balloons and aircraft that collect atmospheric data. A recent reduction in launches of National Weather Service weather balloons — caused by staff cuts — has led to a slight decline in the past few weeks of the accuracy of U.S. weather models, a former NWS chief says. All these developments underscore a much broader point. Hurricane season officially began Sunday, and a pall of uncertainty hangs over the nation as Trump and his deputies speak about 'eliminating' the Federal Emergency Management Agency — yet offer no guidance on what to expect from the disaster agency. 'FEMA should be communicating what its overall capacity is. In a lot of places it's a matter of life or death,' said Sarah Labowitz, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace who studies disasters. 'We don't know if there will be federal resources and personnel. It leaves people incredibly exposed to unimaginable risk.' Trump recently waited seven weeks before approving disaster aid for tornado-damaged Mississippi counties, forcing some to leave piles of debris clogging streets because they couldn't afford to pay for cleanup. Certain government operations will remain intact for now. Hurricane forecasts will be accurate this summer — despite reduced staffing at the National Weather Service, meteorologists say. Warnings and evacuations will still happen. And FEMA is still expected to have a robust response to the largest disasters — such as those caused by major hurricanes — even if Trump moves forward with overhauling the agency. Trump says his FEMA overhaul will give states more responsibility for recovering from noncatastrophic disasters and force them to strengthen their own capabilities instead of relying on the federal government. 'FEMA has been a very big disappointment. They cost a tremendous amount of money. It's very bureaucratic, and it's very slow,' Trump said during a January visit to North Carolina. 'I think that when there's a problem with the state, I think that that problem should be taken care of by the state.' But smaller storms and floods may test the limits of the shrinking federal disaster apparatus — especially if several hit at once or if they coincide with bigger disasters that strain the federal government's ability to respond. 'Hurricanes are important — but at the same time, you have flooding aspects, you have severe weather aspects, you have fire,' said Louis Uccellini, former director of the National Weather Service. 'Some of these same [NWS] offices are dealing with multiple hazards. That's a stress factor.' In the years ahead — amid more potential cuts in Trump's fiscal 2026 budget request — experts say the system may begin to splinter. Reduced weather observations and research capabilities will hamstring NOAA's progress on its forecasting models. Instead of gradually improving, as they've done for decades, the quality of weather forecasts will plateau — or even degrade. Overworked meteorologists may begin to burn out, increasing the risks of mistakes or missed warnings. Collaborations between weather offices and emergency management centers may falter with smaller staffs. The Trump administration is canceling grant programs that have helped states strengthen their resilience to extreme weather. And emergency managers are still considering whether — and how — to prepare for a leaner federal response in the coming years. The upheaval of policy and personnel — including the recent firing of FEMA's acting chief after he publicly defended the agency — has left state and local officials in a fog. 'I think this is what's driving all of this conversation — there is no official doctrine for the season from FEMA,' said David Merrick, director of Florida State University's Center for Disaster Risk Policy. 'There's a lot of leaked memos and off-the-record comments, and all of this is kind of making everyone in the industry and in the public say, 'Well, what's going on?'' Trump's FEMA Review Council has been tasked with recommending changes by mid-November — two weeks before the end of hurricane season. At the council's first meeting, in May, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said FEMA had become 'bloated.' '[Trump] wants us to be there in a time of need,' Noem said. But, she added, 'the president's vision is that FEMA would not be in the long-term recovery model.' Interviews with more than a dozen meteorologists, emergency managers and other disaster specialists paint a more complicated picture. Here's what to expect this summer — and in the years to come — from the nation's forecast, response and recovery systems. Fewer federal forecasters on station Senior hurricane specialist Stacy Stewart monitors the progress of Tropical Storm Dorian at the National Hurricane Center on Aug. 27, 2019. | Lynne Sladky/AP Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, is ready for a major hurricane. It's the smaller disasters that are giving officials pause this year. About two hours west of New Orleans, the parish of 250,000 is prone to floods and severe thunderstorms, which are growing more frequent as global temperatures rise. Recent cuts at the local weather office, plus potential cuts at FEMA, raise concerns that the parish will get fewer disaster warnings. The parish has relied on the National Weather Service office in Lake Charles, Louisiana, about an hour away, for guidance in making decisions about local events and telling the public about weather threats. But the office has lost several top staffers since April — including its meteorologist in charge — and communications have waned. On one or two recent occasions, 'we just had weather show up on us,' said Christina Dayries, chief of staff in the Mayor-President's office of the Lafayette Consolidated Government, which oversees both the parish and the city of Lafayette. During Lafayette's recent five-day Festival International de Louisiane, heavy rain and flash floods struck the city early in the morning on the festival's first day in late April, surprising government officials. 