travel kit what is

Ultimate Travel Kits Guide: Essentials for Your Journey

• Travel Essentials and Gear , Travel Technology , Travel Tips
• December 11, 2023
• By Travel Mind Editorial

Table of Contents

Understanding travel kits, types of travel kits, customized travel kits, portable hygiene kits, travel-sized toiletries, versatile hygiene products, travel first aid kit, portable power bank, travel documents organizer, choosing the right travel kit, type of travel, personal preferences and requirements, size and portability, versatility and adaptability, reviews and recommendations, cosmetic bags and cases for travel kits, convenience kits and hotel toiletries, train cases for travel kits, travel cases for electronics.

Traveling opens doors to exciting adventures and unforgettable experiences. However, amidst the thrill of exploring new destinations, being prepared with the right essentials is crucial. At Travel Mind , we understand the significance of a well-equipped travel kit in enhancing your journey.

Travel kits serve as your trusty companions, ensuring you’re equipped with all the necessary items to make your travels hassle-free. Whether you’re embarking on a weekend getaway or a globetrotting expedition, having a thoughtfully curated travel kit can significantly enhance your travel experience.

In this comprehensive guide, we delve into the world of travel kits , shedding light on their importance, different types available, and essential items to consider. From toiletry essentials to portable hygiene kits and beyond, we aim to equip you with the knowledge to prepare for your adventures effectively.

So, let’s embark on this journey together as we explore the world of travel kits and uncover how they can elevate your travel experiences to new heights.

Travel kits are the cornerstone of every adventurer’s journey. These meticulously curated sets of essential items are tailored to meet the diverse needs of travelers. A travel kit serves as a comprehensive package, ensuring you have everything necessary to navigate different destinations seamlessly.

Importance of Travel Kits

The significance of a well-prepared travel kit cannot be overstated. It acts as a safety net, providing peace of mind knowing you have essential items readily available. From maintaining personal hygiene with compact toiletries to ensuring convenience during transit, these kits are invaluable companions for any traveler.

Whether you’re embarking on a hiking expedition, a business trip , or a family vacation, having the right essentials at your fingertips can make all the difference. The versatility of travel kits caters to individual preferences and requirements, ensuring a smoother and more enjoyable travel experience.

Understanding the components of a travel kit allows you to pack efficiently and effectively. From toiletry essentials like travel-sized shampoo, conditioner, and toothpaste to versatile hygiene products, each item plays a crucial role in ensuring comfort and convenience throughout your journey.

When it comes to travel kits , diversity reigns supreme. These kits cater to different travel styles, preferences, and requirements, ensuring that every traveler can find a suitable option. Let’s explore some of the prominent types of travel kits available:

Travel Toiletry Kits

Travel toiletry kits are the quintessential companions for maintaining personal hygiene while on the move. These kits often include travel-sized versions of essential toiletries such as shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toothpaste, and more. Compact and TSA-compliant, they effortlessly fit into your carry-on luggage or backpack.

To ensure a comfortable and hygienic journey, investing in a quality travel toiletry kit tailored to your needs is essential. It ensures you have your preferred products in convenient sizes, ready for use wherever your travels take you.

For those seeking a more personalized touch, customized travel kits offer the flexibility to curate your set of travel essentials. Tailoring a kit to your specific needs allows you to include preferred brands, specific products, or niche items not commonly found in standard kits.

Creating a custom travel kit involves selecting items that align with your travel routines, ensuring you have precisely what you need without any excess. Whether it’s skincare products, medications, or unique accessories, customization provides a level of comfort and familiarity during your travels.

Compact and versatile, portable hygiene kits cater to travelers who prioritize cleanliness and convenience. These kits typically include items like hand sanitizers, wet wipes, tissues, and other on-the-go hygiene essentials. They’re designed for easy accessibility, especially during long journeys or when access to facilities is limited.

A well-equipped portable hygiene kit ensures you’re prepared for unexpected situations, maintaining hygiene standards regardless of the travel conditions. It’s a practical addition to any traveler’s arsenal, offering peace of mind and comfort throughout the trip.

Must-Have Essentials for Travel

When preparing for a journey, having the right essentials in your travel kit can make all the difference in ensuring a comfortable and stress-free experience. Let’s explore some must-have items that deserve a spot in every traveler’s kit:

Compact and TSA-friendly, travel-sized toiletries are a cornerstone of any well-prepared travel kit . These include miniature versions of essentials like shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toothpaste, and moisturizer. Opting for travel-sized containers ensures compliance with airline regulations while keeping your luggage light and efficient.

In addition to toiletries, versatile hygiene products are vital for any traveler. Items such as hand sanitizers, disinfectant wipes, and tissues help maintain cleanliness during transit and at various destinations. These compact products fit snugly into your travel kit , providing convenience and peace of mind.

A compact travel first aid kit is a non-negotiable addition to your travel kit . It should include basic medical supplies like adhesive bandages, antiseptic wipes, pain relievers, and any necessary prescription medications. Being prepared for minor injuries or health-related issues ensures you can address them promptly, even while on the go.

In the digital age, staying connected is essential. A portable power bank is a lifesaver for keeping your devices charged while traveling. Whether it’s your smartphone, tablet, or camera, having a reliable power source ensures you can capture memories, stay connected, and navigate using GPS without worrying about battery life.

Efficiently managing travel documents is crucial. A dedicated organizer or wallet for passports, boarding passes, IDs, and other essential documents keeps everything in one place, making airport procedures and check-ins a breeze.

Selecting the ideal travel kit involves considering various factors to ensure it aligns with your travel style and needs. Here are some essential aspects to consider when choosing the perfect travel kit :

Purpose and Duration of Travel

Assessing the purpose and duration of your trip is pivotal in determining the type of travel kit you require. For shorter trips, a compact and basic kit might suffice, focusing on essential toiletries and hygiene items. Conversely, longer journeys or diverse travel needs might call for more comprehensive kits or customizable options.

Different types of travel demand different travel kits . A business trip might require a more professional-looking kit with specific essentials like wrinkle-release spray and grooming items. Adventure travel, on the other hand, might necessitate kits with rugged durability and specialized gear.

Consider your personal preferences and specific requirements when choosing a travel kit . Some travelers prefer eco-friendly or cruelty-free products, while others prioritize compactness and versatility. Customizable kits allow you to tailor the contents to match your preferences and avoid unnecessary items.

The size and portability of a travel kit are crucial factors. Ensure the kit fits comfortably into your luggage or backpack without taking up excessive space. Opt for compact sizes and lightweight materials, especially if you’re aiming to travel light or adhere to airline baggage restrictions.

Versatility is key in a good travel kit . Look for kits that offer adaptability to various environments and situations. Kits with modular compartments, waterproofing, or multi-functional items can be highly advantageous, catering to changing travel conditions.

Before making a purchase, consider reading reviews and seeking recommendations from fellow travelers. Insights from experienced travelers can provide valuable information about the usability, durability, and effectiveness of different travel kits .

Travel Kits Beyond Toiletries

While toiletry kits are essential, travel kits encompass a broader spectrum of items catering to various aspects of travel. Let’s explore additional types of kits that extend beyond toiletries:

Cosmetic bags and cases serve as practical organizers for makeup, skincare products, and toiletries. They come in various sizes and designs, providing convenience and protection for your cosmetics during travel.

Convenience kits often include an assortment of toiletries like shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and soap, conveniently packaged for travelers. Additionally, hotel-provided toiletries can serve as supplementary items in your travel kit , especially during shorter stays or as backups.

Train cases offer a stylish and efficient way to organize cosmetics, skincare products, and toiletries. They feature multiple compartments, making it easier to access items while keeping them secure during travel.

Customization extends beyond toiletries, allowing travelers to create kits tailored to their unique needs. From electronic gadget organizers to specialized gear kits for specific activities, customization offers flexibility and personalization.

For tech-savvy travelers, travel cases for electronics are indispensable. These cases offer protection and organization for gadgets like laptops, tablets, cameras, and chargers, ensuring they remain safe and easily accessible during your travels.

In the realm of travel, the significance of a well-prepared travel kit cannot be overstated. It serves as a reliable companion, ensuring you’re equipped with the essentials to navigate diverse destinations and experiences seamlessly.

Throughout this guide, we’ve explored the diverse world of travel kits , delving into their importance, various types available, and essential items to consider. From versatile toiletry kits to portable hygiene solutions and beyond, these kits play a pivotal role in enhancing your travel experiences.

At Travel Mind , our mission is to empower travelers by providing insights into travel opportunities and essentials. While we don’t offer application assistance, we strive to inform and guide our audience towards exciting travel opportunities and the right tools to make their journeys memorable.

Remember, when selecting a travel kit , consider the purpose and duration of your trip, personal preferences, and the type of travel you’ll undertake. Tailoring your kit to your specific needs ensures a more comfortable and enjoyable travel experience.

We encourage you to explore the multitude of options available and invest in a travel kit that aligns with your preferences and travel style. Be it toiletries, organizers, electronics cases, or customizable kits, having the right essentials at your fingertips can elevate your travel adventures to new heights.

Prepare, organize, and embark on your journeys with confidence, knowing that a well-equipped travel kit is by your side, ready to make your travels smoother and more enjoyable.

Read more about destinations you can travel to;

Explore Adventure Travel Destinations: Unforgettable Journeys

Top US Travel Destinations: Places to Travel in US

Discovering Hiking & Trekking Adventures: Unveiling Nature’s Wonders

Discovering Holiday Ideas in Spain: Your Ultimate Guide

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20 Must-Have Travel Kit Essentials: 2023 Backpack Checklist

Priya sharma

Oh, the excitement of traveling! The destination has been decided, the tickets have been bought, the hotel has been reserved, the shopping has been completed, and the only thing left to do is the packing.

Packing luggage before a vacation is enjoyable for some but may be difficult for others. You get your favorite outfits and the new ones you got, especially for this vacation.

When preparing for a trip, it’s crucial to pack your travel kit essentials, including items like toiletries, medications, and chargers. Your travel needs will vary depending on your location, but there are a few items that you will require regardless of where you go.

This article will give you the complete list of travel bag pack essentials, so continue reading to know more. Our essential travel packing list can help you organize and pack everything you need for a smooth and enjoyable trip.

Setting off on a trip, whether it’s a quick getaway or a big adventure, having a ready travel kit is super important. It’s like your secret to feeling comfy, secure, and happy during your journey. But what exactly should be in this special kit? Here are the important things that should always be in your travel kit.

1. Best Comfortable Clothes-

Keep the destination in mind when you search for clothes for your vacation. You will need different clothing for a place covered in snow and one covered with beaches. Pack cardigans, sweaters, and other winter clothing when traveling somewhere chilly.

Aside from your checked luggage, pack a few wardrobe items in your cabin bag, such as a cardigan, cap, a pair of comfy T-shirts, and shorts. It’s always a good idea to be prepared if the airline misplaces your bags or another bad scenario occurs.

2. Travel Wallet-

A travel wallet must have important things like money, cards, and travel documents all in one safe place. It usually has extra pockets and spaces to keep things organized. You can keep your passport, tickets, credit cards, and even some cash in it. Use it to keep track of all your critical papers, such as the passport, AADHAR card, and travel tickets.

Along with the documents, you may use them to store currencies, debit and credit cards, hotel key cards, and various other items.

3. Toiletries-

When we’re away from home, certain things make us feel good. When traveling, having your toiletry pack on hand to help you clean up and feel better might be the distinction between a pleasant and unpleasant journey.

So, carry everything you need in a large toiletry bag. While you should pick up minor goods at your location, some skincare, personal care, and other amenities may be difficult to locate while traveling abroad.

Keep a modest set of amenities in your carry-on luggage, such as your toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, and face wash. This way, you won’t ruin your neatly packed bag in public.

4. Portable Chargers and Cords-

It must be among the most necessary travel items. You wouldn’t expect your device to die during a thrilling movie scene on a plane or train. It would be much worse if you were working while traveling or if your phone died with all your trip information.

Furthermore, no battery in the smartphone or camera means no images, which you do not want! To avoid such problems, bring your chargers as well as a portable backup charger.

5. Medications-

Bringing along your necessary medications in your travel kit essentials ensures you have a safe and enjoyable trip without any health concerns. Make sure to keep your prescription on hand and some additional remedies in case you become ill due to headaches, stomach trouble, or other problems. Always carry your small portable first aid kit wherever you travel.

When you are on medical treatment, always keep it with you, even if you only take it infrequently. Carry over-the-counter medications such as paracetamol, diarrhea medicine, pain relievers, motion sickness tablets, and allergy medication. Bandages, sanitizer, and mosquito and insect repellents are also essential.

6. Sunscreen, Moisturizer & Lip Balm-

When on vacation, one of the most crucial travel essentials is sunscreen. It will shield you from dangerous sunlight while keeping your skin safe. If you’re flying, use sunscreen during the trip, particularly if you have a window seat.

Pack your moisturizer and lip balm with you, as well as your sunscreen, to keep your skin moisturized, and you look great in all of your photos.

7. Sanitizers and Face Masks-

If you are on a long road trip, your travel backpack essentials must include Sanitizers and face masks.

It’s important to have your face mask at all times, and it’s equally vital to make sure they are comfortable for extended use.

Along with these masks, have a small bottle of hand sanitizer in your handbag since airports and train stations receive many people regularly, and you must be taking care of your hygiene and wellness.

And these masks also help you not catch any viruses if some people are sick. It was always mandatory.

8. Makeup and Accessories-

Makeup and accessories were essential for women, and they could put on their favorite lipstick color on the trip. With the correct accessories and cosmetics, you can alter any look. Talk about stylish attire.

Sweaters, shrugs, Scarves, half-jackets, or any other layers you can add or remove are ideal.

Sunglasses, Earrings, small chains, finger rings, a sling bag, or anything else that may stand out and liven up your clothing might be useful additions to your luggage.

9. Hygiene products-

One of the last things you wish to forget on your trip is any necessary hygiene or medical supplies. While you may acquire additional deodorant to keep fresh on your vacation, it’s far more crucial to remember drugs that will be very hard to get rid of once you arrive.

Contact lenses, birth control pills, safety pads, prescription glasses, and other drugs are included.

Most of the time, women can arrange a trip around their cycle, but life happens. Traveling without sanitary products may be pricey and inconvenient, particularly if you need them. So, make it a practice to bring a few with you. It is preferable to possess and not require them but rather to not have and require them.

10. Entertainment to Beat Boredom-

This may seem like a millennial thing to some but remember to bring your iPad, laptop, or book. You can’t keep looking through the window for the duration of the trip, can you?

Long travels may be tedious, especially with no onboard entertainment system. To keep oneself engaged while traveling, read your favorite book, watch a movie, or play games. So always take your favorite book, or watch your favorite movie or series.

11. Neck Pillow-

You don’t want to have serious neck pain during your journey. In that case, bring a neck cushion with you. This neck pillow can come in handy if you have a long wait for your flight or train and are feeling drowsy.

Furthermore, these U-shaped neck pillows are lightweight and portable. Think again if this needs to be added to your list of must-have travel items.

12. Comfortable Shoes-

This is the point where we all make mistakes. Don’t carry as much footwear to match your outfit. Carry one pair of exceptionally comfy shoes for traveling, strolling about, and wherever you go.

If you’re heading to a formal dinner or many parties, bring a pair of useful and comfy party shoes, such as black pumps or nude flats.

Sandals or beach sandals are an obvious choice for a beach holiday. However, before leaving on vacation, ensure you’ve worn them for a while because new flip-flops might be uncomfortable. In general, closed footwear is a good idea.

13. Sunglasses and hat-

Make sure to pack sunglasses and a hat in your travel backpack. These are simple but important things that can make your trip even better. Sunglasses stop the bright sun from hurting your eyes and keep them safe from bad sun rays. Wearing a hat does two good things – it stops the sun from making your face red, and it helps you stay cooler when it’s hot outside. Whether walking around a busy city, sitting by the sea, or hiking in nature, sunglasses and a hat help you a lot. Put them in your bag, and you’ll be ready for a fun trip with comfy eyes and extra shade from the sun.

14. Insect Repellent-

Don’t forget to bring insect repellent when you travel. This is something that keeps bugs away from you. Bugs like mosquitoes can bite and make you itchy, but using insect repellent helps keep them from coming close.

It’s really helpful, especially if you’re going to places with many bugs. Just put some on your skin before you go outside, and you’ll be much more comfortable without those annoying bug bites. It’s a good thing to have in your bag to make sure you have a nicer time outdoors.

15. Lightweight rain jacket or umbrella-

Lightweight rain jackets or umbrellas are essential to pack if you are traveling to a place where rain is common or if the weather can change suddenly. These items help you stay dry and comfortable when it starts to rain unexpectedly.

A lightweight rain jacket is easy to carry and can keep you dry without taking up much space in your bag. On the other hand, an umbrella can be a handy accessory to shield you from rain showers. Whether you’re exploring the city, hiking, or simply walking around, having a rain jacket or umbrella can make sure you enjoy your travel without getting soaked.

16. Towels and Sleepwear-

Your travel kit essentials should include a towel and sleepwear to make your trip comfy. Although, Budget hostels rarely offer complimentary bath towels to visitors, so have one on hand just in case. Microfiber towels fold up exceptionally compactly and dry quickly. They can even be used at the beach.

Pack a set or two of pajamas for folks who prefer sleeping more comfortably and prefer not to crumple your daywear by sleeping in it. Generally, go for big tees and cozy sweats.

17. Ziplock Bags / Plastic Bags and Toiletry bag-

Things you may find around the house that are good for keeping dirty clothing, various currencies for organizing, and other random stuff. They can also serve as a first layer of waterproofing for electronics. A toiletry bag is like a special bag for your personal things that you need for taking care of yourself. It’s a bit like a small Pouch just for your soap, toothbrush, shampoo, and other things you use in the bathroom.

18. Small Travel Pouch-

A small travel pouch is a handy little bag that you can use to keep your important things organized during your trip. It’s like a mini-version of your regular bag, but it’s perfect for holding items like your passport, tickets, and small items that you need to find quickly. You can also use it to keep your phone, keys, and money safe and easy to reach. It’s small enough to fit inside your bigger bag or even in your pocket, so you can have your important stuff with you wherever you go. This way, you can take some weight off your bag and avoid returning to the accommodation.

19. Travel-sized first aid kit-

A travel-sized first aid kit is like a little box of help for when someone gets hurt or feels unwell during a trip. It has basic things like bandages, antiseptic wipes, and pain relievers. If someone gets a small cut, you can clean it with the wipes and put on a bandage. If they have a headache, you can give them a pain reliever. It’s like having a small doctor’s kit with you. This kit doesn’t take much space in your bag but can be really useful in case someone needs quick care. It’s good to have it just in case something unexpected happens.

20. Snacks and reusable water bottle

Bringing snacks and a reusable water bottle on your trip is a smart idea. Snacks are like little bites of energy that you can have when you’re hungry, and a reusable water bottle is a special kind of bottle that you can fill with water and use again and again.

When you’re exploring or on the go, having some snacks with you can keep you from feeling too hungry, and a reusable water bottle helps you stay hydrated (that means having enough water in your body). Instead of buying water bottles all the time, you can fill your reusable one, which is good for the environment too. It’s a great way to save money and stay refreshed during your travels.

Conclusion-

Make a list of the things that are required you intend to bring on the trip. Remember to bring all travel documents, such as identification, travel insurance, and an itinerary, while preparing for a vacation. Pack a first-aid kit and toiletries as well.

Avoid overpacking by packing clothing, shoes, skincare products, cosmetics, and accessories appropriate for the temperature and destination. You can also bring books, magazines, or earbuds for listening to music as entertainment throughout the journey. Above mentioned essential travel packing list includes all the necessary items to ensure you’re well-prepared for your journey.

Writing From Nowhere

Just In Case Travel Kit List (19 Essentials)

• June 5, 2021
• 16 Comments

Most of the *ultimate travel packing lists* focus on the fun parts of travel. The bags, the gear; the stuff that’s exciting to think about and buy. This travel kit list is full of the other stuff you need to take traveling. Consider this your just in case travel kit that everyone hopes they won’t ever need. 

But, that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun! Whether you’re backpacking, on a road trip, city-hopping or traveling full-time, these are the essentials for your travel packing checklist.

This emergency travel packing list will help you to be more prepared, resilient and result in a more enjoyable trip. I affectionately call this just in case travel kit my travel “headquarters,” and it has saved the day countless times. Pack the items on this travel kit list, and I’m sure it will bail you out, too.

Taking time for travel preparedness isn’t just good common sense, but it’s also an essential part of being a more sustainable traveler . Being able to repair a buckle or mend a shirt mid-trip will reduce your need to purchase new gear. If you have the means to fix things when they break, you save items from the landfill and also the resources and carbon footprint of buying a new product to replace it.

Extending the life of your gear stops you from having to send your old gear to the landfill, and also saves you money. Being prepared for traveling is a win all around!

This is my personal travel emergency kit list, and you’ll probably be able to tell that I love being prepared. If you’re thinking about the just-in-case items you need for a trip, use my travel kit list as a guide and take or leave items as they suit you.

Let’s get right into the travel essential packing list that will help you be prepared for whatever travel throws at you.

Pause now and pin for later!

Just In Case Personal Items

1. Vomit bag

I truly hope you’ll never need this vomit bag, but if you feel even a little queasy you’ll be so thankful to have on hand. No trip packing list is complete without this.

Just because you’ve never been motion sick doesn’t mean that it will never happen. Personally, I’ve never been car sick in my entire life, until riding in a van up tiny hairpin roads through high elevation in Peru. The changing altitude got to me, and I’ve never felt that sick to my stomach in my life.

Remember that food is also a wild card – your stomach may not be used to the cuisine wherever you are, plus not every country has laws around food ( “does this taste old to you?” ).

I met a Canadian man who had been vomited on while traveling – by people he didn’t know – twice. TWICE! * shudders * Let’s all agree to carry vomit bags so that if we cross paths somewhere in the world, we don’t accidentally puke on each other.

Beyond your just in case travel kit, I actually recommend you sneak a vomit big into your messenger bag, bookbag, purse, etc. for daily emergencies. It takes up no space, but if it’s needed, it will save the day.

Any paper bag will do. If you’ll be flying for your next trip, take some from the plane. Vomit bags should be in the seat-back pockets or you can ask a flight attendant.

2. Dramamine

You need this item in your travel kit list for the same reasons as the vomit bag. Just remember to store it somewhere reachable , not in a bag that you’ll be stowing away under the bus, train , or aircraft.

Anyone who is prone to motion sickness pack a bottle in their just in case travel kit. For the rest of us blessedly strong stomachs, just take a few tablets as a backup.

Dramamine Chewable Tablets – 8 Pack on Amazon

3. Toilet paper

Not all countries provide free toilet paper in bathrooms like a lot of us are used to.

Even in the US, I’ve seen some pretty ragged rest stops that weren’t stocked ( I’m looking at you, latrine on the southern border of Arizona that hadn’t seen any love in an unseemly amount of time ).

When you’ve gotta go, you’ve gotta go, toilet paper on hand or not, so be prepared.

If you’re going on a long trip, I would take a whole roll (squish it flat and store it in a ziplock bag to keep it clean). For a smaller trip, enough for emergencies should be fine.

4. Hand sanitizer

It’s not the norm everywhere to wash hands after using the bathroom. I’ve seen many bathrooms that don’t provide soap or have running water.

If it’s your personal norm to do so, then you’re going to want hand sanitizer. Start every trip with a travel-size bottle and buy more along the way if you have to.

Also, if you’re in the position to spend a little bit more money, choose a cruelty-free and vegan hand sanitizer to make a more conscious purchase.

Vegan, Cruelty-Free, Eco-Friendly Hand Sanitizer on Amazon

5. Liquid IV

It takes constant, intentional effort to stay hydrated when you travel. In my humble opinion, conscious hydration is one of those hidden-gem travel trips that can help you really improve your health and wellbeing. Bring a little help in the form of Liquid IV.

Liquid IV is an electrolyte powder that provides rapid hydration. It contains glucose, sodium and potassium that “delivers water and other key nutrients directly to your bloodstream, hydrating you faster and more efficiently than water alone.” (more product specifics can be found here from the company themselves )

This is a miracle powder. Staying intentionally hydrated will make you enjoy traveling more. In particular, this will save you during long-haul bus rides or flights, while hiking, or emergencies like plain old dehydration.

