If you’re planning a trip soon, make sure you check out this list of travel essentials! We are covering everything from the basics like toiletries, to a few things to level-up your travel game – like supplements and items to help you get a good night’s rest – even if you find out your hotel room is right on a busy, noisy street.

woman packing a suitcase

packing essentials

First things first, before you head off anywhere you’ve got to have good packing gear! Below we’ll outline our favorite luggage, organizers, and more for your next trip.



















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Durable Luggage

  • Large, Hard Shell Luggage – This luggage is not only attractive, it’s also durable, will protect your belongings, and is perfect for long trips.
  • Carry-On Suitcase – This suitcase from Amazon Basics has great reviews, and is perfect for shorter trips!
  • Large Duffle Bag – If you’re more of a duffle bag type, you’ll love this stylish, sturdy bag.
  • Weekender Bag – This is the perfect bag to bring when you’re going away for just a few days, or as an add-on when you’ve already got a suitcase with you.

Packing Cubes

This is where our love for organization comes in. In the world of travel, there’s nothing worse than opening your perfectly packed bag just to find your once organized travel items in disarray (okay, missing the plane may be worse, but this is a close second!). These cubes keep like items together and everything in its place. If you’re traveling to different cities or events, consider buying different colored packing cube sets to stay extra organized (think: yellow for San Antonio, blue for Denver, red for New York, etc.)

Find our favorite packing cubes HERE.

Hanging Toiletry Bag

Again, an organizational must! Fill the compartments with your travel toiletry essentials, and hang on the back of the hotel bathroom door so that you’ve got everything you need just where you need it. This toiletry bag folds up relatively small, but can pack all of your essentials, including makeup! Looking for something smaller? This adorable striped toiletry bag may do the trick.

Travel Steamer

This travel steamer is a life-saver! If you have any special events on your trip, or you just don’t want to risk using the often cheap hotel irons, you’ve got to get one of these.

Reusable Travel Product Containers

It can be hard to find your favorite shampoo, conditioner, body soap, face wash, or moisturizer in travel size, and you shouldn’t have to compromise when traveling. These silicon refillable containers are environmentally-friendly, and allow you to use your tried and true products wherever you go.

Travel Cosmetic Bag

Depending on the size of your toiletry bag, you may also want to bring along a cosmetic bag! Having a separate cosmetic bag will allow you to scale down and pack just the essentials, instead of your entire makeup collection. Get some of our favorite makeup bags below!






Travel Beauty Essentials

When you’re traveling, it can be a little bit hard to narrow down your beauty cabinet. We recommend sticking to your makeup essentials, a few refreshing face masks, hair items like dry shampoo, and a good moisturizing lotion.





















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Makeup

  • Flawless in Five Set – This set ensures that you’ve got a complete face of makeup (foundation or tinted moisturizer, concealer, brow pencil or gel, mascara, blush, and lip gloss) in, you guessed it, five minutes flat! Rest assured that these products are not only safer for you, but actually perform!
  • A Good Concealer – A good concealer is a MUST for travel, when you might not be sleeping as much as usual and are doing more activity. This Tarte Shape Tape concealer delivers every time.
  • Honest Beauty Mascara – This mascara is the best safer mascara we’ve found! It provides length, doesn’t clump, and doesn’t flake.

Hair Care

  • Primally Pure Dry Shampoo – Primally Pure’s dry shampoo comes in two shades and is one of our must-have travel essentials Apply a few shakes to your roots to liven up day three hair and avoid having to go through the wash, dry, and style routine when you’re in a hurry.
  • Sea Salt Spray – This texturizing spray is a MUST for beachy destinations!
  • Cleaner Hair Spray – This hair spray has great hold to keep your hair looking good throughout your travels, and has cleaner ingredients!

Skin Care

  • Rejuvenating Face Masks – Just like the need for body lotion, some serious moisture love for your face is a must. Nothing makes you look more tired than dull skin, and these masks are here to combat it. Turn on your favorite movie, order some room service, throw on a face mask, and enjoy! You’ll look and feel rejuvenated in no time.
  • Nourishing Hyaluronic Spray – A quick spritz of this (even over makeup) wakes up your skin and evens out your complexion. This is great to have on hand when you’re going from a long day of travel straight to an evening event or dinner.
  • Ultra-Moisturizing Lotion – Hydration is important for your skin too! Traveling to drier cities than you’re used to can really suck the moisture out of your skin. Having a good lotion in your travel bag at all times is a necessity. We’ve found a safer option here that really works (and it smells good too)!

travel essentials for health and sleep





















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Hydration

Between air travel, different climates, and just being out of our normal water-drinking routines, it is easy to get dehydrated during travel. Below are some of our favorite supplies for staying hydrated!

