How to be a Confident Traveler, Part 3: Essentials to Pack

Packing for a trip can be challenging at times, especially if you are visiting a location that is new. While the destination and style of your trip may dictate what type of clothing or toiletries to bring, I have a small list of travel essentials that I bring with me on every journey – no matter where I’m going or how big of a suitcase I’m bringing along.

A good pair of sandals or shoes

Good shoes are the foundation of a successful trip. Even for a trip to the beach, you’ll walk more on vacation than you think you might: to & from your room, up and down stairs, in and out of museums, shops or restaurants. Nothing can ruin a trip faster than uncomfortable or poorly broken-in shoes. My two favorite pairs are a pair of summer sandals by Steve Madden and a pair of winter boots by Keen. Both have good soles, and are made of natural leather. I’ve walked miles in both pairs with no complaints. Whether you choose sandals, boots, tennis shoes or high heels, just be sure they are comfortable enough to stand up to a lot more standing and walking than you are used to at home.

A packable daypack

Especially in a situation where you are trying to pack light, bringing a purse or large daypack may not be very practical. I really like this Osprey daypack, which is made of very light material and squishes down to take up hardly any room in your suitcase. Although it doesn’t have a ton of pockets, it does have enough room for a jacket, wallet, and book; plus, a small pouch on top can hold your keys or earbuds easily. There is one stretchy pocket on the side to hold your water bottle. Similar bags can be found in both backpack and tote bag styles.

Kindle

I enjoy reading for fun, and also typically travel with a guidebook for my destination. Having my Kindle with me means that I can carry unlimited numbers of books in just a small package. I have the paperwhite version with a backlight, which means that I can read easily in the dark and not disturb any traveling companions.

Comfy joggers/airplane clothing

Many years ago, I thought it was important to look nice on an airplane. Now, I believe you can both look nice and be really comfortable. On my last trip, I wore a pair of joggers from Vuori. Slightly nicer looking than sweatpants, these joggers are super comfy and have big pockets. They are also super soft and flexible and make it easy to sleep on a transatlantic journey.

Laundry soap

I always, always bring laundry soap with me when I travel. Even if I don’t plan on doing laundry, if the opportunity arises it is far easier to throw in a load if you’ve already got the soap. I typically will throw a couple of Tide pods in a Tupperware container, but there are also options like laundry detergent sheets if you don’t want to worry about accidental spills.

Battery pack for phone

You may end up surprised at how much you use your phone when traveling, even outside the country. When I’m in an unfamiliar location, I use my phone for navigation much more often than I do at home. Additionally, I’m taking photos, searching for information on the local sights, and even using tap-to-pay on my phone. All of that use means that I drain the battery on my phone much faster than I might at home. A small battery pack is easy to tuck into my daypack, and ensures that I’ve got enough battery to get me through the day.

Basic First Aid Kit

While I don’t advocate bringing the entire medicine cabinet with you on vacation, a small first aid kit can come in really handy. This can be as simple as a ziploc bag with ibuprofen and some band-aids in it, or you can opt for something a little more robust like this. Having a few of these items on hand can save you a late-night trip to a pharmacy or prevent you from having to pay a premium in your hotel’s gift shop for a dose of pain reliever. Bandages, antibiotic ointment, blister blocker, and some sort of pain reliever are my go-to items to bring; an outdoor trip may require a few additions like a pair of tweezers or some anti-itch cream. One tip, however: before each trip, be sure to clear out any expired medication, and re-supply your kit with fresh bandages or anything else that you used up on your last voyage.

Trip insurance policy

Before the pandemic, I very rarely traveled with trip insurance. Since the pandemic, however, I don’t know that I’ll take any big trips without it. Trip insurance does two main things: first, it protects your vacation investment should you need to cancel or rearrange your trip at the last minute; and second, it can provide some during-travel benefits that can help with things like delay, cancellation, theft, illness and a myriad of other issues. On a recent trip to Iceland, my trip insurance covered the loss of my AirPods; on another trip, my insurance covered “damage” to a rental car. If you travel frequently, annual plans like this one from Travel Insured can be a really good deal; for one yearly cost, any trip you take more than 100 miles from home comes with a basic set of coverages.

This is certainly not an exhaustive list of items, but these are the things that I pack on every trip after a bit of trial and error over the years. Let me know in the comments – what other items do you always bring with you when you travel? If you have a favorite thing, I’d love to hear about it!