When you travel often, you come to realize that there are just some items that you absolutely can't go without while trying to reach your destination. These are the items that I've gotta have in order to feel comfortable and prepared before, during, and after my flight. Below I'll give you the run down on my favorite travel essentials, alongside some tips and tricks that'll be sure to help you on your journey.
*Links to the Amazon products mentioned below are of affiliate nature, meaning that a small commission may be received myself when you purchase through the links. This is in support of Black Girl Wanderer, to create more travel blogs for you to enjoy!
1. The Carry-On
Price: $99.97 - $245
I generally like for my luggage to be big enough to hold enough clothing while still being able to be used as a carry-on. It's also great when suitcases have compartments to help keep you organized, even if you don't have packing cubes to do the job for you. A good suitcase is also one that is durable, waterproof, and with good wheels/handles. Currently, my go-to suitcase looks like this, and it's been a great piece of my luggage for over 5 years, but it's time for an upgrade. This year, I'm hoping to upgrade to this Away suitcase, called The Bigger Carry-On. Away is an amazing company, because once you make your purchase you have a lifetime warranty, and their quality is top of the line. This case is a hardbody, so its both durable and waterproof, and I also plan to get the lithium battery insert so that I can charge my phone and other electronics without having to scope out outlets while waiting at my gate.
Price: $26.99
Packing cubes are honestly such a life-saver. I've always been a pretty good packer, but this takes organization to the next level! (Although I've still gotta work on my folding methods). Its also great for those of us who always seem to pack TOO much. The multiple-sized cubes help you to keep your clothing items organized by size and type, and this Veken set comes in multiple colors with both a shoe and laundry bag included!
3. My Personal Bag
Price: 39.99 Euros = $48.43
All airlines allow passengers to bring on a personal item onto the plane with them for free, whereas carry-ons may come at a cost for budget airlines or basic economy seats. Usually for women, the personal item is meant to be a purse, but I like to bring a large book bag that can ALSO hold my purse, along with a host of other things. I originally got my backpack from ASOS (they no longer sell it on their site), from the brand Mi-Pac. This backpack is faux-leather and water resistant with such great quality. It even has a compartment for my laptop to be stored! I can fit so much in it without it ever looking too bulky or unstylish. Having it for over 3 years, its held up beautifully, so I highly recommend it as an investment piece for your travel (currently, this particular style is out of stock, but there are similar color/style options still available on the site).
Pro tip: Always pack this bag with an extra set of clothing/undergarments and travel-sized toiletries (I just pack my entire toiletry bag in there) just in case your checked bag doesn't make it to your destination with you.
Price: $22.99-29.99
Whenever I'm traveling, I always carry my toiletries in my book bag and take this with me onto the plane, mainly because it has any random items I may need, like a hydrating face mask for longer flights, extra sanitizing wipes, medications or anything I need to keep near me right under my seat. This toiletry bag in particular holds so much, and has compartments for everything! I also like that it's structured, so whatever I place inside won't get smushed if I stuff my bag with other things (I always do).
5. Face Mask
Price: $6 - $$
Whenever I'm on flights longer than 4 hours, I always notice that my skin feels paper-dry from the filtered airplane air. So besides keeping hydrated by drinking lots of water, I now always try to have a hydrating sheet mask packed in my personal bag to put on during long-haul flights. My go-to brands are either the Freeman Beauty Infusion Hydrating Mask or any hydrating sheet from Sephora!
6. Comfy Sneakers
Price: $37.99
This is a given; you're going to be running through the airport and will most likely have to take off your shoes going through TSA (Unless you're cool and have TSA Pre-check), so you need to have on shoes that are comfy to walk in and have on for hours while also being easy enough to slip on and off. My go-to sneaks are from Miss Lola. Their Street Smart sneaker is comfy, light-weight, and can easily be slipped on and off while still looking sporty and cute. They also always have a sale going on on top of their already amazing prices!
