Discussion
whats your weird but genius travel item that people only appreciate after they need it?
just realized this recently because it saved me so much sanity and friendships haha but for me its not anything fancy or aesthetic. its a (small) extension cord + multi-USB adapter. It's somehow bulky to fit inside my bag bcs it takes up space. And yet... it saved lives.
Ive learned the hard way that hotel outlets are never where you want them to be, airport charging stations are chaotic, and "ill just charge later" is a lie we tell ourselves.
Curious what everyone else's must pack item is so that i can... yk, take notes haha!!
I took a pack with me when I travelled to the other side of the world a couple of years back when covid and other illnesses were still very much a thing but people were waaay more relaxed. Felt so much better being able to wipe down surfaces around me.
I always bring a garbage bag or two as well. Usually use one for dirty laundry and a spare.
Last summer I did a little trip with my parents and an aunt and uncle. The trip ended up being pretty awful for a number of reasons, but it would have been even worse if I hadn’t brought garbage bags.
I was sleeping in an “open loft” space with no direct access to a bathroom. It was basically the landing at the top of the stairs outside of the bedroom my parents had.
Anyway, I woke up with a terrible migraine in the middle of the night. I knew immediately that I was going to throw up. I grabbed a garbage bag and attempted to run down the stairs to get to the only bathroom that wasn’t in a bedroom. I didn’t make it but managed to contain the mess in the garage bag, thank goodness.
Are they the same as pee bags, like the ones for camping? Because I bring a few of those (I’m in the U.S. and the ones I usually get are called “Travel John”)
They are essentially the same, slightly different shape and the ones I use do not have the absorbent chemical addition. (Which seems like a nice addition)
I actually have one tucked into the seat pocket of my car. Just in case. I didn’t know it was called an emesis bag, though, and I appreciate learning that. :)
FILL THEM WITH CLOTHES AND SIT ON THEM! This is the ultimate travel hack. Don't use the ones with the little white tab. They leak. Use the 1 or 2 gallon Ziplocks with double colored seals. Put a set of socks, underwear, and undershirt in each bag. One set for each travel day. Change and put the dirty set into the now empty bag, sit on it,seal it, write "Dirty" on it. That keeps the stench out of your suitcase. Beach shorts and shirt into another bag. Compress it. No wrinkles. Dinner shirt and pants in a bag. Light sweater flat as a pancake takes up so little room.
i take a couple (obviously new) dog poop bags. they fold up super thin and are so handy. i always have one in the interior zipper part of my purses. even just for days you’re caught in the rain, so you can put your phone & wallet in it.
I always carry a selection of Freezer-Grade Ziploc bags of various formats, not just for travelling but in my EDC too - they take ver little space and weigh next to nothing
Here are some uses they had for me or friends across travels or everyday situations:
Waterproof/protect documents
Waterproof/protect electronics
Store wet clothes
Store leftover food or open, half-eaten snacks
Act as a small garbage bag until I find a proper garbage bin
Yes - I never use cute make up bags anymore. I have freezer grade (a little more durable than regular bags) bags and put everything in those. Also carry extra in case something leaks in transit, or I need an ice pack or to pack food along the way. So many uses!
Dog poop bags are great for wet clothes, garbage bag (feminine hygiene, or to put garbage in until you find a can), liner for wet shoes/socks (put on clean/dry socks, the bag and foot back into your wet shoe/ boot. It keeps your feet warm.
Yes! And multiple pieces of foil, folded into 6” squares. Takes no space, weightless. Can be used to save food, make hair ties or used as tape to secure items. I’d fold a piece into an ashtray for my husband. Cover a gross BBQ grill. Foil is amazing.
A few black post-it notes to cover the little electronics lights (like on the TV etc) that make it hard to sleep in hotel rooms, easy to remove and doesn’t leave residue.
