From Travel Experts: 5 Things We Can’t Travel Without

When you travel frequently, you quickly realize the things that are essential and the things that you can’t travel without. These things make traveling easier and, of course, bags lighter.

Pass the passport/ID, cash/card, and clothes, we ask travel blogger experts of the things they can’t travel without.

Jodi of Fairy God Bloggers 

1. Magic Bands – Magic Bands are such a staple for having a well-organized vacation. A Magic Band is a bracelet that holds your park ticket, fast passes, room key, and even your credit card. They’re the perfect accessory for having a hands free visit to the ‘World.

2. Sunglasses – Florida isn’t called the Sunshine State for nothing! It’s very sunny and bright in Orlando, so sunglasses will not only protect your eyes, but also reduce your chances of getting a headache from having to squint.

3. Poncho/Rain Coat – Yes, Florida is called the Sunshine State, but it also rains quite a bit! However, Florida rain isn’t typical rain; it only rains sporadically for a few minutes at a time, so having rain gear that can easily come on and off is a must.

4. Bookbag – I 100% recommend bringing a bookbag into the parks so you can carry all your essentials. I find carrying a bookbag rather than a purse to be much more comfortable for long park days.

5. Minnie Ears – No Disney trip is complete without Minnie Mouse ears! They’re the perfect accessory to any simple outfit. No Disney themed clothes? No problem! Just put on a pair of ears and you’re ready to go.

Nicholas of Hipster Sunnies

1. Sunglasses – To travel without sunglasses is to travel without seeing the whole picture. Everybody needs sunglasses for their trip no matter where the trip takes you. Stylish eye protection allows you to look hip and keep your precious eyes safe from harmful rays!

2. Bluetooth speaker – I would be lost without my Bluetooth speaker when I go traveling! Perfect for chilling in the day on your balcony or what about when you are in the shower or getting ready to go out? Set the mood and play your favorite music!

3. Flip Flops – I actually forgot mine a few trips ago! That’s when I realized how important they are! I ended up wasting half a day of my holiday doing unnecessary shopping, finally found a pair and they seemed okay when I tried them on but after wearing them for a while I realized they were too big and quite uncomfortable! Never underestimate the importance of some comfortable flip flops for your holiday!

4. Sunscreen – A top tip from me! Always go to your local supermarket or discount store and stock up on the white stuff. When you get to any beach destination they always hike the prices up as they know people will be desperate to purchase and won’t care too much about the price. Save the money for something more important like a cocktail or a lazy lunch!

5. Exit plan – Often overlooked, you just think about getting to your destination and no-one ever thinks about planning the trip back to the airport. In huge cities like Barcelona + Paris, it’s actually much more difficult than you think getting back to the airport. After a few missed flights and the occasional sprint through the airport, I always make sure I go armed with an escape plan when I travel now.

Kendra of Flamingo-A-Go-Go

1. Scarf – I love to visit churches, so having a scarf is handy if I’m in a sleeveless top.

2. Portable phone charger – After all my photos and videos, my battery is dying towards the end of the day.

3. Journal – I love documenting my day and reflecting on my experience, and it’s so useful when I’m back home writing my blog post!

4. Kindle – I love to read and carry my Kindle anywhere. When I found a cafe or bar that I want to relax with a drink at, I also like to have my book with me.

5. Good shoes – On most trips, I walk at least 10 miles a day. Not gonna make it through that with poorly made shoes!

Manu of Harstuff-Travel

1. Camera – I love to take photographs of places and capture them. A camera is one of the essential things for me during travel.

2. Good shoes – I don’t like to roam around in slippers. I always need a good pair of shoes so that I can walk on any kind of terrain. Also, I am a mountaineer so shoes are my kind of lifeline on the treks and expeditions.

3. Rucksack – It is as important as shoes. I always need a rucksack during traveling so that I can carry all my important stuff.

4. Map – You cannot rely on GPS everywhere. Sometimes offline and conventional maps are more useful. I always like to carry it.

5. My Playlist – I love listening to songs especially on road trips. I have a customized playlist that I play on every road trip.

Roneth of The Fickle Feet

1. Notebook – I like to write and I write in my journal everyday single day. This helps me treasure my memories and it also serves as my planner to keep track of my daily tasks.

2. Sunscreen – I wear sunscreen every day and for me, it is very important to have healthy skin.

3. Bottle of Water – It is very important to keep hydrated all the time (It also keeps our skin healthy!). Plus, it helps me save a little cash on drinks.

4. Phone – I mostly take my photos using my phone because it is very convenient to bring.

5. Laptop – Because I work online and I bring it with me whether I’m traveling or not.

Mike of 197 Travel Stamps

1. Power Bank – Even though many countries still require printed confirmations of return tickets and hotel bookings at the immigration, I hardly ever print anything in advance and fully rely on my digital documents. Therefore, I always bring my power bank to jumpstart my device in case I run out of battery on the way.