7. Airport Outfit
So growing up, my mom always had me dress up in nicer clothing to go to the airport, and even to this day, she keeps that up herself (and tries to get me on back onboard too) but I am most definitely a comfort-over-fashion kind of gyal. I need my clothing to be relatively loose or stretchy, easy to move around in and maneuver, and I always have to have on something that will keep me warm, because airports are notoriously freezing cold. My go to fit is a variation of either a two-piece jogger set (either with long sleeves or a hoodie), workout leggings, a tee, with a sweater tied around my waist, or just a long-sleeve and leggings. The option of layering is always a smart option too, especially if where you're flying to is either very hot or very cold. This is so that you can take off or put on more clothing as needed.
8. Ear Phones
Okay so...I'm #basic, and have not yet hopped onto the AirPod train. I just really don't see the hype (right now) and I am also afraid that I will lose either one or both earpods immediately after buying them. So for now, I keep it "old school" with the regular Apple Earphones. Absolutely need them to listen to music and all of my downloaded Netflix shows on my phone and iPad. Also, I can use the adaptor so that I can watch and listen to the movies that the airline provides without having to use those horrible airplane earphones. All they do is fall out of your ears every two seconds! Annoying.
9. Portable Charger
Price: $59.99
It's always the worst when you're out having a good time exploring and visiting sites, but realize you're only at 10% battery life, still have a few hours left before you'll be headed back to the AirBnB, and you still need to be able to use Google Maps to get home. Tragic. Having a portable charger is great to have when you know you won't have access to any car chargers or a Starbucks to stop and charge up at. This Anker charger is a little on the pricier side, but it's well worth it. You can fully charge up to 3 phones in one go, and it only takes about 15-20 minutes each.
10. Sun Screen
Price: $13.49 - $34.00
Protecting your skin from UV rays is important, even if its heavily melanated! For my face, I like to use Supergoop! because it doesn't create a white cast on my face, and Supergoop! is a perfect primer to go on before applying makeup. For my body, I use Sun Bum Also remember to try and use sunscreen that won't negatively affect marine life and reefs, so avoid sunscreens with ingredients such as avobenzone and oxybenzone.
11. Disinfectant Wipes
Price: $2 - $14.49
We all know that because of COVID, we have to be extra diligent in keeping everything we come into contact with clean and sanitized. I always have some form of hand sanitizer in each of my purses, bookbags and even suitcases, but now I also make sure to have a pack of disinfectant wipes in each as well. For my flight, I like to wipe down the area I'll be sitting in, including my tray table, seatbelt buckle and armrests (even the windowsill, if you like to lean on it when you're looking out the window like I do). For cleaning most inanimate objects, I like to buy Bleach-free Clorox wipes , and for sanitizing more sensitive things like my skin, I like Wet Ones Sanitizing Wipes, or any kind that I can find in my local Walgreens, CVS or Target.
12. International: Adaptor & Passport
Price: $16.99-$41.95
This is a given for international travel, you always need your passport! If you've read through any of my travel guides, you know that I always bring up making copies of your passport and ID and to store them in a separate area from the physicals, in case they're ever lost or stolen (even better if you have copies back at home with a loved one as a back-up for your back-up). I'm also an advocate for keeping your passport on your person, especially when shopping, because as a foreigner you can usually get discounts and/or avoid paying taxes.
An adaptor is also very important if you need to charge your electronics overseas; for us US travelers, areas like Europe tend to have different outlet prongs, so you need to have the proper one. The best all-around adaptor is the HAOZI Travel Adaptor, but note that this isn't an electrical CONVERTER, so high-powered appliances like hair dryers and curling irons aren't compatible. If you're looking for a 2-in-1, try this DOACE C11 Travel Converter.
Price: $27-36
Flying often, especially on long-haul flights, actually puts you more at risk of developing blood clots. For those of us who are medically prone to developing them, or who tend to feels pains in our legs after sitting on a flight for a few hours, compression stockings are a great way to keep your circulation flowing well while you're sitting in flight. I love the 15-20mm that I bought from Vim & Vigr, they do a great job of explaining on their site which of their sock variety will work best for you and keep you comfy. Another tip: make sure you walk around, especially on long haul flights, every few hours.
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