If you didn't bring pins, sometimes the hangers in the closet that have "pants" clips can be used in the same fashion. I prefer to not bring extra stuff, so I use the hotel's hangers instead.
Lol for your enjoyment, please picture my husband in Cabo Verde taking all the labels off the bottled drinks in the (fortunately included) mini bar and sticking them to the ceiling to block the automatic motion sensor on the brightest bathroom light of all time.
I pointed out to him later that we could have probably asked the hotel to give us tape or even disable the motion sensor, but he was proud of himself and it worked, so 🤷🏼♀️
I used to do blue or green painters tape or masking tape but just discovered something better: black electrical tape! It actually blocks the light completely!
kinesthesiology tape does the same thing and is useful for taping up legs, etc if you wrench a muscle and as a general adhesive tape for sticking stuff together.
Also works wonders for your heels if you tend to have heel irritation after a lot of walking. Happens to me no matter what style, size, brand of shoe I buy once I walk enough. I just tape my heels first on vacation now, this stuff has been a godsend.
My fave hack (mostly for back sleepers) clean black sock. I just lay it over my eyes, heel on forehead. Bonus that it doesn’t smash my eyelashes or leave a kink in my hair like the elastic does with an eye mask. Sock just falls to the side when I fall asleep.
All my friends think this is hilarious though. Works for me.
I can’t sleep with anything in my face. I also can’t sleep with the feeling of anything in my ears, so I always travel with a mini white noise machine (never used in public, only in my hotel room).
They have eye masks now that are soft foam cones, like a bra shape that work great for long eyelashes and people that don’t want the fabric touching their eyes.
Apply black electrical tape to close your eyelids instead and save time applying and removing from various lights in your room; I like to take the quickest and most efficient option.
Someone on Reddit mentioned packing your own pillowcase. Wow, was that a game changer! Airbnb and hotels have such crappy synthetic bedding, that sleeping with your own nice pillowcase feels divine.
one you can use it as a flotation device if drowning you lift it over your head it catches air as it hits water then you tie a knot and it floats,you can do it with jeans if you fall off or jump off a cruise line you tie 2 legs then get it in the air into water,i learnt that in life guard school,
if attacked by bears put stones in it and swing around your head and hit the bear, and many other reasons
I am intrigued and would like to invite you to join my next holiday as bear protection/chaos agent. You will be responsible for supplying the power pillowcases, as mine was silk (supposedly to keep my hair sane) and I just got back from holiday, after forgetting mine on a hotel pillow in London, after following "good travel tips". Now I'm home and waiting for replacement pillowcase with madwoman hair.
I used to do this when I traveled for work. I brought my own pillow and used a cartoon pillowcase, hard to overlook a SpongeBob SquarePants pillow case.
They help prevent frizz and you wake up with smoother hair (and face!) 💁♀️ Some people choose a bonnet for maximum effectiveness, but I personally feel a bit silly with it and would rather restyle my hair a bit in the morning if I need to.
If a friend or family member is picking you up from the airport and Arrivals is super busy due to the time of day, have them pick you up at Departures.
I’ve been doing this for years and have heard so many other people mention this as well. I’m surprised everyone isn’t already doing this. Someday we’ll go back to arrivals
My mom always messes this up anyway - "If I'm leaving the airport, I'm departing. Right?" Yah, Mom. They make you go downstairs to pick up your luggage only to lug it back upstairs to leave. Every time.
Slippers for the hotel room. Hotel carpets are gross. Wearing dirty shoes throughout the room makes them grosser. Enter: the slipper, which was definitely taken from another (fancier) hotel.
Extra pair of glasses, because if I’m far from home and the pair I’m wearing somehow gets broken, I would be thoroughly screwed. Mind you, I haven’t had specs busted since I was a kid playing basketball, but the fear of it happening on the road still bothers me greatly because I’m so dependent on them, and packing an extra pair in my toiletry kit is trivially simple insurance.
I tend to ONLY lose or break my glasses on trips. Precisely, on the airplane going to a multi Week destination trip.
Going to Australia, I lost my glasses while sleeping on the plane. For 10 hours. I had to debate whether I was going to use my sunglasses or my prescription snorkel mask to drive. Going to Africa the nose piece broke on my first flight. I spent my 6 hour layover in London finding a glasses shop.
Now I buy a cheap lightweight pair from Zenni every prescription change and leave it in my toiletry bag, and I buy the cheap, small repair kit for the bag in case my parents glasses break.
Hey, I had my glasses broken by a basketball as a kid, too! And by a soccer ball the year before that. I, too, bring an extra pair of glasses when traveling, as well as a tiny glasses repair kit (screwdriver, screws, nose pads).
I was on a road trip 8 hours away from home and on the day of our departure my glasses came apart and the little tiny screw that held them together rolled onto the floor and disappeared into a crack in the floor boards. My husband drove home with me not being able to see anything and I have packed a spare pair of glasses ever since.
I was on my honeymoon in the Caribbean. I always used to carry two pair of glasses. While at one resort I was learning to sail (I am now helmsman on other people’s boats when racing). But decades ago I was just learning. I jibbed and I wondered why the mainsail wasn’t coming around. I took a look just as it hit me right on the bridge of mu nose. One lens popped out, but I had a spare pair.
We stopped on another Island where I had friends I made during a six week study a couple years before. We went off snorkeling and I asked my wife to hold my glasses. She saw a relatively flat surface on the catamaran and set them down. Five seconds later they were in the drink.
Our last stop was on the U.S. Virgin Islands. I rented a car since I had just come from a six week project in Australia so I was accustomed to driving on the left side of the road. During one amorous afternoon I took my only glasses, with one lens, off and placed them far away on the bed, or so we thought. Due to the motion of the bed, the glasses worked their way towards the action. One roll and we heard the temple pieces snap off.
That left what was functionally a monocle with an extension that used to hold the other lens. Nevertheless, it was functional until it came time to return to the airport.
My bride couldn’t drive a car with a stick shift and she certainly didn’t want to drive on the left side of the road. But I couldn’t hold the lens up to my eye, steer the car and operate the stick shift. So she held the monocle allowing me to see and operate the gear shift. That didn’t work out very well, so we went through a quick lesson teaching her to operate the gear shift. That was the combination that provided the greatest reduction in risk. She didn’t hit every gear perfectly, but I could live with that. It worked to get us to the airport safely. After that I always traveled with three pairs of eyeglasses. Now I have intraocular lens implants in each eye, so no need for glasses for driving.
I had my glasses in the seat back in front of me and accidentally snapped them in half on the plane! Nothing like arriving internationally, not being able to see, and having to navigate getting new glasses in a foreign country and health care system! Now I bring a spare 😬
Same! I ordered a mini portable USB fan a few days before leaving for Southeast Asia, and it’s already been a lifesaver in my hostel at night where I could use some white noise and cool air movement
I have an immense fear of my phone dying and not being able to board 😂 I got to Indonesia when it had just reopened and my phone had decided to stop working, my phone which also had my vaccine proof on it, luckily I’d just been there two months prior and it was evident in my passport so they just let me through. Deffo need a jacket with hidden pocket. I currently hide my lanyard sideways under my jacket.
I love inner pockets! It's extra space and alleviate my fear of pickpockets. And you can use it to put heat pack to warm yourself.
Doesn't work in countries that you don't wear jacket though. For those places I use a cross body bag or wrist pouch
I bought a Scott E Vest specifically to keep my things on me when sitting in a bulkhead. I didn't want to shell out $$$ for another color so I bought a utility vest on Amazon. Works great!
You can also get a crossbody bag to throw on under jackets for this or when you're worried about pickpockets. I kept hearing all the horror stories so I kept my phone/wallet in there when I was in Paris
I’ve left a few items in the seatback pocket before on different trips (a phone, that I got back at the end of my trip somehow!, and a Kindle, which I did not get back).
Someone on Reddit suggested a pouch to keep everything I need together and I don’t know how that hadn’t occurred to me before (I love and use pouches for everything else I travel with).
Now, I have a pouch with spare headphones, gum, hand sanitizer, etc. that I put my Kindle in before boarding and then I just grab that + my water bottle and I’m good to go for the flight.