Reflecting on my own travel memories, there are so many times when I know I would’ve felt better and enjoyed my surroundings more if I hadn’t been so dehydrated.

The worst offender was a long bus ride from Lima to Cusco in Peru. It was supposed to be about 18 hours, and usually, buses make stops along the way. This bus, for whatever reason, didn’t. And there had been a landslide which required the bus to slow down and carefully drive over the rubble, so instead of 18 hours, this bus ride took 27.

I only had one bottle of water on the trip, and I felt so deeply *wrong* by the time we arrived. I only peed once in 27 hours. Not drinking water or using the bathroom makes you feel terrible and has health implications.

Tuck a few Liquid IVs into your just in case travel kit and you’ll be happy you have them.

Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier Electrolyte Powder on Amazon

6. First Aid Kit

There are two types of first aid kits you should have for traveling. The first is a small kit for shorter trips, or for traveling in places where you’ll never be far from help. For example, it’s probably overkill to pack a splint for just a weekend in Paris, where help could arrive very quickly if an accident were to occur.

I am not a certified first aid expert, so you should consult the American Red Cross’s recommendations for further safety information.

First Aid Items For Short Trips

What I recommend: take a full first aid kit on long trips, but for a week or less, just take the basics ( except for outdoors-focused trips, in which case you should always take a fully loaded first aid kit ).

Here are some health-focused items for your travel kit:

• Multiple sizes of bandaids
• BleedStop , a powder that you pour into cuts or wounds to stop bleeding
• Alcohol cleansing pads
• Benadryl to treat allergies and itches
• Moleskin for blisters
• Antibiotic ointment for treating cuts, burns and reducing the risk of infection
• Bandage tape
• Liquid IV (for dehydration, diarrhea/food poisoning, etc.)
• Wound closures – this may sound intense, but they’re so tiny and they work so well at closing cuts
• Small scissors – for cutting gauze, Moleskin, or (in extreme cases) clothes off

First Aid Items For Long Trips

Just so you know: this list does not include every single first aid item you should include on your travel kit list. My kit has more than 100 pieces in it, and this is just covering the highlights. You should refer to the American Red Cross for professional advice. Especially if you’ll be in a scenario where help would be delayed ( such as on a boat, in the backcountry, etc. ).

• Medical gloves
• Surgical mask – you can buy these in the first aid section of most stores, or even get them for free during flu season. If you’re going anywhere with volcanoes or a chance of earthquakes or wildfires, you should take one. Filling your lungs with ash or dust is painful and damaging. Individually-wrapped is best
• A Sam Splint for stabilizing sprains and bone breaks
• Foil thermal blanket
• Instant ice pack
• A Sharpie for extreme scenarios in the backcountry. In the event that two people are in the backcountry together and one of them incurs a life-threatening injury and is unable to move, their partner may have to leave them to seek out help. A Sharpie is used to write information on the injured person, in the event that they lose consciousness and are discovered by someone else. If you’re going into the backcountry, you really must prepare by taking the American Red Cross Wilderness And Remote First Aid Course .

Personally, I love first aid and preparedness ( am I the only one? Do you also get a kick out of being prepared?? ). But if this seems like too much work, you can buy a premade safety kit and add any additional pieces yourself to flesh it out.

Pro tip: if you assemble your emergency kit yourself, be sure to opt for travel-size first aid items. It’s not as cost-effective, but larger volumes of liquids will become a hassle going through airport security. You can store everything easily in a small toiletry bag.

163 Piece Waterproof Portable Essential Injuries on Amazon

Just In Case Travel Kit: Practical Items

7. Zipties in an assortment of sizes

These are great for MacGyvering broken items.

A zip tie can become a makeshift shoelace, zipper pull, bag handle – you get it. Endlessly handy to have.

Assorted Zipties on Amazon

8. Small scissors

If you take scissors, you will find yourself using them. It’s just one of those things! Personally, I like actual scissors over a pocket knife, but a knife will probably tick this box as well in many situations.

Plus, as I mentioned in #5, scissors are an essential part of a complete first aid kit , useful for cutting clothing, gauze, bandages or Moleskin.

Portable Mini Fold-Up Scissors on Amazon

9. Pen and marker

These might be items you don’t think you’ll need, but if you end up do needing to write something down and don’t have anything, you’re out of luck.

You’ll need a pen to fill out any customs forms if you’re going abroad. A marker is handy for labeling your food in a hostel kitchen.

10. Paracord

Paracord is handy in mending broken items, or making something new altogether – I have 2 friends that built a makeshift tent out of tarp and paracord when they couldn’t find a hostel for the night. For bonus travel preparedness points, consider bringing a roll of reflective paracord . After a camping snafu where I tied up a bear bag in a tree and then couldn’t find it, I now use the reflective paracord to help mark things.

That can be a bear bag, the entrance to the campsite, small items that are easily overlooked and left behind when packing.

When doing a lot of bus travel, it can also be handy to tie reflective paracord to backpack . This makes it easy to spot when unloading a bus in the middle of the night or trying to describe your bag to the person returning luggage.

Fluorescent Reflective Paracord on Amazon

11. Lighter

Even if you’re not a smoker, it’s just one of those basics that is good to have. If you do smoke or use a lighter often, consider getting an electric lighter and making it the last lighter you’ll ever need.

That’s right, locks plural! I recommend taking two locks on every trip.

Combination Lock and Cable

The first lock that you need in your just in case travel kit is a standard combination lock with a cable . Reduce your odds of being robbed by keeping your backpacks together. This is handy if you have to sleep somewhere public (like an airport) or if you, for some reason, have to leave your bags behind.

By tying bags together, you make it much more unlikely that an opportunist will come up and discretely walk off with your bag.

Take a cable lock around both packs, going through zipper pulls or handles to make sure it’s actually connected, then put the ends of the cable on the lock and lock it.

Then, throw a raincoat over the top of the packs for discretion.

If someone came over while you were sleeping, just the sound of pulling the jacket off would probably wake you, but there’d be no way to quickly take off with huge packs tethered together.

This may sound intense to some travelers, but I’ve had my room rummaged through and robbed before so I’ve made it a habit to be proactive. That’s a good quality for anyone who wants to travel long-term .

Combination Lock With Cable on Amazon

Double-Sided Cable Lock

The second lock you should always include in your just in case travel kit is a double-sided cable lock .

First, you lock your bag shut so no one can go through it. The cable is flexible, so if your bag doesn’t have those luggage pulls with the lock holes in it, you can still get it through.

Next, you lock the longer loop through something else , like your seat or the overhead luggage rack, making it impossible to swipe. With this, no one can rummage through your bag or walk off with it.

With enough time and tools, a thief could still cut your bag, etc. but this is a great deterrence for opportunists.

You can find a double-sided cable lock here . If you’d like more on this topic, I have an entire blog piece on just securing your packs .

Lewis N. Clark Lockdown Triple Security Double-Sided Cable Lock on Amazon

13. Ziplock bags in an assortment of sizes

In your day-to-day life, it’s best to avoid Ziplock bags because of the plastic epidemic, but they’re invaluable when on the road. Take an assortment of sizes.

Some of the best uses : water bag to seal off your electronics during a rainstorm, taking food to-go, “packing out” toilet paper if you’re going to the bathroom in the woods, keeping your liquid toiletries separate from everything else in your bag in case something leaks. That list goes on and on.

You don’t need anything fancy, just something that could maybe repair a broken plastic piece of your pack or reattach the bottom of your shoe.

It’s an unusual travel accessory, but Sugru glue is the glue for the job. It’s super versatile: it’s flexible, mouldable, waterproof and small to carry with you.

This glue is so amazing that I even included it on my holiday gift guide . Glue is a ~super cool~ gift when it does THIS much!

Sugru All-Purpose Adhesive on Amazon

Pro tip: if you add another type of glue to your travel kit list, be sure to store it in a little Ziplock bag. Sugru is individually wrapped, but a liquid glue that’s just in a tube presents a leakage risk. That would be disastrous!

15. Mini sewing kit

This is worth its weight in gold if (when) you a tear in your clothes. You don’t need to be a skilled seamstress, just being able to sew up a hole or reattach a button is immensely useful and can save you from needing to buy new clothes.

Compact Sewing Kit For Travelers on Amazon

16. Rain Gear For You And Your Backpack

“What do weathermen and politicians have in common? They both get paid to lie.” My grandfather told me that joke probably a thousand times while I was growing up.

There’s a lesson to be learned in there though: never rely on the forecast to be accurate.

Your just in case travel kit isn’t ready without some rain gear. It doesn’t have to be bulky or heavy-duty. My rain suit is essentially just a glorified garbage bag, but it’s been keeping me dry for years. I recommend something packable that folds into a little pouch and disappears into your bag until you need it.

Packable Women’s Waterproof Hooded Rain Windbreaker on Amazon

Now that you’re covered, don’t forget your bag! A wet bag is inconvenient, smelly and I reckon expensive if anything gets ruined and needs to be replaced. Your just in case travel kit isn’t ready with a rain cover for your bag as well as your body.

Waterproof Backpack Rain Cover on Amazon

Pro tip: test your raincoat while you still have the opportunity to return it! Make sure it’s truly waterproof, and not just water-resistant. This is particularly important if you’re traveling during a country’s rainy season.

17. Whistle

There are two primary travel and outdoor scenarios where a whistle is extremely valuable.

The first is situations where you’re lost or injured and need to draw attention to yourself. You can blow on a whistle for hours without losing your voice or dehydrating yourself, unlike yelling for help. The internationally recognized distress call is 3 blows of a whistle. If you’re hiking, attach this to the shoulder strap of your backpack so that if you’re injured and unable to move, you can lean to your shoulder and blow the whistle even if you’re trapped or badly injured.

The second is when faced with animal or criminal confrontations. A whistle is like a personal security alarm that will draw attention to your situation. This can potentially scare off criminal encounters or aggressive animals.

In addition to carrying a whistle on your backpacking shoulder strap, carry one in your purse, messenger bag or whatever you always keep on your person while traveling.

Emergency Whistle With Lanyard on Amazon

An exciting step of preparing for traveling is getting the local currency of your exciting destination. In addition to your day-to-day money, you’ll also want to keep a reserve of extra money for emergencies and unexpected situations. Here are 3 steps to take to effectively prepare yourself.

Take a reserve of US dollars for most destinations (except in Europe – it’s unlikely anyone will accept dollars). Not only is the US dollar accepted by many countries worldwide, but it’s also required at some international checkpoints. I learned this the hard way when crossing the border from Honduras to Nicaragua. Neither country used the US dollar as their currency, yet it was the only accepted currency to pay the entry fee with.

A proactive amount of money to take for 2 people is $300. Don’t take big bills, because you might not be able to get change. Take a division of ones, fives and tens.

Only take clean bills . Bills with writing or tears may very well be rejected because they won’t be accepted by the local banks. American banks will accept anything, but that’s not the case abroad. Whoever is accepting your money also needs to feel confident that it’s not counterfeit, and a dollar bill with a woman’s phone number written on it doesn’t exactly ooze that confidence.

Scatter the bills between your bags , and never carry this around in your day-to-day exploring. You tempt fate when you carry large amounts of cash on you will perusing the streets.

Most people who travel long enough have had their bags rummaged through by opportunists, so make it difficult for someone to find your cash reserve. Split up your money and store it any number of random places in your bag:

• In the toe of your packed shoes, beneath socks and other stored items
• Tucked into your first aid kit
• Taped inside of a notebook

Pro tip: do *not* take big bills. Take an assortment of small bills instead. Getting change for small bills is a common problem in some countries, even for the local currency.

19. Miscellaneous Items For Your Just In Case Travel Kit

These are items that have just come in handy and are small enough to toss in.

• Carabiners in assorted sizes
• Binder clips in assorted sizes
• Rubber bands in assorted sizes
• Safety pins in, you guessed it, assorted sizes!

Don’t pack the whole container of these items, but rather take a few of each out and store them in a small Ziplock bag.

Putting Your Just In Case Travel Kit Together

Your travel preparedness items should all be stored together in a pouch or a small packing cube and stored in an accessible area. If you’re traveling with a backpack , keep it in the brain, or the topmost part of your pack, so that it can be easily reached .

On smaller trips with just a day bag, toss this into the abyss of your bag.

Travel Kit List Summary

Do you feel more prepared with this travel kit list in hand? This travel checklist will become your saving grace when you’re on the road, and I’m so thrilled I was able to share it with you.

This list is about more than just providing you ultimate packing tips – it’s about being savvy, staying safe and being resilient to what life on the road throws at you.

What items do you include on your backpacking or vacation packing list? I’d love to hear in the comments!

16 Comments on Just In Case Travel Kit List (19 Essentials)

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incredible! i thought i was reading my list! everything that i have been told is quirky, is on this list. i have everything on my list too! except Sam Splint, Foil thermal blanket,Instant ice pack,A whistle,A Sharpie, possibly casue we are not big hikers. but everything else is there. if i dont use it after 3 trips, an item gets removed. heaven forbid we get Diarrhoea on an overnight trip lol

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Thanks for some great advice! I’ve read a lot of posts about packing light, but some light preparedness gear could go a long way!

I am so thrilled you liked it! I also think a little preparedness goes a long in, no matter how minimalist you are!

I really appreciate this post. I have been looking everywhere for this! Thank goodness I found it on Bing. You have made my day! Thx again!

I always carry Tide or Shout wipes just in case I spill food on me .

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What is a Travel Kit?

A travel kit is a collection of items which may be needed during travel which are packaged together for convenience. There are a number of different kinds of travel kits, including things like travel sewing kits which include basic sewing tools for making quick repairs to clothing while traveling, and travel toiletry kits which include items needed for basic hygiene. Many stores sell fully stocked travel kits, along with components of travel kits for people who need to restock or design a custom kit.

A typical travel kit comes in a small box or bag which is designed to fit inside luggage. Some travel kits take the form of hanging bags which zip up so that they can be compacted for travel. When someone has reached a destination, the kit can be unzipped and hung, and the numerous compartments will be exposed. Manufacturers of luggage sometimes make matching travel kits specifically designed to nestle inside their luggage products for maximum space efficiency.

Items inside a travel kit are often small, allowing people to fit in everything they need without taking up a great deal of space. For example, in a toiletry kit, the kit might have small containers of shaving cream, soap, face wash, shampoo , conditioner, moisturizer, makeup remover , and so forth. Travel makeup kits can include compacts with commonly used shades, along with a scaled down collection of lipsticks, eye liners, and other makeup accessories. Several companies make mini containers which people can fill themselves to stock their travel kits.

Often, the best deal on a travel kit is for a prepackaged travel kit which includes an array of items someone might need while traveling. However, it is also possible to assemble a travel kit from scratch. Travel kits can be used to carry things like necessary medications, accouterments for a baby, tools for shaving, travel documents like passports and tickets, and so forth. People traveling for work might also have a travel kit of common work tools which are all packed and ready to go so that they don't have to assemble a kit at the last minute when they receive short notice of a trip.

People who travel frequently may keep a travel kit in a convenient location so that it is always available. Some people may even leave a bag fully packed with everything they need, from changes of clothes to a well-stocked toiletry kit. This can be more convenient than trying to pack everything necessary for every trip.

For disaster preparedness, it is a good idea to keep a travel kit around the house. The kit should include copies of important documents such as bank records, property deeds, and birth certificates, along with current medications and basic supplies such as food and water. Having a kit ready will save time in the event of an evacuation.

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseTour researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

AS FEATURED ON:

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• How Do I Choose the Best Travel Shampoo?
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Discussion Comments

Post your comments.

• By: BriYYZ Passengers on an airplane commonly utilize traveling kits.
• By: matka_Wariatka Women should consider adding feminine products to a travel kit.
• By: charles taylor Travel kits may be used to safely store passports and other travel documents.
• By: L_amica Travel sizes of shampoo and lotions may be part of a travel kit.
• By: nito Travel kits may include a small towel.
• By: nikshor Hairdryers may be included in a travel kit.
• By: Halfpoint A small alarm clock should be included in a travel kit.
• By: ILYA AKINSHIN Frequent travelers might find noise canceling headphones to be helpful.

The Best Gear for Travel

By Wirecutter Staff

Traveling well can be one of life’s great pleasures, whether you’re alone or with family and friends.

But what does it mean to travel well? We’d say that along with traveling safely (of course), traveling well involves avoiding hassle, carrying a single bag (if possible), and bringing only the necessities.

“Traveling well is a fine balance between finding inspiration in the unknown while being grounded in something,” said Wirecutter founder Brian Lam. “Sometimes that is a memory of home, a family, a significant other, friends, etc. Sometimes it’s just the familiar, reliable stuff in your bag.”

Over the past 10 years, we’ve spent hundreds of hours researching and testing dozens of products to find the most dependable items that will help you travel well. On top of that, we sought the advice and wisdom of Doug Dyment, author and creator of OneBag—a traveling businessman and public speaker, he has logged millions of miles over the past few decades—as well as travel-gear reviewer Eytan Levy, the Snarky Nomad.

And we relied heavily on the experiences of Wirecutter staff, an especially mobile group of individuals. Our staffers have worked remotely from every continent except Antarctica—the five most frequent flyers among us travel about half a million miles in any given (normal) year.

The research

Flying/riding, just in case, travel tips.

A well-packed bag is one that contains less than you think you need but everything you actually need. If possible, fitting everything into one carry-on and personal item will give you more freedom compared to checking a bag or two. You’ll be glad you did if (and when) things don’t go according to plan. While carry-on-only isn’t feasible (or advisable) for every trip—especially extended business trips or weddings where you need multiple outfits to maintain appearances—if in doubt, it’s better to cut.

Carry-on backpack (non-roller)

Cotopaxi Allpa 35L

A versatile small pack for a week or a weekend.

The Allpa’s clamshell design makes organizing your things simple. The strap design lets you easily wear this durable bag on your back or carry it in your hand while you’re on the move.

Buying Options

Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L

An easily customizable large bag for long trips and expensive gear.

This bag was built with photographers in mind, but most travelers will appreciate its easy accessibility and clever tuck-away straps, and the elegant way the bag expands and contracts depending on how much you’ve packed. The accessory cubes cost extra, though.

We spent six months testing 22 bags, and in the end we chose two as our top picks for travelers determined to never check luggage again: the Cotopaxi Allpa 35L (for most trips) and the larger Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L . Both bags are exemplary carry-on travel backpacks that are designed for comfort, durability, and organization.

The Cotopaxi Allpa 35L features an easy-to-pack clamshell design and highly adjustable straps that make it a great all-around bag for any traveler who’s dedicated to packing light, or for a smaller person who wants less to carry. Handles on all four sides of this bag make it easy to grab no matter where you’ve stowed it, and the Allpa’s straps are contoured to comfortably fit people who have large or small chests. It’s not a specifically gendered design, but our female tester noticed the improvement right away.

The bag is protected by a full lifetime warranty and has the build quality to back that up. Its front panel is made of a waterproof, TPU-coated 1,000-denier polyester (a strong fabric covered in a flexible plastic coating), which means you can lay it on its back in a wet field or in gravel without worrying about moisture soaking through or jagged edges ripping the fabric. The rest of the paneling is made with 1,680-denier ballistic nylon, which feels similar to a strong canvas but with a more prominent weave. After four years of testing, this single backpack (plus a personal item to store under the seat) has replaced nearly every travel bag or piece of luggage that Kit Dillon, Wirecutter’s senior staff writer who covers luggage, uses.

One caveat: The Allpa has a minimal amount of administrative organization—places to keep pens and papers, spaces to hold tickets, and so forth—which is where the personal item comes in handy. As the name suggests, “personal items” are very, well, personal, and no one bag will work for all travelers; we offer a range of recommendations in our full guide to them .

The larger Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L is the Swiss Army knife of backpacks: adjustable, customizable, and (if you spring for the extra cubes and organizers) an almost perfect system for a photographer or gearhead on the move. Most bags’ expanding mechanisms aren’t worth the extra zipper they’re built on, and they look about as attractive as a boiled ham splitting out of its plastic packaging. Not so with the Peak Design: It looks just as good fully packed at 45 liters as it does compressed to a 30-liter daypack. You can access the bag through a back panel, which doubles as a computer and tablet pouch, as well as through a front one, if you unzip the pass-through divider. You can also get into the main compartment via two wing-like trapezoidal flaps that run along each side of the pack. In its natural shape, the Travel Backpack holds 35 liters, but an expansion zipper lets the bag swell to 45 liters.

If you want to use the bag as a daypack, you fold in the top corners and snap them down, reducing the bag’s volume to a slim 30 liters. It still feels larger than a normal daypack, but we think that’s a small compromise for the ability to use one backpack as both your travel bag and your daily explorer. The bag itself consists of 400D nylon and polyester fabrics—it feels tough, but not as tough as the Cotopaxi Allpa. As for flaws, it is expensive, especially if you commit to the entire system of packing cubes and camera cubes . The adjustable design and multiple zippers do add complexity, and complexity adds potential weaknesses, though Peak Design covers all of its bags with a lifetime warranty.

Finding the right bag is a personal choice, and no single bag will appeal to everyone. That’s why we have picks in our full review of carry-on travel bags that can double as traveling offices , bags that are easy to carry while you’re walking long distances , and budget options for travelers who want to give the one-bag strategy a try.

Carry-on bag (rolling)

Travelpro Platinum Elite 21″ Carry-On Spinner

Great features, great value.

This spinner carry-on offers the best balance of size, value, reliability, and durability, with high-end details. It’s backed by a lifetime warranty.

Since 2015, we’ve researched several dozen suitcases and gone hands-on with the 67 most promising candidates in a variety of tests—including having active flight attendants test bags for us in a fake plane fuselage in their training facility. We determined that for most people the  Travelpro Platinum Elite 21″ Expandable Spinner  offers the best balance of features, durability, and price for most flyers who log less than 25,000 miles annually.

It features smooth-rolling, user-replaceable wheels; solid and comfortable, telescoping handles; and a hard-wearing nylon exterior propped up by a solid internal chassis. The Elite only improves on past iterations in the Platinum line by reducing the size of the stowed handle (which used to jut out about an inch) and adding a second zippered, exterior pocket for easy access on the go and a USB pass-through extension that lets you insert your own battery pack for charging your phone. And at 7.8 pounds when empty, this carry-on bag is about half a pound lighter than its predecessor. Compared with other bags in this price range, you also get surprisingly high-end components and a warranty that covers anything, even airline damage, for the life of the bag (as long as you register the suitcase within 120 days of purchase, which is easy to do on any smartphone).

Upgrade pick

Briggs & Riley Baseline Essential 22″ Carry-On Expandable Spinner

For frequent flyers.

If you fly more than 25,000 miles a year, invest in a bag with unique features, superior details, and plenty of expandable room. This manufacturer guarantees your satisfaction.

If you fly more than 25,000 miles annually and you’re willing to invest in a higher-quality product, we recommend the Briggs & Riley Baseline Essential 22-Inch Carry-On Expandable Spinner. It can fit more clothing than any bag we tested, thanks to a cavernous interior and clever expansion and compression system that can adjust to variable levels beyond open and shut. Over a five-year period before the pandemic, Wirecutter’s founder, Brian Lam, put more than 150,000 miles on his. His only complaint was that longer pants will need an extra fold, or to be rolled. In taller bags, pants will only need to be folded over once.

Checked luggage

If you need to pack more stuff than a carry-on and a personal item can hold, our first piece of advice would be to reconsider whether you need that extra outfit “just in case.” But you’ll have times when you need to travel with several pairs of shoes, formalwear, a winter coat, special equipment (like diving or camping gear), or all of the above. In these cases, there’s no way to avoid checking a bag.

Osprey Farpoint 55 Men’s Travel Pack

The best travel backpack for those with taller torsos.

Comfortable, adjustable, and carry-on capable, the Farpoint has everything we needed for a week, or even months, of travel.

Osprey Fairview 55 Women’s Travel Pack

The best travel backpack for those with shorter torsos.

Comfortable, adjustable, and carry-on capable, the Fairview has everything we needed for a week, or even months, of travel.

