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Family member got a pretty serious blood clot after our last long flight (they’re fine but it was scary!) so this is something to take seriously.
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Powerbank. Don’t often need it but it’s good to have when I do
Noise canceling headphones. Take up way too much space in my bag but completely worth it any time I’m in transit
Packing cubes. Some people love ‘em some people hate ‘em. For me I know exactly what items go in what bags and it keeps me organizized
Small first aid bag with essentials (bandages, ibuprofen, Imodium, etc).
According to Statista, as of December 2024, traveling is one of the most common hobbies among United States citizens. It fell behind only such things as outdoor activities, shopping, video games, pets, reading and cooking/baking.
Some even go as far as dubbing traveling the “ultimate hobby.” After all, it’s not only a fun activity, it’s also one that enriches a person’s life in many ways.
For instance, one of the biggest benefits travelers get from indulging in this hobby is broadened horizons. Visiting places you have never been to before gives you a chance to see various people, their customs, and cultures, which can bring you out of the bubble you’re living in and prove how diverse the world is.
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And while yes, in the modern connected world, the internet educates you about similar things too, it’s not the same as experiencing it yourself.
Besides culture, when traveling, you also get a chance to see new places, both coming from nature or that were built by humans. Whether you take anything educational or inspirational (why not both?) from it is up to you; maybe just seeing with your own eyes is good enough to make a lasting impression.
After all, sometimes a trip isn’t a particular place or landmark; sometimes it’s all about those impressions and memories overall. It can be a way to build stronger bonds with the people you’re traveling with, meet new folks, or even make yourself appreciate your life more and motivate personal growth. Just like destinations, the travel aims are always up to you.
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Yet, in order to get all these benefits that traveling offers, usually you can’t go in without some sort of a plan. While yes, spontaneous travel is a thing, as itineraries and such aren’t everyone’s thing, but typically even for this people pack at least some sort of things to bring along.
So, today we decided to make you a list of what items are considered to be essential or “must haves” during every trip. We didn’t make these up ourselves; all of them were suggested by experienced travelers in various online threads, where someone asked them to share such things.
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- benadryl
- Allegra
- Pepto chewables /Imodium
- aspirin/ibuprofen
- glucosamine (we both get bouts of restless legs when traveling
- motion sick patches (2 pair)
- ear plugs (2 sets)
- individual eye drops (for long flights and locals with low humidity
- 1 dose of acyclovir (to catch cold sores before they ruin your trip)
There are other things that ppl mentioned above but this is the one that goes with us religiously. You'll never find us on a plane/train or road trip with out it.
In the list, you’ll find a whole variety of things. For instance, medication, like Pepto-Bismol, which is known for calming stomach problems, or Benadryl, which is used to relieve symptoms of allergies.
It also mentions different pieces of clothing, from gloves to scarves, which can be way more useful than many think.
Basically, armed with this list you'll be prepared for any kind of emergency that might happen during a trip – whether it's a health problem, lack of a blanket to sit on in a nice place, or whatever else. Anything can happen and when one day it does, you'll be glad that you carried that specific item, even if it's a bit weird.
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- A "stuffable" backpack. Mine is 15L expanded and when stuffed is almost small enough to fit into a pocket. Very handy for day excursions or when you just need some extra space to bring some extra souveniers home.
- A pair of gloves. Nothing super warm, but definitely helps when you need to scrape the ice off the windshield of your rental car with one of those credit card hotel keys.
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So, check out the list for yourself and see which items you could've thought about yourself and which you wouldn't have. Of course, don't forget to upvote those you think are most useful too!
And maybe don’t even shy away from sharing what items you would include in this list, especially if we haven’t mentioned them. After all, you know the saying: “Sharing is caring.”
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Ear plugs
Eye Mask
Those three things make my 11 to 14 hour trans-pacific flights bearable.
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And I second the ziploc baggies suggestion. We carry sandwich & quart size.
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Cubes to organize. I pack the same every time: Shirts folded, wrapped with pants in one cube, underwear and misc in a smaller one.
Short cord with multi-outlet and a universal converter-adapter cube with USB.
I also have a travel CPAP. I've zip-tied/elastic the bits to foam board cut to fill that useless space in the bottom of the bag. Make easier to deploy: take out, plug-in.
Laundry soap sheets. Take no space. Hotel laundry facilities are hit-miss, but finding a local coin-op laundry can be an experience. Grab a pastry and a coffee while planning the next bit.