2. Peanuts – For me, traveling usually means going through various time zones and flying on different airlines. Whenever I get hungry on a plane or end up craving a snack somewhere in the middle of the night, I just take out my bag of peanuts and start munching away.

3. Ear Plugs – No matter what the hotel review says, it’s never as quiet as advertised. There is always a noisy neighbor or a construction site nearby that keeps you from falling asleep in a new time zone. That is why I always carry earplugs when traveling so I can sleep in peace.

4. Sunscreen – I like hot places with lots of sunshine but nothing kills the holiday joy more than a bad sunburn on day one. Especially in areas around the equator, you can get burned within minutes if you don’t use a proper sunscreen.

5. Mosquito Spray – Often, these wonderfully warm and tropical places come with the danger of mosquito-borne diseases. After having contracted dengue fever in Thailand, I always carry a mosquito spray to keep these annoying little bloodsuckers away.

Jennifer of Travel Like A Prince

1. Travel Journal – Recently I discovered the art of journaling as a way to create a tangible memory of my trips. It’s become a way for me to explore my inner creativity while paying attention to details and moments. After several trips, I have crafted quite a keepsake, and someday I will have it filled with years (and miles!) worth of excursions and thoughts.

2. Luggage Scale – If you don’t have one of these, buy one stat! Seriously, though… having a luggage scale has saved me so many times when traveling. It allows me to shuffle things around suitcases and gives me a room (and weight) to bring home souvenirs.

3. Theftproof, Charging Backpack – Although it doesn’t hold as much as a traditional backpack, the design of my anti-theft backpack puts my mind at ease when I’m in a space crowded with tourists. The fact that I can be out for the day and be able to plug in my phone is reassuring so that I’m able to snap photos all day without having to worry about losing charge.

4. Plane Sleeping Kit – Long ago, I purchased an airplane blanket that came in a pillowcase that you can put over the plane’s pillow. To that, I’ve also added a neck pillow, eye sleeping mask, earplugs, and sleep aid. I know I look like a sight on a plane, but if I can get some comfy shut-eye, I’m all the better for it when I arrive.

5. Swimsuit – Even if I’m not headed to somewhere tropical, I like to take a swimsuit along. Whether the place we’re staying has a pool or there are open showers (I’ve been to several 3rd world countries), it’s just nice to have something to wear either to be modest or be able to play in the water.

Mainak of Places in Pixel

1. Camera, Lenses, Tripod, and other camera accessories – To capture some amazing moments, landscapes, peoples and much more.

2. Some medicines and Band-aids – We never know when our stomach may get upset, or when we might get a small bruise.

3. Notepad – To take down notes for blogging about them later.

4. Plug-point adaptor and voltage-adaptor – Different countries have different plug-point types and also different voltage.

5. Power bank – Well, having a charge-less smartphone/tablet is the same as not having one at all

Anjali of Travel Melodies

1. A good book – Because books are love. They fill your soul with stories and you don’t get bored during airport layovers, long bus, train or car rides.

2. Travel journal – Call me old-school but in this digital era, I still like to maintain a physical journal. Being a travel writer, it becomes mandatory for me to jot down the best travel moments as I tend to forget some worth mentioning when I sit down to write.

3. Tiger balm – Travel is hectic. Running around places sometimes makes me tired and tiger balm comes handy for any kinda muscle pain, or a headache.

4. Lip balm – I’m the happiest when my lips are happy.

5. My favorite silk scarf I purchased from Kashmir – I just love it! It’s wonderful the way this takes-up-no-space kind of scarf goes beautifully with most of the dresses and makes me look good.

Tina of Traveleidoscope, LLC

1. Flashlight(s) – I’ve been in power outages from Tampa, Florida to Chuuk, Micronesia. You never know when you’ll need it. I pack a travel alarm clock that is also a flashlight, in addition to a small purse size flashlight.

2. First Aid Kit – I load up a little plastic bag with bandages of different sizes, antibiotic cream, hand wipes, insecticide wipes, rubber gloves for icky jobs (you can also wear them when changing a flat bicycle tire so your hands stay relatively clean), various medications (diarrhea, constipation, anti-gas, decongestants, pain relievers, etc.). I’ve used everything I’ve just mentioned at one time or another on a trip.

3. Plastic bags and baggies – They are great to hold wet clothes, dirty clothes, etc. We even use plastic grocery bags to put on our wetsuits when we dive.