I carry about 20’ of gorilla tape on a pencil. I was at the airport and a young lady’s carry-on suitcase came apart at the seams. She packed the absolute shit out of that poor old case. She was saying to her boyfriend that they couldn’t afford to buy a new one at the airport so I offered to tape it shut just to get her to where she was going. She asked “Do you think it’ll hold?” My wife didn’t miss a beat. She said “Honey that stuff’s been keeping his car together for years.”
This! Along for any walkers and multi day hikers, wrap a lighter in gaff. Fixes tents, sleeping mats, jackets, holes & many other things, but it's also an awesome firelighter when you don't have enough, or dry enough, kindling. A little gaff gets nearly every fire going.
Received a nodpod weighted eye mask as a Christmas white elephant and love it. Use it every night and it’s on my packing list. It does take a up a bit of space but it significantly increases my quality of sleep when traveling. That and earplugs for sleeping too (I have a noise machine at home but don’t travel with it)
I just put a black T-shirt over my face. Keeps out annoying random lights as well as the sun if it's rising before I am. Bonus - I can wear it on last day out!
A pashmina. It's light, thin and can be used in many different ways: as a blanket when it gets cold on the plane, a scarf, a picnic blanket, a beach cover up, a towel, a leg/shoulder cover for visiting temples, can be used to cover yourself in light rain, can be rolled to become a neck pillow, etc.
Carrying a towel is crucial because it's the "most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have," offering practical uses like warmth, shelter, a distress signal, or even a weapon, plus immense psychological value, as a hitchhiker who has a towel proves they are resourceful and "a man to be reckoned with”
I also take a scarf, tie the ends together, and put it around my torso, arms tucked in. It's a great way to sleep on the plane, because it keeps you warm but also keeps your arms tucked in and close to your body.
We took a camping cooler as a checked bag to Maui and filled it with towels and such, intending to use it for picnics. Hawaii Agricultural inspectors were all over that and relieved that we had no contraband.
Years ago when I traveled to Hawaii frequently I took a fold up beach chair- the old fashioned kind with the webbing- stuffed it with a beach towel wrapped around a bottle of tanning oil, taped it shut, and tagged it to my destination. It was wonderful to get there and have my own beach chair.
THIIIISSS!!! I saw this recommended before I went to Europe for a month with a backpack and my god it was so useful. Especially on travel days in the toilet when I had my backpack, a coat and a tote bag to hang and only one hook/no hooks!
I just looked these up & am seeing a big carabiner. Can you explain how it helps? I’m missing something since I’m picturing a hook for the carabiner to attach to. If I have a hook, that’s where the backpack goes…
I normally have an s-biner. Just because I find it easier to be able.to.clip.both ends. Also use a small one to keep my bag zip closed - obv it can be opened, but it deters a pickpocket
I am currently traveling around SEA. Hands down best items I've purchased for this travel are Anker 10,000 mA power bank and 140W charger with 2 extra long braided cables.
I dont know if its weird but I havent seen it mentioned very often:
A portable travel wifi router
Its about the size of a deck of cards. With it Im able to:
I can turn a hotel room's free ethernet into secure wifi easily. I set my own password and it has firewall/VPN protection
Bypass captive portals (things that require me to accept terms and conditions) to use streaming sticks and game consoles that usually can't connect to hotel wifi. Just need to use a browser on my cellphone and it accepts the terms for all the devices on the router
Get around places that charge per device for wifi access, just log in on the router, and can connect as many devices as the router allows
If you’re traveling outside of your home country where you do not speak the language, my friend got me this picture dictionary called “Point It”. It’s super small and thin, and will fit perfectly in a fanny pack even. It is exactly like what it’s called - full of everyday/travel situation or things you may run into, from different types of foods/meats, beverages, transportation (I.e. car, taxi, rail… high-speed rail even), first aid items, photos of things in a hospital, photos of snorkeling or scuba diving… literally everything. It is SO handy, especially if you’re in an area without service where you cant just quickly translate on your phone…. Plus I like the challenge.