If you’re going somewhere where you’ll need to walk a lot (particularly if there’s dirt or cobblestone roads), we recommend a travel backpack. We like the Farpoint 55 and the sized-for-smaller-torsos Fairview 55 because they’re comfortable and have plenty of room to store, and separate, our essentials. The front of the main pack unzips like a suitcase, so you can easily fit and access a week’s worth of clothes and toiletries. The daypack, which attaches to the front of the larger pack, has room for camera gear, daily essentials, and a small laptop (via a built-in sleeve). It’s also easy to stow. The main pack’s straps can tuck behind a zippered flap, so they won’t catch on anything if you check your luggage.

These bags are made of a heavy-duty recycled polyester that stands up even to long trips–one of our testers has traveled with a Farpoint 55 for years, across dozens of countries for months at a time, without damaging it. If something does happen, though, Osprey has a lifetime warranty.

Travelpro Platinum Elite 25″ Expandable Spinner

The best checked bag for most travelers.

The bag provides a luxury feel at a reasonable price, with a capacity, warranty, and reliability that should suit most travelers. The 25-inch model should offer plenty of room for most people without going over airline weight limits.

If you don’t plan on walking around while carrying all your stuff, the  25-inch Travelpro Platinum Elite Expandable Spinner Suiter is our favorite piece of checked luggage for all of the same reasons we loved the carry-on size: It has excellent organizational features, it’s especially durable, and it has a better warranty than anything in its price range.

Luggage tags

Ovener Silicone Luggage Tag

Strong and easy to see.

Rugged silicone and a metal cable mean this tag (which comes two to a pack) may well outlive your luggage. The brightly colored case displays its owner’s name but keeps other personal information out of sight.

A good luggage tag should be durable, simple to use, and discreet. Ultimately, a tag should allow someone to get your luggage back to you quickly and easily, and it should withstand the wear and tear of being thrown onto conveyor belts time and again. After researching the top-rated and best-selling models, reading existing luggage-tag reviews, and comparing fourteen tags , we recommend the Ovener Silicone Luggage Tag for most travelers because it’s the only one we’d trust to survive being smashed by other bags, jammed into walls, and generally abused by baggage handlers. It’s the most durable tag we tested, and it comes in a wide selection of colors to help any bag stand out from the rest.

The Ovener tag’s silicone body seems nearly indestructible and is available in a rotating selection of colors (you get two tags per pack). Whereas other tags also feature metal cables, this tag has a metal grommet to keep the cable from eventually wearing through the silicone case.

Should you lose your bag, the Ovener makes it easy for a Good Samaritan to find your contact information. To fully access the info card, you have to unscrew and remove the metal strap; this lets the card slide out of the case. Most luggage tags we tested secure their info card in this way. It isn’t a difficult or time-consuming process, but it is an extra step compared with using a tag that displays all of your information openly. Still, for anyone who wants to keep their contact information out of view, the extra step is worth it.

Another approach to increasing privacy is to hide information in a QR code, as the Dynotag Smart Deluxe Steel Luggage Tag  does, or to provide a user ID number, as the Okoban UID Luggage Tags do. But these seem like overly complex solutions to a problem that doesn’t really exist.

Compression sacks

Originally designed for reducing the bulk of lofty sleeping bags, compression sacks are stuff sacks modified with additional nylon end caps that can be pulled together by strings or straps to remove air and create a smaller, denser package that’s easier to pack. Most travelers use compression sacks to condense socks, underwear, and other stuff you don’t mind getting wrinkled into a package with half as much overall volume. For example, an 8- to 12-liter sack can compress a fleece jacket and a long-weekend’s worth of socks and underwear into something that fits in one hand. They also make a decent pillow in a pinch.

Osprey StraightJacket (8L)

Easier access, less compression.

It has a full-length zipper on its side that allows access to the bag’s entire contents. However, it doesn’t compress as tightly as traditional designs.

Most compression sacks require you to empty out the stuff at the top to get to the stuff below it, but the side-zipper design on the Osprey StraightJacket allows access to the entire contents of the bag at once. The compression straps attach sideways, and are less likely to get tangled and twisted like on most compression sacks with lengthwise straps. It can also sit up on its own, and the handle design lets you break it out as a last minute carry-on to avoid an overweight-baggage fee. However, it doesn’t compress down as compactly as the traditional designs we tested so it’s not the best option if compression is your top priority.

GobiGear’s SegSac takes a different approach to solving the same access issue: It has four inner dividers that run the length of the sack in order to keep your socks separate from your underwear, winter accessories, towel, what have you. This means you don’t have to take out your T-shirts to get to your socks. Unlike the Osprey, it compresses just as much as a normal compression sack, but it loses points for versatility because the segmentation prevents it from handling large items like a down jacket or sleeping bag.

Packing cubes

Packing cubes could change your life. (Okay, maybe just your traveling life.) Packing cubes are basically bags to hold your clothes that you organize within your luggage. Though seemingly superfluous, they’re brilliant in action. If you imagine your suitcase as a dresser, you can think of these cubes as individual drawers: Put all your underwear and socks in one container, all your shirts in another, and your workout clothes in yet another. Then pull out only the cube you want. They make packing and repacking wonderfully simple.

Eagle Creek Pack-It Reveal Cube Set

Well built with easy access.

Simple and solidly constructed, these packing cubes keep your bag organized while you’re traveling.

The three-piece Eagle Creek Pack-It Reveal Cube Set keeps a week’s worth of clothes organized and moves easily from suitcase to hotel dresser. We’ve been recommending the previous version of these cubes for years, and after testing this updated set, we now recommend this version.

The full-size cube is great for shirts, shorts, and insulating layers. The half-cube and quarter-cube are perfect for underwear, socks, and other thin fabrics such as stockings or sleepwear. These cubes are made of 300-denier polyester (a strong fabric) and stay upright when empty, so they’re easy to pack. The Pack-It cubes’ windows are made of the tightest mesh link we tested—better for resisting snags—and the smooth zippers close easily around all corners, even when a cube is overstuffed.

The Eagle Creek cubes have the ability to unzip fully to allow full access to their contents while sitting in a dresser drawer. That means your clean clothes stay protected against some potentially dicey motel dressers. In 2022, Eagle Creek updated the design of these cubes, and now the company no longer uses YKK zippers, which are widely accepted as the best around . That said, we couldn’t tell any difference between Eagle Creek’s zippers and other brands’ YKK zippers, even with a magnifying glass, and their performance was indistinguishable. (For what it’s worth, an Eagle Creek product manager assured us that the proportion of zipper-related warranty claims hasn’t changed since the company made the switch from YKK.)

Most travelers are likely to be well served by the Reveal set. But if you value lightness above all, the more expensive Eagle Creek Pack-It Isolate Cube Set is about 50% lighter than similar-size competitors (just over 1 ounce for a medium cube, whereas the Eagle Creek classic style weighs about 4 ounces). Unlike the Reveal set, this set is water resistant. However, the Isolate design’s thin sides—which don’t allow the cubes to stand up on their own—make those cubes a bit more challenging to pack than the Reveal cubes.

Buying the right gear can help organize your existing travel kit, but it’s a red herring if your goal is better portability. “It’s mostly the clothing that allows you to reduce what you need to carry,” explains veteran traveller Eytan Levy, better known as the Snarky Nomad . That’s because clothing, which is very voluminous, makes up the bulk of what’s in your bag. He recommends traveling with basic-looking clothes because you can always buy or rent something nice in a pinch, whereas lugging around formalwear just in case will always be a pain. It also helps if you can avoid cotton and stick to merino and synthetic fabrics, which dry faster. This allows you to do laundry by hand in the sink as needed to reduce the amount of clothes you need to carry.

Travel underwear

Good travel underwear keeps you feeling fresh and clean, even when your destination is gritty.  To find the best , we researched an array of underwear designed for men and women to find 37 pairs meeting our criteria: moisture-wicking and breathable, quick-drying, odor-resistant, stretchy, stylish, and cut to fit a variety of body types.

We then conducted rigorous pretesting (wearing the underwear for two days at a time, machine-washing them repeatedly, and tracking their drying speed when hung on a clothesline) before taking them out into the real world. Our testers went backpacking 215 miles throughout Portland, Oregon; hiking in the Canadian Rockies, including walking from the lowest point in the Continental US to the highest; and road-tripping to the national parks of the West. Testers who flew to their destinations wore the underwear on the plane, too.

Afterward, we checked for signs of wear, such as seam breakage and pilling on the fabric. As we continued to test the finalists, we repeatedly checked for durability problems. In addition to comfort and fit, we noted whether each pair seemed lightweight and packable.

ExOfficio Men’s Give-N-Go 2.0 Sport Mesh 6″ Boxer Brief

Best for most men.

Durable, quick-drying, and relatively inexpensive, this soft-fabric version of ExOfficio’s time-tested Give-N-Go undies will get the job done for years.

The ExOfficio Give-N-Go 2.0 Sport Mesh 6″ Boxer Brief is the best men’s underwear for travel because it balances fit, comfort, odor-proofing, and value better than anything else we’ve tested. The Sport Mesh fabric excels at breathing and wicking and has better odor-resistance than other fabrics. It feels soft on the inside and smooth on the outside so it slides against your pants instead of creating friction, reducing potential for chafing. It also features a sculpted crotch area that gives wearers some much-appreciated support, without feeling stifling. These boxer briefs dry quickly, pack compactly, and weigh less than almost all the other boxer briefs we tried—basically they’re everything you’d want from a pair of excellent travel underwear.

Patagonia Women's Active Hipster

Best for most women.

These light, stylish, quick-drying hipsters stay in place whether you’re walking, flying, or hanging upside down.

The Patagonia Active Hipster doesn’t appear special upon first glance. Only after trying everything else and living through their failures to stay put did we remember what “special” really means in a pair of underwear: Feeling as if you’re wearing nothing at all. The Patagonias have the best fit, comfort, and style out of all the panties we tested. The nylon material is fast-wicking and better than most synthetics for odor-proofing, making it well suited for athletic activities. The Active Hipster is lightweight and packable, and is the fastest-drying underwear we tested—making them perfect for minimalist travelers who go weeks at a time with just one or two pairs. But these same characteristics make them great for any traveler looking for comfortable, packable panties, regardless of where you’re going or what you’re doing.

Budget pick

Uniqlo Men Airism Boxer Brief

Comfortable, compact, and fast-drying, these are a great value but don’t fit quite as nicely and aren’t as supportive in the crotch.

Uniqlo Women Airism Ultra Seamless HipHugger

Similar fabric to the Men’s Airism, with a no-ride cut for women, these underwear are the least expensive of any we tested and among the best performing.

May be out of stock

If you want to spend as little as possible without sacrificing performance, the Uniqlo Airism line has long been a great choice for men and women who can wear sizes small and medium. In recent years, both lines have expanded their size range somewhat (men to 3XL, and women to XL). If these fit, you can replace an entire underwear drawer on a tight budget, as long as you can deal with the slightly odd cut and less-effective odor-control treatment.

If you’ve never traveled with merino wool socks, you’re missing out. These aren’t the scratchy wool socks your grandpa wore in the army; they are soft and stretchy ones that have natural sweat-wicking and odor-resisting properties that keep your toes comfortable under all conditions—even when wet. This combination of odor, moisture, and temperature regulations makes them ideal for traveling. "Because of its natural anti-bacterial properties, washing merino wool on a daily basis isn’t absolutely necessary,” explains Snarky Nomad , "after letting it air dry overnight while you sleep, it’ll seem brand new.” The only major downside is that merino tends to be a bit pricier than synthetic counterparts. But it’s a worthy trade-off, since you can go for longer with fewer pairs.

Darn Tough Light Hiker Micro Crew Lightweight Hiking Sock (Women’s)

The best quality for women.

The best mix of comfort, durability, and cushioning in a versatile height.

Darn Tough Light Hiker Micro Crew Lightweight Hiking Sock (Men’s)

For the best quality.

The same great versatile sock as the women’s model, but in different color options and more sizes.

Darn Tough’s Light Hiker Micro Crew socks (both the men’s and women’s versions) have been our favorite hiking socks for years. Darn Tough made its name through its quality guarantee : “Our socks are guaranteed to be the most comfortable, durable, and best fitting socks you can buy. In a nutshell, if you wear a hole in them, we will replace them free of charge, for life.” Pacific Crest Trail thru-hikers (hardcore backpackers who walk from Mexico to Canada in one continuous trip) praise them for their durability, comfort, and blister resistance. When you hold a pair of Darn Toughs next to a pair of Smartwools (which only have a two-year guarantee ), the difference is clear. The Darn Toughs are more tightly knit, the yarns are finer and feel sturdier, and the stitching is tighter.

Darn Tough Women's Coolmax Hiker Micro Crew Midweight Hiking Sock

The best non-wool women’s hiking sock.

This midlevel cushioned sock for women is the best synthetic option for most climates and terrains.

Darn Tough Men's Coolmax Hiker Micro Crew Midweight Hiking Sock

The best non-wool men’s hiking sock.

This synthetic men’s sock is perfect for day hiking in most weather.

If you are sensitive to wool, prefer a vegan product, or want a cooler option for the summer, we also like the Darn Tough Coolmax Hiker Micro Crew Midweight Hiking Sock, which comes in women's and men’s sizes.

We appreciated how breathable this sock felt. While wearing the Coolmax Micro Crew in hot summer weather, our testers’ feet stayed dry and sweat-free. The shorter micro-crew height makes the Coolmax Micro Crew suitable for both boots and shoes, too. And like all Darn Tough socks, this model comes with a lifetime warranty.

Indosole Flip Flops (women’s)

A quality flip flop in women’s sizes.

These stylish beach sandals come in a wide range of colors. Be careful, though: Indosole sizes tend to run a little small.

Indosole Flip Flops (men’s)

A quality flip flop in men’s sizes.

These beach sandals are the same as the women’s version but cut a bit wider; we still think they run a little smaller than regular shoe sizes.

A good pair of travel flip-flops should be lightweight, comfortable, and waterproof. The men’s and women’s Indosole Flip Flops offer the best combination of quality, comfort, and easy packability. Unlike many flip flops, which slap against the ground with every step, the subtle arch support of this flip flop kept it secure against our feet. Plus they’re made from waterproof, recycled materials. Keep in mind, though, that our testers found these shoes to run a bit small, so we suggest sizing up for the best fit.

Clothesline

While doing laundry at home can be a large weekly event, OneBag author Doug Dyment recommends approaching travel laundry as a part of your daily routine, especially if you’re trying to pack as little as possible: “The laundry should be more like cleaning your teeth—something you do everyday. It only takes about five minutes to do it. Every night, do your socks and underwear and you’ll have clean socks and underwear everyday.”

A secure, hassle-free option

The Flexo-Line attaches easily to a door handle or faucet and grips garments securely between its loops.

Check out OneBag’s laundry packing list if you want specific tips on how to do it and what you’ll need, but it’s a pretty simple setup: All you need is a toiletry bottle of powdered detergent, a towel to help expedite drying, and a travel clothesline to finish the drying process while you sleep at night.

Specifically, you want a braided—not twisted—surgical latex clothesline with looped ends, which means you want a Flexo-Line . The Flexo-Line can stretch up to 7 feet long, which is enough to span most hotel bathtubs, and it has loops that you can attach easily to a door handle, bath spigot, or faucet. The braided construction is superior to twisted designs made from other materials because the latex does a better job of gripping garments securely between the loops, which means you don’t need any additional clothespins.

Dyment has tried them all, but the Flexo-Line is the one he comes back to. As he explained to me in an interview, “There are others that are fine, but there are far more that are not fine.” More specifically, Dyment says to avoid anything that’s not made of latex , because clothes will inevitably slip out of them. He also says to never, ever trust a suction cup: “They don’t work, period.” If the Flexo-Line is unavailable, Dyment says that the Rick Steves collection from Kiva Designs also makes a nice braided line that is a bit more expensive. If you have a latex allergy, Dyment recommends going with a length of cord ( paracord is nice because it’s durable and you can use it for other things as well) and stainless steel safety pins meant for cloth diapers , because they take up far less space than a clothespin and won’t rust. In fact, it’s worthwhile to get these items even if you can use a latex line because they’re great for making luggage repairs and performing other MacGyver-ish tasks in a pinch. To hang up the clothesline, we recommend using a bowline knot on one end and a taut line hitch on the other. These knots work well together because the bowline creates a simple, slip-proof loop to anchor one end while the taut line hitch allows you to adjust for tension and locks tightly in place. If you could commit any two knots to memory forever, these are the ones to learn.

Laundry detergent

Minisoak Travel Packs

A travel size version of the best delicates detergent.

Perfect for traveling because you don’t even need to rinse it out.

When you’re washing your underwear in a hotel sink, you want a fast and easy experience. For this, we recommend the no-rinse detergent Soak . That’s right, we said no rinse . You just add a drop to the sink, fill with water, and leave your garments to soak. Then press out the water and hang. Done.

In our tests of delicates detergents , Soak cleaned almost as well as our top laundry detergent, Tide; plus, it comes in individual packets of powder  that are great for traveling, as well as in  travel-size bottles of the liquid version . In addition to unscented, it's available in a variety of scents, although Lacey and Celebration are not the most descriptive of scent names. They all smell nice, not overpowering. Soak also comes in an assorted travel pack with two single-use packets of each scent, if you want to test-drive one or two before you buy. In that mini size, you get eight packets for $11 currently, but you really need only a squeeze, not the the whole packet, to wash a couple of pairs of socks and underwear.

One downside to Soak is that you won’t find it in a grocery store or big-box store. But it is available online at Soak’s site . And if you really want to walk into a store and put your mitts on a bottle, you can find it at most local yarn stores.

Don’t feel like buying Soak or bringing along a bit of your own detergent? Shampoo also works pretty well for cleaning garments in a pinch, so make use of that free bottle from the hotel. But a caveat: Neither Soak nor shampoo contains enzymes , which are biological molecules in laundry detergent that break down certain stains. If you have especially stinky or stained clothes, you might need to break out the Tide .

When we first published this guide, this section addressed only toiletry kits and bottles, razors, and packable towels. The times, and traveling, became more complicated. One thing we've learned in the past few years is that face masks can be useful whenever you’re sick and don’t want to share your misery. Fortunately, compared with early 2020, medical-style N95s and KN95s (which many experts recommend as the best protection) are widely available. They’re easy to tuck into a bag, which we do now whenever we travel. 

Toiletry kit

We’ve researched dozens of travel toiletry bags and dopp kits over the past several years, and we tested 23 of the top-rated contenders in our most recent round of tests. After packing and unpacking a week’s worth of travel-size toiletries, conducting spill tests, and living out of the top performers on the road, we have a few different picks that stand out thanks to their style, packability, and quality of construction.

Sea to Summit Hanging Toiletry Bag (small)

A space-saving hanging bag.

This lightweight, well-organized bag fits a week’s worth of travel-size toiletries into a compact package. It’s meant to be hung, which makes it good for tight spaces, but it doesn’t have much in the way of internal structure.

The Sea to Summit Hanging Toiletry Bag (small) is compact and durable. It’s small enough to stash in a backpack or laptop bag, but it holds enough travel-size toiletries to keep us supplied for a week. You can open it and hang it from a shower curtain or towel rod to easily see and grab your items. It comes with a shatterproof mirror, two micro-mesh zip pockets and an open pocket for toothbrushes, lip balm, and tweezers, and a large compartment for bulky lotions and hair-care items.

L.L.Bean Personal Organizer Toiletry Bag

For more stuff and longer trips.

With a 6.4-liter capacity and over a dozen compartments, this toiletry bag has a place for everything—and everything will stay put during transit, too. It can also accommodate non-travel-size bottles.

The L.L.Bean Personal Organizer (medium) is a great option for longer trips and people who travel with full-size bottles. Its 6.4 liters of storage spread across a dozen compartments means there’s a dedicated place for pretty much everything you could want to bring on a trip—it even has a removable mesh shower caddy for shampoo and body wash. This level of organization is crucial for larger toiletry bags because, as we discovered after years of traveling with our picks, contents that aren’t securely fastened can shift around in transit, which increases the chance of spilling. The downside of all this organization is that the L.L.Bean weighs 14 ounces when empty, so it’s not ideal for carry-on travel.

If neither of these bags seems right for you, read our full review of the best toiletry bags and dopp kits to learn more about our picks and everything we tested.

Toiletry bottles

Sea to Summit TPU Clear Zip Pouch with Bottles

These six TSA-friendly bottles are sturdy and smartly designed, dispensing liquids more precisely than any of the other bottles we tested.

For traveling with liquids in your carry-on, the Sea to Summit set is your best bet. All six bottles conform to TSA size limitations; three of them can hold 3 ounces of liquid each, and three can hold 1.5 ounces each, for a total of 13.5 ounces. Despite the set’s name, the bottles themselves are made not of thermoplastic polyurethane—“TPU" refers to the zip pouch—but a high-density polyethylene material, much like what you’d see used in most plastic milk jugs. It has an almost-smooth, semi-transparent surface just textured enough that it’s not slippery when wet. The plastic is also flexible enough that you don’t have to squeeze very hard to get your shampoo or liquid soap or whatever going. An insert at the mouth of each bottle helps regulate the flow, and the screw tops prevent liquids from leaking in transit.

Razor (faces)

Gillette Mach3

The best manual razor for most faces.

This classic razor’s three widely spaced blades provide the best balance of speed, smoothness, and safety. Its handle is comfortable and well designed, and replacement blades can be had for a fair price.

We researched more than 100 and tested 11 manual razors for our full razor guide , concluding that the Gillette Mach3 is our top pick for manual razors. Although the three blades require a little extra time for a closer shave, it performs comparably to the latest and greatest offerings for as little as half the price.

The Gillette Mach3 provides the best balance of speed, smoothness, and safety. The Mach3’s simple, round handle is easy to grip and maneuver, and its three blades offer a close shave without over-irritating the skin or getting clogged with hair. And the price of Mach3 blades—$2 per cartridge or less, whether you buy them online or in a store—came close to, or even beat, the pricing of shave-club rivals, and the Mach3 shaved better than those competitors.

Razor (legs/body)

Gillette Venus Smooth

The best body razor.

This classic Venus is one of the easiest razors to grip and maneuver and its three-blade design keeps the blades remarkably free of hair.

Disposable razors (both the completely disposable and replaceable-cartridge variety) are fine to take through airport security , and among them we like the Gillette Venus Original best for traveling. Although it’s now the runner-up pick in our guide to body razors —it was formerly the top pick—we believe that its simple aloe lubricating strips, which don’t become tacky when wet, make the Venus more travel friendly than our new top pick . Plus, as with any Venus, the Original’s body is compatible with any other Venus head and many heads from Gillette’s facial razors, making replacement heads easier to find when you’re on the road.

The Original’s head has three blades separated by considerable slats of space, making it far easier to clean the head between strokes. The Original is intuitive to hold and secure to maneuver, thanks to a contoured handle with corrugated chevrons of rubber. Though our testers have a wide range of hand sizes, no one found the Original difficult to grasp. Despite the significant ribbing, it doesn’t feel too bulky. Gillette claims its razors have lasted for five weeks; we think one razor for a weeklong trip should be fine.

(Know that, confusingly, the Venus appears for sale on some retail sites under the name Venus Close and Clean or Venus Smooth. It’s the same razor. If you’re unsure which Venus model you’re looking at, check for the Original’s three blades and trademark sea-foam blue color.)

Towel (packable)

PackTowl Personal

The best all-around packable towel.

The PackTowl Personal Towel is lightweight, soft, absorbent, quick to dry, and odor-resistant.

With store pickup or REI membership (limited patterns)

(limited patterns)

We put 20 top-rated towels through a battery of tests including regular shower use, a trip to the beach, camping, and a 48-hour stay in a ziplock bag under the hot Hawaiian sun. After all was said and done, the Packtowl Personal Towel is still the best all-around travel towel for most people. In addition to being the softest lightweight towel we tested, it was more absorbent than competitors made of similar materials. It had the best odor-resisting abilities and comes with a convenient mesh carrying pouch. We also have alternate picks for ultralight and all-natural towels below.

The Personal Towel’s suede-like material was the softest of the thinner towels. The Personal Towel also had superior absorption when compared with other similarly constructed towels such as the Sea to Summit DryLite —in our tests, it absorbed 2.8 times its weight in water, while the others absorbed between 2.3 times and 2.7 times.

One of just two we tested that featured an added antimicrobial treatment, the Personal Towel was only a little musty smelling after 24 hours in a sealed ziplock bag, and remained unchanged at 48 hours.

