8 Must-Have Travel Necessities
Your travel jar is full and you’ve booked your flights, which means it’s time to start packing and planning for your next adventure. While we all love the idea of traveling, the one downside is packing your bags and making sure you’re not leaving anything important behind. Passport? Check. Wallet? Check. But what else might be missing? Below, we’ll go over eight must-have travel necessities you don’t want to leave behind.
1. Travel Pillow
There’s nothing like sitting in a flying metal tube for hours with no leg room, crying babies, and seats that needed to be replaced years ago. But, this doesn’t mean getting comfortable on a plane and trying to get some shut-eye is impossible. One must-have travel accessory is a travel pillow that wraps around your neck. We’ve all tried resting our elbow on the armrest while holding our head, attempting to catch some Zzz’s. But before you know it, you slowly drift and fall onto your seatmate and jolt awake, pretending it never happened. To prevent this awkward situation from happening, invest in a travel pillow that will actually keep your head and neck comfortable.
2. Dependable Watch
It’s easy to lose track of time when you’re on vacation. While in some instances this is perfectly acceptable, such as lounging on the beach, other times you need to be aware of the seconds ticking by, such as when you need to catch a train or a bus. Buying dependable women’s or men’s watches for you and your travel partner is not only a great way to see what time of day it is, but will also take any outfit up a notch.
3. Entertainment
Traveling is full of exciting adventures. But when you’re on a red-eye or stuck in stop-and-go traffic on your cross-country road trip, you’re going to want something to keep you entertained. When you travel, make sure you pack some entertainment items to keep you preoccupied in the car, bus, train, or plane. Some items worth having include:
- An e-reader, such as a NOOK or Amazon Kindle
- Downloadable podcasts, such as Swindled, In the Dark, Man in the Window, and Armchair Expert
- Your favorite music playlists, such as hits of the 2000s, Rock n’ Roll, Indie, Pop, and Rap
- Games, such as Cards Against Humanity and What Do You Meme
4. Portable Chargers
We’d all love to “disconnect to reconnect,” but let’s face it, we need our phones. Not only do we use our smartphones to stay in contact with friends and family and scroll through social media, smartphones are also used for navigation and preserving memories through photos. To ensure you’re always charged up, make sure you pack a portable charger to give your electronics some juice on-the-go.
5. Sunscreen
If you’ve ever taken swim lessons, you’ve probably heard your instructor tell you, “too much sun is no fun!” You probably shrugged and forgot about it, but when it comes to traveling, it’s important to keep this motto in mind. After all, you don’t want to wince every time your back touches a seat, or someone touches your arm because you’re redder than a lobster. Before you embark on your tropical getaway, make sure you back ample amounts of sunscreen to keep your skin protected.
6. Toiletries
Sure, hotels will have their small bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. However, these soaps don’t always do the trick or work for your hair type. As you’re packing your suitcase, don’t forget these must-have toiletry items:
- Shampoo and conditioner
- Body wash or soap
- Facial scrub
- Q-Tips, cotton balls, cotton rounds
- Brush or comb
- Makeup
7. Noise-Canceling Headphones
When you’re on vacation or going on a trip, sometimes you just need a moment to yourself. If there’s a loud snorer next to you on the plane or a crying baby in the bus seat behind you, you’re going to want a pair of noise canceling headphones. A pair of noise-cancelling headphones will allow you to block out any surrounding noises so you can sit back, relax, and listen to your favorite tunes or podcasts.
8. Reusable Water Bottle
Lastly, it’s important to stay well-hydrated on your excursions. Staying hydrated will make sure you have enough energy to explore the town or go on a hike without succumbing to health issues like headaches, dry-mouth, and even dehydration. So, make sure you pack a reusable water bottle to bring with you on all of your adventures. Even better, you’ll reduce your carbon footprint by using less plastic and also save money on buying single-use water bottles.
Wrapping Up
As you head out the door to drive to the airport, make sure you refer back to this guide to make sure you have these must-have travel necessities. Worst-case scenario, you forget something and have to buy it at your destination, but if you take a moment to double-check one extra time, you can save yourself from headaches down the line.
