We’ve all been there. Scrambling to find that right slip of paper. Cursing about forgetting our favorite pair of socks even though we specifically set them aside to enjoy. Wishing we had written down that confirmation code after seeing a dead phone screen. Traveling can definitely be more stressful than fun at times. Here’s a list of my top 10 travel essentials to make going the distance a piece of cake.
1. Travel Belt
This travel belt secures your items close to you body to make thievery nearly impossible. We used this belt during our trip to Thailand. Flexible, comfortable, and breathable, this belt is perfect for all travels.
2. LifeStraw
We got a set of 2 LifeStraws for everyday living and traveling. LifeStraw has been one of our favorite products we’ve purchaed yet. By filtering out bacteria, parasites, and viruses, LifeStraws allow almost any water to become drinking water.
3. Osprey Backpack
Reagan and I got a couple of Ospreys for our Thailand trip, and we still use them for all travels near or far. He got a slightly larger capacity which suited him perfect. He carried 4 outfits, towel and washcloth, an extra pair of shoes, toiletries, rain coat, and a journal in this Osprey My backpack was lighter and smaller, yet still just as convenient. I carried 5 outfits, 2 extra pairs of shoes, toiletries, a straightener, a small makeup bag, a towel and washcloth, a raincoat, and a journal. Both of or bags had extra space for chargers and cords. The largest compartment has compression straps to ensure maximum packaging. I used the middle zipper for stowing dirty laundry and trinkets collected along the way.
4. Packing Cubes
Packing cubes! These guys make our trips 10x more organized and stress free. It looks like Amazon is heavily discounting a very large set of cubes. Reagan and I could definitely get away with sharing these before Elliot was born! Packing cubes are best used with a special method for folding your clothes. Special method, you say? Why, I cant even fold my clothes right at home! Well, neither can I. This method is comprehensive and simple. You got this!
5. Lock
Small, lightweight zipper locks are extremely helpful on long trips. These locks have flexible locking systems so you dont have to fight with getting the angle right. We utilized these multiple times a day by connecting our LifeStraw to our bags for safe keeping. These work great with locking backpacks, locking things to backpacks, and standard lockers as well.
6. Portable Battery
Please do yourself a favor and get some type of portable charger. Traffic doesn’t care if your phone/device gave up in the middle of directions. Cheap portable chargers will only let you down. My $10 charger gets my Note 8 to 30% despite reviews claiming otherwise. The $40 charger will charge to 100% multiple times saving me from abandoning my route to find a plugin.
7. Travel Notebook
I recently had the pleasure of flipping through my old travel book. So many beautiful memories came flooding back almost as if the words were actually pictures. Make the notebook work for you. Personally, I like to have space for iteniraries and jotting down thoughts. This will be your bestfriend if you can’t find your confirmation codes or little details needed for your trip.
8. Lightweight Towel
Oh, microfiber towel, how you make me smile. I LOVE my towel for multiple reason. First, it is so darn compact and fits perfectly into the bottom of my bag. Also, it’s a pro at drying. Drying me and drying itself. No need to fear putting a wet towel in your bag. This puppy will dry in no time. Lastly, it folds and stores like a dream. Gone are the days of never seeing it packed as beautifully as the day your got it. This towel tells all the other towels to take a hike.
9. Collapsible Dining
Traveling lightweight is important, but traveling smart is even more important. Collapsible bowls, cookware, and cups are key to a less expensive and hassle-free trip. We love to go grab granola, fruits, and yogurt for several days of breakfast bowls and snacks. This cuts dining expenses down by half or more. Less money spent on food leaves more money to spend on fun!
10. Lightweight Raincoat
Even in the desert we get unexpected rainstorms. Always be prepared so a little shower doesn’t spoil the day ahead. There’s so many lightweight raincoats to choose from… a little guidance might help! Personally, I prefer a waterproof double sided jacket that folds nicely into it’s on mesh sack. A waterproof jacket will take no time to dry, so you can continue with your travels easily if the sun decides to make an appearance! https://amzn.to/2IAsRb4 tp
Book rack https://amzn.to/33lnG8x
Sleep sackhttps://amzn.to/38KcvHn
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