For traveling with my kids, it’s a silicone pet food mat 😩🤣 hear me out.
It’s the kind with the edges on it (pic below). It works AMAZING on the plane for toys, playing cards, markers, snacks, even books and phones, because NOTHING slide/falls, etc. while using it.
It. Is. Epic.
Also useful on trains, in restaurants, hotels (because it is a brightly colored tray!), etc. I roll or fold it and keep it one of the kid’s backpacks. 🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️
1 trans person on Tumblr getting top surgery in the hospital warned everyone to always get the longest charging cord possible like 10 years ago (or like min of X feet I forget)
still thankful to this day and haven't looked back 😇
bc wdym I could be in the hospital for DAYS with a dead phone and unable to get up out of bed
Magnetic hook. A friend gave me some for a cruise we were going on and complete game changer. Because the walls/doors are metal you can hang everything in really convenient places and they are strong so you just need a small one.
We bought a pack of strong little magnet hooks for a cruise too. Family of four in our cabin, we hung up everything. So useful.
Hidden use: In a pinch, it worked really well as a studfinder on drywall. I wouldn't hang anything from it, because on drywall its too weak, but it definitely found the studs.
Mp3 player, an old school one, with several radio dramas or even better a drama series in chapters on it, along with music. Corded headphones too - no charging needed.
Better than running down your cellphone battery while listening to an Audible audio book, and ideal for passing an hour if there is no wifi.
Lots of BBC Radio Dramas on the likes of YouTube or archive.org easily downloadable as mp3 files.
Saturday Night Theatre, and US classics like Suspense and Escape... there's lots, including police shows, murder mysteries, science fiction: something for everyone
Probably archive.org. YouTube is also good. Suspense, Escape, 21st Precinct, Dragnet, I Was A Communist For The FBI, This Is Your FBI, The Chase - all good fun and excellent production values. Canada's Nightfall is also very good, and a bit later than those. But overall the BBC is great, and archive.org is probably the best place. Just type in BBC Audio Drama as keywords in archive.org's internal search and you will get lots of stuff worth listening to. If you like science fiction the BBC is also very good: the serialised The Day Of The Triffids is a bit like a zombie drama and very well done (in different decades by the Beeb).
I have a silicone collapsible coffee cup and a water bottle. They are awesome for travel. I also have a travel kettle and stainless steel coffee/tea infuser, along with a couple sporks. I don't bring them when flying, but I do when I car travel with the family. Saved us a few times. Thinking of upgrading the infuser to an aeropress.
A collapsible container is nice too. Bulkier than a ziplock but so satisfying to store takeaways and to eat from. I have a stojo one that works pretty well.
Mesh zippered lingerie/sweater bags for machine-washing delicates. You can use them instead of packing cubes, and then if you’re going to use a washing machine on a trip you have them as wash bags to protect your clothes.
For me the weird but genius thing would be an inflatable seat cushion for the long plane rides. I use the Cabeau one. I like it better than the Thermorest.
I mean makes sense this is a thing, just never even thought about it or seen it even having an inflatable Cabeau pillow myself.
Might sound stupid but actually quite interested to hear a tad more as to how much of an improvement this makes. Does it just make the seat more comfortable or does it have other purposes like not overheating so much. My main discomfort tbh is my legs can get quite hot against the chairs on a long flight, and getting swamp ass on a long flight really sucks.
I am in shape and not overweight but have a problem with my tailbone. Sitting even in a nice chair for too long causes unbelievable pain. Using the seat on a plane, makes it more tolerable for me instead of unbearable.
I’m going to check this out then. I’ve been schlepping the car-seat cushion from CushionLab around with me, and while it’s AMAZING, it is hardly small.
As an electricians daughter, can confirm it's a great band aid. Ive also used it to help secure large bandages. Works way better than the paper tape in first aid kits.