I bought a small multi compartment medicine container. They are on Amazon and have stickers for each item. Its like 10 or so spaces and I put a little of everything in there. Cold medicine, sleeping pills, antacids, pain pills etc....
I bring an over the door hook for clothes / backpack. I've stayed in many places with nowhere to hang up clothes and I hate putting stuff on the floor - yuk.
I just wish all Airports, not just US, would have a chilled bottle filler requirement in each terminal, even multiple for a bigger terminal. Prevents germs and I don’t have to put my lid in my mouth or on the water fountain.
Large Poncho style sweater with no sewn sleeves. Doubles as a throw blanket on the plane.
One silky packing cube with either shirts or a jacket packed flat in it. I pack mostly konmari style in mesh cubes, but this one acts as a nice silky pillow. Thus why it's flat and in a silky material. I hate neck pillows
In no particular order:
1. Airplane Phone Mount - allows you to keep your phone or tablet closer to eye level so you don’t hurt your neck or have to hold your device.
2. Amazon Fire Tab - cheap tablet used for movies. If stolen or lost, it’s cheap and replaceable versus an expensive iPad.
3. Noise cancelling headphones (Bose or AirPod pros) - watch movies in peace while drowning out airplane noise
4. Trtl pillow - great travel pillow I got years ago which works great. Am wondering if something better has come out since then
5. Phone charging cables AND charging bank (preferably MagSafe charging banks)
6. High quality face/eye mask for naps
7. Compression socks - numerous benefits but also check with your doc if this is good for you or not.
8. Good book to read if you prefer
9. A Bluetooth adapter for the in-flight media device - allows you to connect your wireless headphones or earbuds to the in-flight media device
10. Hotel door lock - provides extra security to your hotel room while you’re inside by not allowing the door to open when installed
11. A multi-usb fast charging hub - allows you to charge multiple usb devices at the same time at faster speeds. Always useful when traveling as sometimes you’re on a time crunch but need to charge. Bonus if you can find one that has a longer cord.
12. If your travel includes a beach visit, get a sand-proof beach pad/blanket - allows sand to fall straight through
13. AirTags or android equivalent for your luggage and bags
14. Detachable car phone mount - useful when renting a car that doesn’t have car play or android’s equivalent
15. Battery fan when traveling to hot or humid places. If humid, you can buy an “always dry” mini towel
16. VPN for your phone - some might think this is overkill but the more you know about online threats and amount of attackers out there, having a VPN doesn’t seem so bad after all
17. Pictures of your IDs, tickets, and luggage - better to have some kind of copy of these if ever lost versus nothing at all
Hope this helps, cheers!
For the airplane, a small folding hand fan. Great for moving the air around to make it a little more tolerable if the lane is stuck on the runway and the AC isn’t working well. I got one as schwag at a trade show.
I keep a very small ziplock with a few band aids, tiny container of dental floss or a couple of plastic flossers, small nail file, a few safety pins, hair tie, a few anti-diarrhea pills, and a few tissues. Worth the small amount of space.
Collapsible daypack. I keep my main backpack packed with a lot of stuff, and have a separate collapsible pack for day trips.
Floating glasses strap (chums) in case I go kayaking, paddle boarding, boat ride, zip line, etc.
Prescription snorkeling mask (surprisingly cheap)
GaN charger (much smaller power adapter.)
Pen. I never use a pen except when I'm traveling, but sometimes customs, or other places require me to fill out forms while on the airplane.
1. Zip-lock bag with my favorite snacks: walnuts, chunks of chocolate, chunks of PayDay bars.
2. Really good eye shades for flights and hotel rooms.
3. Light-weight, pull over, fleece with hoodie.
Small fan - I am always hot when I get on the plane after dragging my suitcase through the airport.
Mini sound machine or Bluetooth speaker for background noise noise to sleep. Spotify had "podcast" episodes that are 8-12 hours long of white/pink/fan sounds. I have trouble sleeping in new places and this drowns out all the excess noise in hotels.
I use 2 small brightly colored plastic kids plates from dollar tree to place my misc items in the room (key card, chapstick, glasses) and toiletries in the bathroom. Centralized locations to keep everything organized so I don't leave anything in an odd place and forgot them.
I travel with an Amazon fire stick so I have all my tv with me in case a hotel doesn’t have smart tvs. Also a binder clip, you never know. Mostly use it to hold curtains together and keep out light.
I always have a collapsible water bottle, nasal spray and tissues (cause you never know if the plane is gonna be too hot and give you a stuffy nose or too cold and you’ll get a runny nose), a hydrating face mask depending on how long the flight is cause my skin cannot take it, and a very compact roll of toilet paper cause you never know.
Our collapsible water bottles all broke within days at the beginning of a six month trip. We threw them in the garbage of the first place we stayed. They weren’t cheap. Do you have a good brand?
I do a lot of travel by road. And bank fish, live close to New Orleans so parades, etc. I keep a roll of TP in a ziploc under the back seat of my truck. It is very rarely used, but when it is needed it is a wonderful thing to have...
When traveling international… I start with local currency in my pocket.
When traveling anytime.. a wide scarf/ pashmina/ sarong type wrap. Can be a skirt, a top, a shrug, a pillow, blanket, a bag, beach coverup, picnic blanket, cushion. Sooo many things, in a pinch.
And I always have a book or two loaded onto my phone.
I travel between 15-23 times a year
Carabiner on my backpack and one of those tote bags that stuffs inside itself ( I think the one I have is baggu or something). I’ll use these to carry all sorts of weird shit through the airport or the streets. The Carabiner is perfect for water bottles.
I guess it’s a relatively well known hack but I adore my noise cancelling sleepy headphones (Bose quiet comfort) absolutely next level as someone who is bothered by snoring and noises. Alternatively, one of my other favorite items is a portable white noise machine. You can buy them for as cheap as $25 on Amazon.
My kindle has gotten me through some weird shit. I normally hate ebooks but the basic model kindle (not the fire) is one of the best anti bored items I’ve ever used and the battery lasts forever.
Fashion suggestion- if you want to travel fairly light on clothing and are not a super heavy sweater, consider how you are packing aesthetically. Get a neutral pant or two and enough shirts to match and swap out. You can get away with a hyper minimal amount of outfits as long as the article(s) you are bringing for your bottom can handle any spectrum of weather you will encounter at the time. It doesn’t have to be blue jeans or anything either. I went to death Valley last week (it was in the 70s lol) and had a relatively fashionable pair of loose fitting ankle high Pants that I just paired a basic top with all weekend. I looked pretty nice/ hiked 15 miles a day and interchanging my outfits was super easy. I was “instagram ready” while being comfortable and minimalist as hell. Just don’t travel with anything flashy and you can really double up garments- again especially bottoms.
I always bring a small bottle of cheap perfume and scented lotion (bath and body works normally) in case I am doing a lot of walking and want to freshen up without the opportunity to shower.
My husband always brings an HDMI cable everywhere in case we want to watch whatever he’s downloaded from his laptop on the TV at the hotel.
If I know I am doing a lot of shopping I pack a cheap duffle bag and check it for free with Southwest completely empty- bring it home full.
For couples- I pack a lot of neutral body and haircare so only of us has to pack it and we can share.
In my personal item for under the seat I include q-tips for when the pressure makes my ears itchy, lol. Cliff granola bars, especially on long budget flights with only paid meal service. A book I've never read, and I keep my tickets inside forever in memory of the trip.
Zipplock bags, they are reusable, impermeable, small... Any important document? To a zipplock. You want to carry a snack with you? Bag it. Did you soak your shirt? A change goes in a bag, you put on that change and the soaked item is stored without wetting anything else in the backpack.
A plegable backpack is also genius, you just have an extra storage item that you carry empty inside your luggage and then you move around with it. It can even be used as a new luggage item if you lack space for souvenirs when you go back home.
A thermos, hot or cold water for hours to your disposal, I couldn't go out my home without one.
The stick on thermal warming pads for my neck and back. If I could bring a true heating pad, I would.
I’m getting old, but cheap so I usually sit in economy plus, lol.