If you’re looking for a budget option, consider the Rainleaf Microfiber Towel , which is a tad smaller than our other picks and is made from a seemingly lighter-feeling fabric. Unlike most budget options, it has an antibacterial coating and still managed to carry a pleasant smell after being testing in different environments.

Regardless of how you get to your final destination, it’s likely you’ll be stuck in a seat that’s less than ideal. Travel gadgets that claim to reduce this misery, such as compression socks, are popular. But when they take up precious luggage space for the duration of your trip—not just the flight or train ride–they need to be worth every cubic inch of space. The less you can make do with, the better off you’ll be.

Neck pillow

Travelrest Nest Ultimate Memory Foam Travel Pillow

More support for most necks.

Its tall memory-foam walls let it offer more support than any other pillow we tested. It’s also shaped to sit flush against a headrest, and it compresses to a manageable size.

The uniquely angled back on the Travelrest Ultimate sets it apart from other travel pillows we tested because it can lay flat against the seat back. Most other pillows have a rounded back, which pushes your head away from the headrest. The Travelrest also has rubber grip dots to prevent slipping while sleeping. This pillow’s spongy memory foam cushions the entire circumference of your neck, preventing your head from leaning far in any direction, and its adjustable Velcro strap ensures it can fit most necks. The pillow’s cozy velour exterior is removable and machine-washable. Although it doesn’t pack flat, the Travelrest weighs less than a pound and compresses to a quarter of its size when rolled into its Velcro-strapped carrying case. Our only complaint is that the Travelrest’s high walls, though supportive, can push over-ear headphones off of the ears of people with shorter necks.

Noise-cancelling headphones

Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700

The best over-ear noise-cancelling headphones.

The Bose 700 headphones deliver excellent noise cancellation in a comfortable, lightweight design that’s traveler friendly—but they carry a high price.

The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 over-ear set has the most versatile active noise cancellation we’ve ever tested. With 10 levels of noise reduction to choose from, everyone should be able to find a setting that meets their needs. We also enjoyed the lightweight and comfortable design and the easy-to-use controls. What distinguishes the Bose 700’s ANC is the amount of adjustability it gives you: Most noise-cancelling headphones offer controls for only on/off or maybe high/low/off, but with the Bose 700 pair you can set the ANC level from 0 to 10, so you have more flexibility to dial in the ideal setting for your comfort. The 20-hour battery life, while not the best we’ve seen, is more than sufficient to get you to most destinations. We have additional options—including earbuds and surprisingly good budget options for  over-ear headphones and earbuds —in our full guide to noise-cancelling headphones .

Mack’s Slim Fit Soft Foam Earplugs

For blocking out the most noise.

These blocked the most noise in our controlled testing and got the most votes from our subjective sleep panel.

When you’re traveling, it can be difficult to fall asleep to unfamiliar noises. That’s why we spent several hours researching new contenders and tested four top-rated models while sleeping in a house that was next to an airport in order to determine that Mack’s Ultra Soft Foam earplugs are the best earplugs  for sleeping.

The Mack’s 37.1 dB noise reduction rating was the highest among the models we tested. According to Cooper Safety , that’s enough to reduce the volume of a gas lawnmower to that of a normal conversation. What made the Mack’s earplugs so effective is the fact that we could insert them and rest assured that they would stay in the whole night. Meanwhile, the Howard Leight MAX1 might be a favorite from crowdsourced sleep-aid review site Sleep Like the Dead , but the earplugs would inevitably fall out in the middle of the night. Thus, they failed to block out the noise of planes landing and taking off throughout the night, despite the MAX1’s 33 dB noise reduction rating. The Howard Leights also made our ears ache on occasion, whereas the Mack’s has a tapered shape that was consistently comfortable night after night.

The Mack’s Slim Fit Soft Foam Earplugs cost about 20¢-35¢ per pair when purchased in a 50-pair pack. They come in a plastic case is about the size of a large coffee mug, which is small enough to toss in a large bag or suitcase. Many other ear plugs like our runner-up, the 3M’s E-A-Rsoft OCS1135 , can only be ordered in industrial-size lots that, while perhaps appealing to those who travel constantly (or run a hostel), are annoying to store and often lack a reusable container of any sort.

Nidra Deep Rest Eye Mask

For air travelers and back-sleepers.

The lightweight and contoured Nidra mask is a light-blocking win for most face shapes, with deep eye cups that allow the wearer to blink freely and arrive feeling refreshed.

When bright lights hamper peaceful shut-eye, we recommend the light-blocking, contoured Nidra Deep Rest sleep mask. Of the 14 masks we tested , the Nidra blocked the most light on the most faces. It’s contoured to rest on your face like a pair of soft goggles, with fabric lenses that sit around your eyes (instead of directly over them). This design provides more space for your eyes to flutter during REM sleep, ensuring that you come through red-eye flights with less redness in your eyes. Makeup wearers will also appreciate that, with the Nidra’s elevated eye cups, there’s a smaller chance of smudging.

Alaska Bear Natural Silk Sleep Mask

A flat, silk mask.

A silken exterior material, a flat design, and an adjustable strap make this mask a fit for almost any face, but it puts pressure on the eyes.

Mzoo Sleep Mask

A smooth, contoured eye mask.

Soft, structured, and contoured, this mask stays on all night and prevents any light from seeping through

(limited colors)

If the Nidra Deep Rest doesn’t fit your face quite right, we also recommend the Alaska Bear Natural Silk Sleep Mask and the Mzoo Sleep Mask . The Alaska Bear mask lacks contoured eyecups and thus applies some pressure to the eyes overnight like any regular eye mask does. But its flat design easily conforms to fit your face, and its silk exterior feels smooth and soft against skin (the padding is made of cotton). Its relative lack of structure makes it more difficult to knock off when you’re tossing and turning.

The Mzoo mask’s eyecups have a convex gap so your eyes can open and close. That gap is surrounded by a memory foam padding that rests on the perimeter of your eye sockets. The effect is such that you don’t feel like your eyes are being forced closed, but there is a bit of compression near your temples, eyebrows, and cheekbones. Most—though not all—of our testers found this sensation soothing. One liked how the contour of the eyecup kept the mask from brushing against their eyelashes, which makes it a good choice for people who wear eyelash extensions.

Few things are better than landing at an airport, turning on your phone, and having it just work. No hassles, no stress, no worries about brutal roaming fees. You can check in with loved ones, scope out the route to your lodgings, and maybe post an Instagram story or two—because your phone works just like it does at home. This is especially freeing, and it makes travel so much easier. (Of course, phones aren’t the only useful tech to bring: Check out our accessories reviews for guides to the best cables ( USB-C , Lightning , and Micro-USB ), Wi-Fi hotspots , Bluetooth speakers , and more.)

Unlocked mobile phone

One of the most useful gadgets for international travel is an unlocked smartphone that’s compatible with cheap, prepaid phone plans you can sign up for at your destination. Unless your carrier offers plans including high-speed data that you can access internationally (i.e., you’re with T-Mobile or Google Fi), traveling with a phone under contract with a major carrier means paying an arm and a leg for data. Being able to access data-guzzling apps like Google Maps or Google Translate on the fly is worth the hassle to unlock a phone. Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp are free, easy ways to communicate with people you meet on your trip and people from home. Plus there’s checking email, TripAdvisor, banking, social media, and so on.

An “unlocked” phone means you can buy prepaid SIM cards in the country you’re visiting, letting you access their local network for significantly less money than the roaming fees incurred by your home carrier. With a prepaid SIM, your phone effectively becomes a new phone with a new (now local) phone number. Instead of seeing “Verizon,” “AT&T,” or “Sprint” at the top of your phone, you might see “Vodafone,” “Yes Optus,” “M1,” or whatever provider you choose in the country you’re visiting. The first thing to check is if your phone will work where you’re going. If you’re unsure if your phone will work where you’re going, check the Wikipedia page for your phone or contact your provider.

Your phone will also require a removable SIM. (If your phone has an eSIM, as all new iPhones do, check out our blog post about those.) Most countries require a passport or other ID to buy a prepaid SIM without a contract, but switching the SIMs is easy. Most stores will do it for you while you’re there. Depending on the country/provider, this could take as long as 10 minutes but is often faster. The next question is easily the most complicated: Can you unlock your phone? Each carrier has different rules and criteria. Generally, if you have a brand new, expensive phone, they may not let you unlock it (there’s usually a waiting period after the purchase date). But if it’s a little older, or if you’ve paid it off, they probably will. The thing to remember is that a provider can deny an unlock request without giving a reason. You might be lucky, though; certain phones on certain providers are unlocked by default. Here are Verizon and AT&T’s pages on unlocking. Alternately, you can buy a pre-unlocked phone just for travel. Amazon and Best Buy, for example, sell unlocked phones. This is also a good option if you think you might lose your expensive phone and a cheaper one will suffice while you travel.

Plug adapter

Epicka Universal Travel Adapter

Best universal travel adapter.

With four plugs that will work in most countries, plus faster-charging USB ports (and more of them) than its competitors, this adapter is the best all-around choice.

In a sea of almost-identical travel adapters, the Epicka Universal Travel Adapter stands out, combining the best of the features we look for. It contains the three most common international plugs and a US-style plug, which should cover you in the majority of countries around the world. It has the most USB ports—four of the standard USB-A and one USB-C—of any universal adapter we tested, and it charged more of our devices faster. A replaceable fuse and an included spare should take the brunt of any accidental, unfortunate, or shockingly bad connections. The Epicka is fairly compact and well built, and it even comes with an extra USB cable and a nylon case.

However, no universal travel adapter is truly universal, and they’re all a lot bulkier and more expensive than simple plug adapters. If you want the smallest adapter possible, or if you’re going someplace where a universal adapter won’t work (more on that in a minute), a plug adapter could be what you need.

Ceptics International Worldwide Travel Plug Adapter 5 Piece Set

The best plug adapter.

Individually, these tiny plug adapters are smaller, lighter, and cheaper than any universal travel adapter. To juice up multiple devices, though, you’d need a separate multiport charger too.

The tiny plug adapters from Ceptics are barely larger than the prongs they convert. Small, simple, and cheap, they’re perfect for someone who wants to carry only the adapter they’ll need and who already has a multiport USB wall charger they like. Like our universal adapter picks, this set contains the three most common international plugs and the US plug. However, it also includes a somewhat rarer plug used in some European countries that has two thick, cylindrical prongs. This means that the Ceptics set will likely cover you in even more places—as long as you pack the appropriate plug adapter. These charts should help you find the shape you need before you order.

However, getting your gear to work in different countries isn’t quite as simple as it should be, and there’s no single solution that’s guaranteed to work for everyone. Our picks should work for you, but you may have some random piece of equipment, or be traveling to some country, for which our “good for most” picks just won’t work. (Case in point: One Wirecutter editor visited Iceland a few years back. The house she stayed in had outlets unlike anything on those charts, and the plug adapters she had used elsewhere in Reykjavik didn’t fit at all. It turns out the mystery sockets belonged to an obscure Italian system from the 1960s that was popular in Iceland for a time. Luckily, the hosts had power strips in the house that her adapters fit into.) The world is a big place, and when it comes to electricity and wall outlets, there’s a lot of variation. That’s important to keep in mind.

Whether two-prong or three-prong, an adapter just changes the shape of your plug, not anything about the electricity coming through the wires. However, this usually isn’t a problem because almost every power brick that comes with modern electronic gear is capable of accepting both the 110-volt standard used in the US and the 240-volt commonly used abroad. If your device has a power block on the cord, it likely says something like  “100-240 V ~ 50/60 Hz”—that’s the all-clear to use it without a voltage converter so long as the range covers the voltage of the country you’re visiting . This includes the vast majority of modern laptop and USB chargers.

Products without some sort of power block at the end or with a non-detachable cord—in particular, things with heating elements like hair dryers and curling irons—are more likely to need a voltage converter. Putting 220 V through a US 110 V device would be like attaching a firehose to a drinking fountain—you’re likely to blow your face off. But voltage converters are tricky devices, and most of the inexpensive ones have awful (or dishonest) reviews. Since hotels and hostels will often have hair dryers and most newer gear can do the full range of voltages, we strongly recommend that, whenever possible, you only bring items that work with a much simpler (and more reliable) adapter.

Wire/gadget organization system

Now that every device has a battery, every battery has a charger, and every charger has a cable—never mind power-plug adapters if you’re traveling abroad—the sheer quantity of accessories needed just to keep your gadgets running can take up more space than the devices themselves. And unless you organize them, you can bet on having to blindly fish them out of the least convenient spot at the bottom of your bag. Unfortunately, our pick for carrying tech necessities, the Incase Nylon Accessory Organizer, has been out of stock for a few years. It will, however, be coming back in 2024, according to Incase. If you prefer mesh to easily see your contents, or simply can’t wait for the Incase organizer to come back in stock, we also like the Container Store Micro Mesh Pouches .

The Incase cable organizer is a poly-nylon blend, so it’s durable. It is a soft-shell bag, however, so its contents can distort the bag’s shape when it’s full. But the bag’s edges remain rigid—so the seams don’t pucker—its contents don’t fall out, and zipping and unzipping the bag is still easy. We have other picks in our full guide to bag and cable organizers , including a roll-up bag and a stylish duo of cosmetics travel pouches ; we’ll also start testing other options to replace this one.

USB battery packs

A USB battery pack (also called a power bank) can keep your small electronics—from phones and cameras to tablets and more—going while you’re on the road. Although the length of your trip will determine exactly how much extra juice you’ll need to have on hand, whatever your requirements, we have a great USB battery recommendation for you. The Belkin Boost Charge Plus 10K weighs about half a pound, and its rounded edges make it easy to hold or slip into a pocket. Its USB-C Power Delivery (PD) port can charge most handheld devices and recharge itself at top speed (with the right USB-C cable and wall charger), and it can pass power to another device while being recharged from a wall outlet. It only comes in one color, but it has enough capacity to fully charge most smartphones up to three times, as well as built-in USB-C and Lightning cables that are easy to slide in and out of their holsters.

If you’re traveling for leisure, try not to get too wrapped up in technology because you might miss what you’re actually there to do: experience a new place. OneBag’s Doug Dyment said in an interview, “Wearing headphones and staring at a screen is like putting a digital wall around yourself when you’re traveling. It makes you seem unapproachable and uninterested in what’s around you.” That may be a good thing if you do truly want to be left alone, but Dyment went on to say that some of his most memorable traveling experiences were the result of just looking lost and getting help from the locals. “One minute, you’re a lost foreigner in an unfamiliar village, then someone asks if you need directions. Before you know it, you’re eating dinner with his family.”

Travel binoculars

Athlon Optics Midas ED

The overall best binoculars.

Amazingly affordable with great optics, these binoculars have performance comparable with that of many models that cost thousands more.

Our top pick for binoculars is durable and great for near-home hikes. In hot or dusty environments that may call for a clearer optical boost, the Athlon Optics Midas ED 8×42 binoculars deliver top quality. Its focus dial offers a wide range of depths that makes it easier to see whatever it is you desire—birds, grass or darkened areas of the forest. Our recommendation comes with the assistance of a professional ornithologist who spent over 100 hours putting 17 pairs of binoculars to the test in the mountains of Southern California and the rain forests of southern Mexico.

Although the Celestron TrailSeeker ED binoculars don’t offer a clear edge-to-edge view to the same degree of the Athlon Optics Midas EDs , they’re a comparable runner-up model that’ll be lighter on your wallet if having binoculars while traveling is a must. The TrailSeekers are equipped with great light-gathering qualities, close focus, and impressive optical resolution. Or, if you’re concerned about saving space, we liked the Pentax AD 8x25 WP binoculars. While not quite as powerful as our other picks, this compact pair of binoculars is well made and easy to fit into a carry-on while traveling via plane.

Ebook reader

Amazon Kindle (2022)

The best e-reader for most people.

Amazon’s most affordable Kindle is also its most portable, and it’s finally been upgraded with sharper text on its 6-inch screen and support for USB-C charging. Those features bring it in line with much-pricier e-readers.

The entry-level Amazon Kindle finally got an upgrade and is now our favorite e-reader , with the same crisp display and USB-C charging as the pricier Kindle Paperwhite has (and with double the storage space of the previous entry-level model). Amazon’s well-stocked ebooks store remains its biggest selling point, along with the ease of checking out library books via Libby and sending them directly to a Kindle.

Even if you don’t have time for pleasure reading on your trip, it’s worth investing in a Kindle because many major travel guides are available in fully searchable ebook formats now. Furthermore, e-texts will also work on your phone, tablet, and computer, thanks to the Kindle ecosystem.

Packable daypack

Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Travel Day Pack

A pack that fits in your palm.

Toss this lightweight, phone-sized packable bag into your luggage or coat pocket, and you’ll never get caught without a spare bag again. If you need something to carry every day, though, we think you’ll prefer one of our more-structured picks.

Packing a stowable daypack, one that stuffs down to fit in your luggage when not in use, is a relatively small investment of space in exchange for a high return of function and flexibility. After researching dozens of packable daypacks across a spectrum of portability, features, and prices, and then packing, unpacking, loading, wearing, and drenching the top-rated finalists during multiple rounds of testing, the Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Travel Day Pack is the smallest and lightest packable backpack we recommend. Packed up, it is very discreet: nearly the size of a keychain accessory.

The bag itself is a no-frills sack made from a paper-thin siliconized Cordura nylon, which means it’s very light and water-resistant. It has reinforced stitching at stress points, allowing the Ultra-Sil to carry more weight than you would expect. That said, since this pack is made of such thin, light material, carrying large or awkwardly shaped loads is somewhat uncomfortable, especially when compared with our more structured picks.

If comfort or waterproofing is important to you, check out the alternative picks in our review of packable daypacks for travel .

Field Notes 3-Pack Original Kraft Memo Books

For ultimate portability.

Field Notes are cheap but contain high-quality paper that earns praise from pen and stationery geeks across the web.

For writing your adventures as you travel, you can’t beat the portability, practicality, and romanticism of a pocket notebook. There’s nothing better in that category than Field Notes (three-packs available in a variety of styles and types ). These pocket-sized notebooks are widely praised for their excellent paper quality, and the Pen Addict’s Brad Dowdy tells me “Field Notes is pretty much the runaway pocket notebook champ.” Dowdy has praised it for the lack of feathering or bleedthrough with almost any pen, as well as for the light brown ruled lines, which are easier to write over than solid black. Austin Smith of Art Supply Critic told us in an email that his recommendation is “Field Notes has it, no question.” The Well-Appointed Desk has reviewed a slew of different Field Notes variants for those looking for something a bit more interesting.

Field Notes Expedition

A weather-resistant option.

Weather-resistant Expedition Field Notes are great if you’re writing in wet conditions, but don’t get them if you don’t need them. The synthetic paper feels weird and can cause some inks to smear.

If you think you’re going to be writing in foul weather, Field Notes also has the waterproof Expedition version with pages made from a synthetic water-and-tear resistant paper. You should only get these if you really need them, because otherwise, they just feel unnaturally slick and are more prone to smearing ink. At least one user has said that the paper shows less soaking through when wet than the similar Rite in the Rain books . The one caveat is that the synthetic paper will only work with pencils and certain inks ; thankfully, the Uni-ball Jetstream RT , our pick for best pen , definitely makes the grade.

Things can go wrong while you’re traveling, both where you are and where you’re not. Though you can’t prepare for every worst-case scenario, the peace of mind that a little bit of preparation grants will allow you to focus on what’s in front of you, instead of having to worry about what could go wrong. But preparation doesn’t simply mean buying more stuff just in case; it also means making efficient use of what you already have.

Merchant & Mills for Purl Soho Rapid Repair Kit

For the best combination of sewing tools.

The Merchant & Mills Rapid Repair Kit is the only travel kit we found that had objectively high-quality thread and scissors.

There’s nothing quite like a wardrobe malfunction to put a damper on vacation, especially when traveling with limited clothing. A good travel-size sewing kit allows you to mend a popped button or ripped seam on the fly—or even tackle more pressing issues like fixing a tent, sleeping bag, or backpack. After 15 hours of research, interviews with sewing teachers and avid home sewers, and tests of six travel and full-size kits, we found the Merchant & Mills for Purl Soho Rapid Repair Kit had by far the best tools and was the easiest to keep organized. Standard travel sewing kits usually contain mediocre thread and plastic-handled scissors that break easily. They can also be hard to keep organized (a truth we confirmed when testing six top-rated travel and full-sized kits). The Merchant & Mills set was the only one that had high-quality thread, all-metal mini scissors (don’t worry, the TSA shouldn’t stop you ), and a durable tin case (about the size of a deck of cards) to keep everything well organized.

Because the sewing pins are neatly stuck into paper inside a slim envelope and the three needles are housed in a mini glass vial, this kit also limits the risk of losing a sharp object in your bags. We found the Merchant & Mills needles easier to thread than others (no need for a fussy needle threader!) and we also like the vintage-looking safety pins that come clipped together along with two small white buttons. Although this kit only comes with black and white thread, the thread is strong and there’s more of it than you’d get in a flimsier set with shorter strands of multiple colors. We do think it would be nice if the kit included a more durable measuring tape than the paper one included, but overall everything about this kit is leagues ahead of anything else we considered. We didn’t find editorial reviews for any of the kits we tested, but the Merchant & Mills rapid repair kit was recommended by several sewing bloggers and is sold in many reputable indie fabric shops.

Repel Windproof Travel Umbrella

The best umbrella for most people.

This is a solidly built, easy-to-find umbrella that holds up in high winds. It also comes in a variety of colors.

price may vary by color or style

An umbrella you take traveling should be small, light, sturdy, and affordable. After putting in 66 hours of research and evaluating a total of 48 umbrellas across five rounds of testing (including one thunder-snowstorm), we found that the Repel Windproof Travel Umbrella is the best umbrella for most people. Its durable, nine-rib construction held up admirably against gale-force winds, and it’s as sturdy as umbrellas that sell for more than twice as much.

The Repel folds up to an 11½-inch long, 14-ounce package that fits easily into most bags and glove boxes. And it forcefully expands at a touch of a button to reveal an ample 37-inch-diameter canopy that protects your head and torso from precipitation in all but the windiest of conditions. Its lengthy, textured handle is easy to grip for hands of all sizes. We also appreciate that the Repel comes in a wide variety of colors, so it’s easier to pick yours out of a crowded umbrella bucket. Finally, despite its affordable price, it’s backed by a lifetime replacement guarantee, but only if you purchase directly from Repel and register the item under the company’s warranty.

Packing method for clothes

While packing cubes and other organization tools are helpful for maximizing your bag’s usable space, efficient packing is also achievable without the aid of tools and compartments. One Bag’s Doug Dyment tried all manners of folding aids and compression products but was unsatisfied with their claims of compression and wrinkle prevention. Frustrated, he developed his own method of packing clothes compactly called the Bundle Method, which he’s used and perfected over several decades of traveling.

The Bundle Method involves layering your shirts and pants at opposing angles on a flat surface, then wrapping them around a small “core” parcel (e.g. a packing cube full of underwear and socks). We won’t get into details, but Dyment does on his website ; you can watch this easy-to-follow video from NBC . The resulting bundle is compact and has no sharp creases that will require ironing out later on. Additionally, Dyment explains that “the slight tension created in the fabric by the wrapping process, along with the anchoring of the resulting bundle, greatly reduces the chances of wrinkling.” You then put it in your bag and use the tie-down straps to provide just enough pressure to keep it together.

While simple to perform, this packing method isn’t something you can master in one go. It takes a bit of practice, but once you get it, it’s like riding a bike. The downside is that you can’t just leave your clothing packed and expect to be able to access your underwear without fully unpacking your clothes first. But unpacking is a good habit to get into anyway, as it allows your clothes to breathe and avoid wrinkles or mildew. Wirecutter founder and frequent traveler Brian Lam says that unpacking the moment he enters a room has a grounding effect that allows him to feel a bit more at home in a new environment.

If this sounds like too much of a hassle for you, you can do what we did before we found out about bundling: roll up your socks and underwear tightly and place them in packing cubes, then put your wrinkle-prone items (shirts, pants, skirts, dresses, jackets) in a garment folder—we used the Eagle Creek Pack-It Reveal Garment Folder . This is also travel guru Rob King’s preferred method of packing. Though the garment folder is not quite as space-efficient as the bundle method due to the added bulk of the folder and folding board, the plastic backboard does go a long way towards preventing wrinkles. Just be aware that if you leave your clothes in there for longer than a day, they’ll begin to develop unsightly creases that require an iron to get rid of.

