As much as I love travel, I approach it with a lot of caution and extra preparation now. From last minute flight mayhem to the ever-delightful non-stop COVID boogie, I find that while the essentials I want with me haven’t changed much, there are a few new essentials and just-in-case items I like to add to my packing list.
I’ve done a series over the years on packing lists and traveling light, so if you’d like to revisit – some of the links or products may have updated.
- Stuff We Like: Pack Light and Travel Fast
- Stuff We Like: Pack Light, Travel Fast, Part II – The Calm Traveler Packing List
- Stuff We Like: Pack Light, Travel Fast, Part III – The Calm Traveler Family Packing List
- Stuff We Like: Pack Light, Travel Fast, Part IV – Toiletries
I still use my packing lists, and the toiletry case that I’ve had for years, and my luggage of choice is still the Tom Bihn Aeronaut. Here are some of the new items I’m bringing with me when we travel this summer, and some that Amanda recommends as well!
I am absolutely bringing my meUndies jumpsuit recommended by Penny in a comment that I featured in a recent Stuff We Like. It should be fantastic for travel:
MeUndies jumpsuit, $78/non-member cost
I started buying linen clothing after several people recommended it to me as a travel option. I hadn’t thought it would work because linen gets wrinkled, but it does indeed travel wonderfully.
I bought this dress on Etsy from a Lithuanian clothes designer who works in linen and have worn it at home, but also in Portugal in December (with long sleeves and legging underneath when it was cold) and in Mexico in the summer (on its own).
LinenID Studio linen maxi dress, $101
I also bought some cropped linen pants this year from Old Navy and have been living in them, but please note that they often go on sale (I got mine on sale for $19 each).
I just bought two of these, because bringing our vaccination cards along with our passports is standard procedure at this point.
Vaccine card and passport holder, Henneys Boutique, $8 each
These leather passport wallets and vaccine card holders come in a gorgeous set of colors, too. I like being able to spot my passport wallet in the dark recesses of my handbag, so I got red.
My younger child gets motion sickness and has since forever, so we never travel without these Motion Sickness Patches. They were recommended to us by other motion sickness sufferers, and wow, do they work.
MQ Motion Sickness Patches, 20 for $10
I was skeptical that they’d be effective, but one patch behind each ear, and nine hour car rides, plane rides, and train trips are no big deal. They don’t smell super weird and they’re very easy to keep with us, because each pair of patches is in a little packet.
We each have a favorite type of face mask now. These are KN94, and half of my family prefers this style. Each mask is individually wrapped, and when we travel together, each person has a color.
Disposable Facemasks, 25 masks in five colors, $16
The other half of my family prefers the KN95 style below, so we buy those in black, by request from the older child.
I recently went to the pharmacy, though, and they were having a buy-two-get-three-free sale on packages of 10 masks, so I stocked up. So it might be worth checking to see if local pharmacies have masks in stock on sale.
My ears do a LOT, I have to say. Especially when I’m traveling and wearing a mask all the time? My ears are holding up my glasses, and holding onto a mask, and sometimes they get tired. And sometimes wearing headphones with a mask and glasses is just too much coordination for me and my ears!
I like these headbands with buttons to attach the mask to when my ears get tired:
4 piece headband with mask buttons, $10
See the button? The mask hooks onto that, and gives my ears a break. This set of four came with black, heather grey, blue, and striped grey, but there are four packs in lots of different colors.
I especially like having the headband on an airplane, when I might be wearing a mask for several hours. My hair is short so it looks a little weird when I take it off, but the comfort is great.
What about organizing all the things I bring with me, like headphones, charging cables? Amanda recommends a tiny zipper pouch. She has one for her tech essentials, and it’s easy to grab and keep everything in reach.
This set of four comes in red, pink, yellow, and teal, and is 4.72″ square. They’re perfect for cords, ear buds, chargers – everything I need while traveling.
If you need more compartments, and little pockets (I love little pockets inside little bags, it’s so weird) this option comes in a bunch of colors, and can hold So Much Stuff.
It’s 7.5″x 4.3″, and has sleeves and compartments for a bunch of electronics.
And this nylon zipper bah from Rough Enough looks indestructible.
Rough Enough Travel Pouch, $22
It’s 7″ x 5.5″, and is water resistant – and it’s really cute.
One last item I keep with me: a portable battery.
Anker 313 Power Bank, $22I used a silver marker pen to write our names on each of ours so everyone knows which battery belongs to which person, and they’ve been lifesavers.
What about you? What must-haves are perennial to your packing list, and what new items do you love? Share all your recs in the comments (there’s still a little room in my bag).
This is so timely for me – I’ve just ordered those patches and the power bank. Thank you!
My perfume bottle barely survived my latest travels so now I swear by a refillable mini perfume spray bottle.
I bought mine at a local store, but Amazon has lots of choices: http://www.amazon.com/perfume-containers-travel/s?k=perfume+containers+for+travel
I also have a set of small zipped plastic bags that I use for everything: http://www.amazon.com/-/nl/gp/product/B07PPB467H/
I love these pill organizers: https://a.co/d/feKwjDX. It is so lovely to have all the medications you need already with you when you aren’t feeling like leaving your room. I always bring extra of my daily medication, in case I get stuck somewhere, as well medication for colds, digestive issues, allergy flare ups, and more.
Also, very random but I love to pack a lacrosse ball in my carryon. It is great for rolling out tension in my feet during a flight or getting the knots in my back out when I get to my destination.
@Ellen thank you for the pill organizers link! Finally a locking design. I’ve been using the regular 7 day pill boxes inside a ziploc baggie to keep them from spilling out in my purse.
