You must first get to a destination before you can enjoy it. To do this you need to board some type of transportation – air, sea or land – to where you want to go on vacation. We suggest seven travel essentials that will make your journey more tolerable, based on our own experiences.
These proposals focus more on air travel, but also apply to trains, cruise ships, buses and other means of transportation.
Check out more of our travel tips later. For now, make sure not to board without bringing with you …
1 Comfortable clothing
You can dress however you want but be practical and sensible in your choice of attire for trips of four or more hours.
We recommend loungewear or light, soft fabrics with a loose fit, without zippers or metal buttons. Also choose light shoes with thin soles that are easy to put on and take off.
An outfit with these specifications will let you rest in any seat without skin irritation. In addition, you will have an easier time crossing security checkpoints.
2 Four-Wheel Luggage
Two-wheeled suitcases revolutionized travel, but their non-ergonomic design required the traveler to strain while pulling them. Four-wheel luggage doesn’t have this problem on level floors like those in an airport.
You can roll a four-wheel suitcase effortlessly, regardless of its weight, even while placing your bag or backpack on it. Board more comfortably and with less strain on your back.
3 Item Tracker (AirTag, Tile, etc.)
Peace of mind is essential for a cozy trip. Placing a tracking device on your luggage and personal items allows you just that.
Trackers such as the Apple AirTag, Tile, Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 and others send signals to your mobile or smart device if you move too far from the object you are tracking. This prevents you from losing something important at the airport or station. Likewise, it ensures that your checked luggage arrives at the destination with you.
As a stalking prevention measure, these devices are designed to transmit their location to other nearby smartphones if they are separated from their registered user for a long time. Since this also helps thieves find and disable your tracker, we recommend that you hide it well inside your suitcase.
4 Small Toiletry Bag
Your plans (and belongings) do not always allow you to travel with just a carry-on. Still, even if you checked a bag, always pack a change of clothes and a small toiletry bag in your carry-on suitcase or personal item, in case of an emergency.
Pack that toiletry bag with just the basics: deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, nail clippers, hairbrush or comb, and a disposable razor. You can carry liquid such as facial creams in two or three small containers that do not exceed 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters). Your favorite body lotion will get confiscated in its original container, even if it’s nearly empty.
Among travel essentials for your toiletry bag, we love travel atomizers that you can fill with your favorite perfume.
5 Reusable Bottle
It is very expensive to buy water or other beverages at the airport. Some places like Los Angeles International Airport even prohibit the sale of single-use plastic bottles.
It is more practical (and more environmentally sustainable) to bring a small reusable bottle. Nearly all travel terminals have drinking fountains where you can refill your bottle and stay hydrated. One of the best travel essentials, especially if you have stopovers.
Just make sure to empty your bottle before crossing security checkpoints and before boarding.
6 Earplugs
The ambient sound level inside a train car averages between 60 and 100 decibels (dB). Within a commercial flight it ranges between 80 and 105 dB. These frequencies make it difficult for you to rest during trips and long-term exposure can cause deafness.
Carry a pair of earplugs in your pocket and use them on your trip to protect yourself, as well as help you rest. Another option would be to invest in noise-canceling headphones and a mindfulness or ambient sounds app.
7 Printed Boarding Pass
We live in a wonderful digital age where you can buy a ticket, show a QR code on your phone, and board a transportation vehicle, all without generating paper waste. Unfortunately, unforeseen events happen and not all transport companies or terminals in the world are suited for digital passes.
Therefore, we recommend that you always have your printed boarding pass, whether from your home printer, the self-check-in kiosk, or the airline counter.
Traditional boarding passes have perforated lines to tear off certain parts, which allow you to fold them and carry them inside your passport or pocket.
More travel essentials
We close with one last piece of advice: every trip and traveler is different. We suggested what works for us, but that may not suit your style.
Maybe we even skipped some of your travel essentials, like sleep masks, pens, disinfectant wipes, neck pillows, or sanitary facemasks.
Our travel essentials suggestions are simply references. Try them out and if they work for you, include them in your personalized list. We hope they prove useful to you and make your next trip a pleasant experience.