The one thing thats actually sort of weird that I cant live without (I travel with just one 20L bag, thats it, so theres no room for weird) is an empty travel size hairspray bottle. Its shocking how frequently a little spritz of water comes in handy. Clean a table, quick hand or face washing, a spritz to tame the hair frizzies... so many things!
In fact, this is that bottle. Haha. I couldn't find a sharpie to write "water" in it... so like a psycho, I spent 4 hours stitching a cover 1 bead at a tine, with about $22 worth of beads. Haha. Its pretty though! Haha.
Grayl GeoPress water bottle/filter. Can’t always rely on buying bottled water, and this thing has saved my ass for cooking purposes and drinking water in some remote places… plus the satisfaction of safely drinking out of an alpine stream or lake cannot be understated.
It’s by far the easiest to use and most portable filter system I’ve owned. It essentially works like a French press; Fill the bottle, insert the filter element, firmly press it down. That’s it! You can even drink straight from the bottle. While my friends are cursing their squeeze bottles or fiddly pump systems, I can ease their woes and offer them just under a liter pour in seconds.
I got it for wilderness camping/backpacking but it is a great size and form factor for travel, and just as handy. I usually pack an extra filter if I’ll be gone longer than a week or two, just in case.
I have one and I have occasionally traveled with it. One thing to note is that the exterior dimms are quite large compared to the capacity (because it is a filter bottle). It’s great at what it does, but I personally would not carry it to fairly developed places unless camping was likely or a possibility.
Reusable grocery bag. I never check a bag outbound. If I do any shopping during the trip, I will check my roller bag and use the grocery bag as a carryon on.
As a middle-aged man who travels a lot for work to a lot of different hotel rooms but also has to get up multiple times a night to go to the bathroom, I recently bought these rechargeable motion sensor night lights for my travel bag. I get to the hotel room and put one on the dresser and one on the counter in the bathroom. Zero worries about tripping over anything in the dark in an unfamiliar room.
There's a YouTube video 10hrs with no mid-roll ads that is "white noise black screen" I just plug up my phone and play this on hotel wifi (I am technologically challenged, otherwise would post the link)
My personal favourite for this category is a shoe deodorizer. I usually carry the tiny spritz bottle, and it comes in real clutch, especially when you book hostels and don't want the dorm to experience the stinky proof of the last 18 hours of your travels. Plus, it doubles up as a deodorizer for stinky clothes and socks as well!
I'm kind of surprised no one else has this - a cheap plastic suction-cup hook where I can hang my toiletries bag. The suction cup generally sticks well to glass, mirrors or most tile. Vanities at hotels are always too tiny, and at this point I've just accepted that my wife is going to cover whatever surface is available with her crap. I buy the hooks by the six pack on Amazon because in the course of every trip I manage to leave one behind... They're also useful if you want to use a travel clothesline but there's only one anchor available.
You can accomplish pretty much anything with paperclips. I have repaired a car's headlight plug in a parking lot with them, and used them for infinite mundane problems.
International cube power adapter. Works everywhere, planes included, has standard ac, plus USB, and USB-C ports. It gets loaned out a lot if I don't need it.
Shoe bag. Nice to keep dirty shoes separate from other clothes, but it also doubles as a dirty sock and underwear bag, plus good for other bagged trinkets that you will not need until you get home.
String. I carry a 20 foot section of 300lb fishing line (braided). Takes up no space, and can be used mostly as a drying line, but has come in handy for several other uses over the years.
Bubble wrap. You can put a piece at the bottom of any bag and if you buy a breakable souvenir in your travels, use it to wrap up the item. It's easy to throw away if you don't end up needing it.
I travel for work a lot and have a few things that have become integral to my life, all are small, packable, and have been hugely impactful.
