9 Travel Essentials

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1. A good backpacking backpack or convertible rolling backpack

Practice wearing your fully packed backpack before you go. Look for durability, fit, and accessibility. I like the Deuter Act Lite for its adjustable height fit, multiple compartments, and upper and lower zippers for access. It also compresses to fit on budget airlines and expands to store your coat/personal item if needed.

2. Packing cubes

These are great to keep your things organized and wrinkle free (if you care about that kind of thing). I usually pack by type of clothing (shirts together, pants together) or by when I will use each item (full outfits together, pajamas together). Stop searching through your entire suitcase for that one thing you're not quite sure you packed.

3. Hanging organizer with toiletries

The hanging organizer is key for when you don't want to set your bag down on a gross bathroom surface.

What to pack:

Your every day makeup

Shampoo, conditioner, soap, lotion

Toothbrush and toothpaste, dental floss

Bandaids and Neosporin

Blister bandaids

Vasaline for small cuts, chapped lips, and preventing blisters

Advil, Sudafed, Nyquil, Pepto Bismol and whatever other medications you take regularly that may be difficult to get abroad.

4. Microfiber travel towel

These towels dry fast and pack small. Use it as a cover up, towel, balled up as a pillow, or beach blanket. Get one with a loop to hang from hooks in hostel showers, tree branches, etc.

5. Headphones or ear plugs and a sleep mask

Theses are essential for plane travel, train travel, and sleeping in noisy hostel dorms. Try them out before you go. If they're uncomfortable they won't help you sleep any better. Also consider compression socks to prevent swelling on long-haul flights.

6. Universal plug adapter

If you travel a lot, invest in one and bring it anywhere. If you're on a one time trip, you can get the direct country to country converter. I'd also recommend an external battery pack for when you can't find an outlet, a high speed USB charger with multiple ports, and shorter versions of your regular cords.

7. Good walking shoes

Sneakers, flats, boots, flip flops for gross hostel showers. Whatever you choose- make sure to wear them in before you go. You want something that is comfortable, versatile, and can serve many outfits and functions.

8. Travel journal

I don't go anywhere without my travel journal. I jot down important addresses, names and numbers for when I have to be offline, recommendations from fellow travelers, favorite attractions and restaurants to endorse later, and a few key phrases in the local language. You can get farther than expected with Please, Thank you, Where, How much, and a lot of gesturing.

Here's a classic black moleskin.

Here's a lightweight travel themed journal.

9. Book to read or a kindle download

Sometimes you can take or leave a physical book at a hostel during your travels. It's nice not to rely entirely on technology but it's also nice to have unlimited good reads on one small device. I have a fire tablet I download free books onto and use to read at night so I don't disturb anyone with the light. What's your reading style?

#Travel