@Ellen, those pill organizers look great. We bring melatonin gummies for the kiddos when sleeping away from home and it’s nice to have varying sizes of compartment!
If you are looking to upgrade your lacrosse ball, I cannot gush enough about Yoga Tuneup therapy balls https://www.tuneupfitness.com/shop/self-massage-therapy-balls. When traveling by car, I always bring my set of regular, plus and Alpha size balls. I’m about to get on a plane for the first time since 2020 and I know it’s going to be hard to determine the one size to bring, but I think it’ll be the Plus size. Not only are they a bit more forgiving than a lacrosse ball, but they come in pairs in a tote and you have so many options to use them singly or in the tote. It is such a treat to roll out your spine with them in their tote and the balls cradling each side. I could go on and on. Myofascial release is where it’s at!
@Ellen. Also thanks for the link. I take a number of daily meds, and when I travel, I usually end up shlepping all the bottles around in a toiletries bag. I don’t worry about how much luggage I have when travelling in the car, but when I fly for business, I have a suitcase and a laptop bag to wrangle in addition to my shoulder bag, so every bit I can do to lighten the load helps.
My favorite travel accessory is a small heavy plastic lunch bag I got from Holiday Inn a couple years ago. It’s more or less square, clear, and has a cardboard bottom so it doesn’t collapse on itself. It’s big enough to hold all the items I may need immediate access to either while travelling in the car or on a plane. That usually means a couple of spare masks, some paper napkins, my glasses cases, USB cables for my electronics, and a small toiletries bag. It conveniently fits in my shoulder bag, along with my tablet, travel documents, bottled water, and purse (I carry a small one, big enough to hold my credit card sized wallet and cell phone. I decluttered years ago when I tore a rotator cuff.) The shoulder bag fits under the plane seat or resides close at hand in the car.
The toiletries bag is also clear, and holds my travel size essentials — hand sanitizer and lotion, lip balm, tissues, eye drops, small pill holder, and aspirin. After my luggage and I got separated last year on a business trip, I added a travel toothbrush and toothpaste, in their own little pouch.
Reorganizing the laptop bag comes next. The electronics organizer is definitely going on my Amazon wish list.
Both my sisters used to get those monthly cosmetic subscription boxes and they each gave me cosmetic bags that apparently come in them. I use them to organize all kinds of fiddly things – ear phones, charging cords, backup chargers, nail supplies. And since they all look different, I can usually remember what I’m keeping in them.
If you need to carry only one or two prescriptions/vitamins, I recommend small GoTubbs. They come in various sizes if you wish to carry larger items.
I hear you about the ears. When I’m wearing ear buds and a mask, and glasses, and then want to pull a hat down over my ears when it’s cold outside, trying to do everything in the correct order is so complicated!
The headband with buttons looks like it would work for women who need to take a mask on and off while wearing hijab. Otherwise it’s impossible without dislodging everything.
May I please take this opportunity for a PSA? Please, please, please make sure you have a valid passport before you book travel across an international border anytime soon. Getting a passport last minute these days is incredibly stressful at best, despite how hard the passport employees are working to keep up.
If you’re traveling overseas, you may need to take your meds in the original container with the prescription clearly listed. As much as divided, locking containers are handy, they may not be allowed at customs in another country or on your return.
https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-1160?language=en_US#:~:text=Traveling%20with%20Medication&text=Prescription%20medications%20should%20be%20in,than%20a%2090%20day%20supply.
Following up on @Zuzus comment, even if your passport is still valid for the dates you are planning to travel, some countries will not give you a visa if it is too close to the expiration date. I found this out the hard way! If there is any chance that you may be traveling overseas, and your passport is within 6 months of expiration, I would go ahead and renew it now!
I love these ideas (especially carrying the vaccination card in your passport wallet. Duh! I wish I’d thought of that) but I have a word to say about the jumpsuit: airplane bathroom. If you’ve ever used an airplane bathroom you’re aware the floor is sometimes less than optimal for lowering your trousers, much less getting in and out of a jumpsuit to pee! This is where wearing a longish dress while traveling can make all the difference.
Thanks for cool the travel ideas!
While checking your passport expiration date, keep in mind kid’s passports expire after 5 years, not 10 years like adult passports. I learned that the hard way a few years ago, we ended up driving to a center 4 hours away, staying overnight and waiting in long lines all day with a 7 year old. 0/10 do not recommend.
Thanks for all the ideas! For my pills, I use Inova pill boxes both at home and for travel, as it comes with a case.
As a Passport Acceptance Agent, I agree with what has been said and I have one more tip – rather than thinking that your passports are valid for 10 years, renew them in 9 (or 4, for children). That can save your sanity and your wallet.
I get nausea from anesthesia, and the anesthesiologist has started giving me patches like those. I have no idea how the active ingredients compare, but if it’s the same thing, one of the side effects is dry mouth. For me, it dries out my throat which can make taking pills tough.
For your family members who prefer those flat-front masks, many KF94 masks use that design. KF masks have higher inspection standards than KN masks and are are higher quality than non-certified masks. My family likes Bluna Facefit, which come in kid & adult sizes AND have adjustable ear loops for better fit. The “Mask Nerd” on Twitter recommends them (he set up a mask testing station in his bathroom because mask quality was so hit-or-miss), and they score well on Armbrust’s independent testing (https://www.armbrustusa.com/blogs/mask-review/kf94-kn-flax-bluna-boat-kids-small-white-611). The adult versions come in white or black. We buy ours from Kollecte USA, but there are other retailers who carry them in the US.