'We didn't get the heads up until we reached out to [the National Weather Service office],' Dayries said. 'The storm had already come. Flash flooding, that happens. But we still didn't get the alert and forecasting that we would typically have received.' Stephen Carboni, the acting meteorologist in charge at NWS Lake Charles, said he couldn't comment on changes in staffing or operations. But the office is relying on overtime shifts and mutual aid from other offices when extra support is needed, Carboni said in an email. 'Our preparation for hurricane season or any other potential hazardous weather event remains the same as it always has,' Carboni said. Other weather service offices also are dealing with staffing cuts. The National Weather Service has lost around 600 of its roughly 4,200 employees since January, according to Tom Fahy, legislative director at the union that represents National Weather Service employees. Kim Doster, NOAA's director of communications, said in an email that NWS 'has a sufficient number of forecasters to fill mission-critical operational shifts during the 2025 severe weather and hurricane season.' She said weather forecast offices are focusing on 'mission-critical functions.' NOAA oversees the weather service. The new policy means that forecast offices are doing only forecasts and are stopping activities such as conferences, tabletop exercises and school visits, Fahy said. Some offices no longer operate 24 hours a day, Fahy said. When deadly tornadoes struck eastern Kentucky in May, supervisors at an NWS office in Jackson, Kentucky, had to call off-duty employees into work to ensure that overnight shifts were covered. NWS staffers willingly work extra hours, multiple meteorologists said. But it's dangerous in the long term. 'The men and women of the weather service will do everything they possibly can to make sure that we don't lose any lives,' said Joe Friday, a former National Weather Service director. 'They'll come in early. They'll work late. But the fact is that overtime eventually gets to you when you're working so many extra shifts.' Tired employees are at risk of missing smaller storms and tornado outbreaks. They attract less attention and fewer resources, and they can be harder to spot on weather radar. 'Small tornadoes, they pop in and pop out,' Fahy said. 'But they can do a lot of damage in five minutes. Those are the ones that are really hard to detect.' NWS offices move staff to the places that need temporary help. It's unlikely that any office in the crosshairs of a hurricane would allow their usual forecasts or warnings to slide. But it may force NWS offices to cut their interaction with local emergency managers, government agencies and community groups, threatening public safety. 'That fabric is gonna get pulled apart,' said Uccellini, a former NWS director. 'And at some point, it's going to rip and you're not going to be able to get it back together again. ' Grants tied to cooperation with deportation efforts President Donald Trump speaks at a Hurricane Helene recovery briefing in a hangar at the Asheville Regional Airport in Fletcher, North Carolina, on Jan. 24. | Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty As president, Trump alone has the power to declare a federal disaster. And he wants the federal government to have a smaller footprint. But the administration has been a fountain of confusion since January when Trump himself suggested the abolition of FEMA only to drop the idea later, leaving states and municipalities with no idea how FEMA will help with disasters. Noem of Homeland Security stunned people, including FEMA employees, when she made the seemingly impromptu remark in late March, 'We are eliminating FEMA.' Noem said more recently that the administration wants to 'get rid of FEMA the way it exists today.' DHS oversees FEMA. 'People still aren't sure exactly what role they're going to play, not just with FEMA but also the other agencies,' former FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said, referring to the Trump administration. FEMA's disaster workforce has shrunk by 9 percent since Trump took office in January, agency records show. Because much of the workforce is assigned to ongoing disasters, FEMA had only 1,587 disaster workers available Sunday compared to 2,365 exactly one year ago and nearly 4,700 on June 1, 2022. 'I would be concerned about that number,' said Peter Gaynor, who ran FEMA during Trump's first presidency. FEMA can tap into a stand-by workforce of nearly 8,900 employees of other DHS agencies. 'The capabilities are still there. There are going to be strains on the system due to loss of personnel,' Criswell said. 'When you have uncertainty, you lose time, and if it takes you time to make decisions, that's time lost that can be helping a state, a community or a survivor.' Over a three-day span in late May, Trump approved 10 requests by governors for FEMA aid. The approvals came amid substantial pressure from governors and members of Congress, who pleaded for federal help after tornadoes and floods demolished communities. Most of the aid requests were more than a month old, which raised concerns that Trump would simply decline to act on them. The administration has not announced a policy for handling disaster requests although it has suggested that FEMA should have no role in disasters except for catastrophic events such as last year's Hurricane Helene. 