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Happy Thanksgiving! With holiday travel in full swing, more people will be searching for products that will make traveling easier. I have created a list of fourteen of my favorite travel items. These items help keep me organized and comfortable as I travel for both business and pleasure. Many of these products would also make great Christmas or holiday gifts for friends and family. I use all of the items in this list every time I travel. Since these items are well-used, you can see the signs of love in some of the photos.
1. Good Luggage
Don’t overlook the importance of quality luggage, especially if you are going to check luggage with an airline. Baggage handlers are not known for being gentle with luggage. Your bags will also have to contend with conveyor belts transporting them through the airport and risk falling off of transport vehicles in transit to the gate. No doubt about it, your luggage will have a rough ride. Even if you are not checking a bag, you want a piece of luggage that is easy to transport and does not fall apart the first time you use it. This does not mean that you have to spend hundreds of dollars on a single suitcase. There are more affordable options that are well-made and sturdy. Personally, I like Samsonite luggage. They are generally light-weight yet well-made. The wheels also roll smoothly, which allows me to navigate the airport without fighting with my suitcase. It is one less thing for me to worry about on those stressful travel days.
2. Sturdy Luggage Tags
Now that you have a quality piece of luggage, you will need a sturdy luggage tag. Before I purchased the luggage tags pictured below, I was replacing my luggage tags every 2 or 3 months. They would get torn, cracked, or completely lost between the ticket counter and baggage claim. The tags below have a wire strap that is sturdier than the typical plastic or rubber that I have used before. The tag itself is made of a thick material and has a cover over your personal information. It also comes in a variety of colors.
3. Silicone Storage Bags
This is one of my favorite packing hacks. I use silicone food storage bags to keep my smaller items together and organized. I use them for socks, under garments, contact lenses, medications, and so much more. Sometimes I will use the largest bags to put together my outfits for the trip while packing. This saves me times when I am getting dressed in the morning and helps me make sure that I have all of the pieces that I will need for my outfit. I find this trick especially helpful when I am traveling for business. I often work very long hours when I am on the road and this trick allows me to get a few extra minutes of sleep instead of digging through my suitcase looking for all of the pieces of my outfit for the day.
3. Tote bag or Overnight bag
I do not travel with rollaboard luggage. It is a personal preference. I don’t like dealing with such a large bag in the airport. I use this bag vegan leather Badgley Mischka tote bag instead. It is large enough to carry all of the personal items that I need while being small enough to make navigating the airport easy. I used the shoulder straps, but it also has a detachable crossbody strap included as well. There are 2 open pockets on the front and a zipper pocket in the back. It also has the band that allows it to slide over a suitcase handle should you need it. It has a zipper top, so everything is secure inside the bag while you focus on walking through the crowds of other travelers.
5. Well-made Laptop bag
This Coach laptop bag is the perfect size for my work laptop and the office supplies and chargers that I need when traveling for business. It also looks professional when carrying it to meet with customers. The leather is soft, but not flimsy. The crossbody strap is made of canvas and is very comfortable. It has a magnetic closure pocket on the front and the main compartment has a zipper closure.
6. Small Pill Case
I use these pill cases in my everyday handbag as well as when traveling. It is perfect for carrying around medications that you want handy in case you need them. I carry medications such as allergy medication, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen. It has separate compartments for each medication and comes with stickers to label the compartments.
7. Daily Pill Case
I use these daily pill cases for my routine morning and evening medications. Each day can be removed from the base and has 2 compartments. I carry the days that I need, and a couple extra just in case. My business trips are usually four days long, so I carry six days with me. The best part is these do not pop open in my luggage like some of the weekly pill containers do.
8. Water bottle handle
It is no surprise that it is a good idea to travel with a reusable water bottle. I like to have my water bottle handy, so I purchased this water bottle handle. It is made of nylon and has a clasp that allows me to attach it to the handle on one of my carryon bags. It also features a compass as well as a small blade in the clasp that is designed for use when camping or hiking.
9. Battery Operated Personal Blender
I always have my Blendjet in my luggage. This lightweight, portable blender is perfect for making smoothies or protein shakes in the hotel. I have the first-generation blender that I have been using for about 3 years. My only complaint is the motor is not very powerful, so I am not sure how it would handle ice cubes. I make my smoothies with frozen fruit, and it handles that without any issues.
10. Sleep mask
A sleep mask is an absolute necessity for me. I use it when I want to take a nap on the plane and in the hotel room. I have to be in complete darkness to sleep well, and that is often not possible in a hotel room. This mask is the perfect solution. It has an adjustable elastic strap and there is space in the mask around the eyes, which makes it very comfortable.
11. Yoga socks
I use these yoga socks when walking around in the hotel room. I don’t like to have my bare feet on the hotel floor, but I also don’t want to wear shoes when I am trying to relax after a long day. These yoga socks are the perfect solution. They have a nonslip sole and an elastic strap that lays across the top of the foot to prevent the socks from slipping off.
12. TSA approved liquid containers
This set of TSA approved toiletry containers is perfect for travel. It has leakproof silicone bottles, plastic spray bottles, plastic pump bottles with a pump guard, small pots for creams and gels, silicone covers that are perfect for a toothbrush or razor, a spatula, and a funnel. All of these items are in a zipper closure pouch that is also included. I have only had one leak issue with these, and I am certain that it was my fault. I put a product that was too runny in one of the pots.
13. Long cell phone charging cord
These charging cords are 10 feet long and the end that plugs into the phone is at a 90-degree angle to prevent damaging the cord at that weak spot. Sometimes there is not an outlet near the bed, so these allow you to charge your phone or tablet and still use it from the bed or chair in the room. I recommend having at least one phone charging cord that is at least 6 foot long.
14. Portable second monitor for laptop
The final item on my list is this portable second monitor for your laptop. It is about the size of a standard tablet and comes with a protective cover. This fits perfectly in my laptop bad with my laptop. Having a second monitor makes it so much easier to work while on the road.
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