Four Essential Items I Won’t Travel Without
What are yours?
Are you excited that travel options are opening up again? If you’re like me, you can’t wait to indulge that wanderlust!
As I make my travel plans for the summer, the inevitable question comes up: What to take?
Looking back at my travel experiences over recent years — Victoria, Canada; my dream tour of the UK; business trips within the US; and frequent trips to my parents’ — I realize there are four essential items I can no longer travel without: packing cubes, my elastic grid thingamajigger, my travel adapter, and my faux pashmina scarf.
Packing cubes
When I first heard of packing cubes, I thought, “What kind of gimmicky crap is this?” After taking the time to research packing cubes, I began to think maybe they sounded like something I could use.
Three years later, they’re something I won’t travel without, even for a short weekend trip. Whether you are in the roll ’em or fold ’em camp of clothes packing, cubes are the way to go.
Here’s why:
First, I can get really disorganized fast! And, when I’m on a trip, I don’t want to spend time digging around in a suitcase trying to find things, stirring my clothes into a wrinkled, tangled mess. On a fast-paced tour, like the one I did in the UK, it’s essential to be organized and ready to move quickly.
You can spend as much as you want on packing cubes, but I chose a cheap set of six on Amazon (pictured above), which includes two large cubes, two medium ones, and two small ones. They’re thinner material (nylon) than they appear in the pictures on Amazon, but they’ve held up for me for three years now.
I typically use three or four at a time. I use the large one for pants, a large (fall/winter) or medium (summer/spring) one for tops, a medium one or small one for nightclothes (again, depending on the season and bulk), and a small one for underwear and socks. When traveling by air, I will use an additional small one for those toiletries I would normally throw in a small backpack when traveling by car. I can imagine using a separate one for shoes if you travel with several pairs.
Not only do these cubes keep my stuff organized, but they save space. I was truly surprised by the latter. Once upon a time, my suitcase was bulging and threatening to explode upon opening, but the cubes seem to help maximize the available space (although they are not compression bags!). They hold a surprising amount of clothes. They’re flexible, too, so you can really cram them into, say, a carryon suitcase.
Another bonus is that my clothes are a lot less wrinkled when I use the cubes (even with aforementioned cramming). They keep everything in place much better.
When heading home again, I can consolidate what’s left of my clean clothes and use a cube for dirty clothes. The cubes I have are washable!
Elastic grid organizer thingamajig
I have no idea what it’s called exactly because a friend gave me mine:
Just before I went to Europe, my friend handed me this and told me I should borrow it. Again, I was a little skeptical. Then, I went home and started putting stuff in it and realized this was something I would never be able to live without again. Fortunately, when I tried to return it to her, she just said, “Oh, keep it. I have more.”
She found them during a period when she was spending a lot of time in hospitals with an ill family member. She said it was easy to keep essentials she would need for a long days and nights in the hospital packed in this organizer and ready in her go bag. Her phone cords, ear buds, chargers, pens, etc., were always there.
This one folds over, Velcros shut, and has a pouch behind the grid (you can see my iPad emerging from it), but you can find them in many iterations, including various sizes, on Amazon. Some good search terms:
Elastic grid organizer
Grid electronics organizer
Grid accessory organizer
Closed, mine is 9.5 by 11.5 inches (24.13 by 29.21 cm).
I take mine everywhere now. When packing for a trip, I automatically check my elastic grid thingamajigger to make sure it is stocked. Anticipating a couple of hours at the car dealership or in a waiting room while a loved one has surgery or a medical procedure? Don’t forget to toss your elastic grid thingy into your bag.
Glancing at this picture, I can see I have raided it for my phone cord, so that must be replaced. (Note to self!)
International adapter for travel
I bought my adapter for travel in Europe, but I have mostly used it for travel within the United States. Here is the travel adapter I have from Amazon:
Not only was it terrific for travel in Europe, but again, I use it a lot traveling domestically. The four USB ports are as handy as you can imagine, and the Type-C port accommodates my phone. I don’t have to worry about it blocking an outlet, either, since there’s one on it. It comes with a nice little case to protect it, which is good because it never leaves the bottom of my computer bag unless I’m using it.
Sure, I could use something less fancy here in the U.S., but why when I have this one? Plus, I’m ready to travel outside the U.S. any time! (I have the dual voltage electrical hair appliances to prove it!)
A large pashmina scarf
Or in my case, a large faux pashmina scarf. I have dragged this one all over the U.K. and a good chunk of North America:
Getting cold on the airplane? Cover with your scarf.
Too much light on the plane while you’re trying to sleep? Pull it over your head.
Need an extra layer while out and about? Wrap it around your shoulders. Tie it in front to hold it in place. I get chilly in restaurants and stores, so I like to have it in those places, for sure.
Rain? Drape it over your head.
Don’t want to carry it? Tie it to your bag strap or around your waist. Drape it around your neck.
This is also one of those things I didn’t know I needed until I got it, and now I can’t leave home without it. I don’t carry it often in summer, except maybe when going out at night, but the other seasons are all faux pashmina seasons in my world. The fact that it’s a faux pashmina scarf means I don’t feel bad about dragging it around with me. Mine has been washed repeatedly and still looks new.
What do you refuse to travel without?
What are your travel essentials? Do you have your own version of packing cubes or scarves that you won’t leave home without?
Leave any suggestions you have for making travel easier in the comments. I always appreciate new ideas!
The wanderlust is strong with this one!
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