No need to stress over chargers, cords, wrinkled “pillow-face” or losing your luggage. We’ve curated our favorite travel gear to make your trip a breeze.
Whether you’re traveling domestically or internationally, or by ✈️🚢🚉 , figuring out how and what to properly pack and then getting to your destination successfully can be quite daunting. Let us free you of that burden as much as we can by sharing our most beloved travel gear. Here’s to actually ENJOYING your trip – for work or for vacation! 🌟🥂🌟
Top 10 Must-Have Travel Gear & Accessories
1. The Clutch Brand Pro Battery / Charger: We have several of these that we keep charged so we can grab and go. We LOVE them. Super thin and very lightweight, these charge quickly. Lots of options for phones, tablets, etc. and for connection type. Most are available in pink, black or white. Ultra Thin Clutch Pro Battery / Charger
2. Packing Cubes: Ok, I get that it seems silly to pack a cube and then pack the cube into your luggage – kind of like cleaning your house before the cleaners arrive – but just hear me out on this one. Whether you’re packing for a weekend getaway or a two week trip abroad, creating SPACE for all the things you want to take with you is perhaps one of the biggest travel challenges. Packing cubes to the rescue! They serve two purposes: compressing items so they take up less space, and organizing what you pack. They’re also great for separating clean clothes from dirty clothes on your return home. Some are waterproof (great for swimsuits). I also recommend getting a few extra shoe bags. Who on earth would ever dream of putting their filthy shoes unprotected into their luggage or worse yet – next to their clean clothes! 🤢 This is definitely a product in which you get what you pay for. I tried some of the super cheap versions and they fell apart or the zippers broke. Via trial and error, I like the Shacke Brand Packing Cube Set for frequent / general use. I also recommend a set of the Travel Pro Water Resistant Packing Cubes if you’re traveling anywhere that might result in having to haul wet clothes back home with you. The four of us all have a set of Shacke cubes, and then I have an additional set of Travel Pro cubes.
3. Travel-size Lighted Make-Up Mirror With Magnification: Why is hotel lighting always so horrible? Trying to apply makeup in a hotel bathroom makes me a little rage-y. One of the things I miss the most as I’m standing in the poorly lit, shadowy hotel bathroom is my lighted make-up mirror with magnification. Extra LED lighting makes a huge difference, and the magnification has become even more important since you can’t exactly wear readers so you can see to apply your eye makeup! I’ve tried a couple different travel mirrors and found this one to be the best. It’s only 5×7 in size, is lightweight, and can be sandwiched between layers of clothing to protect it from breaking. (It folds inward on itself so that the outside is a plastic case.) The Monaco Travel Mirror with LED and Magnification (USB Rechargeable)
4. Blissy Silk Pillowcase: I take a Blissy silk pillowcase with me everywhere I travel. I don’t care if it seems bougie or high maintenance! Silk pillowcases are much gentler on your skin and hair, preventing moisture loss and sleep wrinkles while also preventing hair breakage. They’re also better for temperature control (hello, drenching night sweats). I recommend buying one that is dedicated for travel. Get a king size, and purchase it in a really bright / unusual color. This ensures it will fit any size pillow you end up with (King or Queen) at the hotel, and the bright color will visually remind you to remove it and take it home with you at the end of your trip. I bought a neon orange King size for travel. Blissy Mulberry Silk King Size Pillowcase
5. High-Quality Carry-on Backpack or Over-The-Shoulder Bag (in place of a purse): I really don’t like carrying a purse, even when I’m not traveling. Since I travel a decent amount for work, I opted for a high-end backpack that holds my laptop, devices and cords and I keep a small travel purse inside. Even if I’m traveling for leisure, I still take my backpack as my “purse” because it holds a lot and I never leave home without my iPad at a minimum. Some people prefer an over-the-shoulder bag instead of a backpack. This is a personal choice. By the time I’ve stuffed my backpack full of devices and everything else, it’s quite heavy. I don’t like carrying all of that weight on one shoulder. A backpack distributes the weight evenly. It also allows me to be hands-free, where a shoulder bag seems to be forever slipping off my shoulder so I end up “holding” onto the strap to keep it from falling. No matter your preference for backpack versus over-the-shoulder, make sure you select a carry on bag that has the horizontal strap across the middle to slide over the handle of your luggage. From left-to-right, my faves are: (1) Away: The Everywhere Zip Backpack in Salt White (2) Away: The Everywhere Bag in Salt White (3) Monos Metro Backpack In Nylon Black (4) Calpak Luka Duffel in Oatmeal. I have the first iteration of the Away Everywhere Backpack in Black Nylon and I LOVE it (it appears they’ve since redesigned it – the one linked above is the newest version). It’s aptly named, as it literally goes everywhere with me.