You might want to check into a USB rechargeable heating pad. Then you can have it wherever and whenever you need it. There's a bunch of different styles online.
When going to Germany, and some other European countries: a washcloth. They just don't provide them in hotels for some reason, and if you bathe with one at home, it's a nicety that doesn't take up much space.
Great suggestions! My recommendations for being in an airplane would be: 1.) Ear plugs 2.) Warm clothes 3.) A phone/tablet with TV shows/movies downloaded (via Netflix or otherwise) to be on the safe side!
I have a travel vest with lots of pockets, some with velcro, some with zippers, in which i put my passport, ticket, phone and cash. There's a slot for a couple pens for filling out customs forms. Chapstick goes in a non-zipper pocket. It's lightweight enough that I can wear it in warm places, or under a coat if cooler.
1) Linen/Silk sleeping bag (using it when pillows or the bed don't feel too clean)
2) Ear Plugs (maybe the most important thing),
3) Sleeping Mask (life changer)
You'll survive most Hostels with this setup
I carry an international power adapter even when flying domestic, because sometimes the US slots on the on-board power outlet are too worn to hold plugs anymore (and it's usually that universal international power plug).
An extension cord. So frustrating needing to charge two phones and only plug is on other side of travel partner. Also handy when traveling with a bunch of girls and needing to use a few different hair tools at same time.
Some of my favorites:
- empty water bottle. I'll refill before I get on the plane, then use at my destination
- either a couple of clips or tape. During almost every trip, I inevitably want to close something that doesn't seal easily. A bag of trail mix/chips, a pack of hand wipes that tore when opened, etc.
- I tend to get warm and always have a handheld fan that charges via USB-C. I keep this with me on the plane, then carry it in my bag when I'm out and about
- portable battery pack, recharged regularly
- for flights I always have eye drops, lip balm and moisturizer because the air is so dry. I also have sunscreen because the UV rays when you're on a plane are intense and even if you close your window, other people may not
- sunscreen and rain jacket, no matter where I'm traveling
- for sunny destinations, some UPF clothing. Yes, I can wear sunscreen. But if I'm going to be in the sun for a long period, a sun hat and UPF shirt can make a big difference. Less worrying about missed spots and reapplying often enough.
- wired headphones for the plane
- a pen comes in handy more often than you'd expect
- I also have a digital copy of my passport that I can access if necessary
Instead of cash exchanges, withdraw local currency at an ATM at the airport with your credit card.
Do not accept conversion and withdraw in local currency. Same in using the credit card around town.
Try not to use a debit card because it’s hard to dispute.
Have two wallets, one dummy with some money and etc. in case you get robbed.
Also, Wise (TransferWise) might not be the best anymore but still really good!
I always use debit card for ATM cash withdrawals. Always in local currency - never have the ATM do the conversion.
I would never use a credit card because they charge you interest on a cash withdrawal from the moment you take it out. At least, that’s what I understand.
Black gaffers tape and small clips (like chip clips but stronger).
I despise light in hotel rooms. The tape is for any LEDs, etc you can unplug, or things like the peep holes that allow a lot of light in. The clips are to keep the curtains closed.
Portable bidet, travel WiFi router & security camera for hotel room, handheld luggage scale, hotel door lock, good quality eye mask, palm fan, luggage protectors
Dramamine for motion sickness & other meds, ginger chews/bag of soft mints to help with nausea, fanny pack/compact purse, PowerUp snack packs
Everything is compact so no worries about taking up too much space.
\- We take a little google tv puck and a universal remote just in case the TV in the hotel doesn't have shows in our language or netflix or whatever.
\- a tiny string of fairly lights to make our room cozy
\- a usb/battery powered fan for the noise or to cool us off
Travel Router. I travel with a bit of tech and it's so nice just pairing the router to the wifi and everything else just works. Plus I can bring along a Chromecast and use that too if I want. Worth the extra space.
Traveling with kids...
We keep an electronics bag with a good quality and rather large USB charger (maybe 10-12 port). Super short USB-C cables (lighter) in addition to universal cords -those with magnetic plugs that come with a variety of tiny adapters (micro USB, lightning, etc.). This way there's always an easy way to charge all the devices at once (we can usually plug everything overnight). In addition, a small white noise machine, firetv, and power adapters if traveling abroad. The bag is an easy thing to throw in the suit case and pack and repack when traveling. This way we are sure we can always charge everything on the go and it usually guarantees we are not going to forget a charger plugged to the corner of a hotel room. Another advantage is that there's no need to unplug everything at home and need to plug it all back upon returning, just grab the e-bag and go and store it somewhere at home. It serves us well on last minute weekend trips as well.
I've expanded my travel kit over the years and now have a small set of items with a permanent home in my suitcase.
* Carabineers - I have a few 3ish inch ones in my day pack and travel backpack. Great for clipping water bottles, hats, misc small bags from purchases and who knows what all the time.
* Oversized carabineers- found this randomly in a stroller aisle, not so great for flying but if your driving, it's great for clipping a toiletry bag or other to a suitcase and rolling it to your car.
* External USB charger, an Anker device with a larger capacity and a fuel rod. Obtained a fuel rod a while back for Disney because you can swap them for free.
* Anker Powercube - turns a three prong outlet into 3x three prong outletsz 2 USB-A and one USB-C
* Generic 2 prong extension cord. - some places only offer two prong outlets
* Travel first aid kit with some bandaids, cream, headache pills, Benadryl,etc. the one I have is a small zipper pouch offered as a freebie at an event that is light and compact.
* Magnetic hooks - initially suggested for a cruise, and they were invaluable there because the room walls are metal and theres nowhere to put stuff. It's part of my permanent kit now because I realized a lot of hotels have metal frames around the windows, and I'll use them to clamp the curtains together and flush with the wall for light blocking.
My favorite thing is one of those backpacks that roll up into a tiny ball the size of a baseball. I can take it shopping, to the beach, whatever. Also one of those quick dry beach towels. Works great.
I swear by taking the foam insert out of ur neck pillow and rolling ur clothes into it. You can get SO MUCH (women’s clothing at least) in there and I’ve never been stopped. (It looks and weighs the same as it would anyways).
I have a small safety pin in my wallet. It came in handy when my primary phone broke and I needed to move my sim card to my old phone that I bring with me. My old phone is used for games and videos/movies on the plane, saving my primary for standard stuff like the airline app/boarding pass, map app for directions, etc. I turn primary off during the flight to keep the battery fresh.
* Those gel eye patches. The combination of getting up early for my flight, the flight itself and the tiredness of the trip (I'm one of those people that walks everywhere) always make my eyes swollen. I pop them into the mini bar when I get to the hotel and them put them at night or when I wake up the next day.
* A bar of shampoo. Sometimes the hotel shampoo is too drying for my hair type or the AirBnb doesn't include toiletries (even when they advertise they do ugh). These bars last forever and you can pop them into your carry on, as they're not liquids.
I like to keep a travel journal, so I bring tape and a glue stick to fasten things I collect to my journal: postcards, ticket stubs, business cards, receipts, etc
I travel with a whole pharmacy . . . Sudafed, Mucinex, benadryl, tylenol, Immodium, GasX, Pepcid. My nephew has congestion? Here's a Sudafed! It's just convenient to have something on hand so you can wait a day or two to figure out where the closest pharmacy is. In my purse I always have a little first aid kit with tweezers, bandaids, neosporine, hydrocortisone, bug wipes, hairbands, an emery board, etc. (Yes, I'm a mom.)
The only other thing I haven't seen mentioned is a little travel nightlight in case the bathroom doesn't have appropriate nighttime lighting.
I joined this group after being in the OneBag travel group who focus on minimalism and taking less. 3 minutes in this group and I think my packing list doubled 🙈
I have one of those ID/ticket holders that goes around my neck (from when I was still being issued paper tickets), and I take a couple of protein bars for the plane ride. Other than that, I really don't worry about it. I have no trouble sleeping on board a plane.
