How not to forget anything on your next trip?

You’ll likely forget something on your next trip.

It could be as insignificant as a pair of socks, or as important as a life-saving medication. but you will. At least that’s what the survey – and you – say.

According to a survey by Minimus.biz, a company specializing in travel-sized products, more than 8 out of 10 travelers forgot something while on vacation. The most commonly overlooked item? Toothbrushes, followed by clothes and shoes, toothpaste, toiletries, socks, hair tools and chargers.

“It was interesting to see that a person’s age determined which things they forgot the most,” says Paul Schretter, chief operating officer of Minimus. “Younger people forgot things like food, chargers and socks. Older people forgot things like medicine, glasses and shampoo.”

What is it about traveling that makes us forget?

And how can you prevent the kinds of mistakes that can derail a trip? Experienced travelers and memory experts have some answers, and you’ll want to remember them before you set out on your next trip.

“My husband and I are forgetting things more and more,” Atlanta administrative assistant Paula Parker said in an email. “In the past month, we’ve left two things in the overhead bin… my husband’s sports coat and, on another flight, my fleece.”

Larry Waite says he’s lost his fair share. The worst was his passport. He accidentally dropped it in a toilet at the Mexico City airport. “I almost missed my flight,” says Waite, who works for a digital marketing agency in Belize and wrote the guidebook “The Ultimate Belize Bucket List.” “Luckily, I went back to the bathroom and found my passport on the floor.”

Waite developed two techniques to prevent the loss of travel documents. “When I’m at the airport, I check every 10 minutes to make sure I have my passport with me,” he says. He also uses a smartphone app called Evernote to store reminders and to-do lists. He adds, “I write down everything I will need in order not to forget my trip.”

There is a scientific explanation for our absent-mindedness

“People are more likely to forget something if the activity is not part of their daily routine,” says Douglas Scharre, director of the department of cognitive neurology at The Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center Neurological Institute. “If our routines are disrupted, such as when traveling, our brains have to put in extra effort to complete all the necessary tasks. In our busy lives, we rely on our routines to get up, get dressed, get dressed, and get to work. We are often in automatic mode.”

When you travel, you’re not in “automatic” mode – and you’re more likely to forget something.

People also forget things because there is too much to remember. It’s not just your itinerary, food, electronics, and carry-on, but also what to do with it all. Now that you are at the airport, which terminal? Which door? And once you reach your destination, try to remember your rental home’s WiFi password or your hotel room number. It’s no wonder people leave chargers and toothbrushes in their rooms. He has a lot in his mind.

At the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Southern California, guests left 37,243 items in rooms last year, says lost-and-found property officer Shirlene Orr. Cellphones topped the casino’s most forgotten list, with 4,754 devices left in guest rooms in one year. Half of them find their way back to their owners, she says.

I know how those guests must be feeling. You name it, I’ve probably left it in a hotel room somewhere. This included a phone, a tablet computer, various chargers, an electric razor, several electric toothbrushes, every possible item of clothing and, in one memorable case, one of my children (of course, quickly recovered).

a method of remembering

My way to remember: Double-check everything, starting from your itinerary to your hotel checkout. This means reading your confirmation screen twice before leaving and going to your hotel room twice. This usually works as long as you keep the last eye in the room. I travel with three children, who sometimes “double-check” themselves and leave an item in the room.

Jennifer Aspinwall, who writes the blog “World on a Whim: The Perfectionist’s Guide to Spontaneous Travel,” says the best way to remember is to forget. She recalls, “On my first long-haul flight to Europe, I left my computer glasses wrapped in a blanket and in the open middle seat.” “I was very angry at myself for forgetting something important so early in my trip, but it turned out to be the best thing that happened to me as I constantly checked and rechecked my luggage at every step of the way for the rest of the trip.”

Brenda Avadian recommends keeping a list of basic travel data. “I add reservation information to my online calendar, weather-forecast link, and objective [of the trip],” she says. Avadian, who advises family and professional caregivers for people with dementia, says the list can help people with memory problems when traveling. (Here’s what you need to know about summer travel.)

Use technology to not forget anything on your next trip

Technology can help sharpen your memory. That’s what Seattle-based marketing expert Alexandra Tran, who travels three weeks a month, has found. She uses Tripit, syncing it with her Google account, to track hotel and flight schedules. “Tripyat does a great job of notifying me of upcoming bookings that I often forget about. I’m also able to consolidate my itineraries into one app,” she says. Tran also uses Google Keep, a note-taking application, to create lists of things to remember. (Connected:Here they are: the best and worst airlines, hotels, and travel websites.)

Memory expert Sharre says people often fail to use all the tools they have. Take your phone, for example. Most travelers think that they should only use a camera for those beautiful panorama shots of the Grand Canyon. But you can also take pictures of your hotel room number. “Or take a photo of the parking level you’re at when you’re rushing to catch a plane so you can find your car when you return,” he says.

When you’re on the road, you may forget something – your brain can’t handle all the new information. But some memory-boosting tools and habits can help you avoid forgetting something important.