A big thank-you to the Hotel Lucia in downtown Portland, Oregon, for lending us a suite to use for the photos in this guide.

This article was edited by Ria Misra and Christine Ryan.

Meet your guide

Wirecutter Staff

Mentioned above

• There’s more to a great in-flight personal item than being small enough to stuff under a plane seat. Here’s how to choose the right one for your travel needs. The Best Underseat Luggage and Personal-Item Bags  
• The Cotopaxi Allpa 35L is our backpack pick for most travelers. We also have picks for other travelers, including those who want to carry a bit more. The Best Carry-On Travel Backpacks  
• After 10 years of airport dashes and overhead-compartment stashes, the Travelpro Platinum Elite is still the suitcase we want to carry. The Best Carry-On Luggage  
• After researching 30 models, we found that Travelpro Platinum Elite 25″ Expandable Spinner is the best suitcase for most travelers who check bags. The Best Suitcases for Checking  
• We chose five luggage tags that will help you identify your belongings in a sea of similar suitcases. The Best Luggage Tags  
• After researching and traveling with packing cubes for more than five years, the Eagle Creek Pack-It Reveal Cube Set is what we keep in our luggage. The Best Packing Cubes  

Further reading

How to Sleep Well (or at Least Better) While Traveling

by Christine Ryan

Our sleep and travel editors recommend gear for coping with travel-induced insomnia, vetted through hours of testing and years of personal experience.

The Gadgets We Bring on Every Trip

by Haley Perry

You don't have to be a digital nomad to travel like one. Here are a few gadgets and accessories to make travel as painless as possible.

Road-Trip Essentials

by Eve O'Neill

We spend a lot of time driving each year, and this is our list of essential road-trip gear to include in your packing list.

Tools and Emergency Supplies to Keep in the Car for Winter Driving

by Rik Paul

Here are the essential—and nonessential—items to carry in your car during winter driving to ensure you get to your destination.

20 Things to Put in Your Travel Essentials Kit

Yes, we're all guilty of packing too much stuff. We've all read the stories and hacks about how to pack light. But my travel essentials are well worth the tiny bit of space required. At the size of a paperback novel, and half the weight, a travel essentials kit will save you time, money and stress. When you get to your destination, you can toss this little bundle in your day-pack so you have them with you when you need them.

And much of it you have kicking around the house. Well, almost.

What's In My Travel Essentials Kit?

1. laundry supplies, 2. a length of string, 3. a flat rubber stopper, 4. a corkscrew, 5. utility knife, 7. collapsible mug, 8. electrolyte powder, 9. a tenser bandage, 10. a mending kit, 11. safety pins, 12. a small flashlight, 13. a few zip lock bags, 14 & 15. a sharpie and duct tape, 16. a multi screwdriver, 17. zip ties, 18. adapter/converter, 19. a rubber band, 20. canada pins.

I take these travel essentials with me on every trip. They’ve saved the day more than once.

Keep It Clean

Laundry soap, dryer sheets, a Tide stain stick and clothes pegs. Travel essentials all. If I can do a quick refresh of… you know, those things that need regular refreshing… I can pack less and be adventure-ready. I bring powder detergent, not the pods, just in case they break. You can use the prepackaged version or you can just as easily put a little powder in a zip-lock bag. Double-bag it just in case.

Some hotels have a retractable clothes line in the bathroom, but what if yours doesn't? Bringing your own clothes line makes for better ambiance than socks hung over lampshades. You don't have to limit your imagination to clothes line. That string comes in handy in so many ways. I once had to figure out how to get a carpet back from the Souk in Tunis. Rolled it like a bedroll and tied it with the string I just happened to have, and carried it on the plane. Easy peasey.

Ever get to your accommodations only to find there's no stopper for the sink? I know you have. I've tried stuffing a face cloth in the drain. That only slows the water down, it doesn't keep it from draining. But a flat rubber stop? Fits any and all sizes of drain. It also doubles as a grip if you find yourself fighting with a jar lid.

A Foody's Got To Eat… And Drink

Most accommodations will provide you with one if you ask, but you don't need to ask if you bring your own. Some European countries are not as uptight about drinking wine in public as we are here in North America. So you'll need your corkscrew for that picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower.

These are handy for picnics. I've cut baguettes, cheese, even meat with my folding utility knife. There are way too many uses for a decent utility knife. Just don't make the mistake of putting this in your carry-on. Keep your travel essentials kit in your checked luggage.

I bring one full set. Two might be better, but how romantic when you have to feed each other on a picnic. You'll appreciate this if you've been to the corner grocery and bought yogurt for the morning. Or a salad from the deli to go with your picnic.

This one is optional but really convenient. I find that no matter where I travel, its pretty easy to come by a disposable cup to put into service. But if you happen to have a collapsible cup (like I do), and it folds down to nothing (like mine does), its one less thing you have to go looking for, for your picnic. Yes, I am not above drinking wine from a mug. You can also make yourself a mug of soup, or eat your morning instant oatmeal from the mug. This is one piece of the travel essentials kit that you probably won't have kicking around. You can find them easily on line.

Ready-to-go Essentials

When you need this, you most certainly don't want to have to search for a pharmacy and, in a language you don't speak, try to explain that you've got diarrhea. While you're at it, throw in a couple immodium. You don't want to plan your day in Sienna Italy around where the closest washroom is. Trust me on this.

This is a travel essential, particularly if you're going to be walking a lot or if you're prone to sprains. It has a lot of alternate uses as well. For example, it can be pressed into service as a regular bandage as well.

Yes, most hotels supply these, but I'm not always in the hotel when I need it.

Throw in a couple safety pins and an alligator clip or two. These take up absolutely no space, and they are so handy.

Be sure to check the batteries before you pack it.

‘Macgyver' Essentials

These are great for things like putting around your phone if you're going out in the rain or in a boat and taking lots of pictures. There is never a shortage of uses for a zip lock, even if it's just to put your laundry packets in, just in case they spring a leak. Or what if you open that scrumptious cheese to have with your wine, but you don't get around to eating all the cheese? You with me now?

Wrap a length of duct tape is around the body of the sharpie. The sharpie has its own myriad of uses. You might visit a ball park or see a celeb, and want an autograph. You might need to label the box of Italian wine you bought but need to ship home. Hey, the duct tape might come in handy with that too. It is also a lifesaver if the airlines are a little less than gentle, say, with your suitcase, and you need a repair that will just get you home. Ask any man. He'll come up with a thousand reasons to put a length of duct tape in your travel essentials kit.

The one in my travel essentials kit is a mini all-in-one screwdriver. If you don't use it for its intended purpose, you can always use it as a pry-bar or lever.

I love whoever invented these. They'e right up there with Velcro. These are great for a lot of things, but I've used them to zip tie my suitcase closed when I don't have a luggage lock. It won't necessarily keep anyone out, but it will certainly let me know if anyone has been in my bag. And so far that's been enough of a deterrent. We've also used them to ship things in plastic action packer boxes. Punch a hole in the lid and the container in all four corners (utility knife comes in handy here), and zip-tie it shut. Ready to ship!

Real Trip-savers

The one I have in my kit is a multi-tool, which can handle a lot of different countries all on one cube. It is a converter as well as an adapter. Be careful here. Adapters and converters are not the same thing, and you may need both. An adapter allows you to plug in a two-prong appliance in a foreign country. It's all about the shape of the plug in matching the shape of your plug end. You may also need a converter, which converts the voltage that comes out of the outlet into something that won't fry your appliance. These days, a lot of chargers for electronics like phones and computers can take 100 – 240V, 50/60 Hz, which covers the spectrum, and means you'll be ok. But don't take my word for it. Check your own sources.

If you leave everything else behind, at least take this in your travel essentials kit. In fact take two: they're small. A rubber band can keep you safe from pick-pockets. Put the rubber band around your wallet before you put it in your pocket. It creates enough friction to thwart a pick-pocket, who would otherwise try to slide that slippery leather treasure trove out without you ever feeling it. Kind of like the difference between a leather-soled dress shoe and a rubber soled deck shoe.

I'm proud to be a Canadian, and generally, Canadians are welcomed around the world. This is my small way of bringing a little piece of home with me. And when I meet a fellow traveller, or when we encounter a particularly friendly local, I can share a little reminder of the Canadians they encountered, by giving them my pin.

Health Hygiene Packing Technology

Share this tip:

@Leanne_Tait_the_Travelling_Foody

Written by Leanne Tait the Travelling Foody

Thoughts questions.

By fayenapigkit

How to Travel With Daily Contact Lenses

By VTravelNetwork

Essential to pack for a Day Trip

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Accommodations.

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Family Bedroom up To 4 People with Private Bathroom 44-10/11

Tours and activities

15-Day Masai Mara Gorilla Trek Serengeti Safari

This tour will take 15 days of the best East Africa countries national parks including the Bwindi in Uganda which is famous for the Gorilla safari offers you an abundance of wildlife, scenery, and cultural experiences. The mountain Gorilla tracking and trekking will be the highlight of this safari, but there are amazing opportunities

Bursa Uludağ Tour From Istanbul

Bursa has been an important city throughout the Ottoman history. It has the title of the first capital of the Ottoman state. It is a region that is the center of attention for 4 seasons. In summer, it is the center of attention of tourists with its magnificent natural beauties. During the winter months, Uludağ Ski Center hosts

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Travel Size First-Aid Kit: What to Pack & Downloadable Checklist

Ashley Rossi

Ashley Rossi is always ready for her next trip. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram for travel tips, destination ideas, and off the beaten path spots.

After interning at SmarterTravel, Ashley joined the team full time in 2015. She's lived on three continents, but still never knows where her next adventure will take her. She's always searching for upcoming destination hotspots, secluded retreats, and hidden gems to share with the world.

Ashley's stories have been featured online on USA Today, Business Insider, TripAdvisor, Huffington Post, Jetsetter, and Yahoo! Travel, as well as other publications.

The Handy Item I Always Pack : "A reusable filtered water bottle—it saves you money, keeps you hydrated, and eliminates waste—win-win."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience : "A week in a bamboo beach hut on India's Andaman Islands."

Travel Motto : "Travel light, often, and in good company."

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat : "Window—best view in the house."

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When you pack for a trip, especially a trip overseas, it’s easy to forget about medications and first-aid. That’s why you should always bring a basic first-aid kit with you on your travels.

I always keep a pre-packed first-aid kit ready to go so I don’t have to think twice about it when I’m packing. Of course, you may need additional items depending on where you’re going and what activities you have planned. But this first-aid kit packing list covers the basics.

15 Tiny Travel Products to Help You Stay Healthy on Vacation

What Do I Need in My Travel First-Aid Kit?

These everyday medications will take care of most common aches and pains that come with a long day of travel.

• Antihistamine
• Antacid tablets
• Hydration pills or electrolyte replenishers
• Cold relief medicine
• Motion sickness relief
• Muscle relaxer

For minor bumps and bruises, make sure you have these emergency first aid supplies in your medical kit.

• Various sized bandages
• Alcohol swabs or antiseptic wipes
• First aid balm or sting relief, anti-itch cream , & antibiotic cream

From treating splinters to sunburns, these miscellaneous items are must-haves in your travel first aid kit.

• Thermometer
• Hand sanitizer

First-Aid Kit Tips

• Look in the school supply section of your local drugstore for a small container, or order a small tackle box from Amazon .
• Only separate medication from its labeled bottle if you know you’ll be able to differentiate pills.
• Keep prescription medications separate from your first-aid kit.
• Include over-the-counter (OTC) medication based on your needs; i.e., if you’re traveling on a cruise and need motion sickness pills, make sure to include those.
• Pack a natural balm like GREEN GOO First Aid , which can relieve symptoms for dry skin, insect bites, scrapes, rashes, chafing, cuts, sunburns, blisters, and poison ivy.
• Include various-sized bandages ; they double for blister protection if you plan on doing a lot of walking.
• Hand sanitizer , a small tissue pack , lip balm , and sunscreen are also must-haves.
• Be sure to fill out the Medical ID on your iPhone and list any allergies, emergency contacts, and your doctor’s information.
• Keep a laminated copy of your COVID-19 vaccination card accessible during your travels as well as a photo of your card available on your phone.
• Remember to pack extra face masks if you plan on visiting a destination or attending an event where masking is required

Download and print this checklist to make your own travel first-aid kit.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2016. It has been updated to reflect the most current information.

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16 Tips on how to assemble a perfect travel first-aid kit

by Anne Betts | Dec 31, 2022 | Health, Safety and Comfort | 5 comments

Updated December 31, 2022

How do you assemble a perfect travel first-aid kit , yet still manage to pack light? I don’t claim to have a universal solution, but the following works for me.

Table of Contents

1. Identify your needs in travel first-aid kit

2. never packing ‘what-if’ items doesn’t apply to a first-aid kit, 3. build your kit from scratch, 4. get sound advice, 5. help out other travellers if possible, 6. adopt packing light strategies, 7. get prescriptions filled before departure, 8. verify the legality of your medication in your destination country , 9. label everything, 10. have access to medicinal information and first-aid advice, 11. review your kit before each trip, 12. list kit contents, 13. identify factors affecting kit contents, 14. individualize your kit, 15. and to complement my first-aid kit…, 16. back home, reach into the travel first-aid kit, in summary…, how to assemble a perfect travel first-aid kit.

Use these 15 tips to assemble a perfect travel first-aid kit considering your destination, activities, and health needs while still packing light.  

Each kit is different. A first step is figuring out what you expect of yours. Here are some ideas:

• It has what’s needed to respond to illness and injuries given the destination, season, activities, and health needs of those who depend on the kit.
• It contains enough supplies to deal with minor injuries and illnesses until it’s possible to get to the nearest clinic or pharmacy. Besides, no one wants to spend valuable travel time navigating a new destination, especially when feeling unwell. 
• It takes existing health issues into consideration, and travel related injuries and illnesses given past experience.
• It contains trusted supplies written in a familiar language and acquired at a cost that may be cheaper at home than at your destination.
• It’s small enough, and light enough, to carry at all times (or have key items always accessible).

Packing light travellers advocate never packing ‘what-if’ items.

A first-aid kit is an exception. It’s like that emergency medical insurance you hope to never have to use. Returning home with a kit that was never opened, or tossing expired medication that was never used, are indications of healthy, injury-free travels.

Assemble your own first-aid kit. It gives you more control over the contents and the container. By all means, look for clues from pre-assembled kits, but there’s a good chance an off-the-shelf kit won’t meet your needs. Cobble together your own, considering your destination, activities, and health needs. Chances are it will be cheaper, lighter, smaller, and more useful than a generic version.

Bloggers, especially those with a healthcare background, are helpful sources of ideas. For specific advice, consult a professional health care provider. Your family doctor and pharmacist are aware of your health issues, and can suggest compatible OTC (Over-The-Counter) medication. Your pharmacist can also provide suggestions on generic (and cheaper) alternatives to brand-name products. A travellers’ clinic specializes in preparing people for worldwide travel.

Unhealthy or injured travelling companions impact on all members of a group. My first-aid kit has responded to the occasional health issues of others, and I’ve been the grateful beneficiary of supplies from another person’s kit.

The right supplies in the right quantities add very little weight, and are invaluable if they allow everyone to get on with their travels.

• While cycling beside the canals of the Netherlands , a blister pack containing two Tylenol tablets treated a companion’s splitting headache.
• A couple of Loperamide tablets enabled us to continue exploring Singapore when my nephew was suddenly struck with an attack of Travellers’ Diarrhea .
• When hiking the trails of Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia, a piece of anti-blister tape protected a friend’s heel from further chafing.
• When hiking the Banks Track in New Zealand, another hiker gave me some hiking wool to help prevent chafing of sensitive areas. 

If your kit is large and heavy, you’ll be tempted to leave it at home, or back at your accommodation. A first-aid kit should be small enough, light enough, and functional enough to have a permanent place in your day bag.

• Look for travel-friendly sizes. Check out truck stops, drug stores, dollar stores, and hiking and outdoor stores for products packaged in small sizes. Google “OTC medication travel sizes” and you may discover online suppliers in your country of residence. This is how I stumbled across minimus.biz  with their range of single-dose blister packs of OTC medication and first-aid supplies.

• Dollar-store purchases tend to be much cheaper than those available elsewhere. I find it hurts less to discard expired medication or have folding scissors confiscated by an overzealous security agent if I paid dollar-store prices for the item. 
• Where feasible, choose blister packs of tablets over bottles and liquids, and single-dose blister packs over tubes and bottles.

• Where feasible, transfer or decant to smaller containers.
• Use see-through zip-top pill pouch bags to separate various products.

• Choose a container for your kit that slips easily into a day bag. It will need to be waterproof if you’re involved in activities around water. Otherwise, carry a spare zip-top bag, dry bag , or a rain cover for your daypack.
• Pack a pocket pill container  for storing medication and supplements for use while in transit or on the move.

Your prescriptions are valid only in your home country. Get them filled before leaving home. Pack quantities needed for the duration of the trip, and extra to cover possible travel delays. Ask your pharmacist for the smallest possible labelled container, and ask for the expiry date to be listed.

Scan the information sheets received with the medication, and take the electronic copies with you. For this purpose, I use the app Scanner Pro  and cloud-based app, Dropbox .

Medication that may be legal at home might be illegal in another country. Many countries have their own rules regarding travelling with medication.

Start with an online search for ‘travelling with mediation to ___’ and review the information on authority sites such as the pharmaceutical agency of the country in question. If in doubt, contact the embassy or diplomatic mission for additional information.

If you need to administer any medication with a syringe, it would be wise to obtain a letter from your doctor indicating it’s for personal use.

Don’t separate medication from the manufacturer’s packaging. Keep medication in its sealed package or blister pack to protect its integrity, stability, and effectiveness.

The manufacturer’s packaging helps promote safe use by providing information on medicinal ingredients, dosage instructions, and expiry dates. It’s also useful information to help respond to possible inquiries of border services agents.

Having the medicinal ingredients at your fingertips is handy when trying to purchase additional supplies across a language barrier. If you separate medication from its box, cut up the box and slip the pieces containing relevant information into a small zip-top bag with the blister tabs.

For supplements and probiotics, I find the containers take up too much space. Zip-top bags and reusable prescription containers offer downsizing options.

Before packing or taking any medication, consult an authority site for information and advice.

• How should it be safely stored?
• What temperatures affect its effectiveness?
• Will it cause drowsiness?
• What can or can’t be taken with it?
• Can it be taken on an empty stomach?
• What’s the suggested maximum dosage within a 24-hour period?

Drugs.com is an excellent resource, as is the Traveler Advice Page of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Canadian Red Cross First-Aid app is a useful resource for emergency first-aid advice.

Remaining committed to carry-on travel requires packing with time to spare. I tend to start at least a week before departure, and definitely earlier if I know my first-aid kit needs refreshing. It helps to break packing into manageable chunks, usually by category such as ‘toiletries,’ ‘first-aid kit,’ or ‘clothing.’ For the first-aid kit, this means time to: 

• discard expired medication
• replenish low supplies or missing items
• remove or include destination- or season-specific items
• communicate with others, if not travelling solo, to lighten the load by sharing supplies across first-aid kits.

A detailed list of the contents of your first-aid kit, and those items that complement what’s in the kit, can be helpful. Brand names (and their generic equivalents) aren’t available in all countries, so it’s important to include the medicinal ingredients of each. Store it in a cloud storage app, or where it’s readily accessible on your device.

• keeps you organized when it comes to replenishing or removing supplies;
• is helpful when seeking advice from health care professionals;
• is useful when consulting with travelling companions on sharing first-aid supplies;
• is a reference to avoid overdosing when taking combinations of different medications (e.g., “Tylenol Poisoning” is a real problem; some cold-and-flu medication also contains Acetaminophen/Paracetamol);
• enables you to purchase depleted items with the same or similar medicinal ingredients at your destination; and
• can be easily updated for future travels.

Take into account your own health needs and previous experience in managing them. For example, here are some of the things I considered for recent trips.

Blister prevention and treatment. It’s not uncommon to walk 20 km / 12.5 mi each day, more than at home. Also, feet change. Shoes that fit perfectly when they were purchased might not remain so.

Allergic reactions to insect bites.  Biting insects are my nemesis. The New Zealand sandflies sent me scurrying for antihistamine, and bites from some unknown insect in Australia landed me in the emergency department of a hospital (at a considerable cost) to get a prescription for an antibiotic (that cost $5 to fill). I now ask my doctor for a prescription for both an antibiotic ointment and tablets that can be filled before leaving home.

Digestive ailments. I take medication for acid reflux. This means that Acetaminophen/Paracetamol (e.g., Tylenol) is a safer pain reliever than Ibuprofen (e.g., Advil). Also, with reduced acid in my stomach, I always expect Travellers’ Diarrhea. I also need to plan to deal with occasional and very uncomfortable heartburn.

Minor scrapes.  Most trips involve time on a bike or scooter, increasing the chance of minor scrapes and abrasions.

Respiratory issues. I have a propensity for a bad case of the ‘flu to morph into pneumonia. After remaining insanely healthy during the pandemic, I expected to fall prey to Covid or influenza on my first post-pandemic international trip. This pointed to the need to pack Covid test kits, and my doctor gave me prescriptions for an antibiotic and a puffer, both filled before leaving home.

Staying healthy on long-haul flights. Planes harbour harmful bacteria, and long flights increase the risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis. The dry environment contributes to dehydration, dry skin, and sore nasal passages.

In the event it’s helpful, here’s a list of the contents of my kit, based on the considerations described above, and the advice of my family doctor and pharmacist. I favour generic alternatives to brand-name products as they can be considerably cheaper.  

• Anti-diarrhea (e.g., Imodium): Loperamide hydrochloride 2 mg when a blocker is required (e.g., on transit days)
• Antihistamine allergy relief (e.g., Claritin): Loratadine 10mg
• Topical antibiotic for skin infections: Sodium Fusidate 2% (prescription)
• Oral antibiotic for skin infections: Amoxycillin/clavulanic 875/125 mg (prescription)
• Antibiotic for respiratory/bronchial bacterial infections and severe Travellers Diarrhea: Azithromycin dehydrate 250 mg (prescription)
• Anti-nauseant (e.g., Gravol): Dimenhydrinate 50 mg
• Blister prevention and treatment: Dr. Scholl’s Moleskin Plus ; Moleskin pre-cut and shaped by Adventure Medical Kits ; Polysporin Blister Treatment Cushions; Spenco 2nd Skin Adhesive Knit ; blister prevention wool ; BAND-AID ® Blister Cushion
• Cough, cold and ‘flu relief: Sambucol Black Elderberry Pastilles
• Heartburn relief: Tums Extra Strength  (Calcium carbonate 750 mg)
• Antiseptic: tea tree oil
• Miscellaneous aids: cotton wool buds ( Organyc ); cotton balls; tweezers (remove splinters, thorns, ticks, debris); safety pins (remove splinters, thorns, fashion a sling, miscellaneous uses); folding scissors ( Fiskars )
• Pain relief, fever reducer: Extra Strength Tylenol (Acetaminophen 500 mg)
• Wound care: MooreBrand Gauze Pads (2” x 2”); Webcol Alcohol Prep Pads (Isopropyl Alcohol 70%); 3M Steri-Strips ; waterproof bandages ; variety of sizes and shapes of plasters

All these supplies fit in a soft-sided zippered packing organizer measuring 17 x 10 cm / 7 x 4 in and weighing 218 g / 7.7 oz.

• compression socks
• clear duct tape (to keep a bandage in place)
• emergency ID bracelet
• flashlight: FourSevens MiNi X
• immune support: Ener-C drink mix ; NOW Oregano Veg Capsules 450 mg
• insect repellent: Mosquito Shield Piactive (Icaridin 20%)
• electrolyte hydration supplement (exercise, flights, hot climates): NUUN Sport
• Nature’s Aid all-natural skin gel with healing and soothing properties for allergic reactions, minor scrapes, sunburn, and inflamed muscles
• laminated Emergency Contact Card

• nasal soreness: Boroleum (Petrolatum 97.92%; Camphor 1%; Menthol 0.54%)
• pashmina (doubles as a makeshift sling)
• probiotics: Saccharomyces Boulardii
• activated charcoal
• sanitizing wipes: EO Lavender plastic-free bamboo wipes
• Soap Leaves: Sea to Summit
• sunscreen: All good sunscreen butter
• tablet towels
• reusable dry bag to make an ice pack

Rather than keeping separate supplies in a home medicine cabinet and a travel first-aid kit, anything with an expiry date should be utilized when it’s needed. Purging a a travel first-aid kit of expired medication can be costlier than it needs to be, especially if you’ve enjoyed healthy and injury-free travels. 

