Tried and True Travel Accessories that Will Make Your Life Easier

I’m a natural over-packer, so I have to think carefully about whether something is helpful or a waste of space on every trip. Whether I’m flying or driving, it’s a literal drag to haul too much extra stuff around. After years of deliberation, here are a few of the travel accessories I always pack because they make life on the go so much easier and more comfortable.

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Reusable Water Bottles

I learned this lesson the hard way, by either forgetting or choosing not to bring reusable water bottles on a couple of vacations. Unfortunately, one of the things I remember most about our family trip to France is that my children were constantly asking for drinks and snacks. I thought I was being so smart leaving our water bottles at home rather than flying them to Paris. But it would have been so much easier to hand the kids a drink rather than finding the nearest café whenever they started whining. These days, I always bring reusable water bottles with us, whether we’re going for a short hike at home, driving a couple of hours on a road trip, or flying to another country.

After ditching plenty of bum water bottles over the years, I’ve become a bit of a water bottle connoisseur. My current favorites are these stainless steel insulated bottles with spout lids. I like them because the screw tops don’t leak and the stainless steel is durable but not too heavy. They’re also easy to carry and use, and they keep beverages cold. For my money, the ThermoFlask two pack is the way to go. I haven’t found much difference between them and the pricier name-brand versions.

Hats

I’m fair and freckled, and the sun is not my friend, so I don’t go on vacation without bringing a hat. I have wide-brimmed straw hats for beach trips, stylish felt fedoras for sightseeing, and moisture-wicking bucket hats with adjustable chin straps for hiking and outdoor adventures. Along with providing sun protection, the hats look cute in pictures for the ‘Gram.

At this point, I’ve given up on buying only packable hats, so I recently started using the Toptote hat clip by Lyndsay Albanese to carry them. This magnetic clip allows you to securely hang your hat from your purse or luggage so that your hands are free. And while it’s expensive (between $48 and $69), it’s proven useful even on day trips around town.

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A post shared by Shawn | Fellow Farer True (@fellowfarertrue)

Phone Cords and Battery Chargers

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve forgotten earbuds on trips. These days, you might get earbuds for free on a flight. More likely, you’ll have to pay for them, and that’s just annoying. My kids are always losing or breaking theirs, so we now purchase some reasonably priced earbuds on a regular basis. Our latest find are these mid-range Skull Candy earbuds with microphone. My son says, “They’re better than the ones you get from Delta, but worse than Apple’s.” And there you have it, straight from the earbud expert.

We also always take portable battery chargers on our trips. None of our phones can make it through a day anymore, and there’s nothing worse than being at one percent battery with the rest of your travel day ahead of you.

Comfort Items

One member of my family, who shall remain nameless, is not a fan of flying. You can say to him, “Hey, we’re thinking about going to [insert name of faraway exotic locale here]. What do you think?” And he’ll tell you he has absolutely no desire to go to exotic locale X because it involves a very long flight. This reply never stops us because we know he’ll have fun when he gets there, so it’s just a question of making his getting-there a little less painful.

Travel Blanket

We’ve found if he has some comfort items on the plane, like a blanket and a cozy hoodie, he does a lot better. At times, we’ve brought an enormous, fluffy blanket with us, and once a dear friend gave him an entire board game meant to keep his mind off the flight, which he held on his lap like a totem all the way to Hawaii. But enormous, fluffy blankets and board games are not ideal from a packing perspective.

Years ago, we bought a small travel blanket that came with a pillow-shaped carrying case that you can clip to your backpack or luggage. It’s compact, and the clip allows you to easily carry it without taking up extra space in your luggage. Every family member has now used this little blanket on a chilly flight at one point or another, so I can say that although it seems basic, it’s worth it.

Neck Pillows and Eye Masks

We also recently became neck pillow and eye mask people. It took a lot of years of traveling before I gave in to these comfort items. But at this point, I have no shame about making a crowded flight a little more bearable with a few travel accessories. I like a silk sleep mask with a strap that is adjustable rather than elastic, so it fits comfortably around your head.

Zippered Travel Purse

Of all my travel accessories, my favorite is a good zip-top purse. The purse has to be large because I cart everybody’s gear around during our trips. It has to hold said water bottles, said packable hat, said battery chargers, my DLSR camera, and a jacket or two depending on who’s decided they’re hot, plus all the normal stuff I carry in my purse every day. It also has to have a zipper to protect my camera and my wallet while we’re on the go.

I’m sure some photographers will be horrified to learn I throw my camera in my purse on vacation. Well, I do, and frankly I doubt I’m ever going to start carrying a camera case, even when my children start carrying their own jackets and water bottles, because I just can’t manage multiple bags. “Why don’t you just put all your stuff in the camera bag?” the fancy photographers say. It’s because I want to look nice when I get dressed up for dinner or go to a show on vacation, and I need a purse for that.

Fortunately, I recently found a bag that addresses all of my fashionista/mom/photographer needs—the Fossil Camilla Leather Convertible Backpack. It’s a backpack, shoulder bag, and tote all in one, and it has a zipper closure. You can use the over-the-shoulder straps while you’re running yourself ragged at the Magic Kingdom during the day and then convert it to a tote for dinner at EPCOT that night. It was actually the first purchase I made because of an Instagram ad, and Fossil clearly had its analytics right when it targeted me.

Packing Cubes

It’s no fun living out of a suitcase, but packing cubes make life a little easier when you’ve got several people to pack for and a lengthy trip ahead of you. I don’t know about you, but within a day of arriving at a destination, my suitcase is always a mess, and I inevitably have to re-pack the entire thing before I leave. But not anymore with the help of these zippered organizers. They make space in your suitcase if you roll the clothes tightly, and they keep items separated so you’re not digging around for a particular item. Here are the ones I own.

Laundry Bags

Have any travel accessories you can’t live without? Let us know in the comments!