6. TSA-Approved Clear Toiletry Bag: I feel like I’ve tried every version of the clear bags and honestly, this is the only one I like. It’s made of a thick plastic and a strong zipper. The best feature, though, is the shape and size. It’s square with a 2.5″ depth which provides a more efficient space to fit various sizes of containers than the traditional “pouch” style. I can fit a surprising amount of liquid containers in this one, and it comes in a lot of fun colors. It’s also a good size to toss in your carry-on backpack or duffel. Square, Clear Toiletry Bag – TSA Approved
7. Luggage Scale: Laugh all you want, but this thing is a lifesaver…errrr – a budget saver! My daughter went skiing in Breckenridge, CO earlier this year. I cautioned her a few times to keep in mind the weight of her luggage (but we didn’t own a luggage scale at the time). She got to the airport and her checked bag was ONE POUND over the “free” limit. Luckily, the agent let her check it for free anyway, but otherwise it would have cost her $100 to check it due to weight. I immediately ordered one of these scales to keep on hand at all times. My son is going on a fishing excursion in Alaska this summer, and I know we’ll need to be smart about packing all of his gear without going over the weight limit. Don’t forget to take the scale with you on your trip, especially if you’re planning to bring a lot of souvenirs home with you. You’ll want to re-weigh your luggage and possibly shuffle some things to your carry-on before heading to the airport to return home in order to stay under the weight limit. Digital Luggage Scale With Hook Up To 110 LBS
8. Apple Air Tags: What in hell did we ever do without air tags? I’ll tell ya what we did – we waited for days and days, hoping the airlines would find our lost luggage. IMHO, AirTags are an ingenious invention. I suggest just buying the 4-pack and hide one in each of your carry-on bags and checked bags. You can then program them to your iPhone, and they work as a gps-tracker for each item. They’re water and dust resistant, and the batteries last a year (but are replaceable). We put them in all of our bags before our trip to Mexico earlier this year, and in our daughter’s bags for her Colorado trip. Not only am I going to put them in my son’s bags for his trip to Alaska, but since he’ll be out in the wilderness with the grizzly bears and he often forgets to check in with me to let me know he’s alive, I’m thinking about surgically implanting one in his butt-cheek. I’M JOKING, PEOPLE, don’t report me to social services. 4-Pack of Apple Air Tags
9. Charger + Outlet Adapter For Domestic and International Travel: Widely voted as the #1 charger and adapter, this one unit serves multiple purposes. It has the most USB Ports of any other adapter I’ve seen (3 USB-C and 2 USB-A) and charges surprisingly fast. It also has 3 of the most common international plugs (+ a U.S. plug) so it should work in most countries for international travel. BONUS: It has a replaceable fuse and an included spare in the case of a faulty connection (happens more than you’d think when traveling to older hotels). Epicka Universal Travel Adapter & Charger In Multiple Colors
10. Tech & Cable Organizer: For the love of gods, I cannot stand the gaggle of tangled cords and chargers that I have to haul around. It irritates my OCD to no end, I can’t stand clutter. Please don’t tell me that I just have to charge one at a time so I only need one cord. Don’t you think if that would work, then that’s what I would be doing?! I usually have to charge my laptop phone at the same time overnight so that I have them fully powered to use during the day. I also use my iPad overnight as a sound machine and an alarm, so it has to stay plugged in to work all night long. And then let’s not forget my work phone, which I also have to charge overnight so it’s powered during the day. Oh – and also my AirPods. 🤯 It would be way too convenient for them to all be a USB-C connection point, of course. Some use a Lightning connection point and others are USBC. I prefer longer cords so they can reach across conference room tables or awkwardly placed hotel room outlets. The challenge with organizers has always been finding one that will fit everything I need without taking up a ton of room my your carry-on bag or backpack. I think I’ve FINALLY found one I like. The small measures only 7.5″ x 4″, has two separate sides and lots of pockets. Drumroll please…… Travel Cord & Tech Cord Organizer In A Variety Of Colors
We’re always looking for new gadgets that make travel easier. What are some of your favorites? Drop a comment below to let us know which gear or accessories you can’t live without when you hit the road / sky / sea.
Cheers, lovelies!
