Essentials on My Travel Packing List
Hiking in Olympic National Park, Washington, USA
Some packing items are optional, the ones that you could take with you but you may never pull from your bag, and then there are the items that are always in your suitcase. For me, this ongoing list (aka I will continue to update it) reflects my “musts” for travel. There is rarely a trip where I don’t need these essential items and they are some of my creature comforts, knowing my bag is packed well.
You know the moment on the way to the airport when you do the mental packing pep talk of “ok, I have a toothbrush, underwear, my passport, and cash. If nothing else, I can make it for a little bit” - these are included on that list for me.
Multi-Country Converter with USB Ports
Whoever “invented” this all-in-one converter is brilliant. To be honest, I even use it wherever I’m working, even at home, because it is that convenient. It’s a one-stop shop for your travel charging needs, with plugs for a variety of countries and the ability to charge multiple things at once. Need to plug in your laptop while charging your phone and your Kindle? This beautiful contraption has you covered.
Kindle (and charger)
I love a physical book but a Kindle is perfect for travel. It’s thin and lightweight making it easy to carry and fit into your bag, or even your pants. This way you can take multiple books with you, without paying for an overweight bag! Just make sure you download (and open to 100%) the books you are hoping to read when you have wifi. It’s a sad day when your books aren’t loaded and you’re out of luck until your next internet hub. Pro-tip, if you’re renting from your local library’s digital catalog (I love Libby), once your books are fully downloaded go onto airplane mode. It is a little sneaky but this way, if you’re a little behind in your reading - I mean you’re out there seeing the world! - they can’t “return” the book that’s due until you come off of airplane mode.
I cannot express to you my level of love for these pants. I currently own two pairs - navy and black - but could easily see that growing to a range of colors. I first bought these ahead of backpacking South America, since I knew I’d need hiking pants that were ideally breathable and temperature sensitive. These have knocked it out of the park for me. They have three zipper pockets (one on the butt and one on each side), which I didn’t fully know I was missing out on until I realized not only how convenient that feature is (say for squatting…) but also safety-wise. You never know who’s sitting next to you and how sticky their fingers are...
These pants also have a big velcro pocket on the right thigh, perfect for say… a Kindle. They are also a thin, lightweight material that keeps you warm or cool in a range of temperatures, depending on the climate. I comfortably wore these in the mountains of the Torres del Paine National Park (Chile) as well as strolling around the summery streets of Rio de Janeiro. Lastly, they are a higher-waisted pant, with drawstrings, so they fit comfortably and will stay up even if all of your pockets are full. I kid you not, I have fit my phone, wallet, passport, Kindle, charging cords, ear plugs, and more in these… At. One. Time. Who needs a purse or backpack when you have these pants?!
Travel Pillow (that is actually supportive)
Once you have a GOOD travel pillow, your days of jerking awake because your neck rolled around are done and dusted. My personal favorite is the trtl travel pillow, which is curved to support your neck and has a “scarf” that wraps as tight as you would like around your neck, keeping it in place. Honestly, it’s amazing. My second pick if you want a backup option is the “J” pillow. Similar to the trtl it is designed more for your neck and jaw but sadly it doesn’t have a wrap element so you have to… grip it with your face? I don’t know how to best describe that but yes, it still works well. The perk of the “J” over the trtl is that if you want a more cushiony pillow in the event you get a whole row to yourself or somewhere you can lay horizontally, it is a little fluffier than the trtl.
You don’t need to go out and buy a $1,000+ camera but spending a couple hundos on a smaller one is worth the results. I always say that your phone takes pictures you can post, your camera takes ones you can print. I have the Canon Powershot G9 X Mark II and love it (plus it’s sexy as hell).
The key takeaway of this tip is to bring a reusable water bottle. 100% there are going to be some areas you travel to where the water isn’t safe to drink and you have to buy single-use bottles, but there are so many more places where that’s not the case. That being said, I love this collapsible water bottle of mine as it fits well in my bag and has a band on it where I can hang the bottle off my pack, day bag, or wrist. Do I love that it’s a plastic version? No. But I’ve had it for many years now and plan to keep it for many more.
Honestly, earplugs became my nighttime bff after I moved to NYC. Living in a tiny studio apartment with two cats and noise coming through the windows at all hours would have been a nightmare without them. I’ve never looked back since and they’ve become a requirement, for good reason, on my packing list for years now. Whether you’re staying in a hotel on a noisy street or in a 6-bed hostel room while backpacking, you need a quiet night’s sleep to restore all your energy for the next day’s adventures. These Mack’s earplugs are my favorite - and last a while - but that doesn’t mean I don’t always pocket the random earplugs I get on trips - “Thank you, flight attendant!”
When I was diving into researching backpacking South America, I came across these locks, and honestly, thank goodness I did. If you’re used to the more padlock style or just a thicker bridge on your locks, these wire ones will change the game for you. Especially if you’re backpacking, often the lockers in hostels have very narrow holes so traditional locks won’t fit every time. These can also easily double as luggage locks, so make sure you get TSA-approved ones. I love a bright color but if you want to be boring they have neutral options as well.
Slippers
If you don’t know this yet, ya girl is a germaphobe. I also hate the sensation of walking around in socks or bare feet in someone's house and feeling like you’re collecting all the dirt and grim on the bottoms of your feet just to snuggle right up with it when you track it into your bed at night. YUCK. Anyway, I always pack some versioning of a slipper when I travel. Be they actual slippers - if I have the space in my luggage for a single-use item - or dual-purpose sandals (I loved these while backpacking as they were both functional for daily walking as well as slippers AND shower shoes). Just remember that slip-ons are best, with open space for all toes (aka no thongs), that way whether you’re getting out of the shower or wearing your socks ahead of your hiking later, you can easily slip your feet into them.
Tag @accentgolden in your “musts” so we can learn your packing tips too!
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