• Avoid pre-assembled kits. Build your own.
• Be strategic. Base kit contents on your destination, season, activities, and health needs.
• Get advice from health care professionals.
• Look for medication and supplies in travel sizes.
• Don’t separate medication from its packaging.
• Keep a record of the exact medicinal ingredients of what’s in your kit.
• NEVER, NEVER, NEVER travel without emergency medical insurance. When your kit comes up short, an early visit to a healthcare centre could be the best financial decision you’ll make. 

With thanks to Adrian Comeau, Pharmacist, Saulnierville Pharmacy, for his helpful suggestions and advice.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are for general travel health information only. It’s not a replacement for a personal consultation with your doctor, pharmacist or travel medicine specialist.

Might you be interested in these related posts?

• Useful tips on how to prevent and treat travellers’ diarrhea
• 10 Essentials of packing for a travel medical emergency
• Create a travel comfort pack for easy access to self-care essentials
• 25 Ideas on how to prepare an emergency preparedness toolkit for travellers
• It could save your life. Get an emergency ID bracelet for travellers
• How to make a traveller’s emergency contact card in 5 easy steps
• A MacGyver kit for travel: 20 simple ideas
• Travel with tablet towels: a multipurpose essential every traveller should pack
• No soap? No problem travelling with soap leaves
• Travelling with duct tape: 30 practical uses
• 10 Useful reasons to travel with dry bags

If you found this post helpful, please share it by selecting one or more social media buttons. What’s in your travel first-aid kit? What additional tips can you offer? Please add your thoughts in the comments. Thank you.

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Your thinking is so thorough! I will definitely reread this when the time comes to prepare for my next trip. The one I have with me now is twice the size of yours…

Thank you for this! The steps are so on-point! I’ve been thinking of assembling me and family’s first-aid kit, not because we’re travelling soon but because of the natural calamities happening. We do not know when a storm’s gonna hit or when will there be an earthquake that’s why i’m searching on what to put in a first-aid kit. I’m so thankful I came across this post. This is so helpful! Thank you so much!

Great piece of advice on how to carry your first aid kit while travelling.

Great tips! I love making sure my first aid box is full of everything we might need. I’d suggest every parent take a first aid course so they are prepared.

Very informative read! I agree one must be equipped with a proper first aid kit before venturing out to a new place for vacation or a visit. I usually keep medicines for allergy, gold cough, stomach ache, muscle ache and most importantly for any injury.

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helping you make better choices for the planet

10 Essentials For Your Sustainable Travel Kit

8 Minute Read

On last week’s post, I talked about my Zero Waste Toiletry Kit , which eliminates waste while keepin’ it fresh and clean on vacay. But what about when we’re hangry after a day tour, checking out local street vendors, or face deep in street food? How do we reduce waste on vacation while still indulging the way we want to? Reducing your waste is not about depriving yourself of the things you love, but instead, is about tweaking the approach you take to get them. You can still grab coffee from the local cafe outside your airbnb, or slurp up that freshly-opened coconut. You can do it all! (minus the waste that comes with it)

All you need is a few essentials to create your very own sustainable travel kit. I’m gonna be straight with you though: this does require a little forethought. But it’s so worth it when you see how much waste you’ll avoid.

This is what my Sustainable Travel Kit looks like. It packs into a 9 x 10.5 inch pouch, and weighs just over a pound. This kit has everything you’ll need to significantly reduce waste on vacation, and is useful for everyday life too.

~ See all my eco-on-the-go essentials

Here’s What’s in My Sustainable Travel Kit:

• Foldable Backpack
• Reusable Shopping Bag
• Reusable Produce Bag
• Sandwich/Snack Bag
• Spork/Utensil Set
• Ecoffee Cup
• Reusable Water Bottle
• Reusable Straw
• Food Container/Bento Box
• Cloth Napkin

Everything packs into this Baggu Pouch (9 x 10.5 inches)

Here’s How You Can Reduce Waste on Vacation:

Foldable backpack:.

For me, a foldable backpack is a non-negotiable. It’s super lightweight and compresses into a tiny pouch, which fits into any bag or compartment. It’s also the perfect case for stuffing all your zero waste essentials into. These bags are not designed for heavy lifting, but are ideal for carrying around snacks, a change of clothes, a water bottle, and your passport. The first one I ever got was in Mexico. It was poorly made, but truthfully, I should have known that by the price tag. After getting back from that trip, I discovered that Baggu and Flip and Tumble made foldable backpacks that were stylish and much better quality. ChicoBag also makes a foldable backpack out of recycled materials , but it has more of a backpacker/hiking vibe. Personally, I like bags that can work in any situation, and the ChicoBag would be a bit casual in some instances.

Reusable Shopping Bag:

This is a must-have no matter where I go. I try to keep a reusable bag with me at all times to avoid ever needing the dreaded single-use plastic bag. Like the backpacks above, they fold into compact pouches, and come in a ton of different designs and colors. Again, Baggu and Flip and Tumble rise to the occasion, but there are tons of options that could work for your sustainable travel kit.

Reusable Produce Bag:

These aren’t a daily travel essential, but come in handy for picking up a snack, fruit, bread, cheese, or even separating your dirty clothes from the clean ones in your luggage. They come in cotton , mesh polyester , and recycled materials, so you can pick one that aligns with your values.

Reusable Sandwich / Snack Bag:

Last year, I bought a cloth snack bag, and simply couldn’t figure out what to use it for. I couldn’t put a loaded sandwich in there without having to throw it in the wash after, so it sat unused in my kitchen. Eventually, I realized that even though it wasn’t great for messy foods, it was perfect for fruits, nuts, cheeses, and croissants, among other things. Now, whenever I go to a bakery or cafe, I ask them to put my treat in the snack bag, eliminating any need for a single-use bag. As someone who has a hangry alter-ego, carrying around a fully stocked snack bag is the best way to avoid a Jekyll and Hyde situation on vacation.

**These snack bags are made of recycled plastic, are BPA free, and unlike my cloth snack bag, can be cleaned with a quick rinse.

Side note:  One thing that I’ve realized about eco-products is that sometimes there’s a learning curve. I had this experience with my Redecker dish brush , and with my cloth snack bag, but now I absolutely love them both. If you find yourself frustrated with a new eco-product, give it some time and don’t write it off completely. It’s not that the product doesn’t work, its just different from what you’re used to.

Spork/Utensil Set:

With a reusable utensil in your travel bag, you’ll never have to use a single-use plastic fork again. This can have a huge impact when you think about the number of plastic forks that are tossed after being used for only 15 minutes.

My Sea to summit spork  can pretty much get any job done (except for spaghetti). It’s made out of anodized aluminum, which means its super strong and insanely lightweight (as in . . . lighter than a plastic fork). I’ve traveled with it in my carry-on bag, and have never had an issue getting through security. Sea to Summit also makes utensil sets if you prefer having a knife and fork on hand. Similarly, To-Go Ware makes a bamboo utensil set that includes a knife, fork, spoon, and pair of chopsticks that come in a compact travel case.

Reusable Coffee Cup:

At this point, you’re probably tired of hearing me talk about my ecoffee cup , but the multifunctionality of it makes it the perfect addition for your sustainable travel kit. You can stuff it with snacks for long haul flights, or grab some local, freshly-squeezed O.J. without needing a disposable cup. If you’re curious to learn more, check out my blog: 5 things you can do with your reusable coffee cup .

Reusable Water Bottle:

Unless you’re focused on keeping liquids hold or cold, I wouldn’t recommend traveling with a Klean Kanteen . The weight can be a bit cumbersome, especially when traveling long distances. Personally, I opt for a foldable water bottle like Vapur . When empty, its pretty much weightless, which is heplful when “repacking-your-bag-at-the-check-in-counter-when-trying-to-avoid-overweight–baggage-charges”. This is what Vapur’s water bottle looks like when its folded up . . . tiny, right?

Reusable Straw:

I’ll be honest, I don’t use straws a whole lot. However, there are instances that pop up, such as drinking out of a freshly cut coconut or chowing down on a snow cone, where straws can be useful. StrawSleeves makes  carrying cases for straws out of reclaimed fabric. They even have a straw set, which comes with a straw sleeve, a straw, and a straw cleaner, so you can keep it sanitary while traveling. If you’re a straw lover, I promise you’ll be happy you packed this in your sustainable travel kit.

Food Container/Bento Box:

Carrying around meals and snacks in your own food container is a great way to avoid packaged foods and reduce waste on vacation. The last time I flew on a plane, I devoured a bento box I had prepared, while everyone ate overly-packaged airplane food. My food looked (and tasted) so good that it stopped the air hostess in her tracks. She even commented, “Ooohh, that looks good!! What is that?!?!” I smiled and took great pride, knowing that my meal was totally package free (and was wayyyyy better than what they were serving on the plane 😉 ).

This container is made by ECOlunchbox. It has a leakproof silicone lid, so you don’t have to worry about finding Laptop Alfredo in your bag. When not in use, you can store toiletries or charging cords in it.

Cloth Napkin:

When traveling, having a reusable napkin really comes in handy. You can use it to avoid disposable napkins, and it serves as a mini towel for those sticky European summers. It’s also helpful when dealing with unexpected sneezes and spills.

I guarantee that if you make a sustainable travel kit with even half of these essentials, you’ll easily be able to reduce waste on vacation. Plus, your travels will be just a little (or a lot) less sticky 😉 .

Here is the Unpacking of my Sustainable Travel Kit (*think clown car*):

So whaddya think of my sustainable travel kit?

Think it’ll help you reduce waste on vacation.

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The Aer Travel Kit 2’s extra toothbrush holder and spruced-up interior are fairly minor upgrades, but it brings it that much closer to a 10/10.

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• Twin toothbrush holders great for sharing
• Spacious shelf-like organization
• Built-in hook saves countertop space
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• Slightly wider than the first version
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Having a good quality and capable toiletry bag is one of those travel conveniences that, once you have it, you can’t imagine going back. It’s like your own medicine cabinet/vanity table/first aid kit all rolled into one very portable pouch. Among the many toiletry bags out there, one of our favorites has to be Aer’s Travel Kit , which we praised for its size, organization, and craftsmanship.

Now, Aer’s deemed the Travel Kit worthy of a successor: the Travel Kit 2. We already dig the straightforward naming, and there’s more to like in terms of upgrades. Yes, the changes are fairly mild: an additional exterior toothbrush holder, a roomier and more accessible rear pocket, and a cleaner interior. However, it’s less about being revolutionary and more about reinforcing what made the original Travel Kit an already capable toiletry bag.

Materials & Aesthetic

Style-wise, Aer hasn’t gone crazy with the changes—why fix what ain’t broke, right? Aesthetics has never really been a problem with their gear. It’s all-black, sleek, and goes well with pretty much anything. It’s like a classy black suit or dress—you just can’t go wrong with that classic style. In any case, the Travel Kit 2 is, first and foremost, a toiletry bag—not exactly something that needs to stand out.

The Travel Kit 2 is a touch cleaner visually than the previous version. Look close enough, and you start to see some of the differences. The most notable is the move to a self-locking YKK zipper for the front pocket and Hypalon pull on the back. This simple switch means two less dangling zipper pulls, which further minimizes any jingling. Otherwise, most of the changes are functional rather than aesthetic, and that’s okay with us. We’d rather have a more capable toiletry bag than a stylish one (in case we haven’t made that clear enough yet).

The main fabric on our sample is 1680D CORDURA Ballistic Nylon, a heavy denier fabric that’s very abrasion-resistant. That sounds a bit overkill for a toiletry bag if you’re only planning to take it back and forth to a hotel bathroom or airport restroom. However, robust ballistic nylon is a good choice for those who take their toiletry bags outdoors, where smooth surfaces are rarely available, if at all.

That doesn’t mean the Travel Kit 2 is immune to dirt and stains, though. Our sample’s gray-colored liner collects toothpaste and lotion stains just as easily as the first version does. To be fair, it’s not an uncommon downside in the world of toiletry bags and Dopp kits—very few fabrics fend off those kinds of fluids well.

There are two other colorways available as well, each with a different material. There’s X-Pac, which has a unique X pattern and very water-resistant properties. It’s also black, so you can go for the Heathered Gray option if you want something different. That comes with 700-denier CORDURA, a lighter fabric than ballistic nylon, but still quite durable and arguably more eye-catching.

Whichever colorway you go for, all of them come with Hypalon (for the logo) and YKK zippers. We typically don’t have any issues regarding YKK zippers, and such is the case here with the Travel Kit 2. However, we have heard others complain about YKK’s AquaGuard zips and the tendency of the material around the zipper elements to crack over time. None of our gear with AquaGuard zippers has shown this so far, but we’re keeping an eye out for it.

Usage & Features

The Travel Kit 2 isn’t really meant to be carried as a standalone bag. Well, you can—there’s a top handle for it—but it’s not really the kind you’d want to carry by hand throughout a lengthy overseas trip. The top handle is a thin nylon strap, but this time it’s a heavier, rougher-feeling one compared to the seatbelt-like one on the original Travel Kit. We do prefer the softer material of the original, but considering the secondary purpose of the handle, the difference is only minimal.

Most of the time, our toiletry bag lives inside our travel bag (we also keep some toiletries in our sling or quick-grab pockets). We praised the original Travel Kit for its compact size, and Aer’s kept the dimensions the same for the Travel Kit 2, so we have no trouble fitting it inside a smaller daypack, let alone a travel backpack.

Flanking the Travel Kit are side pockets where you can prop up wet toothbrushes or razors. This is a feature carried over from the original as well as Aer’s own Dopp Kit 2 , though those two only have one slot each. We like that there are two of these slots now because it makes sharing the Travel Kit 2 easier; you and your travel companion each have a slot for your respective toothbrushes. It’s a neat little inclusion that highlights the potential of the Travel Kit 2 not just as a solo traveler’s toiletry bag but also as a shared one. Practically speaking, there’s a benefit in weight and space savings when you share travel gear.

Alternatively, you can use both slots for yourself and use one for your toothpaste, the other one for a stick of deodorant. Either way, having two grants you the flexibility to choose what to store and how.

The Toiletry Kit 2 has a front pocket for quick-grab toiletries—the kind that we typically reach for while in transit, such as a pack of wet wipes, lip balm, eye drops, and maybe some aspirin. It’s easy to reach them in this pocket, which means we don’t have to always take the Travel Kit 2 out of our main bag to get to them. Of course, we can also place these items in our sling or the pockets of the main bag itself. However, we prefer to keep all of our toiletries and personal care items together for easier organization, so we don’t have to remember what goes where—it’s all in one place.

Keep in mind that space in the front pocket is quite slim. Larger items (read: bulkier than a compact of 20-pack wet wipes) that you still need quick access to are also at home in the much roomier rear pocket. A couple of things about this pocket: The opening is pointing upwards, and its volume sticks out noticeably from the rest of the Travel Kit 2. This means better accessibility and independent volume, respectively.

With all the available room, this is an ideal spot for a mini first-aid kit—a genuine must-have for any packing list . That pocket’s volume isn’t infinite, though, so our packing strategy is still to stack items on top of each other to avoid visible lumpiness.

The main compartment opens up fully clamshell-style—as it does with the original—to reveal a layout that’s all too familiar. We mean that in the most welcoming way, of course. We like the layout of the original Travel Kit because of its clever organization. Not much has changed, but the fit and finish feel a lot cleaner.

That’s not just the out-of-the-box new-ness speaking, either. There’s now less stitching visible around the seams and outline of the liner. The mesh material on the top pocket is much finer and stretchier. The interior itself appears cleaner thanks to the liner fabric’s bluer shade of gray.

Starting from the top, there’s a built-in YKK-branded hook that’s tucked away inside its slip pocket. This is another carry-over from the original Travel Kit that we’re glad to see make the cut. We like hanging the Travel Kit 2 from a towel rack, a hook, or wherever it’s most convenient in our accommodation. Once it’s hanging, the lower half tilts backward noticeably, preventing items from falling out. Something to note about the hook is that it’s hinged, and this allows the Travel Kit 2 to rotate 360-degrees. Consequently, the bag also tends to spin freely, which is quirky at best and slightly inconvenient at worst.

Just below the hook is a zippered mesh pocket. Because the mesh is now a lot stretchier, the pocket has more than enough volume for our makeup items like eyeliner, lipstick, and some canisters of lotions and creams.

The bulk of the Travel Kit’s capacity is allocated to the kangaroo-style pouch in the lower half. It’s a sort of mix between a standing pouch and a shelf design like Peak Design’s Wash Pouch . Inside, there’s a row of four elastic loops, each big enough for travel-sized bottles around 2 to 4-ounces.

However, your mileage may vary depending on the size of your bottle. The relatively wide elastic loops have a tricky time locking skinnier bottles in place. On the other hand, bottles too large for the elastic loops need to be placed in the open space in front. Fortunately, everything stays in place even after all the tossing and jostling that comes with traveling.

Lastly, there are two sideways toothbrush slots with a fabric garage on one end. These two slots complement the toothbrush slots on the outside of the Travel Kit 2 and are for longer-term storage (i.e., in transit after the bristles are dry)—you wouldn’t want to get gunk inside that fabric garage, that’s for sure. However, if you do, the liner has an antimicrobial coating designed to keep bacteria from building up, so it’s not the end of the world.

The Travel Kit 2 is yet another example of Aer taking what they know works with one version and successfully adding features to make it better. It has the signature hook, more toothbrush loops, and a spruced-up interior.

Granted, the improvements might come off as less than groundbreaking. But hey, sometimes you pull something off so well the first time that a wee bit of polish is enough to set the bar higher.

Usage Timeline

Condition: Excellent

• Front pocket’s zipper now a YKK self-locking one
• Still has that nifty hook we really like
• Mesh pocket appears to be slightly bigger
• Small updates to the design make a big difference
• Has a sleeker, more polished look than the first iteration
• Addition of another external toothpaste holder comes in handy for sharing Dopp Kit space or in small bathrooms
• Hangs at an angle, which keeps gear from falling out
• Plenty of storage for everything from makeup brushes to bulky containers of hair pomade

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The 7 Best Travel First Aid Kits for Unexpected Emergencies [2023]

Amar Hussain

Senior Content Contributor

778 Published Articles

Countries Visited: 63 U.S. States Visited: 9

Keri Stooksbury

Editor-in-Chief

32 Published Articles 3134 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 47 U.S. States Visited: 28

Things To Consider in a First Aid Kit

1. full travel first aid set with 300 pieces, 2. complete medical and survival kit for traveling, 3. small package first aid kit for short journeys, 4. mini kit with 27 medical essentials, 5. mini first aid pack with crush-resistant bag, 6. bandage and pain relief balm pack, 7. great for minor first aid interventions, final thoughts.

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Injuries happen without respect for time or location, and traveling without a first aid kit is asking for trouble.

That’s why it’s important to have a handy and compact first aid kit that includes a wound disinfection component, gauze pads, and adhesive tape to keep the gauze fixed. These elements can help you prevent wound infection if you end up getting a cut while on the move.

To be fully prepared, you need to ensure that your first aid kit is well-equipped, so let’s take a look at what you should look for.

Before buying a first aid travel kit, you should consider a few factors to help you make the right decision. Not every kit is suitable for all types of injuries, so you may have to prioritize.

You should also consider how well the first aid kit fits into your luggage or backpack and whether it has enough space for you to add personal medication .

Finally, the medical pieces included can vary greatly, as some kits mainly consist of gauze pads, while others are filled with items for more serious injuries. Here are some of the main features to consider before buying a first aid kit for traveling.

Compact Size

Every usable travel first aid kit comes with a carrying bag, so consider whether the size of the bag fits into your luggage . It largely depends on the number of items included, as some kits come with 100 medical pieces and others with up to 300.

Bottom Line: To help you decide on your size needs, consider the number of people going on the trip and how long you will be away.

Medical Pieces

There are differences in the contents of each first aid kit, but some items are essential. When buying a first aid kit for traveling, make sure it comes with gauze pads, medical tape, bandages, antiseptics, gloves, trauma dressing, and scissors .

These are just some of the items you can use to disinfect and dress a wound to make sure it’s clean until you get back to your hotel or reach a hospital in the case of more serious wounds.

Number of Pieces

If you are going on a trip for a day or 2, the chances are that basic first aid kits will suffice. However, if you are going on a longer trip, especially with your family or friends, you need to bring a well-equipped kit.

These often include up to 300 pieces in a set and will almost certainly be sufficient for any injury you might suffer. It’s always a good idea to bring a well-equipped kit on trips to faraway destinations — just in case.

If you plan on bringing personal medication in combination with all the medical pieces in a first aid kit, you should put labels on every medication . By doing so, you will prevent confusion if you need to use a certain item in case of an emergency.

Bottom Line: Wherever you’re headed, a first aid kit is part of any list of essentials for camping , hiking , or the beach .

The 7 Best Travel First Aid Kits

Covering a range of sizes for different lengths of trips, this list includes some of the best medical sets you can use for first aid.

First Aid Only All-Purpose Essentials Soft-Sided First Aid Kit

This set is a complete yet compact travel solution with dimensions suitable for travel at a 9.2-inch length and 7-inch height. The First Aid Only complete first aid kit comes with 300 pieces and only weighs a pound while catering to all sorts of emergencies and smaller injuries .

Because of its size, it’s even a great solution for short trips. It comes with a hygienic medical preservation bag where all the items are stored. The bag also keeps the items inside organized and labeled, so you can easily find whatever you might need.

It fits into a backpack or a travel bag, and some of the most important pieces include adhesive bandages of all sizes, antibiotic ointment, butterfly wound closures, applicators, and gauze pads.

What We Like:

• A compact and complete medical set

What We Don’t Like:

• Doesn’t leave much room for personal medication

EVERLIT 250 Pieces Survival First Aid Kit

If you are looking for a complete survival set for tackling nature, rather than just a medical first aid kit, the Everlit survival kit is a perfect option. It comes with 250 pieces of medical supplies, including some useful survival kit additions.

It has all the medical essentials like alcohol prep pads, adhesive bandages, sterile gauze pads, safety pins, cotton tips , and cotton balls . You can also find a CPR mask, metal tweezers, scissors, PVC gloves, and other equipment.

As for the survival supplies, there’s a tactical EMT molle bag, disposable poncho, fire starter , tactical flashlight, and a glow stick, in case you plan on spending some time in nature.

• The survival essentials
• The bag might be a bit bulky

Mini First Aid Kit 110 Pieces Small First Aid Kit

Those in pursuit of a small and compact first aid kit will be surprised at how many essentials can fit into this small package. The mini first aid kit from General Medi has 110 pieces, including some surprising additions like an emergency foil blanket, a CPR respirator, and scissors .

As for the run-of-the-mill medical supplies it contains, there are adhesive plasters, sterile gauze pads, cleaning swabs, a conforming bandage, and a triangular bandage. You can also find alcohol prep pads and antiseptic towelettes among the contents.

The small package made of waterproof nylon with a zip opening ensures that your medical supplies are safe and compact enough for carrying anywhere.

• Small and compact
• No room in the bag for personal medication

Coleman All Purpose Mini First Aid Kit

A unique option for those who want only the essentials is the Coleman All Purpose mini first aid kit. This solution comes in a small pack of 0.88 x 3.88 inches, so it can easily fit into any backpack pocket or travel bag storage space.

Despite its tiny size, it provides all the essentials. The kit comes with 27 items, including 2 butterfly bandages, large safety pins, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment, and 1 razor blade.

This set provides all the basics you might need in case of a small injury, and the embedded cross logo makes it easier to find it in your baggage.

• Its small size
• Limited supplies

THRIAID Mini First Aid Kit 100 Pieces Water-Resistant Hard Shell

If you want a sturdy container for your medical supplies, you can benefit from using the Thriaid mini first aid pack. It comes with a hard-shell carrying bag that’s crush-resistant and water-resistant , so you can feel at ease knowing all your medical essentials are safe.