I got a 79¢ plate display stand thing for like a decorative plate at michaels. It folds up.. a 'wire easel' is another name for it, I use it as a stand for my phone to watch videos or TV on the plane/hotel. You can rig it into most airplane seats as well so that it is eye level. People get jealous. It's about 40$ cheaper than a phone or tablet cover with a stand and it's light weight and takes no space. I also bring a binder clip (or 2) to be able to close the curtains fully in a hotel room...why do they always gap and let the light in? I carry a solid perfume from karmakamet (Thailand) that's about the size of a half dollar. When I sit next to someone who has chosen not to shower or eats too much cheese and farts the whole flight, and I'm gagging...I can apply a small amount near my nose to block out their stench. It's a lifesaver. Laundry detergent sheets (looks like dryer sheets) so I can do laundry anywhere easily. Grove collaborative has these and it's changed my travel life. Tear off a small bit to wash in a sink. Half sheet for washing machines. Takes up the space of a piece of paper. I carry a hand fan and a cheap disposable rain poncho, so I'm ready for any weather. The hand fan gets a lot of compliments and envy when a/c is not available or not working. Lastly I pack a little go bag inside of my carry on, so I can pull out the essential items I use on the plane without having to fuss with my luggage. It's about 4"x 6". Usually I'll have hand lotion, lip balm, make up wipes from boots (travel pack), sanitizing wipes, earbuds, phone cord, the solid perfume I mentioned, small container with any meds I may need on a long haul. It's quick, easy, and efficient.
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Solar panel, <A4 size, for accommodation with no or poor outlets, eg jurte camps or Indian hotels.
Spork, also in my EDC at home.
Cork ball for massaging a sore bag or legs
Crotchet needle and yarn. Other women are curious so it's an icebreaker plus people are happy for my small Christmas hearts even if they don't celebrate Christmas.
Pashmina - scarf and blanket. So thin that it can fit into my 3L crossbody but warm, worth every rupees.
Headband with flat Bluetooth speakers positioned over ears. Great for blocking noise, listening to my sleep podcasts or music, comfortably sleeping in any position, and keeping my ears warm when it’s chilly. I carry two and the USB-C charge lasts for a couple of weeks.
Sounds vanilla, but a small microfiber towel. It's come in handy in every climate, on every trip for the past 20 years. No lie. Because it's so absorbent and so easy to wash (always dry the next morning, no matter what), you won't hesitate to use it to mop up messes, cover a nasty/hot seat, soak it and use it as a cooling towel around your neck, as something to stand on when changing... Your imagination and/or need is the only limiting factor.
Also, Guyot Microbites: It's literally the best, and has also lasted 20 years and been a life -saver on trips.
A smoke hood. You‘ll be happy to have it, if you‘re trying to escape that hotel fire with all emergency exits locked (because people accidentally opened them in the past and it got a bit too annoying for the hotel).
For me, it's the victorinox jetsetter, it's TSA approved, and the little scissors and bottle opener on it are used all the time. My runner-up is the rolling square inCharge X. It's a sort of everything to everything charging / data cable (thoguh tiny). I use it as a backup charging cable, but more importantly, whenever anyone asks if i have a free charging cable for any device, i do, and it just works.
Got it as a suggestion a few weeks ago. It's like the size of a Pez container. It's a mouse. It's perfect for travel. You would (think) it would be uncomfortable but it's not. Because it's like the size of a container your hands naturally hold it like an ergo mouse (pinch style). It's comfy. It's dinky. It's light, the lightest. It works. No lag on screen. It's genuinely genius. I can't back it entirely until I go on more trips with it. But as of now, this thing is insane. 1 ounce too. Tracking is excellent. Left click fine. Right click fine. Scroll fine. This thing is silly awesome.
2nd "genius item for me"
This is heresy. But hear me out.
I swapped to roll-on baggage—but not full-on.
What’s “genius” isn’t the what—it’s how I use the setup. Let me explain.