'President Trump is focused on efficiency and success, and he responds to each request for Federal assistance under the Stafford Act with great care and consideration,' said White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson referring to the federal disaster law. Jackson added, 'President Trump is improving our disaster response to keep ALL Americans safe by working with State and local governments to invest in their own resilience before disaster strikes. In the past, FEMA has failed the American public.' FEMA said in a statement that it is 'fully activated for Hurricane Season' as it transforms from a 'bloated, [Washington, D.C.]-centric dead weight to a lean, deployable disaster force that empowers state actors to provide relief for their citizens.' 'The Trump administration is committed to ensuring American affected by emergencies will get the help they need in a quick and efficient manner,' FEMA said. Even Republican supporters of Trump's goals have urged the administration to proceed carefully. 'Clarity is so important,' Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican serving on Trump's FEMA Review Council, told the group during its first meeting. 'We're going to be massively transforming the response system while that response system has to be effectively responding.' Federal funding also supports daily emergency-management costs. States, counties and municipalities use FEMA's Emergency Management Preparedness grants to fund their hurricane personnel year-round. In some rural areas, officials said, local emergency management agencies might draw their entire budget from FEMA grants. The administration is now linking those grants to Trump's mass deportation campaign. The Department of Homeland Security in March began adding language to all its new grant agreements — including those for preparing and responding to disasters — to make those billions of dollars conditional on states and other recipients cooperating with federal immigration agents. FEMA and DHS have required states to agree to those conditions before releasing safety grants and wildfire funding this year, according to a lawsuit by 20 Democratic state attorneys general. Many states have refused, leaving their emergency management budgets in limbo. FEMA has given states roughly $350 million a year under the Emergency Management Grant program through a formula based largely on population. States spend the money on post-disaster search and rescue operations, electricity restoration and food distribution, according to the lawsuit, which accuses the Trump administration of holding states 'hostage.' 'Losing those grants would abruptly terminate ongoing emergency management programming,' the lawsuit says. Millions of people would be at risk of disasters 'similar to those that prompted Congress to create federal grant programs after September 11 and Hurricane Katrina.' In Volusia County on Florida's Atlantic coast, officials are plotting how to cope with the potential loss of FEMA's performance grants. State officials have warned local governments that, as soon as October, the grants could 'disappear,' Clint Mecham, Volusia County emergency management director, said at a roundtable of elected officials in May. 'There are potential impacts coming down the pipe,' Mecham said. 'What those are, we don't know for sure.' 'Like everybody else, we are playing the wait-and-see game with what is happening in Washington,' he added. Jason Fuller, a senior emergency management specialist with New Hanover County on the North Carolina coast, said the uncertainty will be 'a little bit of a challenge.' But it also offers an opportunity to drive home the importance of officials preparing for what's under their control. Recovery costs rise with climate change, population growth An aerial view of flood damage wrought by Hurricane Helene along the Swannanoa River on Oct. 3, 2024, in Asheville, North Carolina. |States already are struggling to keep up with rising disaster costs, said Colin Foard, director of the managing fiscal risks project at the Pew Charitable Trusts. Disasters are becoming more damaging as climate change increases their intensity and population growth increases their impact. Meanwhile, state and local governments have to balance their budgets, unlike the federal government, which can respond to a disaster with deficit spending. Piling more costs onto states could force them into difficult trade-offs, Foard said. 'They will have to think about how you come up with more money for disaster recovery.' Some states can tap special accounts or budget surpluses as North Carolina did after Hurricane Helene. But that's a limited solution, Foard said. States that have set aside wildfire funding, for instance, have seen it drained year after year. 'Some of these current approaches that states were taking were already starting to fall short,' Foard said. Cities and counties have limited flexibility to adapt. 'You can't do it without FEMA money,' said Raul Gastesi, the town attorney for Miami Lakes, Florida. Many local governments are constrained in what kinds of taxes and revenues they can collect, leaving them dependent on state and federal funding after a hurricane. FEMA pays at least 75 percent of disaster recovery costs. 