My Favorite Travel Essentials
Packing is an art form. Like most art, you have to get messy before you have a final polished product. And dear readers, I have gotten very messy over the years. I’ve overpacked, underpacked, haphazardly thrown things into a bag, and spent hours meticulously organizing everything from charging cords to underwear. All this has helped me evolve into a perfect middle ground, the sweet spot of packing.
There are those, like my fiancé, who ascribe to the belief that anything you need can be purchased at your destination, and those, like me, who need to have everything I need to survive, plus some creature comforts, before I even call Lyft to the airport.
If you like a certain amount of planning ahead, you’ll love this list. It’s a curated collection of my favorite things. This list is based on years of flying around the world, cruising the seven seas, and taking the train to such exotic places as grandma’s house. I hope you enjoy these travel essentials as much as I have. They’re just like Oprah’s favorite things, but they’re useful and far less expensive.
Best of all, you can shop for all these items on Amazon for easy, fast, and free shipping.
1. A Packing List
If you’re like me, you worry about forgetting essential items while packing. Save time and make sure you include everything you need to have a fun-filled vacation with this pre-printed packing list.
2. A Travel Water Bottle
Water bottles are an important part of any travel essentials list. Save money by avoiding that overpriced airport bottled water and fill up for free after passing TSA. This collapsible waterbottle also shrinks down to save space when not in use.
3. A Sleep Mask With Built-In Headphones
This eye mask is super inexpensive and helps you relax and forget your time in the sky. It’s also great for relaxing in your hotel room. Fight jet lag while on your flight by getting some much-needed Zzzs with this blackout face mask with ear buds.
4. Packing Cubes
Packing cubes help you save space for those fun, additional items you need for your vacation. (Hello snorkel mask and fins.) They also keep your clothes organized and sorted by type. I also use a small packing cube to pack all of my medications. This makes it a lot easier should your bag get checked at customs.
5. A Power Bank
Power banks are essential for any trip. With your phone working overtime as a camera, entertainment device, and a phone, it’s essential to keep a good charge. This portable charger has enough juice to recharge your phone multiple times, allowing you to keep those photos coming. It also had two inputs to charge any device and features a display letting you know exactly how much juice you have left.
6. Noise Canceling Headhones
I love a good set of noise-cancelling headphones. My go-to brand has always been Bose Quiet Comfort noise canceling heaphones. They feel soft and luxurious over your ears, have stupendous sound, block out unwanted airplane noises, and you can easily drift off to sleep while wearing them.
7. Great Carry On Luggage and Checked Luggage
Keep all your personal items and travel gear organized in these bags from Cool Life. They offer easy access to all your necessities while you’re away from home. They also come in a variety of stunning colors, and they’re built to last. Plus, they’re available at a very reasonable price and come highly rated on Amazon.
8. A Face Mask
If you have a compromised immune system, flying can be scary. Protect yourself from colds, flu, and other viruses and bacteria with a good, old-fashioned KN95 mask, because one sneeze could ruin your whole trip.
9. A Pill Organizer
If you’re traveling domestically, a pill organizer is a much-needed addition. (While traveling internationally, it’s best to keep pills in their original containers.) Keep your pills neat and organized, allowing you to remember exactly which pills you need to take and when you need to take them.
10. A Travel Adapter
I love a great travel adapter with multiple USB ports. This chic rose gold adapter fits that bill exactly. It comes with adapters for most of Europe, including the UK. It’s one super small item I use over and over again and never leave the US without.
11. A Convenience Kit
Get all your necessary bathroom supplies in one handy kit. Skip the drugstore travel section and get everything you need from shampoo and conditioner to deodorant, lotion, toothpaste, a toothbrush, floss, and even a small comb. This kit truly has it all. It’s much easier and cheaper than buying everything individually.
12. A Tracking Device
Track your bag, keys, and other items with Apple Airtags. In this day and age, where airlines are constantly losing bags, you can easily keep track of yours with a handy Apple AirTag. You can also slip one inside other essential items like your passport holder or on your keychain. Never lose another item again with AirTags.
13. A Comfy Neck Pillow
I love this memory foam adjustable neck pillow because it’s so much more than a neck pillow. It offers lumbar support, neck support, shoulder support, and more. You can literally mold it into any shape you need to soothe and support sore joints. As someone with chronic pain, I use mine all the time. It’s one inexpensive item I adore for making travel easier.
14. A Travel Blanket
Let’s face it, planes are often inexplicably kept at arctic temperatures. And unless you’re relaxing in first class, you probably have little more than a throw rag to keep you warm. This travel blanket packs up to become a pillow and unpacks to become a super cushy, luxurious blanket. Never get the chills on a plane again.
15. Compression Socks
Compression socks are a must-have for long-haul flights. They improve circulation, prevent swelling, edema, and blood clots. But it’s hard to find a chic pair that doesn’t look like a medical device. That’s why I adore these cute, striped socks.
16. Airlne Seatback Pocket Organizer
If you have a bad back, as I do, it’s difficult or impossible to reach under your seat to get things out of your carry-on bag. This handy seatback organizer holds everything you need for a more comfortable and enjoyable flight.
17. An Anti-Theft Bag
This is my go-to travel purse. It features locking zippers, slash-resistant mesh body panels, dual cut-resistant strap cables, and RFID-blocking slots and drop pockets. It’s perfect for protecting your valuables, and it’s extra durable.
Final Thoughts On My Travel Essentials
Travel can be difficult, particularly if you deal with chronic pain, as I do. That’s why I’ve sought out items that save time, energy, and make you more comfortable on your trip. After trying tons of bags, headphones, chargers, and other accessories, over thousands of miles, I’ve learned a thing or two. These are my favorite products for a more enjoyable trip. I sincerely hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Yes, I realize not every item will be essential for you, but I wanted to provide a wide variety of items to solve an array of travel needs.
These products are all rated over 4 stars on Amazon and geared towards the traveler on a budget. I try to keep price in mind when recommending great products.
Do you have something you love that you never leave the house without? Feel free to share it in the comments below. I’m always looking for ways to make travel easier.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. This helps me keep the Sick Girl Travels blog running while providing you with high-quality product recommendations and great travel deals. Please see my full disclosure for further information. Thanks for your support!
Jenn Lloyd is a disabled travel blogger and television writer based in Los Angeles. After a successful career writing for shows like KC Undercover and The Thundermans, she launched Sick Girl Travels to share her experiences navigating the world with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, POTS, and fibromyalgia. Having visited 40 U.S. states, 39 countries, and all 7 continents, Jenn offers inclusive travel guides with accessibility tips for those with mobility challenges. Her work has been featured on CNN, Huffington Post, and Consumer Reports. When not traveling, she enjoys fostering dogs, photographing street art, and spending time with her French bulldog, Miss Madelyn Pew.
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