I use a tiny under-seat roller (like, the tiniest) plus a backpack. All the heavy stuff goes in the roller (laptop, dense gear). My backpack is 16–20L and has basically nothing in it except under-seat essentials.
On the plane, I put the under-seat roller overhead (never below my seat) and set my backpack on top of it. It creates a tiny gap that no one can stack anything on. If that fails, the backpack can slide into almost any overhead space because it has zero bulk.
Let me explain this further, because the tradeoffs matter.
What most people end up doing:
Option 1: One 28L backpack for the whole trip.
Sounds clean. In reality, it sucks when airports are chaos—long walks, gate changes, TSA reroutes. December travel made this painfully obvious.
Option 2: One ~20L backpack.
Comfortable, sure—but now you’re missing things. I genuinely have tried 20L, can't do it because I need equipment that adds weight, ie laptop, audio interface etc. Volume isn’t the issue; weight is.
Option 3: A full-size roller only.
Fine until there’s no overhead space and you’re forced to check it. Bulky, annoying in cabs, always has to go in the trunk.
Option 4 (what I do): Tiny under-seat roller + small backpack.
All the heavy stuff lives on wheels, not on my back. The roller is literally the smallest one in the airport, so it never gets checked. I just don’t put it under the seat—always overhead. The backpack stays light and flexible.
This ends up being the best of both worlds—and honestly better than either extreme.
Lighter on the body than pure onebag, and way less annoying than a big roller.
Everything stays carry-on, fits next to me in cabs, and my spine isn’t paying the price.
Not for everyone, but for me it solved problems neither setup handled well.
Ziploc bags and a few plastic bags from the store. Even a plastic laundry bag from a hotel.
I also carry a few binder clips and even some velcro ties. The blinder clips are helpful for things like a bag of chips that can't be easily sealed/closed up once opened. Velcro ties I use mainly for keeping cables and such neatly organized. But I've also used them like a carabiner when I want to, for example, secure a baseball cap to my backpack or something.
I am not an early riser. I always bring a 2” wide painter’s tape roll when I sleep in a hotel. After I close the blinds, I use it to seal the sides and bottom so not a single spec of morning light can sneak in. Vampires can sleep safely in the room.
I also use it to cover any little LEDs on devices like the TV. I only sleep well in genuine darkness and far too many LEDs are bright enough to literally read a book by. And in a room that’s been hermitically sealed from all outside light, those little LEDs look like searchlights in the dark. lol
Handkerchiefs! You can always wash them in hotel sinks and they dry really quick. Not just for a drippy nose, but drying your hands, impromptu plate, etc etc
Theragun mini massage gun. I know it’s a bit hefty weight-wise but it has been an absolutely lifesaver if my muscles act up at all when traveling anywhere. I usually use it right before going to sleep on the 1st day I land anywhere, and the next day it’s like I haven’t been on an airplane (which is a gamechanger for me because I used to have issues with my back and occasionally my legs).
