While I’ve traveled about a dozen or so times a year over the past dozen or so years, earlier this year I bought myself several new pieces of travel gear. With the holidays approaching, I figured I’d compile a shopping guide of some of my favorite travel purchases. And please note, I have no affiliation with any of these products and am getting nothing out of this beyond the joy of passing along some great gift ideas for the traveler on your list.
I’m wearing four of my favorite items in this photo alone, so I figured I’d start here.
BagSmart’s Blast Travel Backpack (38L Extended)
I’ve been using a North Face backpack as my carry on for almost ten years. I still absolutely love it, but backpack technology has changed over the years and I was looking for an upgrade for my last trip. I specifically wanted a backpack with a pass-through sleeve to throw it over my suitcase handle, something that opened clamshell style like a suitcase, and something lightweight on its own since one of my flights had weight limits for carry on items. The BagSmart Blast Travel Backpack checked all those items. Some bonus features: it has a shoe compartment, which freed up space in my suitcase for heavier items, it has lots of pockets for organization – including one on top of the backpack which was easy to get in and out of while it was shoved under the seat in front of me on the plane, and it comes in a wide variety of fun colors.
At the time I bought it, there was an offer to bundle it with their 6-pack compression packing cubes, which were also great. I’ve been using regular packing cubes for years, and the compression packing cubes saved me about 1″ on each side, per cube, which really adds up when packing for a two-week trip with just a carry on.
Pacsafe Anti-theft Convertible Backpack
This backpack was recommended to me by a friend who has been using hers for years, so I know it holds up well which is great considering it’s a bit pricey. I was specifically looking for a small, anti-theft, crossbody bag to use as my purse during the trip, but I love that this converts to a mini backpack as well. It’s super easy to convert and I was constantly switching back and forth throughout the day depending on how much I was carrying around or which part of my body was tired of holding the weight. It’s intentionally too small to be overloaded with too much stuff, but it was perfect for carrying my rain jacket and umbrella, or whichever souvenirs and snacks I picked up along the way.
dr scholl’s women’s time off sneakers
Having completely worn out all of my old sneakers, this year I was on the hunt for practical sneakers for walking all over Greece. After averaging about 15,000 steps a day, I can confirm these were a winner. That said, I did end up adding some memory foam insole inserts before the trip. The combination of the two was perfect.
phone lanyard
I’m not going to link to any specific phone lanyard here since I just got a basic cheap one, but this was such a game changer and would make a great stocking stuffer for the traveler on your list. (Mine was a basic black cord like the photo, while a friend had wider one with a cool design and an extra ring where you could hook on a wallet or set of keys.) I mostly bought one for anti-theft reasons, but now I can’t imagine traveling without one. Yeah, sure, it probably helped me stand out as a tourist, but it was so convenient not to have to dig my phone out from my purse or make sure it was still in my pocket. It was so nice to have it right there for a quick photo or to look up directions, and then just let go. But the best part was knowing I wasn’t going to drop it when taking a picture off a windy ledge of a building, or while falling asleep during my 10-hour flight.
IRIS WALLET 2nd gen rfid
This wallet is absolutely perfect. I bought it thinking I’d use it just for travel, but it immediately became my everyday wallet as well. For how small it is, it holds an impressive amount of credit cards, gift cards, cash, and coins (hello, Europe, with your love of coins), and even has a chapstick holder. With RFID protection, I don’t have to worry about my information being stolen. It comes with a detachable wrist strap which I haven’t used, but it’s nice to know I have the option. My goal was to have the smallest wallet possible, but they do also make a bigger size that can fit a phone inside it, if that’s your jam.
travelrest neck and body pillow
Having a short torso, standard neck pillows are too bulky for my comfort. I came across this travel pillow and had never seen anything like it, so I decided to give it a whirl, and I was not disappointed. I’ve used it on both the window seat and aisle seat and it was great each time. I love being able to hug the front of it like a body pillow while still having a place to rest my head. It’s inflatable, so it packs down pretty small. You can either fold it or roll it up. I opted to roll it, and it rolled up smaller than my water bottle and fit perfectly in the bottle pocket on my backpack.
yeti 18oz tumbler
On the topic of water bottles, I’m a Yeti girl. I know everyone has their preferences, but I love how trustworthy Yeti has been over the years. This water bottle has been with me everywhere: from Alaska to Jamaica, from Greece to my office. I’ve filled it with ice and left it out by the pool on a 105° day and still had ice hours laters. I’ve dropped it on the hard tile floor of the airport with only the tiniest dent to show for it. And, of course, it’s a great way to display all my travel stickers.
apple airtags
I bought myself a 4-pack of Apple AirTags this summer, and on my most recent trip I threw one in my wallet, my backpack, and my carry-on. With the 4th one, I would have thrown it in my checked bag but I didn’t have one on this particular trip. I love that it brought peace of mind knowing we could track down an item if it had been lost or stollen. Bonus usage: on this trip, 3 out 4 of us are iPhone users and were able to share each others’ location using FindMy. We gave an extra AirTag to our Android-user friend so we could track her down when she went wandering off on her own.
travelon laundry sheets
Packing for a two-week trip without checking a bag was made a lot easier thanks to these laundry soap sheets from TravelOn. The package is so tiny and one sheet was plenty to hand-wash a shirt every few days in the hotel sink.
turkish towels
Again, I’m not going to link to a specific Turkish towel because there is such a large variety, but I can’t imagine not taking one on a long trip, and/or a beach trip, ever again. I bought this blue one before my trip and ended up buying myself a second one ON the trip, that’s how much I loved it. As you can see in this ridiculous photo above, you can wear it as a sarong or a shawl, or a scarf, which I did on my flight so I wouldn’t have to dig it out of my backpack. (Although it did fold down small enough to be packed.) It made for both a great blanket on my long flight, as well as a great beach towel on the trip itself. Pro-tip: the more you use them, the more they absorb water. So, I recommend “training” it before your trip by soaking it in the sink and letting it air dry a few times.
Bonine
For the motion-sickness prone traveler. I have to admit that I’m not the most motion-sick person, but a friend with insider info tells me even military pilots swear by it. I have used it several times for boat rides, and unlike Dramamine, it’s non-drowsy.
What are your favorite travel items?
Scream And Be Frees 