'We have to operate in a balanced budget at the local government level – which you can't do if you're responding to a disaster,' said Gastesi, also a partner at the law firm Gastesi Lopez Mestre & Cobiella. Risks to long-term forecasting John Cangialosi, senior hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, inspects a satellite image of Hurricane Beryl, the first hurricane of the 2024 season, on July 1, 2024. |Scientists and disaster specialists say there are signs the federal disaster response system may soon begin to fray. Weather models will suffer as NOAA's data collection and model-building capabilities shrink, meteorologists say. Several weather offices across the country already have had to reduce or curtail their weather balloon programs, whose observations feed the country's weather models. The 20-foot-wide balloons feed information on temperature, wind speeds, humidity and other atmospheric conditions into weather models, which have recently declined in accuracy, said Friday, the former NWS director, in a recent panel discussion of climate scientists and meteorologists. 'We've already seen numerical numbers, actual numbers, showing the decrease of our forecasting computer models in the last couple or three weeks,' Friday said. Doster, the NOAA communications director, said the agency is working to fill vacancies to 'ensure the continuity of services' including balloon launches. At the same time, NWS' Hurricane Hunter program, which flies aircraft into the hearts of tropical cyclones to collect information on wind speeds and other conditions, is operating at reduced capacity. The measurements feed hurricane forecasts in real time and help long-term research on tropical cyclones. A recent Government Accountability Office report found that staffing shortages and aircraft problems have led to flight cancellations in recent years. The Trump administration laid off several employees involved in the Hurricane Hunter missions. It's also proposed eliminating funding for NOAA's network of laboratories and cooperative research institutes, including the University of Miami's Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, whose scientists collect key data on the Hurricane Hunter flights. If Congress approved the budget cuts, NOAA would lose access to many of the laboratories that help build and maintain its weather forecasts. The Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies, housed at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, analyzes satellite data on strengthening hurricanes. It's the only institute in the country that monitors hurricane wind fields in real time as they form and intensify, according to institute Director Tristan L'Ecuyer, making it an essential component of NOAA's hurricane forecasting system. Meanwhile, staffing cuts have hit some of the NOAA offices responsible for designing and maintaining national weather models, like the National Centers for Environmental Prediction. 'We've lost some of the staff that takes care of the quality control, that takes care of making sure that the models are really performing up to par,' Friday said. With less data to feed the weather models and less quality control, weather forecasts won't improve over time — and they may even degrade, some experts said. Scientists may also lose the gains they've made on complex weather prediction issues, including advances in hurricane forecasting. Hurricanes are intensifying faster as global temperatures rise, yet dangerous rapid intensification events are notoriously difficult to predict. Only in the last few years have scientists made major strides in rapid intensification forecasting, and scientists worry that those efforts will plateau in the coming years. 'You probably won't see the effect right away,' said Andrew Hazelton, a hurricane model expert at the University of Miami and a former NOAA scientist who was fired amid the Trump administration's recent layoffs. 'There's a latency, a lag to this.'
CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
NEXT Weather Alert: Heavy rain may lead to localized flooding in South Florida
The NEXT Weather Team has issued NEXT Weather Alert Days for Monday and Tuesday due to the potential for flooding from heavy downpours from scattered showers and storms. The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center has placed Broward and most of Miami-Dade under a marginal risk of severe weather, meaning heavy rain with strong wind gusts, lightning and hail possible. Broward and Miami-Dade counties are under a level 2 out of 4 risk for flooding. NEXT Weather meteorologist Lissette Gonzalez says some forecast models hint at several inches of rainfall possible over the next few days. On Monday, most of the rain activity will occur between noon and 10 p.m. Afternoon highs will be in the mid to upper 80s. On Tuesday, the most active period will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Highs will be near 80 degrees. On Wednesday, the chance of rain is 70% with showers and possibly thunderstorms. Afternoon highs will be in the low 80s. Winds will be out of the southeast around 13 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. On Thursday, there is a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms. It will be mostly cloudy, with highs near 85 degrees. Friday will be partly sunny, showers and thunderstorms are possible. The weekend will be mostly sunny, with a 40% chance for rain.
