I’ve found that being prepared and packing the right items makes all the difference between a good travel experience and one that is a little more hectic.  I have compiled a list of the essential items we bring with us when we travel that have been life savers.

Packing smart is the beginning to any good trip.  After a lot of research we came across these essential items that help the process go a lot more smoothly.  If you know me, you know that I love organization, so finding the right items was essential.

You have to start with the right suitcase.  We found one that we absolutely loved at Nordstrom Rack back in 2016 right before we went to Hawaii.  It was hard-shelled, had plenty of space, was a rolling type and had plenty of organizational options included.  Well during one of our trips the suitcase wheel got knocked on something and became immobile.  We researched a way to replace the wheel, because we didn’t want to spend the money on a new suitcase, but unfortunately this one did not have replaceable wheels.  Not wanting to encounter the same issue again, we did our research and found a suitcase with all the things we wanted and replaceable wheels.  This suitcase, is a money saving machine!  No more wasting money on a whole new suitcase!

Jon loves taking photographs and videos of the places we travel to.  I love it too, although I am definitely not as talented as he is.  We used to shove everything into a small camera bag and it just wasn’t enough.  I wanted something that provided the space, organization and ease of access needed.  I came across this fairly inexpensive camera bag that provided all that and more.  It even had space for a tripod which was a huge bonus.  If you like to photograph your adventures, this camera bag is for you!

I have to admit, I used to be one of those women that threw all the make-up and skin care products I thought I would use into an old zippered bag and hoped for the best.  I would stuff it all in there to the brim and when I got to our destination I would have to dump it all out to find anything I was looking for.  It was a mess.  To top that off, the depressurization of the airplane would always cause a leak in at least one of my products which would sometimes ruin others.  I knew I had to find a solution, and I came across this beauty, a waterproof make-up travel bag/organizer.  It makes traveling with your essentials a breeze!

If you live in the world of infertility, or just take medication or supplements daily a pill organizer can be a life saver.  Not only does it organize your pills in a nice convenient way but it also saves you the hassle of having to pack every single bottle!

The last packing essential I will mention is this travel wire organizer bag.  Again, if you are like us you carry several different wires and chargers with you.  Whether they be cell phone charging wires, charger bank charging wires, smart watch charging wires, etc. you need them and instead of rolling them up into a ball and throwing them somewhere in your luggage to sort out later, you should invest in this life saver, a travel wire organizer bag.  It helps you keep everything nice and organized, and saves you the headache of trying to untangle wires later.

If you are anything like me, trying to sleep anywhere other than a bed is uncomfortable.  Throw a plane in the mix, with noisy neighbors and limited space, sleeping becomes almost impossible.  I found that having a travel pillow and a sleep mask make all the difference.  A good pair of headphones help as well, you can drown out the noise that other travelers make with some music, a podcast or whatever your heart desires!

Now traveling runs the risk of catching something, with so many people comes so many germs so it is important to be prepared.  The last thing you want is to get sick with trying to enjoy yourself on your vacation.  The two items I am about to mention will help you avoid catching something not so nice along the way.  First and foremost is disinfecting wipes, whether you use them on the plane, in the hotel or wherever, these will help keep those areas that are touched often and collect germs disinfected (wipe down those arm rests, tray tables, and tv remotes y’all!).  Next is Emergen-c, as a precaution or as a remedy if you feel like you may be coming down with something, this is a great option.  Emergen-c gives your body some an essential Vitamin C boost to help combat those nasty germs!

Unfortunately there is also a risk of getting hurt.  I remember on a trip up Highway One back in 2015, I took a nasty fall first on a curb and then on some rocks (I swear I am not that clumsy on a regular day).  I got a lot of bruises and scrapes where a first aid kit would have come in handy for sure.  We ended up having to stop at a convenience store to pick up some items, and then a first aid station in Santa Cruz to get it taken care of where had we had a first aid kit packed, we could have avoided the extra stops and messy situation.

If you are anything like Jon (haha) things can get a bit messy and having some tide pens and wet wipes within reach is super helpful!

Another thing that can be helpful to have is a sewing kit because you never know when you are going to need to do a quick hole or button repair.

I saved the best for last and that is this charging bank, it is by far the best one we have ever purchased.  Interestingly enough it started out as a kickstarter because like us, people we tired of paying for charging banks that did not hold a charge, charge your items or broke after a few weeks.  We bought this back in 2016 before we went to Hawaii and have used it ever sense.  If you make one purchase, it should be this charging bank.

I hope this is helpful throughout your travels and if you have any suggestions of your own, well come on now, share ’em, the world wants to know!