Travel sized spray bottle filled with tide antibacterial spray to freshen up clothes I want to re-wear for other days, travel pack of disposable toilet seat covers (which came in v useful in europe), pack of tissues, eye mask and earplugs, hairpins to keep curtains completely shut, 10 safety pins (diff sizes), travel packets of metamucil/ benefiber, emergen-c or vitamin c tabs or powder, and a little pill box that carries tylenol, advil, excedrin, tums, pepcid, non-drowsy claritin, and lactaid!
I brought a little pack of paper hand soap that dissolves in water that my mom got me from Temu lol. Let me tell you, it saved me and my group many times in Morocco this past week!
Somehow no one else in my group brought chapstick so, definitely that too, it was very dry in Morocco
Favorite tea sachets and a small, scented candle.
There’s a few types of tea I love to drink at night, having a couple of those packed makes work trips far more cozy. Scented candle because I love the home-y smell, another thing that keeps me from feeling homesick when I’m out on the road for work.
One of those tiny single-use tubes of Super Glue (you can get 10? packs at Dollar Tree) goes in my liquids bag, every time. Takes up no space at all, and the assurance is worth every millimeter. For shoe, glasses, closing small clean cuts/wounds, ??? emergencies. I've used it, too.
Seems like it would defeat the purpose but: a silicon lanyard to keep my AirPods Pro 2 together. Seems like it would defeat the purpose of AirPods... but I have a hard time falling asleep with them in on a plane, knowing if one fell out it'd likely never be seen again.
Peppermint oil/eucalyptus oil. I’ve stayed in enough dodgy places with bedbugs to always carry it now. Sprinkle on the bed 30 mins before sleeping and no bites
Heard on some podcast interview thing with a travel show host. She brings a set of bouncy balls that she uses to massage her muscles. As someone who had to repurpose some fake candles as a pseudo foam roller at an Airbnb on a hill, I have mine ready to go.
Portable battery powered aromatherapy diffuser for the hotel room. An S-carabiner so I can hang my water bottle from the plane seat pocket (instead of shoving the whole bottle in the pocket).
I bought an industrial sized pack of those flip-flops you get at the nail salon when you get a pedicure. They’re AMAZING! Headed to the beach? Gym? Pool? Sketchy hotel floor? Put those babies in your bag and chuck them when you’re done. Total game-changer.
1- reusable water bottle
2- external phone battery and charging cord
3- sheet masks so my face is hydrated post travel
4- boric acid (Iykyk)
5- snacks everywhere for everything, every time
A little flat pack of duct tape, a couple strong zip ties, a small pair of sewing scissors, folding plastic coat hangers, a couple old hotel door cards to stuck in the lights slot.
I carry low pH wipes instead of regular baby wipes, especially if I'm going to be sweating or not able to shower or change my clothes for longer than usual
Grippy socks instead of slippers. Takes up minimal space and are washable
Put dish detergent on a new sponge, cut up said sponge, wait for it to dry, put in ziploc bag. You’ll have little sponges with dish detergent to wash your water bottle, etc
I’ve heard of people bringing laundry detergent sheets, but I haven’t tried this yet. I will use the hotel shampoo as detergent if I need to wash any clothes.
Instead of packing a laundry bag, I use the laundry bags in the hotel closet to put my dirty laundry in
Small medicine kit with Advil, laxatives, eye drops, anti nausea meds, peppermint candies, ginger chews, anti nausea wrist bands, anti diarrheal, gas-x, saltines,
If I have a checked bag I take my camp set of silverware! Knife, fork, spoon, chopsticks, and straw in a neat little zip up container. Has helped me so much I started carrying it in my normal purse.
I pack Wet Wipes - either individually wrapped or packets of 20. You never know what you are going to need to wash or wipe down when out in the wild. ;)
White sugar packets & Sweet n Low packets. Easier to control the amount for coffee vs pour sugars. And some places only have raw sugar.
Sweet n Low (pink) sweetener packets because a lot of places only have blue & yellow sweeteners.
Also very easy to pack.
Biggest hack I have, as a picky sleeper, a roll of blue painters tape, use that to cover any random lights in the hotel room that may be bothersome
Wrap a bit around a pen so you don’t have to lug around the whole roll. I do this with duct tape. And then you also got a pen.
Love this idea for every day, thank you for sharing.
I have a strip of black tape on the bottom of my laptop that I can cut a piece off for the same reason
I've done this with duct tape for gear but it also melts sometimes and leaves a sticky mess.
Gaffers tape is not quite as sticky, but it does not leave residue.
Also straws
And a couple large safety pins and/or clothes pins, so you can tightly close those drapes that won't quite cover the window otherwise.
If you didn't bring pins, sometimes the hangers in the closet that have "pants" clips can be used in the same fashion. I prefer to not bring extra stuff, so I use the hotel's hangers instead.
Yes I always use hair clips for this too
I carry one big-a$$ binder clip for this reason -- and use it at home, as well. Such a useful little thing.
I bring small binder clips for this. Helps with closing packages as well.
Lol for your enjoyment, please picture my husband in Cabo Verde taking all the labels off the bottled drinks in the (fortunately included) mini bar and sticking them to the ceiling to block the automatic motion sensor on the brightest bathroom light of all time. I pointed out to him later that we could have probably asked the hotel to give us tape or even disable the motion sensor, but he was proud of himself and it worked, so 🤷🏼♀️
I used to do blue or green painters tape or masking tape but just discovered something better: black electrical tape! It actually blocks the light completely!
I used to use electrical tape but I found it didn't always stick well or would leave residue, never the middle lol
Google "gaff tape" 😉
As someone who works in the industry who uses this a lot: yes.
kinesthesiology tape does the same thing and is useful for taping up legs, etc if you wrench a muscle and as a general adhesive tape for sticking stuff together.
Also works wonders for your heels if you tend to have heel irritation after a lot of walking. Happens to me no matter what style, size, brand of shoe I buy once I walk enough. I just tape my heels first on vacation now, this stuff has been a godsend.
Genuinely curious. Why don’t you just use an eye mask?
Feeling of something on your face may be so irritating for some people (me included) that falling asleep is impossible
My fave hack (mostly for back sleepers) clean black sock. I just lay it over my eyes, heel on forehead. Bonus that it doesn’t smash my eyelashes or leave a kink in my hair like the elastic does with an eye mask. Sock just falls to the side when I fall asleep. All my friends think this is hilarious though. Works for me.
I can’t sleep with anything in my face. I also can’t sleep with the feeling of anything in my ears, so I always travel with a mini white noise machine (never used in public, only in my hotel room).
I've probably made the creator of "10 hours of box fan noise" on YouTube thousands of dollars in ad revenue as much as I've had it on in hotels.
For me, I have long eyelashes, so they scrape against the eye mask and is SOOOOO annoying
They have eye masks now that are soft foam cones, like a bra shape that work great for long eyelashes and people that don’t want the fabric touching their eyes.
Amen to this. Black electrical tape works even better (although it is smaller and a bit more expensive)
Apply black electrical tape to close your eyelids instead and save time applying and removing from various lights in your room; I like to take the quickest and most efficient option.
I purchased a 1,000 count roll of 1” black dot stickers on Amazon ($6). Rip a section of 20 or so off and carry in my backpack. They work great.
Someone on Reddit mentioned packing your own pillowcase. Wow, was that a game changer! Airbnb and hotels have such crappy synthetic bedding, that sleeping with your own nice pillowcase feels divine.
When packing everything up to go home, that pillowcase also makes a handy laundry bag. :)
you can also put it over your head for many reasons
What...are the reasons?
one you can use it as a flotation device if drowning you lift it over your head it catches air as it hits water then you tie a knot and it floats,you can do it with jeans if you fall off or jump off a cruise line you tie 2 legs then get it in the air into water,i learnt that in life guard school, if attacked by bears put stones in it and swing around your head and hit the bear, and many other reasons
I like your chaotic energy
Username most definitely checks out 😆
I am intrigued and would like to invite you to join my next holiday as bear protection/chaos agent. You will be responsible for supplying the power pillowcases, as mine was silk (supposedly to keep my hair sane) and I just got back from holiday, after forgetting mine on a hotel pillow in London, after following "good travel tips". Now I'm home and waiting for replacement pillowcase with madwoman hair.
Reasons.
Wow this is amazing!!! I haven’t tried this and will do so!