  • Reusable Water Bottle – Bringing a water bottle with you is an easy way to make sure you’re drinking enough. If you’re traveling by plane, pack this water bottle in your carry-on, and fill it up once you’re through security!
  • Travel Humidifier – This small humidifier won’t take up too much space in your bag and only requires a water bottle to work! Humidifiers are great for preventing a dry nose, throat, skin, or chapped lips.
  • Liquid IV Electrolyte Powder – These travel packs of hydration multiplier have extra electrolytes that can provide as much hydration as 2-3 bottles of water. These are great to have on hand for air travel, warm climates, or if you’re planning on being in the sun or doing any physical activity!

Sleep

When we travel, we’re usually out of our routines, eating richer foods than usual, and drinking more alcohol than usual. Staying on top of your hydration and sleep are easy targets that can keep you feeling great!

  • White Noise Machine – Essential, especially if you’re a light sleeper or staying in a busy city, and this one is small enough to fit in a carry-on. If you don’t want to buy a new noise machine just yet, try downloading an app on your phone.
  • Collagen Sleep Shots – These sleep shots are a travel must-have! Collagen supports skin and gut health, while hyaluronic acid provides moisture to the skin, and melatonin, magnesium, and GABA ensure a restful night’s sleep.
  • Magnesium Citrate – Magnesium is an electrolyte and it’s also great for sleep. We love Natural CALM powder for daily use, but these gummies are a good, less-messy option for travel.

Bonus Supplements

  • Collagen Peptides – Collagen peptides are great for skin and gut health, both of which can use a little extra TLC while you’re traveling.
  • Colloidal Silver – You often come into contact with a lot of germs and bugs while traveling, plus you’re normally a bit run down. Daily colloidal silver during your trip is great for boosting your immune system.

Workout Gear

Okay, so there’s no denying that we sometimes just want an exercise free travel experience (hello, vacation!), but when you’re traveling for business or for several weeks out of the month, we understand the desire to stay active and think that it’s super important. These resistance bands and jump rope can be easily packed in your bag, and are enough to have an effective hotel workout!

  • Resistance Bands – These take up almost no space in your bag, and can replace your usual weight-lifting routine.
  • Jump Rope – Jump ropes also take up very little space in your bag and are a great way to get your heart pumping fast!

Healthy Snacks

Our favorite snacks to nosh on, traveling or not. These snacks fit in your purse, don’t require refrigeration, and don’t make you feel sluggish after eating like a lot of airport or travel-stop options might.

  • RX Bars – we love the simple ingredients in these bars and the fact that they are a great source of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats!
  • Nut Butter Packs – These are perfect for pairing with some fresh fruit.
  • Grass-Fed Beef Sticks – It can be hard to find high-quality protein on the go, so I love to keep these on hand.
  • Savory Banana Chips – Sounds weird, but trust us, these chips from Bubba’s Fine Foods are SO good, and better for you than the snack mix you’d pick up in a restaurant.
  • Coconut Chips – These are such a good snack that is slightly sweet, but also filling!

For the Trip








Whether you’re taking a road trip or flying, here are a few essentials to remember!

  • Wireless Earbuds – These may be our favorite find yet. Comparable to some pretty huge brand names, but less than half the price! Bring these earbuds on your next trip so that you can listen to an audiobook, podcast, or your favorite jams to pass the travel time!
  • A Cozy Blanket – Cold airplanes are NOT our happy place, and if I had to guess, they probably aren’t yours either. This blanket makes it so easy to get comfy on the plane and folds into a travel bag for easy transport.
  • A Good Book – Whether you’re a fan of holding a paperback in your hand, or listening to an audiobook, here are three picks that’ll keep you entertained and engrossed on even the longest of flights. A few of our favorite picks include Educated, a memoir about a girl who grew up in a survivalist family in the mountains of Idaho that will blow your mind, and Little Fires Everywhere, a riveting family drama with a bit of a mystery aspect. For more of our picks, check out our latest reading list!
  • Lightweight Sneakers – We’re all about athleisure when it comes to travel days (and really, always), and these cute lightweight sneakers make for the best and comfiest of travel shoes. You never know when you’ll need to race to a gate across the airport to make a connecting flight, so comfort and functionality is the name of the game with airport wear!

We hope that this list of travel essentials will help you level up your packing game for your next trip!



About the Author

Amber Goulden


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4 Comments

  1. Hi! You might want to check the link on the travel steamer. I bought the one linked here from Amazon, and it is designed in such a way that it gets incredibly hot and burned my hand. It worked well, but I don’t know how anyone could use it regularly with this design flaw.

  2. The travel humidifier is awesome! I had no idea there was such a thing. And I love this toiletry bag – I just ordered it!