10 Things Everyone Needs To Pack In Their Bag

What are the things to always pack first in our personal item? What should we leave in the carry on and what should we make sure we have in our backpack/purse/bag?

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1. Laptop/tablet/phone/watch

In other words, all your gadgets. Sorry to disappoint you but nowadays we always start with this. Most of the time while traveling we only need one of them but for long trips the number of gadgets needed goes up. Because we need to stay connected, to take pictures, and to work (sometimes).

Click here for some electronics that can be useful on a plane (like kindle)

2. Chargers/power banks

Because we need to charge the devices that help us stay connected, take pictures, and work (sometimes). The portable one is a real lifesaver. Imagine being in a new city with a dead phone and no idea how to go home. Enough. Now go order one.

Click here for some power banks and pick the best option for you

3. Band aids, gum, pocket glue, bobby pins

Women always have unbelievable things found in their purses. Why not have them while traveling? Some of them can finally be used.

Band aids for your long walks and uncomfortable shoes. Gums for the times when you’ll need a little refreshment or the moments on the plane when your ears hurt from the pressure. Pocket glue- because you never know when your favorite items will betray you. Bobby pins– because you have no idea how many things you can do with those little guys. And I’m not just talking about your hair.

Click here for some first aid travel kits

4. A pair of comfortable clothes, extra socks, scrunchy, reading glasses (if any)

Because the comfort while traveling is priceless and not everything is about looking good all the time. Okay, guys can ignore the scrunchy. Put comfort before anything else. Plus you can always look good and fresh in sweatpants and with a ponytail. Let’s also not forget those rare and extremely unpleasant cases when your luggage would get lost and the only one clothes you have will be the ones on your back. So an extra pair is never useless.

Click here for some comfortable female and male clothing when flying, socks, and scrunchies

5. Notebook and pen

For all the thoughts and things we want to remember but we know we won’t. Or if you want to play a game with your travel buddy on the plane. If you are like me you probably constantly have some things you want to write down, otherwise they will get lost forever.

Click here for travel journals and notebooks

6. Documents, printed/electronic boarding passes and tickets/emails

Make sure you’re not the only one of your party to have it all. You need to make sure the important files are saved at one more place in case something happens to your copies. Also having everything prepared makes the hustle less stressed.

Are you getting annoyed when someone is holding the whole line because they can’t find their ticket? Are you wondering why they haven’t prepared everything in advance and waited for the last moment? Don’t be the one to hold the line. Have everything in hand. If your tickets are on your phone- have them ready. If you need the email confirmations- mark them as important in your inbox so it’s easy for you to find them. Need the QR codes? Screenshot them (unless strictly mentioned that you need a “live” QR code). This way you have them with or without internet access. It doesn’t happen often nowadays but if you’re not sure if electronic or paper tickets are required- have them both. Print out the tickets just in case. Better have them twice and not use them than not have them and need them.

Click here for some document travel organizers

7. Snack

Does anyone else get bitchy when hungry? I definitely do. No food- no talk. You might think that the flight is short and you won’t get hungry. Or that you’ll be provided with a snack. The truth is that you will get hungry and, unfortunately, on some short flights they don’t give you anything. It’s always better to have a snack or something you can quickly eat until you have a chance to have a real meal. There might be a delay, a traffic jam and many other cases when you might need this bite. Don’t underestimate the power of food. It can cost your mood and your day.

8. Sanitizer – with or without Covid

I’d got this habit of carrying sanitizer much before Covid-19 was a thing. I was already used to it when 2020 came but most of us haven’t really thought about how dirty everything around us is. We already know. And we find it gross. That’s why a little sanitizer bottle or a small pack of wipes is a must nowadays.

Clean hands before eating and clean stuff after a long day outside. Your phone is probably the dirtiest thing you possess. Just think of how many times you touch it per day while traveling. Thousands. Using it for making calls, taking pictures, checking the map, and social media. How many times do you wash your hands before using it? Zero. No further explanation needed. We know we can get rid of all the germs around us but we can at least reduce them a little bit.

Click here for some travel size sanitizers

9. Headphones/book

If traveling with friends by car I don’t really need anything else to keep me interested, talking to people, listening to music with them, and staring through the window is enough until we reach our destination. However, on a plane I would love to have at least two options to entertain myself. Headphones and a book are my must. 

Click here for some wired and wireless headphones and books

10. Ear plugs, sleep mask

Some of you may laugh, but as a pretty light sleeper I can say that these two simple things have saved my sanity not just once. I wish I was one of those people who can fall asleep everywhere without even realizing it. But I’m not. It actually takes so much for me to fall asleep in any kind of transport that I only remember a few times doing it. But all of those times I wouldn’t have done it without a little help.

Having someone sitting next to you who can’t stop talking or snoring, hearing the buzzing of the plane engine, being too close to the bathroom and witnessing every little sound… Yes, we hate it. And yes, a little pair of ear plugs won’t completely eliminate the noise but it’s a good start. For those who need complete darkness to fall asleep (like me)- a sleeping mask might become your new best travel buddy. Why wait to be dark when you can bring your own darkness and have a little rest?

Here’s the sleep mask I currently use. It gives you complete darkness and it comes with a nice little bag to keep in. When it comes to ear plugs- I’ve been using different types for years, but nothing even comes close to the silicone ones. They are a little weird to fit at first, since they are sticky, gel-based, and they feel like you won’t be able to take them out. But trust me- once you try them, you will never have to deal with the annoying late sounds anymore. I highly recommend this type.

Click here for some sleep masks and ear plugs

Click here to see the must have items when traveling!

More about luggage and how to pack here!

I always make a list when I’m packing. Usually I start adding items weeks prior to the trip, so I don’t miss anything. Whenever I think of something I would need- I just add it. This way the chance of me leaving behind something I need is getting smaller.

Not only do I make a list for packing, but I also keep that list until I come back. Why? Because I use the same list on my way back to make sure I’m not leaving behind anything that I brought. It has saved me multiple times from forgetting things in a hotel or an airbnb. We all know how sometimes we spread all of our stuff everywhere when staying at places. So don’t forget this pair of shoes under the bed or the face cream in the bathroom.

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What do you always carry in your purse when traveling? Let me know in the comments below!

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Take vacations! Go to as many places as you can. You can always make money. You can’t always make memories.

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