This pack comes with more than 100 medical necessities for first aid, all inside of a useful bag that can be repurposed. In case of injuries, you can rely on internationally-certified products for wound disinfection and tending.

The contents include disposal gloves, scissors, an antiseptic towelette, different sizes of bandages and gauze pads, and adhesive plasters.

• The crush-resistant shell
• Zipper bag should be sensitively handled

Hot Tip: You may need to check any luggage that contains scissors that are longer than 4 inches from the pivot point. See more details in our guide to the items you can and cannot bring through TSA security .

Welly First Aid Travel Kit Bravery Balm Kit

Welly’s Bravery Balm travel kit includes just enough items for 1 person to use to tend to cuts and abrasions while traveling. The set includes 1 small tin box that’s 4 inches long and 1.7 inches wide, and everything fits right into it.

The pack includes 13 essentials such as Bravery Balm triple antibiotic and pain relief ointment . The Welly set also includes 12 flexible fabric bandages of standard sizes.

• Perfect for solo travel
• Lacks some medical equipment like scissors and gloves

Johnson & Johnson First Aid Kit Travel Size Pack

If you’re looking for a small first aid kit that’s great for minor interventions, this Johnson & Johnson kit likely has just what you need. It’s small enough for traveling and comes in 3 identical small medical packs.

While this set might not be enough for treating major wounds, you can treat small injuries perfectly well. The set comes with 12 pieces in each pack and includes hand cleansing wipes, gauze pads, band-aids, and adhesive plasters . These sets fit into any travel bag for easy portability, even on short trips.

• A carrying bag isn’t included

Your choice of first aid kit all comes down to the type of travel you are planning in terms of the length of your trip and the number of people that will use the kit.

All of the listed options are great for minor interventions, while sets like the First Aid Only 300-piece pack serve as a more comprehensive solution. The size of a kit is also a factor to consider, as you will need one that fits easily into your luggage.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should you look for in a first aid kit.

The most important medical supplies you should have at your disposal while traveling includes gauze pads, bandages, antiseptics, and antibiotic ointment. You might also need medical tape and tweezers. Keep in mind that a first aid kit is only meant to treat minor injuries.

How many items should be in a first aid box?

It depends on your needs, including the length of your trip and the number of people in your group, but they range from 12 pieces to over 300 pieces. You should always opt for a compact kit that still has as many supplies as you need.

Do first aid sets include CPR essentials?

Some better-equipped first aid kits include CPR masks along with regular medical essentials but most mini travel first aid kits do not.

What’s the best first aid travel kit size?

If you are like most travelers, chances are you don’t have much room to spare in your luggage. So look for a compact solution, some of which can fit more than 100 pieces in a bag or case no longer than 10 inches.

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About Amar Hussain

Amar is an avid traveler and tester of products. He has spent the last 13 years traveling all 7 continents and has put the products to the test on each of them. He has contributed to publications including Forbes, the Huffington Post, and more.

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What Is a Dopp Kit and How Is it Different From a Toiletry Bag?

• toiletry bags
• Travel Toiletries

Dopp kit is a bit of jargon that may have rung a bell in your head long ago, but whose meaning has probably slipped your mind since then. No longer in vogue, even expert groomers find it difficult to answer what is a Dopp kit.

But the Dopp kit meaning isn't quite riddle-of-the-sphinx territory. It's simply that, like the term "hoover" to describe a vacuum cleaner, Dopp kits have become old-fashioned while their modern counterparts have taken over.

What is a Dopp Kit?

Simply put, a Dopp kit is a small bag for storing toiletries.

How is it different from a regular toiletry bag, you might ask? Brace yourself for an underwhelming answer:

In fact, the terms "Dopp kit" and "toiletry bag" are used interchangeably. The main difference is that “Dopp kit” is used almost exclusively in the U.S. and rarely, if at all.

A Brief History of Dopp Kits

Still wondering, what is a Dopp kit?

We get it — it sounds like it could be some sort of gadget for playing golf or tennis!

But we promise you, it's a totally valid substitute for the term "toiletry bag," with an interesting history to boot.

Dopp kits were named after Charles Doppelt, a leather craftsman from Germany who founded the company that made them in 1926.

Before then, the U.S. Military issued toiletry kits to soldiers who fought in World War I. These kits helped service members keep their grooming essentials organized ... to an extent.

As it turned out, most of these toiletry organizers were roll kits made of canvas. They had loose-fitting pockets for items like lather brushes and small tobacco cans — zippers not included.

The idea was to roll the kit once the grooming items were "secured" in their pockets or liners and to tie it with a string.

As a result, service members traveled with the bare minimum of toiletries, including a toothbrush, toothpaste, hair comb, and nail clippers.

Dopp Kits: From Military Toiletry Bag to All-Purpose Travel Kit

The true Dopp kit meaning took shape during World War II, as more service members ditched their flimsy roll kits and opted for a "no-roll flat case" instead.

Charles Doppelt invariably had a hand in this new development by designing the leather toilet case that "opens wide ... closes snug and flat, taking up little space in your luggage," to quote a  vintage ad.

But calling it a toilet case was too crass for the masses, so many started calling it a Dopp kit, period.

Over time, it grew in popularity thanks to its lightweight and water-resistant construction, making it a go-to accessory for any traveler. By the '50s and '60s, Americans started using it to store cosmetics, shaving essentials, and other personal hygiene items.

The End of the Dopp Brand

Now that we know the Dopp kit meaning and how popular these toiletry bags were back in the day, what led to the end of the Dopp brand?

Well, historical records are scarce on this topic, but when Samsonite bought Doppelt's company in the early 1970s, it decided not to retain the brand name.

Nevertheless, Samsonite filed a trademark for "Dopp" on April 3rd, 1980. The trademark included the following class of goods: "toilet cases sold empty, briefcases, briefcase type portfolios, sample and catalog cases sold empty, luggage identification tags, and traveling bags," according to Wikipedia.

But in 2013, Samsonite failed to submit a Declaration of Continued Use with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), which would have recorded its use of the trademark for five consecutive years as required by federal law.

When the trademark was canceled by default, Buxton Acquisition Co. stepped in and has owned the trademark ever since.

What is a Dopp Kit if Not a Toiletry Bag?

So, what is a Dopp kit?

It's not only an old-school accessory that remains relevant today but also one of the best ways to keep all of your grooming essentials well-organized.

Although the term "Dopp kit" is becoming obsolete, it's perfectly fine to call it that when referring to a toiletry bag. It's just that some people won't catch the Dopp kit meaning without a little background info.

Just remember: When compared to a roll kit, Dopp kits are more concerned with size, structure, and function. The same can be said about the best toiletry organizers currently on the market.

The Dopp Recap and Timeline

Here's a quick recap and timeline of the iconic Dopp kit:

Gravel's Lightweight, Sustainable, and High-Quality Toiletry Bags For Every Traveler

We love the classic Dopp kit, but if you're looking to up your toiletry game, don't look past Gravel's Explorer SLIM and Explorer PLUS bags. Both are made from super durable materials, are TSA-approved, water-resistant, and feature a stowaway adjustable strap with an aluminum G-hook, which is fancy talk for "hang me anywhere."

Even better? Our carefully curated mesh-pocket system means that there's a special place for everything, keeping toiletries organized and easily accessible. And yes, zippers are included!

Check out Gravel’s Ultimate Guide to Travel Toiletries and our Pro Packing Guide to make the most of your travels. From product recommendations to packing strategies, we've got you covered.

See you on the road!  🚗🌍💨✨

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I recently wrote an article on sansmirror.com listing several seriously compact, simple, kits of camera and lenses that minimized size and weight for all around travel photography. Today I’m going to tackle the same subject from a Nikon DSLR standpoint.

In my previous article I listed six key factors I was trying to balance in creating a minimal travel kit (dealing with light, perspective, focal variety, position, vulnerability, and fatigue). Generally the last two of those factors are the things that cause DSLR users to start leaving gear back in their hotel room as they travel with their existing kit.

I won’t quite hit the same size/weight goals with Nikon DSLRs as I did with mirrorless. There are two reasons for that: (1) I’d assume that the reason to take a DSLR over something else is that you’re pretty darned critical about image quality; and (2) Despite some downsizing recently, Nikon hasn’t exactly rushed to make smaller, lighter DSLR gear.  

For me, my DSLR travel kit recently has been the D7500, the 16-80mm f/2.8-4E lens, and the 70-300mm f/4-5.6 AF-P VR (FX) lens. This actually gives me more reach than most of the mirrorless kits I described, but it comes with a size/weight penalty: we’re easily double the weight at 2kg (4.4 pounds).  

Which brings me to an aside. The way I see it, you have four basic options for travel photography these days, in order of increasing image quality and flexibility: 1. Your smartphone. 2. An all-in-one compact, such as the latest Sony RX-10 for a true all-in-one experience, or something smaller and simpler such as the Panasonic LX-100 Mark II for a more basic approach. The problem at this level is that you’re compromising low light performance, and travel photography tends to have a lot of indoor and night opportunities in it. 3. The mirrorless kits I described in my previous article. 4. Picking a DSLR, the point of this article. I’m trying to find a balance between all the variables. There’s no one perfect answer, and your tolerance for some of the variables may be different than mine. But I’m still pretty certain that you need to think clearly about this and make sure that your pick of 1, 2, 3, or 4 is based upon a complete and rational analysis, not a knee-jerk reaction to what you’ve already got or what the latest and most hyped product is.

We’re at a bit over US$2000 for the D7500 kit I describe. A number of people wrote in response to my sansmirror.com article that DSLRs would be less expensive. Yes, that’s true if you already have some of the components, but to get better pricing than the mirrorless kits I described, you may have to start sacrificing quality (e.g. D5600 for D7500, 70-300mm DX for 70-300mm FX, etc.). At what point then, does DSLR become a clear step upward from mirrorless if you’re making quality sacrifices?

Personally, I also travel with the Tokina 11-16mm when the D7500 is my travel camera, so I’m starting to pile up weight and cost compared to the simple kits I described in my mirrorless article. 

By way of exact comparison, below on the right you’ll find the exact mirrorless kit I used on my recent travels compared to the equivalent I’d have used with a Nikon DSLR on the left (this is a single shot of both items side by side on my light bench, so the size differential you see is accurate; the shot uses the D7200 instead of the D7500, but those cameras are about the same size).

My contention with travel kits is that they need to be compact and versatile, and that you need to be willing to carry everything with you at all times , lest you miss photographic opportunities. As it is, the Nikon DSLR kit just illustrated maxes out at 120mm equivalent, the Sony mirrorless kit on the right maxes out 100mm equivalent, so neither has much telephoto oomph. On the other hand, they’re both capable of shooting very wide (16.5 mm equivalent for the Nikon, 15mm equivalent for the Sony) and in close, tight spaces, which happens a lot when you’re traveling, especially inside museums and other tourists spots. That’s why the above two choices are my current basic go-to, bare-bones travel kits.

So yes, you can build a DSLR travel kit. I’ve given my basic suggestions above (D7500, 16-80mm, 70-300mm; or D7500, 11-16mm, 16-80mm; depending upon whether you favor telephoto or wide angle). If you want to substitute a D500 for the D7500, I wouldn’t stop you, but you’re adding cost and weight. I would probably try to dissuade you from picking a D5600, as you don’t save any tangible size/weight and the only real gain you receive is a tilting LCD and fewer dollars spent, but at the expense of a bunch of real losses in focus system, features, and even in image quality (unless all you shoot is JPEG).

But wait, you say, what about FX? 

Anyone who asks that question is basically saying “I don’t want to compromise.” Yes, you can build an FX DSLR travel kit, but I think you’re starting to increase cost, vulnerability, and fatigue. You’re certainly not in the target that my original article attempted to address. Moreover, you may start compromising lens very quickly. 

For example, I’d suggest that a D610, D750, or D780 with the 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 would be a good base to start from. You can add the 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5 for wide, or the 70-300mm f/4-5.6 for telephoto. But these lenses are aperture compromised at extremes, so you’re giving back some if not all of what you gained by picking FX over DX. These are decent lenses, but not top quality lenses: center sharpness is fine, but all three tend to perform less well than someone arguing for “I don’t want to compromise” would want when used wide open or when you need corner performance. You’re also not getting any additional subject isolation from the larger sensor. 

So why was it you wanted FX in the first place? I’m just not convinced that Nikon FX (or Canon full frame) is the right choice to center a travel package around. 

Okay, there’s one travel possibility with FX I didn’t mention: lose the zooms. A D750 with the 20mm/24mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm f/1.8 lenses is a bit of a powerhouse in modest proportions. The lenses are all light and relatively small, and they perform quite well. The combo of the D750 sensor and the f/1.8 apertures gives you deep flexibility in low light, plus you’ve re-gained the ability to use subject isolation with the fast apertures.

But the cost is juggling. You’re juggling four lenses. That almost certainly means that some (or all) are in a pack or bag you’re carrying. And you’ve just compromised your shooting spontaneity. Heck, you may have lost it entirely. Moreover, you’re now juggling a bag. You’re either keeping that bag handy and partly in your way all the time, or you’re setting it down to shoot (remember the vulnerability factor I mentioned in the original article; we’re trying to avoid that). 

So maybe two or three well chosen primes. Now we’re starting to compromise flexibility. I’m okay with that if you are, but be careful. One of the things about impromptu travel photography is that you’re going to encounter situations that are spontaneous and that you’re not able to micromanage (e.g. quickly moving into a shooting position because you’ve only got a 24mm lens on the camera). 

Yes, I know HCB (that would be Henri Cartier-Bresson) managed his street photography with only one lens, but he also spent weeks getting one great photo. The premise of the original travel article I wrote was that you had two weeks and were moving from place to place, and you want to come home with a good variety of images that reflect what you saw in your travels. 

We all choose photographic gear to balance our needs for any given situation we intend to shoot in. What I’ve tried to give you in these two articles is some advice on how I think about achieving a reasonable balance. But don’t just willy-nilly take my advice. Think about your goals, your needs, your impediments, plus what you want to accomplish, and then figure out what gear set best helps you achieve that. 

I hope I’ve given you something to think about and focus those thoughts with these articles. 

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The 13 Best Toiletry Bags of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

Keep all your beauty and grooming essentials in one place when you're on the road.

In This Article

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• Our top picks
• Other Bags We Liked

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We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more .

Travel + Leisure / Tamara Staples

There are a few things every traveler needs, no matter where in the world they're going — and a toiletry bag is one of them. The humble case might be an afterthought to some, but these helpful bags are crucial to keeping your travel essentials organized.

We tested 52 toiletry bags and cosmetic cases (and continue to do so for a period of at least six months) in order to bring to you the best of the best, evaluating capacity, design, portability, and value. We also considered the overall quality of the bags, as well as their ease of use on real trips.

Taking our test results into consideration, we've put together a list of the best toiletry bags across various categories; you’re sure to find one that suits your needs.

Best Overall

Away large toiletry bag.

• Capacity 5 /5
• Design 5 /5
• Portability 5 /5

This bag holds more than you'd expect from just looking at it.

The limited edition colors often sell out fast.

You might be most familiar with Away for its selection of hardside luggage and weekender bags, but the brand carries travel accessories, too, including this large toiletry bag that earned high marks across the board during our tests.

Though we found the bag to be even roomier than expected, there are so many individual compartments including a clear cosmetic bag, a zippered pouch, two mesh linings, and an exterior pocket, to name a few. You won't be reaching into a bottomless pit, rummaging around for individual products here. We also love that the bag zips open wide enough for you to reach inside with ease. We packed it with both large and small items, from travel-size liquid bottles to makeup brushes, and there was still room for more.

We also noted the durability of the water-resistant nylon, which is lightweight without feeling cheap. The interior of the bag is coated with an easy-to-wipe material, allowing you to clean up any spills quickly. The bag comes in five color options (with limited edition colorways offered on occasion), as well as a smaller size option and a hanging version of the bag.

The Details: 10.2 x 3.7 x 5.9 inches | 8.8 ounces | Nylon | Water-resistant

Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson

Travel + Leisure / Tamara Staples

Best Compact

Dagne dover mila toiletry organizer.

Dagne Dover

• Capacity 4 /5

It might be small, but it can still fit full-size makeup brushes.

The dividers take up valuable space.

If you're a toiletry minimalist, this is the case for you. The highly compact Dagne Dover Mila keeps all your products neat and organized in a tiny, plush drum made of water-resistant recycled poly. Unzip the lid and you'll see a grid created by a removable insert — use the insert to keep your products separated from one another, reducing their impact if the toiletry bag is jumbled around. There's also a zippered mesh pocket in the lid, as well as four elastic loops to hold items like makeup brushes and lip balm.

We did notice, however, that the insert takes up quite a bit of space in the bag, and you'd be able to squeeze quite a few more items inside if you remove it instead. Of course in that case, you wouldn't have much help in terms of organization. Ultimately, we love the flexibility — you can customize the bag to suit your needs.

The Details: 5.5 x 5.5 x 5.5 inches | 6 ounces | Material | Recycled poly

Travel + Leisure / Leticia Almeida

Best Waterproof

Matador flatpak zipper toiletry case.

Back Country

• Design 4 /5

It's extremely lightweight — just over an ounce.

There aren't any extra pockets or pouches for organization.

While many toiletry kits are water-resistant, this one is fully waterproof, and that makes all the difference if you're on an outdoor adventure like camping or a multi-day kayaking trip. It's made from a special nylon that has a secret superpower: "dry-through" technology, which allows moisture to escape from the bag without letting any in. That means your toiletries (like a wet toothbrush) can dry while they're in the bag.

We found this bag to be deceptively spacious, given that it looks like a simple pencil pouch at first glance. The bag expands at the bottom, allowing it to stand alone on a flat surface while giving you the space to fit larger items in with ease. That said, there aren't any useful organizational tools to keep your products in order — this is a fairly bare-bones bag.

The Details: 9.5 x 6.75 x 3.5 inches | 1.1 ounces | Nylon | Waterproof

Best Organization

Peak design wash pouch.

Peak Design

The bag is lined with high-density foam for extra protection.

It's a fairly pricey bag.

When you have a large number of toiletries to bring with you on vacation, the best thing you can do is choose a toiletry bag that helps you keep everything organized. This is that bag! Though it appears small from the outside, the bag is so thoughtfully designed with organizational tools — we found that there's a pocket for just about everything. The main compartment is large enough to fit small bottles, while mesh pockets of various sizes line the walls. There's also a separate pocket for your toothbrush, which keeps it nice and clean.

Other highlights include a wide opening to access each pocket easily, and the ability to stand on its own thanks to the bag's layer of high-density foam that also helps protect the items inside. It also has a handy hanging hook if you'd prefer to keep some counter space clear.

The Details: 10.2 x 6 x 4.4 inches | 8.7 ounces | Nylon

Best Dopp Kit

Dare to roam steward dopp kit.

Dare to Roam

The material is antimicrobial and antibacterial.

Organization is limited to three pockets.

What are dopp kits, anyway? Though the term can be used interchangeably with "toiletry bag" today, the dopp kit was originally a durable toiletry bag devised by German leather maker Charles Doppelt that was popular with military personnel in the 20th century. It typically takes the silhouette seen here in this bag — a large main compartment, sometimes with side pockets.

What dopp kits are great for is space; we were amazed by how much could fit in this bag, especially because it's expandable with side clips and adjustable webbing straps. As such, it's ideal for longer trips where you'll need as much space as you can get. We also love that it's made from an antimicrobial and antibacterial nylon (yes, it's water-resistant), though we think it could use a little more organization beyond two interior pockets and one exterior one.

The Details: 4.5 x 8.7 x 4.7 inches | Polyester | Water-resistant

Best Small Hanging

Sea to summit hanging toiletry bag.

Small and lightweight, it's perfectly portable.

It has to hang as it won't stand up on its own.

When it comes to hanging bags, this one is perfectly balanced. It's made from an ultra-thin, water-resistant nylon and takes the shape of a saddlebag, which is ideal for hanging. We found that no matter how many items we stuffed in there, the bag never really felt weighed down; all the products were perfectly situated and easy to access, thanks to a plethora of pockets.

This bag also comes with a detachable mirror, which makes it great for outdoor adventures when you don't have access to a vanity, as well as handles for easy transport. Ultimately, it is perfect for people limited on space and weight, whether they're on a multi-day trek that requires them to carry all their gear or traveling for an extended period of time with limited storage space. The toiletry bag comes in two sizes (we tested the smaller one) and four color options.

The Details: 10.2 x 3.9 x 8.9 inches | 0.3 ounces | Nylon | Water-resistant

Best Large Hanging

Bagsmart hanging toiletry bag.

This is an excellent value if you need to store full-size items.

The material is difficult to clean.

Bagsmart is known for making convenient travel products at affordable prices, and that's certainly true of its hanging toiletry bag. Before it's opened, the bag looks just like a little quilted briefcase; inside is an extraordinary amount of storage. Unzip the perimeter and the bag unfurls into four panels of hanging storage for your toiletries, which we found perfectly capable of storing just about every toiletry in the book save for full-size bottles of shampoo and body wash. While most of the storage compartments are variously sized zippered pockets, some actually have elastic bands to help hold your items in place.

The quilted material is made of polyester, which we found to be a little difficult to clean. It is water-resistant, though, and the texture adds a nice visual quality. Plus, it comes in ten colorways.

The Details: 12.6 x 9.1 x 4.3 inches | 15.2 ounces | Polyester | Water-resistant

Best for Cosmetics

Béis the cosmetic case.

The brush holder and mirror are removable.

The main compartment is pretty much just one big open space.

The clean, minimalist design that Béis is so loved for comes through in its cosmetic case: a sturdy bag with plenty of space for makeup aficionados. For starters, it's offered in eight elegant earth tone hues. But then there's the simple rectangular shape, which feels almost handbag-like in its sculptural form, as well as luxe hardware that adds to that handbag quality.

Though this bag can carry all types of toiletries, it's specifically designed with cosmetics in mind. That's evident from the removable mirror and brush holder, which has PVC material where the brush heads will go for easy cleaning. There are also a few slip pockets, which we found especially helpful for palettes. One thing to note, however, is that the main compartment of this toiletry bag is simply a vast space without any dividers to organize individual products. That said, we can report that nothing broke or spilled during evaluations.

The Details: 9.5 x 4 x 7 inches | 1.38 pounds | Polyester | Water-resistant

Best for Men

Bagsmart toiletry bag for men.

It opens wide with a double zipper.

It's made of canvas, which may be hard to clean but is water-resistant.

Fun fact: dopp kits were originally designed for men so it makes perfect sense why this one is designed to fit shaving and grooming products in particular. It's made of canvas for a rough-and-tumble look, and it's offered in seven colors (mostly neutrals, but also light pink) and two sizes. Though we consider it sturdy enough to stand on its own, we also found it flexible enough to be stuffed into a packed weekender.

As for storage capabilities, there's a main compartment that's accessible via a double zipper, which means the kit opens nice and wide for you to be able to access your items. That main compartment can fit bulkier items, while smaller items can fill the pockets along the sides. There are also two separate side pockets, one of which is designed to hold wet items.

The Details: 10.2 x 5.9 x 6.3 inches | 6.4 ounces | Canvas | Water-resistant

Best for Short Trips

Tumi response travel kit.

It opens like a clamshell.

It's not water-resistant.

Luxury brand Tumi doesn't only make high-end suitcases and travel bags — they also make high-end toiletry bags. Made from ballistic nylon (and offered in three colorways), this is one of the most durable toiletry bags out there, and it wouldn't be surprising if this bag lasted years, even with regular use.

Its best feature is the fact that it opens like a clamshell, with two distinct compartments in each half. That makes it easy to access everything in the bag, whether you're laying it flat on a countertop or you're hanging it via the attached hook. There are four pockets, including one water-resistant one, and two elastic loops to hold products like toothbrushes or razors. We think it’s a reasonably spacious bag, but only for travel-size products — that's why we recommend it for short trips rather than long ones.

The Details: 6.3 x 9.5 x 3.5 inches | 0.9 pounds | Ballistic nylon

Best Leather

Cuyana travel beauty case.

• Portability 4.5 /5
• Value 4.5 /5

This is a true luxury item with exquisite craftsmanship.

More care will need to be taken so spills don’t damage the leather.

