Besides the obvious clothing and toiletries, I’ve found in my years of traveling some items that are automatically in my backpack (more about that later). You have probably thought of some of these but in my experience, they are so crucial I had to share my must have travel items!

1. Makeup wipes: Anytime you can reduce the amount of liquid you bring on a trip, the better. Even if you are checking your bag, less liquids mean less chance of liquids leaking in your luggage. I don’t have an absolute ride or die makeup wipe but my current go-to is Neutrogena Makeup Remover Facial Cleanser.

2. Backpack: This was LIFE-CHANGING for me (once my husband finally convinced me to get one)! My ride or die is the Osprey Ariel 75. If you are rich and going to be driven everywhere and have people to carry your luggage, wheeled luggage is great. However, if you are like me and take care of your own luggage, a backpack is essential. I found having a backpack extremely helpful when travelling to Italy as I was moving from hotel to hotel, dealing with many, many steps, uneven sidewalks (cobblestone!!) and hills. This one is amazing because the top of the bag removes and turns into a backpack; I used this little backpack as my carry-on!

3. Packing cubes: At first thought, these don’t seem like they would help with packing at all as they are one more thing to pack but don’t be deceived! They are essentially zippered bags with mesh parts and you roll your clothes in them to save space. Believe the thousands of reviews on Amazon, these are HUGE space savers because you can roll your clothes, zip them in a cube and then squish the cube in your luggage which leaves room for more cubes without wrinkling your clothes.  Our favorite is here.

4. Rollerball perfume: Easiest way I’ve found to travel with perfume with no risk of spillage. Everyone has their own scent but my favorites are Elizabeth and James Black Nirvana and Lancôme La Vie Est Belle.

5. Nail Clippers: seems obvious but if I forget these, I always get a hangnail or break a nail and have to pick up a pair at Walgreens (or equivalent).

6. Portable charger: Our favorite one is here! This one lasts for multiple uses and charges quickly. 🙂

7. Scarf Blanket: This is my favorite fashion accessory and travel item all in one: scarf blanket. I use this on the plane as a blanket and through-out out the trip (if going somewhere not tropical) as a fashion accessory. I also get compliments all the time on it.

8. Fuzzy socks: I always put a pair of these on when I’m flying or hanging around the hotel/AirBNB. Long flights are less painful if you take your shoes off but to prevent cold feet, throw some fuzzy socks on. Also cold floors at hotels/AirBNBs are perfect for fuzzy socks!

9. Watch: This may seem redundant with smart phones but I think it’s quicker to check a watch than a phone. Also if you are in a particularly pick-pockety area, your phone may be tucked away somewhere safe and you don’t want to be digging it out alerting to all thieves where your goods are. One more plug is that watches don’t have to be charged, so I even bring bring an old fashioned watch instead of my smartwatch!

10. Water bottle: My favorite is linked: here. Key advice about water bottles, especially if you use them on airplanes is to be cautious of ones with straws. Those tend to hold a lot of pressure and once opened may squirt out and give you and your neighbor a shower… Also if you are going to be walking around, I always regret not having water readily available. If you are in a foreign country, water may not be readily available if you are out and about, so filling up at your hotel is the best idea.

11. Detergent: Useful if have to do laundry on your trip because you didn’t want to over pack OR when you take a muddy digger at the Cliffs of Moher.

12. Tripod: This is incredibly helpful in capturing the best moments of travel without the repeat selfie picture over and over and over again (you know what picture I’m talking about!). My favorite one is here, it is bendy and will work in almost any type of situation/pose you want it to.

This list does change the more places I go to and experiences I have but for the last year or two, this has been pretty consistently what goes into my luggage despite what kind of trip it is or what I’ll be doing!

What are your travel must-haves?!