20 Travel Essentials I Always Pack

1. Laundry Bag

Now yes, I know you can just throw a trash bag in your suitcase and be done with it. Personally, I like to have something a little sturdier to last throughout my whole trip and that holds the dirty clothes smell in better. Hence, my handy little travel laundry bag.

2. Wire Organizer

Honestly, one of my biggest pet peeves is having my charging wires and little electronics all over the place. This is perfect because you can fit all your charging wires, wall plugs, memory cards, headphones, etc.

3. Anti-Theft Backpack

This is probably one of my favorite purchases, ever. It’s the first bag I have ever purchased that really covers everything I could ever hope for in a travel bag: theft-prevention, huge amount of space, plenty of little pockets to store smaller items, external usb connection to charge electronics, extremely comfortable and looks super sleek and stylish!

**I wanted to note that there are a few knock-off versions of this backpack. We accidentally bought the knock-off version first and everything about it was poor quality.

4. Nura Noise-Cancelling Headphones

I’ve used several different brands of (expensive) noise-cancelling headphones and these are by far my favorite. I have such a hard time sleeping on a flight just from the engine noise and/or the crying baby three rows back. But these cancel out the sound almost entirely and are SO comfortable. As a plus, they come it a really sturdy case you can travel with and look super spiffy.

5. Skyroam Wifi

I could dedicate an entire post to this little guy because this was SUCH a life-saver. This is a wifi pack that works in almost every country and couldn’t be any easier.  There are different options for purchasing amounts of wifi, like by the GB or by every 24 hours. And multiple people can connect to the wifi at the same time. I simply carried the Skyroam in my bag and we all were connected to wifi for the entire trip no matter where we went! We still were conscious to turn off most of our data consuming services and even 1GB ($9.95) lasted 2 days for us. That’s basically $3.30 a day for wifi, not bad at all!

6. Books!

I always take a few books with me on my travels just to have something entertaining AND educational with me. I’ll be adding some of my favorite books to the site soon and will add the link here! 🙂

7. Podcasts

I loooove listening to podcasts and I always make sure to pre-download a few episodes from some of my favorite podcasts so I can listen to them on the airplane. A few of my favorite podcasts:

• Armchair Expert
• TedTalks
• Ellen-on-the-Go

8. Microfiber Towel

This towel was so handy to have for multiple reasons:

• It’s really thin and folds up so small so it’s easy to pack
• Really absorbent – I was surprised just how well this dried me off considering how thin it is
• Comes in multiple sizes (I bought the XX-Large one and it’s perfect!)
• Dries really fast
• Super soft (I actually use it on the plane as well as another blanket lol)

9. Accupressure Mat

I use this on a DAILY basis, even when I am not traveling. You can read more about all the benefits of accu-pressure mats through the link below. Essentially, it stimulates blood flow and helps muscles relax. I rave about this because it helps me so much when I am feeling sore or restless. Before laying down I set a timer for 20 minutes and every single time I end up falling asleep before the 20 minutes is up. It comes with a head pillow as well, which I use whenever I have headaches or neck pain.

10. Hand Sanitizer

I love this hand sanitizer because it is plant-based and scented with essential oils rather than synthetic fragrances! The bottles are about 2oz each so you can easily take them anywhere with you. There are a few different scents available, but this coconut lemon one is sooooo yummy.

11. Travel Tissue Packs

These guys are another huge life-saver. Other than the standard nose-blowing use, they are perfect to use as napkins at restaurants and on-the-go toilet paper! Seriously, I cannot tell you how many times I went into a bathroom and found myself stuck there without any toilet paper. And sometimes, you are expected to pay for toilet paper or tip the person who provides the toilet paper for you in the bathroom. I think I’ll stick with my own travel-sized TP.

12. Dr. Bronner’s Travel Soap

I am trying to move towards more natural products and this is one that I really like using. I really hate squeezing my larger soaps into those travel sized dispensers. It always ends up getting everywhere. These bottles are 4oz so they are perfect to pack for long or short trips.

13. Underarm Deodorant Wipes

Just like my accupressure mat, these wipes are something I use even when I’m not traveling. I have this thing where I forget to put deodorant on sometimes….I can’t tell you how many times these have saved me. When I’m traveling, I am usually out for the entire day and doing a lot of walking and I love having these to freshen up while I’m out. They come in a slim pack so they can fit in basically any bag, they’re vegan and naturally scented.

14. Chapstick

This is my all-time favorite chapstick (and trust me, I have tried MANY). I love that it is 100% organic, non-GMO and doesn’t have toxic chemicals. The peppermint scent is my favorite 🙂

15. DayQuil Tablets

Nothing upsets me more than when I get sick on a trip. Even though I don’t usually take medicine of any kind, when I’m traveling I always bring some DayQuil/NyQuil. These swallowable tablets are easy to pack and are really great at nipping a cold in the bud before it gets worse.

16. Airborne Tablets

When I’m traveling in Europe I am usually taking public transportation and I almost always get sick just from being in contact with so many germs my body isn’t used to. Every trip I have packed Airborne and taken on a daily basis I have never gotten sick! I know they have some chewable versions available, but I prefer the dissolvable tablets.

17. Cough Drops

I always get a sore throat on airplanes so these are crucial if I don’t want to be hating every minute of the 12+ hour plane ride to Europe. I am also really sensitive to smoke from cigarettes (which there is plenty of in Europe) so I carry these with me when I am walking around just in case.

18. Bandaids

I know it might seem a bit cheesy, but I always pack Bandaids. Because I am usually walking way more than I am accustomed to, I tend to get blisters. I’ve tried the blister specific bandaids, but they always end up falling off. These guys stay on way better.

19. Sinusalia

Even on the ground, I have allergy issues, but when I get in a confined airplane I can get the worst sinus congestion. Occasionally, the pillows and comforters in hotels will also really congest my sinuses and this natural relief helps me so much. I put a few tablets under my tongue just before bed. You can buy these at most stores like Target, WholeFoods, Walmart, etc.

20. Vagisil Wipes

Gentlemen…this may be TMI, but ladies, these wipes are so handy. We all know how annoying an itch in the wrong place can be, especially when you are out all day long. These guys provide immediate relief that lasts for hours. I always, always pack these no matter where I am going. I don’t always need them, but when I do I am so glad I have them.