I love to travel and plan to do so on a regular basis each year. I’ve been noticing that there are several items that I have been loving to travel with. With all of my favorites, I like items that make my life easier and add something positive to my travel experience.
Most of the items on this list have not been on any other favorites lists. However, there are a couple making a repeat appearance and that means that they continue to prove themself invaluable time and time again.
SOAP SHEETS
I bought these when traveling out of the country in 2021. You never know when traveling out of the US whether places will have the creature comforts that we are used to. Additionally, COVID restrictions were just starting to lift but I saw no need to not be prepared. Hand sanitizer works best on clean hands! I love these sheets and the container because they are small enough to carry around and don’t take up a lot of room in bags. I carry these now with me everyday. I have a pouch that I carry with me that I call my “walking pharmacy.” I have Tylenol, hand sanitizer, an extra mask, band-aids, alcohol wipes and a package of soap sheets!
HOTEL DOOR STOP ALARM
Traveling alone can be a risky proposition. This door stop alarm can help to lessen that risk. This alarm has 3 noise levels but they are all loud as all get out. You place the door stop under the hotel door. If someone attempts to open the door, it will set off the alarm. It is intended for hotel rooms but of course it can also be used at Air BnB’s and other rentals.
TECH BAG
This is a past favorite that remains a hard worker in my repertoire. This bag is with me daily for work and whenever I travel. It holds a portable charger that can charge 2 devices at at time, several extra cords for my various devices, wired head phones, and a wall charger. The bag itself is fairly compact and easy to carry in my travel carry on or backpack.
TECH TRAVEL STAND
Here we have another past favorite! I have used this travel stand for a few years now and continue to love it. I despise the mess that all of my devices make when I travel. The cell phone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple Pencil, air pods and maybe a laptop (though I don’t typically travel with the laptop unless I’m working) all fit on this stand. There is room on the stand for all of the different cords for these devices so I don’t have to fish around for cords and they’re all contained in a single unit. The devices also are not laying around the hotel room where they might easily be left. Also, I only need one wall plug in the hotel room to juice up all of the devices.
My one complaint is that the device itself is a bit bulky but it actually packs pretty easily.
For reference, the photo is the device that I have that does not appear to be available anymore. The link is for a more updated device stand. The biggest difference appears to be that the phone part uses wireless charging instead of a plug.
PACKAGED PEANUT BUTTER
Since many airlines don’t provide food or snacks anymore, when I’m traveling across country or internationally, I like to pack something to eat. The TSA has all sorts of rules about what you can bring and not so it can be tricky to figure out. And some airports are more strict than others. Peanut butter is a tricky one. Some airports treat it as a liquid and don’t allow it through security while others don’t. It seems that if you pack peanut butter in a cup it is more likely to be treated as a liquid than not. However, the prepackaged peanut butter is often not viewed as a liquid. For me, peanut butter is a good choice because it’s a protein and fills me up. I like to bring apples and have a nice substantial snack to eat. These cups are pretty easy to find at your local grocery store. This may be a strange one to have as a favorite but being able to have the peanut butter on the plane helps me to not buy something that is less nutritious for me. And, I tend to carry them with me no matter what time my flight is. They are also a good snack to have at a hotel.
SNACK CONTAINERS
Along with the peanut butter, having some pre-portioned treats is also important for the plane ride. I like this stacker set because I can put different items in each cup. It holds nuts, chocolates, olives, cheese and anything else you can cut up and get in there. Again, it’s not terribly bulky and is easy to get into my backpack that I usually carry with me.
MEDICINE CONTAINER
This is a recent favorite. I have medication that I take 3 times a day and the built in organization provided by this box is quite helpful. The box is waterproof which is great in case anything is spilled on it. It is a bit bulky but having the medication and vitamins self contained is great. Another benefit is that I can remove one if I need to carry the medication with me. My mom liked this one so much that I bought her one for Christmas!!
TRAVEL MIRROR
I love this mirror! I mentioned this mirror in a previous favorites post. I have since taken this with me a few times on trips and it’s been great. Hotel rooms don’t have great lighting for doing makeup and often times don’t have mirrors outside of the bathroom. This mirror is magnifying and lighted with 3 different lights. It is flat and easy to carry. It is charged by a USB charger which is quite nice so you don’t have to worry about batteries. It can also rest on my travel tech stand so that it’s out of the way until needed.
HONORABLE MENTION: iPAD AIR 4
I always seem to mention my iPad whenever I do these lists and it’s not an accident. I do love my iPad. When I travel, I usually take my iPad instead of my laptop. I don’t typically do work when I travel so I use my iPad to read and watch shows while flying. I also read the news and keep up with my email (though I tend to ignore my email when traveling). Even though I now have a gigantic phone (iPhone 14 Pro Max), I don’t like to read on my phone or watch shows. I know lots of people do but the screen is just too small for me. Using my iPad to read and watch shows also preserves my phone battery!
If you have any travel favorites or tips, please share in the comments.
Many good ideas! Thank you😁