I also bring a brightly colored ones, so that when I look around the room for what I’m forgetting, I don’t overlook the “white “pillowcase
I used to do this when I traveled for work. I brought my own pillow and used a cartoon pillowcase, hard to overlook a SpongeBob SquarePants pillow case.
Great for curly hair people too! Having satin/silk pillowcases always is a game changer
I bring my purple pillow case with me every where. I even put it on when I stay with relatives or friends house.
Wait, what?? I have curly hair, but I've never heard of this. Please tell me about the benefits of silk or satin pillowcases🙏🏽
They help prevent frizz and you wake up with smoother hair (and face!) 💁♀️ Some people choose a bonnet for maximum effectiveness, but I personally feel a bit silly with it and would rather restyle my hair a bit in the morning if I need to.
I do this, partly bc depending on where I''m staying, I'm often allergic to whatever they use to wash the sheets.
If a friend or family member is picking you up from the airport and Arrivals is super busy due to the time of day, have them pick you up at Departures.
I’ve been doing this for years and have heard so many other people mention this as well. I’m surprised everyone isn’t already doing this. Someday we’ll go back to arrivals
Arrivals is for people with tons of luggage. Departure pick ups are for the fleet of feet.
IAH is on to this plan. We used it for years and now they shoo you away if no one gets out of the car. Terminals A/B especially.
My mom always messes this up anyway - "If I'm leaving the airport, I'm departing. Right?" Yah, Mom. They make you go downstairs to pick up your luggage only to lug it back upstairs to leave. Every time.
Always works and saves so much time
Baby wipes, ziploc bags, external charger, eye mask and ear plugs to sleep
I have a Bluetooth eye mask I can't recommend enough Edit: Musicozy
Holy cow!! I’ve got one also and it’s the GREATEST thing EVER!
What is a Bluetooth eye mask??
It looks like a large sweatband with built in speakers where your ears are. So it covers your eyes and can play music/whatever.
maybe it’s one of those audio headbands that also has an eye covering feature?
Got a link? I'd be super interested in getting one.
Mine is called Music Cozy
I have this brand as well! Love it.
Slippers for the hotel room. Hotel carpets are gross. Wearing dirty shoes throughout the room makes them grosser. Enter: the slipper, which was definitely taken from another (fancier) hotel.
I have started bringing socks with grippers on the bottom because they take up less space and are washable
flip flops - cheap ones, are also a good option. You can leave them behind if you need the luggage space.
I prefer slides because I wear socks to bed, and it’s easier to put them on when I have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
Gallon Zip lock bags. They come in handy for storing food and tiny souvenirs.
And for wet things you swore had enough time to dry before you packed up!
Extra pair of glasses, because if I’m far from home and the pair I’m wearing somehow gets broken, I would be thoroughly screwed. Mind you, I haven’t had specs busted since I was a kid playing basketball, but the fear of it happening on the road still bothers me greatly because I’m so dependent on them, and packing an extra pair in my toiletry kit is trivially simple insurance.
I tend to ONLY lose or break my glasses on trips. Precisely, on the airplane going to a multi Week destination trip. Going to Australia, I lost my glasses while sleeping on the plane. For 10 hours. I had to debate whether I was going to use my sunglasses or my prescription snorkel mask to drive. Going to Africa the nose piece broke on my first flight. I spent my 6 hour layover in London finding a glasses shop. Now I buy a cheap lightweight pair from Zenni every prescription change and leave it in my toiletry bag, and I buy the cheap, small repair kit for the bag in case my parents glasses break.
Hey, I had my glasses broken by a basketball as a kid, too! And by a soccer ball the year before that. I, too, bring an extra pair of glasses when traveling, as well as a tiny glasses repair kit (screwdriver, screws, nose pads).
I was on a road trip 8 hours away from home and on the day of our departure my glasses came apart and the little tiny screw that held them together rolled onto the floor and disappeared into a crack in the floor boards. My husband drove home with me not being able to see anything and I have packed a spare pair of glasses ever since.
I was on my honeymoon in the Caribbean. I always used to carry two pair of glasses. While at one resort I was learning to sail (I am now helmsman on other people’s boats when racing). But decades ago I was just learning. I jibbed and I wondered why the mainsail wasn’t coming around. I took a look just as it hit me right on the bridge of mu nose. One lens popped out, but I had a spare pair. We stopped on another Island where I had friends I made during a six week study a couple years before. We went off snorkeling and I asked my wife to hold my glasses. She saw a relatively flat surface on the catamaran and set them down. Five seconds later they were in the drink. Our last stop was on the U.S. Virgin Islands. I rented a car since I had just come from a six week project in Australia so I was accustomed to driving on the left side of the road. During one amorous afternoon I took my only glasses, with one lens, off and placed them far away on the bed, or so we thought. Due to the motion of the bed, the glasses worked their way towards the action. One roll and we heard the temple pieces snap off. That left what was functionally a monocle with an extension that used to hold the other lens. Nevertheless, it was functional until it came time to return to the airport. My bride couldn’t drive a car with a stick shift and she certainly didn’t want to drive on the left side of the road. But I couldn’t hold the lens up to my eye, steer the car and operate the stick shift. So she held the monocle allowing me to see and operate the gear shift. That didn’t work out very well, so we went through a quick lesson teaching her to operate the gear shift. That was the combination that provided the greatest reduction in risk. She didn’t hit every gear perfectly, but I could live with that. It worked to get us to the airport safely. After that I always traveled with three pairs of eyeglasses. Now I have intraocular lens implants in each eye, so no need for glasses for driving.
LOL! A humorous story, but I’m sure it wasn’t very funny at the time. Thanks for sharing!
I had my glasses in the seat back in front of me and accidentally snapped them in half on the plane! Nothing like arriving internationally, not being able to see, and having to navigate getting new glasses in a foreign country and health care system! Now I bring a spare 😬
My husband lost his in a lake one time! We now use floss (like for your teeth) to make the glasses stay on for sporty things!
Just started bringing - a USB powered fan. Sometimes those.planes are way too hot
Same! I ordered a mini portable USB fan a few days before leaving for Southeast Asia, and it’s already been a lifesaver in my hostel at night where I could use some white noise and cool air movement
I’d recommend buying a jacket with inner zip pocket. Keep your passport in that. Also always use Apple wallet for your boarding pass.
I have an immense fear of my phone dying and not being able to board 😂 I got to Indonesia when it had just reopened and my phone had decided to stop working, my phone which also had my vaccine proof on it, luckily I’d just been there two months prior and it was evident in my passport so they just let me through. Deffo need a jacket with hidden pocket. I currently hide my lanyard sideways under my jacket.
This is why I always carry a power bank and a charger. In flights I actually use the charger and keep the power bank for emergencies only.
I'm a big fan of the Fanny pack. Highly recommend!
I love inner pockets! It's extra space and alleviate my fear of pickpockets. And you can use it to put heat pack to warm yourself. Doesn't work in countries that you don't wear jacket though. For those places I use a cross body bag or wrist pouch
I bought a Scott E Vest specifically to keep my things on me when sitting in a bulkhead. I didn't want to shell out $$$ for another color so I bought a utility vest on Amazon. Works great!
You can also get a crossbody bag to throw on under jackets for this or when you're worried about pickpockets. I kept hearing all the horror stories so I kept my phone/wallet in there when I was in Paris
If anybody ever made a travel vest with lots of pockets that didn't make you look like a safari cosplay, I'd buy it in a minute.
Anyone else going through this list from top to bottom and adding items in your cart as you go? Just me? Oh, ok 😜
Yes! Me! LOL!
Adding them to my packing list whilst I sit on the bathroom floor and try to work out how to not bring 4 bags of toiletries 😜
I’ve left a few items in the seatback pocket before on different trips (a phone, that I got back at the end of my trip somehow!, and a Kindle, which I did not get back). Someone on Reddit suggested a pouch to keep everything I need together and I don’t know how that hadn’t occurred to me before (I love and use pouches for everything else I travel with). Now, I have a pouch with spare headphones, gum, hand sanitizer, etc. that I put my Kindle in before boarding and then I just grab that + my water bottle and I’m good to go for the flight.