CNET
an hour ago
- CNET
I've Traveled Everywhere, and These Things Always Make the Cut
June's here, and that means vacation season is officially in full swing. Whether you're jetting off for a beach getaway, taking a road trip to visit family or heading out on a quick weekend escape, what you pack can make or break your trip. The right gear can keep you comfortable, organized and stress-free -- while forgetting key items can turn a relaxing getaway into a string of overpriced convenience store stops. As someone who travels often, I've had my fair share of packing wins and total disasters. Even though I try to plan meticulously, I've still shown up without socks, chargers or even pajamas more times than I'd like to admit. I've learned the hard way which items I should never skip when getting ready for a trip. If you want to avoid last-minute stress and enjoy your vacation from the moment you leave the house, these essentials are worth adding to your checklist. You might not be likely to forget things like clothes or shoes, but what about less obvious items that'll make your trip smoother and more comfortable? Whether you already have your trip booked for this summer or you're still planning, these are the 13 things you should never forget to pack. For more travel tips, learn about the best way to pack a carry-on and the best time to book flights for the cheapest tickets. 1. Hygiene items and prescriptions On your travels, the last thing you want to forget is any essential hygiene or medical item. While you can easily get more deodorant to stay fresh on your trip, it's much more important to remember medications that will be difficult to replace once you arrive at your destination. This includes contact lenses, birth control, prescription glasses and any medications. For women, most times we can plan a trip around our cycle, but sometimes life happens. It can be very costly and uncomfortable to be on a trip without sanitary items, especially when you need them. So, just make it a habit to pack a few. It's better to have them and not need them than to not have them and need them. Also, don't forget to pack sunscreen when you're traveling in the summer or if you're visiting a particularly sunny or tropical destination. 2. A reusable water bottle Bringing a reusable bottle saves money and keeps you you're spending hours walking through city streets or going on a full-day hike in a national park, you're going to need to hydrate frequently. It's not always easy to access water in certain destinations -- not to mention how brutally hot or humid it can be in certain climates -- so taking a refillable bottle with you is always helpful. Sure, you could purchase water bottles at your destination, but water is often expensive in popular tourist hubs or hotels, and grocery or convenience stores aren't always nearby, especially in rural or woodland areas. Here's a list of some great water bottles. If your destination's tap water isn't drinkable, think about a water bottle with a built-in filter. 3. Portable power banks When traveling, you're likely going to be using your phone more -- pulling up boarding passes, looking up places to go and directions to those places, keeping in touch with friends and family back home and taking hundreds of pictures. All of this drains your battery, and it can be frustrating to interrupt your busy itinerary of sightseeing to charge your phone. Plus, access to power outlets is never guaranteed. That's why it's always good to bring a portable power bank with you. Power banks put the power in your pocket for easy access and usually aren't too expensive. I recommend investing in one that's not only reliable, but can also charge your phone multiple times before needing to be charged itself. 4. Towelettes Wipes let you sanitize your hands and certain "high-touch" bus tours or subway rides can be super fun, they're not always the tidiest of places. During your travels, you're likely going to have to grab "high-touch" objects like remote controls, light switches, telephones, doorknobs, faucet handles, etc. so it's important to keep hygiene in mind to prevent illness. Washing your hands might not always be an immediate option so pack a few towelettes with you. Plus, small wipes should make it through security checkpoints without issue. 5. A quick-dry towel Towels come in handy and you never know when one might save the day. Maybe you spilled on your outfit or got caught in a rainstorm and need to dry off quickly. Or maybe you arrived at your hotel or Airbnb only to find they didn't provide towels. Quick-drying towels are not the most luxurious option, but they're lightweight and easy to stow away while traveling. Most importantly, they dry super fast so you can clean up and pack it in your bag without too much of a wait. 6. Plastic bags If there's one travel necessity I swear by, it's a plastic bag. Need to pack up your muddy shoes? Plastic bag. Want to separate worn dirty clothing from your clean items? Plastic bag. While plastic or trash bags are not the most glamorous travel item, they have a multitude of uses and won't take up much space in your luggage. It's available in four colors: grey, dark grey, blue and black. Pamela Vachon/CNET 