4. Take a multi-tool like a Swiss Army Knife or a Leatherman – you never know when you’ll need it. You can use a multi-tool to tighten a screw on luggage or to cut bread on an impromptu picnic. If you’re flying, you’ll probably need to pack it in your checked luggage. According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) website wrenches/pliers/screwdrivers less than 7″ are permitted in a carryon, but knives must be packed in your checked luggage. Check the TSA website for the most up-to-date and accurate information.

5. Collapsible water bottles – They don’t take up much room and you can fill them at the airport. During your trip, if you buy a big bottle of water you can refill the collapsible bottles. There are a number of different types of collapsible bottles available. The ones I have are a bit floppy and look a bit like cylindrical bladders, but once you get used to them, they are real lifesavers. Read the entire post here.

Vicky of Tillys Travelling Telegram

1. Kids Kindle – My daughter is 7 and we travel a lot in our position as bloggers so the kindle helps to pass the time. We load it up with movies from Amazon, and once it’s charged up, she can watch it for hours. She also uses it for games.

2. Baby wipes – Often when I travel I never know where I am going and you can guarantee that Tilly will get filthy. She drags her hands along the walls and sometimes there are no facilities to clean your hands after you have been to the toilet. They are also fantastic for wiping down spills on your clothes or dirty tables.

3. My portable phone charger – I always carry one or two of these if I am traveling a long way. We buy portable chargers that are strong enough to charge an iPhone up twice from empty to full.

4. Hair curlers – I often go to London on the train for events, so I make the most of the plug sockets and curl my hair on the way. They get thrown in the bottom of my bag and I can curl my hair when I need to. Even when I go away for a weekend and you look tired and worn out, if you do your hair then you feel much better.

5. Painkillers – I always take paracetamol and ibuprofen, especially if I am going by plane because the recycled air makes me feel rubbish and if there is someone on the plane with a cold or worse, then you’re going to get it! So painkillers kind of take the edge off it so you can make the most of a break. I even carry them about if I am traveling in the UK because often I am stuck on trains for hours without any fresh air and end up with a headache. I also carry kids paracetamol because I worry about being in another country and asking for Calpol for my child but being given the wrong product. Taking my own painkillers is also cheaper than buying them in a lot of European countries too.

Tom of Tech for Travel

1. iPad Pro 12.9” – I am currently trying to transition from a notebook to a full-time tablet user. For travel, it makes great sense as the iPad is my one-stop-shop for work, social, gaming, media, and image/video editing. There have been a few changes to get used to but adding a Logitech Keyboard case and Apple Pencil has made running my website on a tablet, from anywhere in the world, easy! Read the review here.

2. Google Maps App – I’ve lived in London all my life, and I still get lost! So, when I travel to a new city Google Maps is my go-to app for navigation. With the option to save directions for offline use, suggested local transport routes/timings and even the option to book an uber, it’s much more than just a map!

3. Lat_56° Road Warrior Carry-On – Initially, I brought this case just for business trips and it quickly became the only case I will travel with. I have been traveling with it for 3 years now, on countless trips, and it still looks brand new! It was built to last and look great! Read the review here.

4. Portable Power Pack – I could be considered as a heavy user of tech & gadgets and as such, I need to top up my devices often! My watch, phone, tablet, and headphones all need charging at least once a day. I never leave the hotel without a power pack in my bag!

5. Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones – At first, I was not sold on going wireless with my headphones, then I reviewed a pair and upgraded a week later! For travel, they are perfect for watching a film or listening to music, but they are even better for work! The new generation of wireless headphones has much better microphone technology, so hands-free.

Carmen of Wellington World Travels

1. iPhone (+ charger) – The all-in-one gadget. Nowadays, smartphones have several uses and features – telephone, internet, camera & video, google maps, language translation, social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc), iBooks (I just download my favorite books), music, update my blog, emails, online chats/calls, check-in online, apps for travel guides, etc. Though I have an iPod, iPad, and laptop, I don’t bring them all the time if I don’t have to.

2. Scarf – The multi-purpose garment. I can use it to cover my self when going to temples, cover my head during summer, a blanket when the aircraft is too cold, pillow, etc. Besides, it doesn’t take up a lot of space in my bag.

3. Lipstick – I look pale without a lipstick that’s why I always have to carry one. Plus, I need to look nice for the photos 😉

4. Ziploc bags – Instead of using packing bags, I use Ziploc bags to store my medicines, liquids, passport, and any small items.

5. Extra cash – Also called an exit plan or the just-in-case cash, I need to be able to get out of an undesirable situation. Not all places accept card or sometimes you won’t be able to find an ATM right away. That’s why it’s good to carry extra cash.

What about you? Are any of these items on your packing lists? If not, what are the five things you can’t travel without? Share them with us in the comments below.

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