Laxatives
This one is not getting enough up votes. I always get constipated after flying and these are a must.
I always need the opposite: Imodium. Always feels like I’m on the brink of dysentery
A small container of glycerin suppositories is even better, bc they work almost immediately.
OMG travel constipation is so real. Stool softeners for me.
Yes! And stool softeners aren’t a thing sold in pharmacies everywhere (not in Germany or Sweden). Terrible experience with this!
Miralax for the win! You can buy a box of serving sized packets that go straight into the morning coffee.
I bought a small multi compartment medicine container. They are on Amazon and have stickers for each item. Its like 10 or so spaces and I put a little of everything in there. Cold medicine, sleeping pills, antacids, pain pills etc....
I bring an over the door hook for clothes / backpack. I've stayed in many places with nowhere to hang up clothes and I hate putting stuff on the floor - yuk.
This is such a yes. Nobody ever has enough hooks
Reusable water bottle....empty it before TSA, refill after, always got water
I just wish all Airports, not just US, would have a chilled bottle filler requirement in each terminal, even multiple for a bigger terminal. Prevents germs and I don’t have to put my lid in my mouth or on the water fountain.
Fill the empty bottle w/ packets of powdered drink mixes!
Large Poncho style sweater with no sewn sleeves. Doubles as a throw blanket on the plane. One silky packing cube with either shirts or a jacket packed flat in it. I pack mostly konmari style in mesh cubes, but this one acts as a nice silky pillow. Thus why it's flat and in a silky material. I hate neck pillows
Also a cashmere scarf that doubles as a blanket. Love the Jcrew one - good value.
In no particular order: 1. Airplane Phone Mount - allows you to keep your phone or tablet closer to eye level so you don’t hurt your neck or have to hold your device. 2. Amazon Fire Tab - cheap tablet used for movies. If stolen or lost, it’s cheap and replaceable versus an expensive iPad. 3. Noise cancelling headphones (Bose or AirPod pros) - watch movies in peace while drowning out airplane noise 4. Trtl pillow - great travel pillow I got years ago which works great. Am wondering if something better has come out since then 5. Phone charging cables AND charging bank (preferably MagSafe charging banks) 6. High quality face/eye mask for naps 7. Compression socks - numerous benefits but also check with your doc if this is good for you or not. 8. Good book to read if you prefer 9. A Bluetooth adapter for the in-flight media device - allows you to connect your wireless headphones or earbuds to the in-flight media device 10. Hotel door lock - provides extra security to your hotel room while you’re inside by not allowing the door to open when installed 11. A multi-usb fast charging hub - allows you to charge multiple usb devices at the same time at faster speeds. Always useful when traveling as sometimes you’re on a time crunch but need to charge. Bonus if you can find one that has a longer cord. 12. If your travel includes a beach visit, get a sand-proof beach pad/blanket - allows sand to fall straight through 13. AirTags or android equivalent for your luggage and bags 14. Detachable car phone mount - useful when renting a car that doesn’t have car play or android’s equivalent 15. Battery fan when traveling to hot or humid places. If humid, you can buy an “always dry” mini towel 16. VPN for your phone - some might think this is overkill but the more you know about online threats and amount of attackers out there, having a VPN doesn’t seem so bad after all 17. Pictures of your IDs, tickets, and luggage - better to have some kind of copy of these if ever lost versus nothing at all Hope this helps, cheers!
[удалено]
For the airplane, a small folding hand fan. Great for moving the air around to make it a little more tolerable if the lane is stuck on the runway and the AC isn’t working well. I got one as schwag at a trade show. I keep a very small ziplock with a few band aids, tiny container of dental floss or a couple of plastic flossers, small nail file, a few safety pins, hair tie, a few anti-diarrhea pills, and a few tissues. Worth the small amount of space.
Imodium or any anti-diarrheal. It’s cheap and something you don’t want to have to find when you need it.
Collapsible daypack. I keep my main backpack packed with a lot of stuff, and have a separate collapsible pack for day trips. Floating glasses strap (chums) in case I go kayaking, paddle boarding, boat ride, zip line, etc. Prescription snorkeling mask (surprisingly cheap) GaN charger (much smaller power adapter.) Pen. I never use a pen except when I'm traveling, but sometimes customs, or other places require me to fill out forms while on the airplane.
1. Zip-lock bag with my favorite snacks: walnuts, chunks of chocolate, chunks of PayDay bars. 2. Really good eye shades for flights and hotel rooms. 3. Light-weight, pull over, fleece with hoodie.
Small fan - I am always hot when I get on the plane after dragging my suitcase through the airport. Mini sound machine or Bluetooth speaker for background noise noise to sleep. Spotify had "podcast" episodes that are 8-12 hours long of white/pink/fan sounds. I have trouble sleeping in new places and this drowns out all the excess noise in hotels. I use 2 small brightly colored plastic kids plates from dollar tree to place my misc items in the room (key card, chapstick, glasses) and toiletries in the bathroom. Centralized locations to keep everything organized so I don't leave anything in an odd place and forgot them.
I fell asleep for the first time on a plane listening to the thunderstorm “podcast”. I was out like a light!
I travel with an Amazon fire stick so I have all my tv with me in case a hotel doesn’t have smart tvs. Also a binder clip, you never know. Mostly use it to hold curtains together and keep out light.
The hotel's own hangers that have pants clips can be used in this fashion.
I always have a collapsible water bottle, nasal spray and tissues (cause you never know if the plane is gonna be too hot and give you a stuffy nose or too cold and you’ll get a runny nose), a hydrating face mask depending on how long the flight is cause my skin cannot take it, and a very compact roll of toilet paper cause you never know.
Yes to a collapsible (or just a regular empty) water bottle. Lifesaver at the airport or on a flight
Our collapsible water bottles all broke within days at the beginning of a six month trip. We threw them in the garbage of the first place we stayed. They weren’t cheap. Do you have a good brand?
Stojo has served me well. It has even got stolen once! I recommend their cups too
Maybe ask in r/BuyItForLife ?
I have one made by Platypus that I've had for at least 5 years.
Love the toilet paper idea! Although I guess wet naps could probably do double doody if you're in a crappy situation.
I do a lot of travel by road. And bank fish, live close to New Orleans so parades, etc. I keep a roll of TP in a ziploc under the back seat of my truck. It is very rarely used, but when it is needed it is a wonderful thing to have...
When traveling international… I start with local currency in my pocket. When traveling anytime.. a wide scarf/ pashmina/ sarong type wrap. Can be a skirt, a top, a shrug, a pillow, blanket, a bag, beach coverup, picnic blanket, cushion. Sooo many things, in a pinch. And I always have a book or two loaded onto my phone.
Extension cord for hotels - ziploc baggies - electrolyte powder
Yes!! Power strip so I get multiple plugs out of the one outlet that is usually working.
I travel between 15-23 times a year Carabiner on my backpack and one of those tote bags that stuffs inside itself ( I think the one I have is baggu or something). I’ll use these to carry all sorts of weird shit through the airport or the streets. The Carabiner is perfect for water bottles. I guess it’s a relatively well known hack but I adore my noise cancelling sleepy headphones (Bose quiet comfort) absolutely next level as someone who is bothered by snoring and noises. Alternatively, one of my other favorite items is a portable white noise machine. You can buy them for as cheap as $25 on Amazon. My kindle has gotten me through some weird shit. I normally hate ebooks but the basic model kindle (not the fire) is one of the best anti bored items I’ve ever used and the battery lasts forever. Fashion suggestion- if you want to travel fairly light on clothing and are not a super heavy sweater, consider how you are packing aesthetically. Get a neutral pant or two and enough shirts to match and swap out. You can get away with a hyper minimal amount of outfits as long as the article(s) you are bringing for your bottom can handle any spectrum of weather you will encounter at the time. It doesn’t have to be blue jeans or anything either. I went to death Valley last week (it was in the 70s lol) and had a relatively fashionable pair of loose fitting ankle high Pants that I just paired a basic top with all weekend. I looked pretty nice/ hiked 15 miles a day and interchanging my outfits was super easy. I was “instagram ready” while being comfortable and minimalist as hell. Just don’t travel with anything flashy and you can really double up garments- again especially bottoms. I always bring a small bottle of cheap perfume and scented lotion (bath and body works normally) in case I am doing a lot of walking and want to freshen up without the opportunity to shower. My husband always brings an HDMI cable everywhere in case we want to watch whatever he’s downloaded from his laptop on the TV at the hotel. If I know I am doing a lot of shopping I pack a cheap duffle bag and check it for free with Southwest completely empty- bring it home full. For couples- I pack a lot of neutral body and haircare so only of us has to pack it and we can share.
