Travel Essentials That Make Sense

My Top Picks

• Hardshell Suitcase: The Samsonite Freeform is my favorite because it looks awesome & it’s so light! It has a lot of other features as well and it comes in an awesome red color among others.

• Soft Suitcase: I love the Samsonite Solyte DLX simply for the smart sleeve the other features are great also but the smart sleeve makes traveling with more than one suitcase so much easier! Especially if you have to make a stop at starbucks! You can pull 2 suitcases with one hand and have one free for your coffee! Win Win!

• Foldable Luggage: I love to pack a spare empty suitcase on trips because then I don’t have to worry about space to bring back souvenirs or buying another suitcase while on vacation. The Drvoon foldable suitcase is so awesome because it expands according to how much space you need. Also it has wheels that are removable and a smart sleeve so if you’re not needing a ton of extra space you can remove the wheels and use the smart sleeve. I love it!

• Underseat Carry On: I love this London Fog underseat carry on. Why buy an underseat carry on? Well, I’m short and hoisting a larger carry on high above my head is hard! That’s one of the reasons It’s my favorite suitcase and I use it almost every trip I go on even though it’s so small. I love that you can open it while it’s upright. I love the side pockets and I love that it has a smart sleeve. Not only does it fit under the seat when on a plane, it’s makes a great week-end suitcase.

• Travel Cubes: Let’s face it. Travel cubes are an organizers dream! You might think you don’t need them, but they are so handy to keep everything organized. I love these Jadyn packing cubes simply because of the designed fabric. But they have other sets that contain more cubes and shoes cubes as well such as the Bagail 8 set.

• Luggage Straps: Luggage straps might not seem necessary but let me tell you how they come in handy. If your zipper breaks from TSA or other damage is done by the conveyor belts and your suitcase pops open (yes this did happen to me in Seattle) your suitcase still stays together. Plus the obvious benefit of being able to recognize that boring black suitcase. My husband is always picking black suitcases. Then when we travel, he makes at least 2 or 3 attempts before he finds his own. With these Travelkin straps there’s no mistake which bag is yours! Plus they have such fun designs!

• Luggage Tags: Most suitcases come with built in luggage tags but not all and so a luggage tag is still necessary. I like to get fun ones again because they make it easier to recognize your luggage. My kids love Studio Ghibli and I think these little soot sprites were so adorable!

• Toiletry Bag: There are so many different styles of toiletry bags. There is a lay flat toiletry bag that is very trendy right now but I chose and love this hanging bag because sometimes there is no counter space to put a lay flat bag and I certainly don’t want to lay it on the floor, and if there is a countertop it avoids the possibility of the bag getting wet from fellow messy travelers – Kids! Also, it’s is tall enough that a regular bottle of shampoo and conditioner can it in it upright.

• Jewelry Case: A jewelry case is a must to keep your jewelry safe from getting bent, tangled or lost. This little case keeps it all together in one little spot and it’s small enough that it doesn’t take up a lot of room. I like this jewelry case because it has a zipper to make sure you’re not losing items out of it. There are ones with a snap close but I have found that they tend to pop open unexpectedly or not get snapped shut all the way. So I don’t recommend those.

• Electronics Organizer: This electronics organizer comes in handy to keep all your electronic cables and plugs, spare batteries, and all that jazz in one organized location. Organization makes life so much easier. traveling or not!

• Backpack: A good backpack can be a game changer when traveling. It holds your water bottle, pens, your electronics and whatever you pack easily accessible. Plus it’s good for day trips once you get to your travel destination for hiking, biking, or just walking around in a city. I personally have a High Sierra Backpack which I absolutely love. The North Face Borealis is another great choice and so is this Dekine.

• Noise Cancelling Headphones: I love the Bose Quiet Comfort 45 Wireless headphones because they are over the ear for added comfort. You don’t get ear fatigue like with other headphones. They are really comfortable. I would wear them to work all the time until my daughter stole them! They are bluetooth and the sound quality is excellent! Of course if you prefer earbuds I always recommend ones from Apple. My husband has tried all different kinds, beats, jbl, knock off brands and none worked as well or sounded quite as good as the Apple in my opinion. Personally I can’t stand having something in my ear so I prefer the over ear ones.

• Ear Plugs: Since I can’t stand anything in my ear, I never use ear plugs but I know lots of people who are sensitive to sound when they sleep and sometimes when you are traveling you are in an area that can get noisy at night. Earplugs work great for that.

• Refillable Perfume Bottles: These refillable perfume bottles are great to put your perfume or body spray in when traveling. Handy when you don’t want to check luggage because they are the right size for TSA.

• Leak Proof Travel Sleeve: This item is just pure genius! After numerous spills even when I would double baggie items this works so much better! My daughter was traveling with a full bottle of Micellar water and somehow the lid got bumped open and her items arrived quite wet. She was not happy! Had we had these leak proof travel sleeves back then, that would have been avoided!

• Sunglasses: It really doesn’t matter where you travel to, sunglasses are always a necessity. I like to use aviator sunglasses simple because my husband or I could use them and they are classically stylish at all times. But really there are so many different styles that it’s truly a personal choice. Just don’t forget they are a travel necessity!