7. A packable backpack I consistently pack too much in my carry-on luggage. I want to bring my cameras, hat, sunglasses, a change of clothes and some toiletries just in case my checked back is lost. But all of these items quickly add up to leave very little room in my backpack. And usually, I don't want to take them all with me as I tool around the destination I'm visiting. I suggest taking another smaller, preferably foldable backpack that you can use as you tour. This will keep you from having to pack and repack your carry-on bag. Plus, you can use it to carry the souvenirs you pick up. 8. Bottle protectors I come back from almost every trip I take with a bottle of wine or specialty beer as a souvenir. I love bringing a special bottle of beer, liquor or wine home to share with friends and family as I tell them about my adventures. But before that can happen, the bottle has to actually make it through the trip home. And that means you'll need to bring a form of protection. Many people swear by the wine-bottle-in-the-sock method or will swaddle the glass bottles with their clothes, but I prefer to pack an actual protective bottle bag. I recommend a protective bottle bag with padding and a zipper top that will help protect your clothing. 9. Dryer sheets Stinky shoes? Just use a dryer sheet. Alina Bradford/CNET For me, this is a no-brainer. When you're walking miles and miles through various train or bus stations, airports and cities, you're going to work up quite the sweat. And your shoes will likely pay the price. Bring several dryer sheets with you to help mask the smell of your shoes. Upon returning to the hotel or Airbnb at the end of your day, simply place a dryer sheet in each shoe to help aerate them. 10. A universal plug adapter A travel adapter is a must-have. Ceptics/Amazon You probably already know this. I'm going to remind you anyway: If you're traveling abroad, you need a plug adapter. Outlets in the US are a different size from outlets overseas, which means if you intend to use electronic devices in a different country, you'll need an adapter. You could try to buy one at your destination, but they can be expensive and hard to find. It's best to pack one with you before you go to save time and money. 11. A travel router OK, this might seem like overkill, but a travel router has saved me on more than one occasion. Internet connection is not always reliable when traveling or in certain rural areas, and establishing a wired connection is almost always going to be more dependable than wireless (especially in hotels). I feel much safer traveling knowing I have a stable connection to call in case of an emergency, keep up with the group I'm traveling with or connect with loved ones back home. Here's some more good news: Travel routers are usually small, affordable and easy to pack. You can buy one for anywhere between $20 and $100, and they're usually not much larger than a wall adapter. 12. A packable down or rain jacket No matter if you're heading to a tropical destination or hitting the streets of a European city, it's always wise to bring an extra down or rain jacket (or umbrella if you have the space). Even if you check the forecast religiously, you could still get caught in a freak rainstorm or have a chillier night than expected. One of the best options that won't weigh down your suitcase is bringing a packable down or rain jacket that can easily fold up. Trust me, it's better to be safe than sorry. 13. A method to document memories I'm quite the shutterbug. I love documenting my trips with photos and videos, and sharing those with my friends and family. I also like to be able to look back and reminisce on my many adventures, the people I met along the way and the core memories made. To do so, I need a way to document them. Most people probably just use their iPhone, but if you're like me, you quickly run out of storage with the thousands of photos taken every year and need another option. I prefer shooting on a film camera, but since one scan from the airport security CT scanner could destroy your unprocessed film, I've found another camera that has quickly become a travel essential. My go-to camera is the Camp Snap digital camera. It's lightweight, rechargeable and screen-free yet still provides the vintage film look I like so much. It's also compact enough to fit in any checked or carry-on bag, making it the ideal vacation camera to capture all of your important moments. No matter what method or camera you select, always make sure you have something that can help you remember your meaningful journeys. Final thoughts Traveling can be a life-altering experience that creates memories that last a lifetime. But before you can experience all the magic of the cities around the world, you have to pack. And packing the right way can make all the difference by reducing stress and saving you money in the long run. While everyone might have a different idea of what items are essential for traveling, the 13 recommendations above are what I have found to be the most useful during my own trips. If you're planning a vacation and are stressed about preparing, we have plenty of resources to help. Get ready for your next trip with these hacks and tips.