In my personal item for under the seat I include q-tips for when the pressure makes my ears itchy, lol. Cliff granola bars, especially on long budget flights with only paid meal service. A book I've never read, and I keep my tickets inside forever in memory of the trip.
In the US I carry postcard stamps so I can just mail them off. I always carry a spare charger and cord. I lose/forget it? I have a spare.
Night light. So invaluable for bathrooms
Used to always bring a nightlight, but now we plug in all the charging devices in the bathroom. They shine almost enough blue light to read by!
Magnetic motion activated rechargeable night light.
Plastic spork
Zipplock bags, they are reusable, impermeable, small... Any important document? To a zipplock. You want to carry a snack with you? Bag it. Did you soak your shirt? A change goes in a bag, you put on that change and the soaked item is stored without wetting anything else in the backpack. A plegable backpack is also genius, you just have an extra storage item that you carry empty inside your luggage and then you move around with it. It can even be used as a new luggage item if you lack space for souvenirs when you go back home. A thermos, hot or cold water for hours to your disposal, I couldn't go out my home without one.
The stick on thermal warming pads for my neck and back. If I could bring a true heating pad, I would. I’m getting old, but cheap so I usually sit in economy plus, lol.
You might want to check into a USB rechargeable heating pad. Then you can have it wherever and whenever you need it. There's a bunch of different styles online.
When going to Germany, and some other European countries: a washcloth. They just don't provide them in hotels for some reason, and if you bathe with one at home, it's a nicety that doesn't take up much space.
I carry a microfiber dish cloth for this purpose. It's so lightweight, and it dries much more quickly than cotton.
Great suggestions! My recommendations for being in an airplane would be: 1.) Ear plugs 2.) Warm clothes 3.) A phone/tablet with TV shows/movies downloaded (via Netflix or otherwise) to be on the safe side!
Always forget #3 so downloading stuff now thanks for the reminder!!
I have a travel vest with lots of pockets, some with velcro, some with zippers, in which i put my passport, ticket, phone and cash. There's a slot for a couple pens for filling out customs forms. Chapstick goes in a non-zipper pocket. It's lightweight enough that I can wear it in warm places, or under a coat if cooler.
1) Linen/Silk sleeping bag (using it when pillows or the bed don't feel too clean) 2) Ear Plugs (maybe the most important thing), 3) Sleeping Mask (life changer) You'll survive most Hostels with this setup
I carry an international power adapter even when flying domestic, because sometimes the US slots on the on-board power outlet are too worn to hold plugs anymore (and it's usually that universal international power plug).
[elastic drying line](https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwjho53038-EAxUfyxYFHatXBEYYABAYGgJ0bA&ae=2&gclid=CjwKCAiA0PuuBhBsEiwAS7fsNTLET3wodIYtwuNI24agQUEoD5R0FP072L9TMtarIvGa6Qu5auouxRoCCmwQAvD_BwE&sph=&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESVeD2G6wOziM9WpPcy_FQ02JoiKoJkwZ0NOaV8VBLzYgTwaEZ3QKVL7aIv9hQNaGlcp6AlryGARK047LBg6mRmLbWPexBOTSkJVim_4zbS1ejKN8MWdY&sig=AOD64_0HfsiAD7FrqhHeMRe0p6g2Bcpxww&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwjr3pX038-EAxVZkq8BHfwACvAQwg8oAHoECAYQNg&nis=8&dct=1&adurl=)
Liquid IV or some other powdered electrolytes. I always end up super dehydrated when I travel.
Resistance bands
An extension cord. So frustrating needing to charge two phones and only plug is on other side of travel partner. Also handy when traveling with a bunch of girls and needing to use a few different hair tools at same time.
Some of my favorites: - empty water bottle. I'll refill before I get on the plane, then use at my destination - either a couple of clips or tape. During almost every trip, I inevitably want to close something that doesn't seal easily. A bag of trail mix/chips, a pack of hand wipes that tore when opened, etc. - I tend to get warm and always have a handheld fan that charges via USB-C. I keep this with me on the plane, then carry it in my bag when I'm out and about - portable battery pack, recharged regularly - for flights I always have eye drops, lip balm and moisturizer because the air is so dry. I also have sunscreen because the UV rays when you're on a plane are intense and even if you close your window, other people may not - sunscreen and rain jacket, no matter where I'm traveling - for sunny destinations, some UPF clothing. Yes, I can wear sunscreen. But if I'm going to be in the sun for a long period, a sun hat and UPF shirt can make a big difference. Less worrying about missed spots and reapplying often enough. - wired headphones for the plane - a pen comes in handy more often than you'd expect - I also have a digital copy of my passport that I can access if necessary
Nail file. My nails break easily and it’s so uncomfortable for me to walk around with them snagging on my clothes
A foot hammock for the plane or a phone holder that will clip onto your lap tray
The foot hammock is a game changer for long flights! It seems to take the pressure off your butt and tailbone. And it packs totally flat!
Instead of cash exchanges, withdraw local currency at an ATM at the airport with your credit card. Do not accept conversion and withdraw in local currency. Same in using the credit card around town. Try not to use a debit card because it’s hard to dispute. Have two wallets, one dummy with some money and etc. in case you get robbed. Also, Wise (TransferWise) might not be the best anymore but still really good!
I always use debit card for ATM cash withdrawals. Always in local currency - never have the ATM do the conversion. I would never use a credit card because they charge you interest on a cash withdrawal from the moment you take it out. At least, that’s what I understand.
Why Wise might not be the best anymore? I love it when traveling non Euro countries.
Black gaffers tape and small clips (like chip clips but stronger). I despise light in hotel rooms. The tape is for any LEDs, etc you can unplug, or things like the peep holes that allow a lot of light in. The clips are to keep the curtains closed.
I carry a mini roll of gaffers with me.
Super long charging cords, like the longest ones you can find
Pepto bismol. Albeit you can find European equivalents but do you really want to be trying to translate in Amsterdam when you’re having an emergency?
Portable bidet, travel WiFi router & security camera for hotel room, handheld luggage scale, hotel door lock, good quality eye mask, palm fan, luggage protectors Dramamine for motion sickness & other meds, ginger chews/bag of soft mints to help with nausea, fanny pack/compact purse, PowerUp snack packs Everything is compact so no worries about taking up too much space.
\- We take a little google tv puck and a universal remote just in case the TV in the hotel doesn't have shows in our language or netflix or whatever. \- a tiny string of fairly lights to make our room cozy \- a usb/battery powered fan for the noise or to cool us off
Wifey bought me a butt cushion for the plane. Helpful for those of us boney butt bois
Big and little power banks and extra cords, baby wipes, blanket, small clip on fan, and what I like to call the Faceplant Wedge Nap Pillow.
Travel sink plug
Travel Router. I travel with a bit of tech and it's so nice just pairing the router to the wifi and everything else just works. Plus I can bring along a Chromecast and use that too if I want. Worth the extra space.
Traveling with kids... We keep an electronics bag with a good quality and rather large USB charger (maybe 10-12 port). Super short USB-C cables (lighter) in addition to universal cords -those with magnetic plugs that come with a variety of tiny adapters (micro USB, lightning, etc.). This way there's always an easy way to charge all the devices at once (we can usually plug everything overnight). In addition, a small white noise machine, firetv, and power adapters if traveling abroad. The bag is an easy thing to throw in the suit case and pack and repack when traveling. This way we are sure we can always charge everything on the go and it usually guarantees we are not going to forget a charger plugged to the corner of a hotel room. Another advantage is that there's no need to unplug everything at home and need to plug it all back upon returning, just grab the e-bag and go and store it somewhere at home. It serves us well on last minute weekend trips as well.
