Want to know what a seasoned traveler takes along when he travels? Well, you can read about that right here. 👇🏻
My standard travel kit: Away bigger carry-on in dark red, PacSafe Vibe daily carry bag (up top), and Aer travel pack 3 (lower right).
Packing Essentials
First, I use an Away bigger carry-on bag and an Aer travel pack 3. The Aer pack is on the big side, I learned on my last trip, when it triggered some back problems. I redistributed some things to make that work, but it’s easy to over pack. It’s a great bag, though—very well-organized and constructed.
If I were starting over with luggage today, I’d probably get the Able Carry Max (see here) and the expandable version of the Away bigger carry-on (see here) . [When it’s expanded = no longer carry-on-able, but that’s better than having to buy another bag to get all your stuff home.]
I also use packing cubes, though not for everything (affiliate links below). I like this Eagle Creek set with compression. Here’s another less expensive set from Gonex (2x more bags, less $$$, so I’d probably do that one). I also pack a small, durable umbrella.
Now for the gadgets
These are all things I use every trip, and sometimes at home, too:
To keep all my tech charged, I carry an Anker PowerPort Atom III and all the cables I’ll need to connect laptop, phone, tablet, headphones, and Kindle. It requires a plug adapter for Europe, but it is itself a voltage adapter, so no need for an extra one.
I keep this and my headphones (an older version of these) in a Thule Power Shuttle, along with all my cables, a pen, and an Apple AirTag. See below.
Speaking of, I keep an AirTag in my suitcase, my backpack, with my headphones, and in my daily carry bag (see next item) so I know where my stuff is if it wanders off.
I carry the power bank that came with my suitcase; if you need one, try the one from Anker like this.
[Seen above, the contents of my Thule tech carrier, including Anker Atom III, Bose headphones, an AirTag, and the necessary cables.]
For walking around during the day, I always carry a small sling bag. No, it’s not a purse. Yes, it does hold everything I need for the day, including a small tablet of Kindle, my camera if I’m carrying it, hand wipes, eyeglass wipes, gum, etc. Mine is an older version of this PacSafe bag. They offer a true sling bag that’s a good size, here. Again, definitely NOT a purse. 😎 [Seen in top picture.]
I also carry a super-compact shopping bag from Sea to Summit. This may be my favorite of all these—it packs down super-tiny and I use it almost every day for something-or-other. Also works as an ‘I bought too much stuff’ bag for the trip home, a laundry bag, rain hat, etc.
Tired of having all your stuff strewn all over the room at the end of the day? Grab this small valet tray that holds everything on your nightstand. It’s the first thing I pull out of my suitcase at every stop.
Laundry can be a real pain point on a trip. I generally take clothes (shirts, shorts, underwear, socks) that I can wash out in the sink with some Woolite as needed, and do a big wash at a laundromat or send stuff out when I can. To that end, I carry some Woolite (can just fill a small bottle with it, or grab some laundry soap packets like these). I also take a sink stopper (see last item, which includes one, or here) and another gizmo from Sea to Summit, a super-packable clothesline. Works better than you might think, and it’s tiny.
Bought too much stuff?? I’m sure I wouldn’t know what that’s like 😬 but in case you do this, here’s a packable duffel that’s holds a lot and is more cost-effective than buying a new bag in your destination might be. It’s bigger than I’d like when folded down, but it’s quite large when opened up. Check it.
Top: one of Eagle Creek’s compression cubes. Left to right across the bottom: sturdy travel umbrella, Sea to Summit tiny clothesline, shopping bag, sink stopper, and valet tray for nightstand (which unsnaps to pack flat).
So, those are some of my travel gear picks that can really improve your quality of life on the road. What are your favorite travel gizmos? Leave ‘em in the comments below.