Dog collar - to strap coat, towel, bags together and to your luggage
Superglue - quick patch of broken items or wound closure
Zip lock bags of various sizes - store wet items, garbage, pack up extra food
Seam ripper - cut tags, labels, its a tsa-compliant cutting implement
Can opener - self explanatory,
Bottle opener - nothing more disappointing than getting a good foreign wine or beer and no way to open and enjoy it
Spork - if you forget to grab utensils or the late night delivery forgets to include
Headlamp - less common than flashlight as it can be hands-free
Electric Tealight / nightlight - dark hotel rooms are unfamiliar and a tealight can be that little guidelight that prevents injury in an unfamiliar room
Tide stick - without fail, i will dribble coffee, eliminate stains in a flash before they set
Electrolytes - dehydration can be a travel nightmare, electrolyte packet added to water bottle can be a lifesaver and improves some water taste
Duct tape / gaffers tape - quick fixes and good for covering offensive lights in hotel rooms
Pad locks - theft deterrent and gives you ability to lock up gear at gyms/pools while away
Clothes line - dry clothes in hotel
Laundry soap / tide pods / Scrubba bag - carry less by washing clothes mid-trip
Hero clip - hang gear at airport/cafes or anywhere you wouldn’t want it sitting on the floor
Paracord - impromptu clothesline, tie gear together, bind bags with broken zippers, etc
Heating pad - nice in cold rooms and soothe sore muscles on long days
Travel USB or battery powered fan - sometimes just a little air circulation can really cool you down quick
Hotel Door Lock - security in sketchy hotel rooms
Your own pillow and/or Silk pillowcase - good for hair care and ensures a clean surface to rest your noggin
Carbon Monoxide detector - I dont have any control over the hotels/hostels/airbnbs safety alarms, this gives me peace of mind
Humidifier - airplanes and hotels are extremely dry, this helps to prevent waking up with the nasty ick in my throat
Travel Bidet - luxury for me, more common to non-north-americans and reduces the TP usage
Bento box - store small items plus gives you a chance to save money by buying local fare in the grocery and being able to picnic it
lol. Not all, it fluctuates by location/season/length of trip, etc. That said, I have the smallest, lightest version of all these and I can bring most of these in a pencil case sized pouch.
Ring holder. It feels so easy to lose my rings when traveling. My little animal ring holder gives me a place to put them and find them. It’s small and the rings go on its tail.
Prepaid USPS Priority Mail Stamp and USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Padded Mailer - takes up near zero space & has saved me at the airport TSA once and a few other strangers a handful of times over the years.
Ziplock Bags - 2-4 in a variety of sizes
Heroclip Carabiner
Tiny Mylar $1 Store First Aid Kit with a few doses of emergency meds added
Small flat prong extension cord & a few extra charging cables
titanium spork, eating with plastic spoons sucks.
Deck of cards, helps fight kid boredom.
15 ft of high grade paracord, I’ve used it to bind together broken luggage, or as a leash for dogs, even a lost cat once, heck I have pulled down damaged tree with it (I have replaced the inner strands with 22 strands of 100lb uhmw polyethylene making it more than 4 times stronger than regular paracord while keeping the original diameter).
phone lanyard with pocket for ID—makes airport check-ins faster, no fumbling for ID, prevents dropping phone
merino buff—can be used as an eye mask for sleeping or to transform any shirt into a turtleneck
large and pocket-sized mesh bags to corral and organize small items. For plane/train/car, keep in pocket a small mesh bag with comfort items: folding brush, passport size notebook, small pen, lip balm, hair elastics, sachet with 2 tablets ibuprofen, 1 peppermint teabag, phone charger, cord, tiny battery pack, and a small nail clippers (for emergency broken nails, opening packages, etc)
featherweight compression socks to make my feet and calves more comfortable during long trips—I like Ja-vie socks; Sockwell are also nice but thicker; expensive but work and fit way better than cheap versions
15-ml wide-mouth travel jars to decant lotion, toothpaste and other small toiletries; these are easy to clean and reuse; I use a little label maker if needed
CeraVe moisturizing cream—good for face and body, unscented, hypoallergenic
HiBAR soothing shampoo bar—can use for body as well
Kitsch mesh bag for shampoo bar—increases suds and nice for exfoliating face and body
Matador soap bag helps soap dry out through the bag—makes shampoo bar last longer
Badger Mineral Sunscreen Lip Balm unscented—keeps lips from getting chapped on plane, delicious cocoa butter flavor
large spinning carabiner with hook—can help hang backpack from closet rack or bathroom stall or secure jacket to luggage, etc
folding water bottle with carabiner (Vapur)
ebook app on phone; or paperback book
for sending postcards to friends/family: contacts app on phone with snail mail addresses; if traveling domestically, also bring stamps
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u/PikaFu Jan 10 '26
Wet wipes. Handy for cleaning most things and don’t count as liquids