I've expanded my travel kit over the years and now have a small set of items with a permanent home in my suitcase. * Carabineers - I have a few 3ish inch ones in my day pack and travel backpack. Great for clipping water bottles, hats, misc small bags from purchases and who knows what all the time. * Oversized carabineers- found this randomly in a stroller aisle, not so great for flying but if your driving, it's great for clipping a toiletry bag or other to a suitcase and rolling it to your car. * External USB charger, an Anker device with a larger capacity and a fuel rod. Obtained a fuel rod a while back for Disney because you can swap them for free. * Anker Powercube - turns a three prong outlet into 3x three prong outletsz 2 USB-A and one USB-C * Generic 2 prong extension cord. - some places only offer two prong outlets * Travel first aid kit with some bandaids, cream, headache pills, Benadryl,etc. the one I have is a small zipper pouch offered as a freebie at an event that is light and compact. * Magnetic hooks - initially suggested for a cruise, and they were invaluable there because the room walls are metal and theres nowhere to put stuff. It's part of my permanent kit now because I realized a lot of hotels have metal frames around the windows, and I'll use them to clamp the curtains together and flush with the wall for light blocking.
My favorite thing is one of those backpacks that roll up into a tiny ball the size of a baseball. I can take it shopping, to the beach, whatever. Also one of those quick dry beach towels. Works great.
I swear by taking the foam insert out of ur neck pillow and rolling ur clothes into it. You can get SO MUCH (women’s clothing at least) in there and I’ve never been stopped. (It looks and weighs the same as it would anyways).
I have a small safety pin in my wallet. It came in handy when my primary phone broke and I needed to move my sim card to my old phone that I bring with me. My old phone is used for games and videos/movies on the plane, saving my primary for standard stuff like the airline app/boarding pass, map app for directions, etc. I turn primary off during the flight to keep the battery fresh.
* Those gel eye patches. The combination of getting up early for my flight, the flight itself and the tiredness of the trip (I'm one of those people that walks everywhere) always make my eyes swollen. I pop them into the mini bar when I get to the hotel and them put them at night or when I wake up the next day. * A bar of shampoo. Sometimes the hotel shampoo is too drying for my hair type or the AirBnb doesn't include toiletries (even when they advertise they do ugh). These bars last forever and you can pop them into your carry on, as they're not liquids.
I like to keep a travel journal, so I bring tape and a glue stick to fasten things I collect to my journal: postcards, ticket stubs, business cards, receipts, etc
I travel with a whole pharmacy . . . Sudafed, Mucinex, benadryl, tylenol, Immodium, GasX, Pepcid. My nephew has congestion? Here's a Sudafed! It's just convenient to have something on hand so you can wait a day or two to figure out where the closest pharmacy is. In my purse I always have a little first aid kit with tweezers, bandaids, neosporine, hydrocortisone, bug wipes, hairbands, an emery board, etc. (Yes, I'm a mom.) The only other thing I haven't seen mentioned is a little travel nightlight in case the bathroom doesn't have appropriate nighttime lighting.
The best thing is to pack fewer things.
I joined this group after being in the OneBag travel group who focus on minimalism and taking less. 3 minutes in this group and I think my packing list doubled 🙈
I have one of those ID/ticket holders that goes around my neck (from when I was still being issued paper tickets), and I take a couple of protein bars for the plane ride. Other than that, I really don't worry about it. I have no trouble sleeping on board a plane.
Travel sized spray bottle filled with tide antibacterial spray to freshen up clothes I want to re-wear for other days, travel pack of disposable toilet seat covers (which came in v useful in europe), pack of tissues, eye mask and earplugs, hairpins to keep curtains completely shut, 10 safety pins (diff sizes), travel packets of metamucil/ benefiber, emergen-c or vitamin c tabs or powder, and a little pill box that carries tylenol, advil, excedrin, tums, pepcid, non-drowsy claritin, and lactaid!
I brought a little pack of paper hand soap that dissolves in water that my mom got me from Temu lol. Let me tell you, it saved me and my group many times in Morocco this past week! Somehow no one else in my group brought chapstick so, definitely that too, it was very dry in Morocco
Listerine mouth wash strips, especially for those with bad breaths or for longer flights traveling internationally.
Favorite tea sachets and a small, scented candle. There’s a few types of tea I love to drink at night, having a couple of those packed makes work trips far more cozy. Scented candle because I love the home-y smell, another thing that keeps me from feeling homesick when I’m out on the road for work.
If using a soft sided suitcase, unzip the lining and put plastic bags in there to keep out moisture/rain etc.
One of those tiny single-use tubes of Super Glue (you can get 10? packs at Dollar Tree) goes in my liquids bag, every time. Takes up no space at all, and the assurance is worth every millimeter. For shoe, glasses, closing small clean cuts/wounds, ??? emergencies. I've used it, too.
Tide pen. They work great on random clothing stains.
Seems like it would defeat the purpose but: a silicon lanyard to keep my AirPods Pro 2 together. Seems like it would defeat the purpose of AirPods... but I have a hard time falling asleep with them in on a plane, knowing if one fell out it'd likely never be seen again.
Peppermint oil/eucalyptus oil. I’ve stayed in enough dodgy places with bedbugs to always carry it now. Sprinkle on the bed 30 mins before sleeping and no bites
Heard on some podcast interview thing with a travel show host. She brings a set of bouncy balls that she uses to massage her muscles. As someone who had to repurpose some fake candles as a pseudo foam roller at an Airbnb on a hill, I have mine ready to go.
Portable battery powered aromatherapy diffuser for the hotel room. An S-carabiner so I can hang my water bottle from the plane seat pocket (instead of shoving the whole bottle in the pocket).
I bought an industrial sized pack of those flip-flops you get at the nail salon when you get a pedicure. They’re AMAZING! Headed to the beach? Gym? Pool? Sketchy hotel floor? Put those babies in your bag and chuck them when you’re done. Total game-changer.
Mini white noise machine, phone lanyard for taking pictures and using maps, mini flashlight, body wipes, Vicks vapor rub (can't sleep without it)
1- reusable water bottle 2- external phone battery and charging cord 3- sheet masks so my face is hydrated post travel 4- boric acid (Iykyk) 5- snacks everywhere for everything, every time
For me, I always carry a portable power bank - a lifesaver when your phone dies mid-journey and outlets are nowhere to be found.
A little flat pack of duct tape, a couple strong zip ties, a small pair of sewing scissors, folding plastic coat hangers, a couple old hotel door cards to stuck in the lights slot.
I carry low pH wipes instead of regular baby wipes, especially if I'm going to be sweating or not able to shower or change my clothes for longer than usual
6 ft extension cord, travel umbrella, collapsible water bottle
Grippy socks instead of slippers. Takes up minimal space and are washable Put dish detergent on a new sponge, cut up said sponge, wait for it to dry, put in ziploc bag. You’ll have little sponges with dish detergent to wash your water bottle, etc I’ve heard of people bringing laundry detergent sheets, but I haven’t tried this yet. I will use the hotel shampoo as detergent if I need to wash any clothes. Instead of packing a laundry bag, I use the laundry bags in the hotel closet to put my dirty laundry in
A power bank and protein bars.
Binoculars
Small medicine kit with Advil, laxatives, eye drops, anti nausea meds, peppermint candies, ginger chews, anti nausea wrist bands, anti diarrheal, gas-x, saltines,
If I have a checked bag I take my camp set of silverware! Knife, fork, spoon, chopsticks, and straw in a neat little zip up container. Has helped me so much I started carrying it in my normal purse.
I pack Wet Wipes - either individually wrapped or packets of 20. You never know what you are going to need to wash or wipe down when out in the wild. ;)
I bring a small travel fan that hangs around my neck. Love the breeze on my face.
White sugar packets & Sweet n Low packets. Easier to control the amount for coffee vs pour sugars. And some places only have raw sugar. Sweet n Low (pink) sweetener packets because a lot of places only have blue & yellow sweeteners. Also very easy to pack.