Take one look at the Cuyana Travel Beauty Case, and it's clear that you're dealing with a luxury item. Made from Italian pebbled leather, this toiletry bag is extremely elegant in each of its three colors: ecru, soft rose, and black. We found that this is high-quality leather that's not so delicate you have to worry about damaging it when stuffing it in your backpack or weekender.

As for storage, there are two main compartments: one with an internal elastic pocket for storing larger items and another that has elastic straps to hold items like makeup brushes in place. They open like a clamshell, and between them is a detachable pouch for smaller items. The pouch is ideal for a few items that can be used to refresh your makeup on a travel day, but it can't hold enough products for a full face.

The Details: 6.2 x 10.2 x 3.1 inches | 1.6 pounds | Italian pebbled leather

MZ Wallace Mica Cosmetic Case

It's a no-nonsense bag — simply stash your stuff and go.

There's only one main compartment with a smaller zippered pocket.

The best thing about a pouch like this one is that it's very straightforward — all you have to do is toss in your items without giving much thought to organization. We loved this particular toiletry bag because it's more spacious than it seems at first glance. That's particularly true of the one zippered pocket inside: it was able to hold seven makeup brushes.

By the same token, the lack of organization might be frustrating to some. Depending on your preference, you might wish there were a few dividers or additional pockets to keep things a little tidier inside the bag. Still, the amount of space it has for items is impressive, and for some travelers, that might be just what they're looking for.

The Details: 9.49 x 4.02 x 5.98 inches | 0.23 pounds | REC Oxford

Best Budget

Wandf toiletry bag.

• Portability 4 /5

It comes in nearly 20 colors.

The main compartment only has one zipper, which makes it a little tough to retrieve items.

As you're probably well aware by this point, toiletry bags can get quite expensive — but they don't have to be. This is a particularly budget-friendly model, yet it accomplishes just about everything you'd need a toiletry bag to do. For one, it has multiple compartments. And for another, it's a water-resistant case, which means it can handle being splashed on a bathroom counter.

The compartments are both the success and the downfall of this toiletry bag. We were beyond impressed with the amount of space inside the main compartment, as well as with the two side compartments with mesh pockets. But we found that the main compartment was almost too spacious and could benefit from another divider of some kind. Given its size, it could also benefit from a double zipper opening, which would allow you to access more items throughout the bag than the existing single zipper.

The Details: 10.24 x 4.72 x 5.91 inches | 3.53 ounces | Nylon | Water-resistant

Other Toiletry Bags We Liked

• Dagne Dover Hunter Neoprene Toiletry Bag : We love the soft, water-resistant neoprene material of this bag, as well as the two detached pouches for easy organization. (And did we mention the colors? Those are beautiful, too!) Unfortunately, we found it to be a tight fit to squeeze both of the detachable pouches into the main bag when all three had items in them.
• State Bags Bensen Dopp Kit : This is a spacious bag with a detachable pouch for additional storage — there's not much to not like here. But we think it's a bit too expensive, and we found the hook to be too small to use in many cases. Because it's so spacious, it's best for longer trips, as we think it might take up a bit too much room in a carry-on bag.
• L.L.Bean Personal Organizer Toiletry Bag, Medium : A favorite for decades, this bag is the king when it comes to storage space and organization — there are pockets for just about everything. Some might find the sheer number of storage spaces to be overwhelming. But others, particularly those going on long trips or families who might be sharing a toiletry bag, will love the roominess.
• Baggu Dopp Kit : This bag packs flat, which is great when you need to store it somewhere. But when you expand it, you'll find that it's large enough to carry all of your toiletries and then some. The only thing we worried about was the durability of the materials. Though it did not fail any of our rigorous tests, we suspect it may wear out over time.

We tested 52 toiletry bags and cosmetics cases in our lab to determine the best products.

Testing started with an analysis of the bag when it was empty; we examined the materials, the construction, and the overall design.

Then we packed the bags with common travel essentials like toiletry bottles, makeup, and dental products, among other items. We then re-evaluated the design of the bag, noting overall capacity; convenience and security of organizational compartments, pockets, and pouches; closure functionality (such as zippers, magnetic clasps, and Velcro tabs); and overall sturdiness and stability of the bag.

Next, we put the bags into weekenders, carry-on luggage, and backpacks to see how they'd fit. We also carried around the larger bags to evaluate the feel of the toiletry bags in them.

Finally, we rated each toiletry bag on its capacity, design, portability, and value, all the while considering extra characteristics like the material's water-resistance, ease of cleaning, and any extra features, such as hanging straps or built-in mirrors.

Testing of the toiletry kits then continues for a period of six months on our real-world trips, and we will continue to update this article based on the results.

When the bag was fully packed, we placed it inside a large weekender bag to get a sense of its weight by carrying it around our lab. We also checked how much space the bag took up inside the weekender bag to determine if there was ample room to store other items, such as clothing and accessories. We then determined whether the bag would be suitable for weekend trips and/or longer vacations.

After rating for all attributes, we checked each bag's price to rate the overall value.

Tips for Buying a Toiletry Bag

Look at the design of the bag.

Some toiletry bags are voids — they have one cavernous space to fit all your items. But others are separated into compartments with pockets and pouches to keep your items in place. Depending on what you're storing in your toiletry bag, you might prefer more organizational tools than a single open space. Also consider the material; more durable, water-resistant materials are ideal for toiletry bags, since they'll be getting quite a bit of use on the road.

Consider capacity and the items you pack

What do you plan on putting in a toiletry bag? If you're a minimalist who carries very few toiletries — say, just face wash and toothpaste — you might only need a small case But if you have an extensive skincare routine — including sunscreen and after-sun lotion — and you travel with all your makeup, you'll need a bag with enough space for everything.

Think about portability

If you plan on taking your toiletry bag in your carry-on, you'll want it to be as compact and lightweight as possible to save room for everything else in your bag. And if you're packing liquids, gels, or aerosols, make sure your items’ sizes comply with the TSA's 3-1-1 rule . If you're checking your toiletry bag, though, you might have more flexibility with size and weight.

While a clear bag is not explicitly stated on all sections of the TSA website , this is the common practice and can speed things up at the security checkpoint. Toiletry bags that don't hold any liquids, as well as toiletry bags that will be checked in your suitcase (regardless of their contents), do not need to be clear.

Since toiletry bags frequently come into contact with liquids — either from leaking products or from the bathroom counter — water-resistant or waterproof materials are best. Another factor to consider is durability. Toiletry bags are typically fairly heavily used when you travel, so it's best to look for tear-proof fabric that will hold up over time.

A TSA-approved toiletry bag is one that meets the TSA's requirements for the 3-1-1 rule regarding liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes packed in carry-ons. These products must be 3.4 ounces or 100 milliliters or less, and they all must fit in " 1 quart size, clear, plastic, zip top bag ."

You can pack just about anything in a toiletry bag, from hair products to body washes to makeup. Depending on what you plan on putting in your toiletry bag, you may want to look for ones with special pockets — many toiletry bags have designated spots for items like makeup brushes or palettes to keep them secure.

Why Trust Travel + Leisure

Stefanie Waldek is a freelance travel writer with a decade of experience. For this article, she incorporated tester feedback and used her own experience with toiletry bags.

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The Best Watercolor Travel Sets for Artists Who Love Traveling

Written by Robert S. Brown  / Fact checked by Helen B. Harris

If you are flying 38,000 feet off the ground or on a train running miles away from your hometown, you have the perks of a wanderer: to take delight in bright blue skies, red-orange sunsets, and breathtaking landscapes.

However, for an artist who moves places, every trip is worthwhile when you capture these picturesque sights and draw them in your sketchbook using a brush or pencil. For a vast spectrum of colors and artistic effects, perhaps you go for the best watercolor travel set. But the next question is, what should you look for when choosing a portable watercolor set?

• First of all, a watercolor travel kit should be portable and compact enough to put away in your luggage or pocket. A gawky and bulky watercolor set would be too cumbersome to carry around and probably end up in disarray.
• Furthermore, it is significant to consider what a travel watercolor kit consists of. Besides the color palette, does it include a travel-friendly brush or a sponge? Does it come with a handy carrying bag for hassle-free storage? Although the accessories and tools depend on your preferences and needs, a complete mini watercolor set only delivers the essential tools.
• Another crucial part is the overall quality of colors. A small watercolor set should not present substandard pigment quality and blend- No matter how compact it is or how few the color options are, the pigments should be vibrant, blendable, and lightfast.

Not all artists travel by plane. But if you do, make sure you get a TSA-approved watercolor set. Aside from that, there is much more to learn in this comprehensive guide and review. I will show you the in-depth guidelines, as well as the top-pick products that best suit your artistic demands.

Sakura XNCW-24N

Winsor & Newton 390640

Lightwish MeiLiang

Table of Contents

1. Sakura XNCW-24N Koi Watercolor Pocket Field Sketch Box

2. winsor & newton 390640 cotman water colour paint, 3. lightwish meiliang watercolor paint set, 4. artsy watercolor paint set, 5. meeden 4336971288 watercolor paint set, 6. jerry q art jq-124 watercolor travel pocket set, 7. artistro 432 watercolor paint set, 8. sennelier 10-131605 french artists watercolor travel set, 9. artify ‎4336953153 watercolor field sketch set, 10. winsor & newton 390658 cotman watercolor brush paint set, what to look for when buying watercolor travel sets, what is the most reliable watercolor travel set brand, can you fly with watercolor paint, how do you do a watercolor travel journal, what is included in a watercolor travel set, top 10 watercolor travel set reviews.

From its size to quantity, you can tell that this Sakura Koi watercolor travel kit is thoughtfully curated for painters or artists who love traveling. It features a compact size and sleek design that you can easily fit inside your bag or even your shirt pocket.

Impressively, this small set has the essential tools for basic watercolor painting, with a water brush (refillable) and a half-pan watercolor set.

The colors are formulated to present beautiful and vivid hues. Aside from that, the highly pigmented shades blend well to create a wide range of colors.

Moreover, it uses no ordinary brush; it is a refillable water brush that lets you paint without using a container with water.

Since you can fill it up with water, you can simply take it out of your pocket or bag and are all set for a painting session! You can paint effortlessly even when you are on a plane, on a train, or sitting by the park for Plein air painting.

In addition to that, this kit comes with a detachable pegged palette where you can mix your favorite colors. When you are all done, you can just place it back inside the kit for hassle-free and neat storage.

I also want to emphasize the base pull-down ring at the back of the watercolor set. Although it is just a small detail, I found the ring is quite useful if you want to keep the palette steady as you hold it. While it keeps the watercolor kit from sliding off your palm, the ring also helps you paint comfortably wherever you are.

• Compact and sleek design
• Includes a water brush tip and a detachable mixing palette
• Fits perfectly in bag or shirt pockets
• Highly blendable and pigmented colors
• Has a base pull-down ring for easy holding
• Paint blocks need stronger adhesion to prevent from falling out

For professional quality watercolor set brands, Winsor & Newton is among the ones that always come to mind. The colors deliver high-quality pigments that explicitly showcase your art with vibrant hues and artistic painting effects. Plus, the colors in the palette blend impeccably well.

This pocket watercolor set includes 12 Cotman Watercolors that render good transparency to create beautiful washes. I also noticed that these colors have intense tints and uniform consistency that lend an excellent layout of colors.

Therefore, even though these are half-pan watercolors, there is no need to build the colors to achieve their vividness. A few dabs and strokes can already create rich watercolor tones.

Aside from that, I appreciate the addition of white in the range. Although the white tone of the paper serves as a brilliant backdrop for watercolors, the white pigment can ramp up the drawing or watercolor art with highlights and subtle color mixtures.

All these amazing features come in a small watercolor palette that can fit inside your shirt or bag pocket. The longest side is roughly six inches and just a tad bigger than a card! Even when you open it, the upper side has partitions where you can mix colors.

• A half-pan watercolor pocket set that offers brilliant colors
• Pocket-sized watercolor travel kit for superior portability
• Designed with a mixing palette in the lid
• Includes a small brush
• The brush is too small and slightly difficult to use

The best thing about this MeiLiang traveling watercolor kit is the great color selection that does not break your bank. With just a slight difference from the price of the Winsor & Newton Cotman watercolor paint set, you can indulge in a wider color range with this one.

Right before that, the first thing that caught my attention was the metal case. Contrary to most portable watercolor sets I have seen on the market, this one uses a sturdy case that keeps the pan secure.

Even when you stack in your fully packed luggage, there is no need to worry about breaking or damaging your watercolor palette.

Besides that, the flip cover works as a mixing palette as well. Similar to the Sakura Koi watercolor travel set, this one also has a metal ring under the case for steady and hassle-free painting.

When it comes to the color quality, I must say that it is pretty impressive since they are highly pigmented and fluid. This allows you to create glazing effects and revel in smooth watercolors without any chalky or grainy textures after drying.

Moreover, it features a compact size, perfect for traveling. It is long but has a sleek and slim design that you can easily slip into your pocket or bag.

Another useful addition is the refillable watercolor brush that makes painting a lot easier and mess-free. I can simply take it out and paint it on my watercolor travel journal whenever and wherever I like.

• Offers a wide selection of highly pigmented colors
• Creates beautiful glazing effects that without grainy textures when dried
• Comes in a sturdy metal case
• Slim and sleek design
• Includes a water brush
• The brush has some loose bristles

The highlight of this Artsy Watercolor paint set is the innovative pocket design. The first time I saw it, I did not think it would have 42 colors! This artistic palette comes in different trays that you can fan out to see the vibrant array of assorted colors.

Every tray has color labels at the bottom to help you identify which colors to use. I find this useful since some colors, particularly the orange and red shades, look a bit identical. Thankfully, there are no duplicates in the colors, allowing you to mix and play with various combinations.

Moreover, these beautiful pigments are lightfast and vivid, allowing you to showcase watercolor artworks with their amazing color quality. Mixing the colors is not a problem at all since they are highly blendable. Plus, they dry quickly, preventing any ink pooling and grainy textures.

When you are done painting, you can simply slide each tray back to its palette for storing. This leaves you an ultra-compact and portable watercolor set that you can fit in your shirt or bag pocket.

One of the best things I love about this set is the water brushes. Unlike some portable watercolor paint sets that only have one water brush or paint brush, this one includes three water brushes. They work as backup brushes in case you like mixing a lot of colors or filling up your watercolor journal with your travels.

In addition to that, this set has a sponge where you can dry and clean your brushes after painting.

• Innovative compact design for enhanced portability
• Offers an array of pigmented colors
• Highly blendable and quick-drying
• Includes three water brushes and a sponge
• Intuitive pan display and labels to identify and view all the colors
• Color pans are not replaceable

Comparing this beside the Artsy watercolor paint set, you can see some striking similarities with the innovative pan display, color labels, and even the painting tools. Moreover, it comes at an affordable price range.

If you look closely at these palettes, the differences fall under the brush and color selection. Both have 42 colors but this one has darker tones in neutrals, greens, and blues. When you mix them with water, the colors beautifully blended, presenting rich and artistic watercolor washes.

As I work with these watercolors, I also noticed that they dry quickly and can resist fading as well. Curated with a vast array of colors, this palette allows you to create an endless range of vibrant hues for artistic and colorful artwork.

With regard to its design, this travel watercolor paint set does not fail to impress with its unique palette design. Similar to the Artsy portable watercolor kit, you can fan out the palette and swipe out to different tabs to find the color you need. Aside from that, there are color labels to easily identify the shades.

When you put everything away, it shifts into a lightweight and compact palette that you can slip inside your bag or pocket. Another sweet treat is the addition of four different water brush sizes that you can use for fine to broad applications. Not to mention the addition of a sponge to clean and dry your brushes.

• Ultra-lightweight and compact palette design
• Offers a great selection of pigmented watercolors
• Quick-drying and lightfast colors
• Includes four refillable water brushes in various sizes
• Does not have a hard case or cover to protect the palette

It can be a bit challenging for a beginner watercolor artist to find the best watercolor travel set to start with. With that said, this Jerry Q Art pocket set has the tools an amateur artist needs when traveling and painting with watercolors.

Sifting through the details, this pocket watercolor set features a slim and sleek design for enhanced portability. Once you open the lid, it is pretty awesome to find an array of beautiful colors along with the necessary painting tools. This includes a water brush, a small sponge, and detachable mixing pans.

For a beginner, I bet these tools and color selection are more than enough to start with a watercolor travel journal. Since everything is compact, there is no trouble putting them away in a small pocket in your shirt or bag.

Though it is made of plastic, it is surprisingly sturdy. I also like how the lid closes tightly, keeping the palette secure and protected whenever you travel.

While that already sounds impressive, the colors do not fall short of their quality and performance. The brilliant colors have a nice amount of pigment, revealing a bright and stunning spectrum of colors. Furthermore, these watercolors are highly blendable, making it much easier to create washes and preserve some translucent watercolor effects.

One more thing I noticed is the ceramic calligraphy tray. I did not know what to use it for but I think it would be useful for artists who practice calligraphy art.

• A portable and great quality starting watercolor kit for beginners
• Sleek and slim design for hassle-free transportation
• Brilliant color selection; very pigmented hues
• Highly blendable colors that can create vibrant washes
• Includes a water brush, a calligraphy pan, a sponge, and a removable mixing tray
• No color labels; difficult to find matching watercolor replacements

At first glance, I could already tell that this watercolor paint set would be an exquisite gem. Right from its vibrant mint metal box and dainty artwork details, ARTISTRO did a great job of making this kit to be aesthetically pleasing as possible. I even love the elegant metal lid lock that looks like the one you see on classic musical boxes.

Upon opening the watercolor palette, everything inside is even more fascinating. You can see all 48 vibrant colors arranged into a neat and beautiful layout – ranging from light to dark tones.

On the upper part of the lid is an organized space for the essential painting tools. This includes a water brush pen, a sponge, a drawing pencil, an eraser, a watercolor brush, and a swatch sheet. Plus, there are small watercolor sheets as well. As a beginner, I sincerely do not think there is anything else to ask for!

The palette is a combination of pigmented fluorescents and metallics, rendering unique, vibrant colors. When mixing the colors, I can tell that the watercolors are highly blendable, producing rich washes and artistic textures. Mind you, the binder is thick and a bit gelatinous, causing the watercolors to create grainy or granulated textures and finishes.

With that in mind, some artists might not fancy such grainy textures. However, this allows you to create artistic effects and colors besides smooth and colorful washes. I find this an amazing trick to amplify watercolor artworks. Aside from that, the exclusive water brush pen and original brush make blending and layering effortless.

On the other hand, the size is not as compact and slim as the previous watercolor sets on the list. It is a bit bulky though it can still fit well in your bag. And since it is a metal tin case, it can protect the palette from damages.

• Offers vibrant and pigmented colors that can produce washes
• Creates granulated textures for unique and artistic effects
• Includes essential painting tools for convenient travel painting
• Comes in a sturdy metal tin case for added protection
• Suitable for advanced and professional artists
• Not the ideal option for beginners
• Slightly bulky compared to other compact watercolor sets

I have always been hunting for the best watercolor paints for professionals. But my curious self has always wanted to try other reputable brands other than Winsor & Newton. Thus, Sennelier was my next target, and I am glad I did give it a shot.

I hear a lot of amazing things about this brand, particularly the superb quality of watercolors. However, I admit that the price tag is the least attractive thing. But the question is, what is so special about it? To concur with the reviews and rumors, it was definitely the pigmented colors that I have seen the best so far.

Unbeknownst to many, the highlighted ingredient is honey. This helps preserve the longevity and quality of colors, making them impeccably brilliant and luminous at the same time.

As expected, the colors give off vivid hues that blend nicely in a beautiful shade. Even with simply dampening the colors, it is easy to obtain pigments and render bright washes and representations of what every color should be.

In terms of portability, this half-pan watercolor palette is small and slim, providing an ideal size for traveling. Plus, it comes in a sturdy metal case that secures all the colors.

• Impeccably brilliant and pigmented colors that easily blend
• Creates vivid strokes and washes even with just a few dabs
• Very compact and sleek design for hassle-free storage and travel painting
• Comes in a sturdy metal tin case
• Excellent color longevity
• No brushes included

Another budget-friendly option for watercolor travel sets is this one from Artify. This mini kit gives amateur watercolor artists a chance to try great quality watercolor without breaking their banks. I know for sure because I have seen the quality pigments that produce an imaginative and endless range of colors.

Impressively, the colors blend well and deliver vibrant hues when mixed with water. Therefore, making washes and artistic effects would not be a problem. Aside from that, the watercolors dry quickly, preventing any messy spills that can bleed through paper.

How about the size? I must say that this set is the perfect fit for your pocket whether it is a bag or your shirt. The plastic case is sturdy, securing the palette from any damage.

In addition to its portable and innovative design, I think the removable palette is genius. Not only can you arrange the colors according to your preference, but also reuse and wash them should you ever need to. Plus, the mixing tray is detachable and can be placed anywhere within your reach.

Some artists might not find this a big deal but I was impressed by how thoughtful the manufacturer designed the palette this way. Thus, it can accommodate left and right-hand painters.

Moreover, three brushes and two sponges complete this watercolor travel kit. The ring at the back of the base keeps the palette convenient to hold. Hence, this makes painting and traveling fun and easy to do!

• Removable and customizable mixing tray to accommodate left and right-hand painters
• Compact design
• Includes essential painting tools (three brushes and two sponges)
• Designed with a base ring for comfortable painting sessions
• Some paints break easily when not properly stored

When it comes to Winsor & Newton, I have nothing to expect but satisfying results in terms of color blends and vibrancy. Luckily, this Cotman Watercolor Brush Pen set is not so different from my favorite watercolor sets from this brand.

First of all, the size of this half-pan set ensures hassle-free storage when you are traveling. It is so dainty that you can fit inside your shirt pocket or mini compartments in your bag. When it is closed, it presents an understated yet sophisticated design that you can take out for a quick paint session anywhere you go.

As soon as you open the lid, the upper space provides partitions where you can mix different colors. Afterward, my eyes took me to the color labels that are neatly presented to help you organize and identify colors. Since the pans are replaceable, the color labels are crucial when finding matching shades.

As usual, Winsor & Newton did it again with this impressive array of colors. They deliver quality pigments even with just a few dabs, allowing you to create vivid washes and artistic watercolor effects.

Aside from that, the water brush pen is a handy addition to this set. It lets you paint without dipping into the water and start with your painting right away. And since it is refillable, you can simply fill it up whenever you have to. The clear barrel or reservoir lets you know how much water you have used.

• Creates vibrant color blends and watercolor effects
• Designed with color labels for easy identification
• Has a mixing tray to blend colors
• Includes a water brush pen
• Very compact
• Water flows heavily sometimes

Portability and Storage

When looking for a travel watercolor set, it is reasonable to consider whether it is compact enough to put away in your pocket or luggage. Since you will be moving from one place to another, it will not be practical to add some unnecessary weight to your things.

With that said, you must have a portable set that you can easily take out or put away and keep in mind that a complete travel painting kit does not need to be big and bulky. Fortunately, some brands offer foldable watercolor palettes and travel-friendly sizes that you can easily slip into your pocket or bag.

Accessories and Tools

A set consists of a variety of tools and accessories that will provide you with a complete setup for painting on the go. For a watercolor travel set, it should at least include a portable and refillable water brush. Since you will be traveling by air or land, this type of brush dispenses water as you paint, allowing you to paint right on the spot conveniently.

There is no need to fill up a container or cup with water, which can end up quite messy while traveling. Just fill the brush up and you are all set to paint anytime and anywhere you want. Some sets also include a pencil, a sponge to dry the brush, and a paint palette for mixing colors. Others have multiple refillable brushes for versatile applications.

Pigment Quality

Many artists use watercolor because it can spruce up drawings and sketches with an array of vivid colors. Aside from that, it can add unique effects to your artwork, especially if you love working with mixed media.

Therefore, it is important that you have high-quality pigments so as to deliver a vibrant spectrum of colors. No matter how few the color options are, a lightfast and premium quality watercolor palette can exhibit promising results.

Color Selection

The color selection all depends on your preferences and needs. But since watercolor travel sets usually have limited options, it would be better to stick with the primary shades. They typically come in sets of 9 or 12.

Lucky you if you can have more options without comprising the storage properties and portability. Some brands offer more than the usual colors that come in 24, 36, 42, 48, or more packed in a foldable or compact case.

Blendability

Watercolor is among the versatile art media that allows you to mix and blend colors, creating a custom color selection for your artwork. A watercolor travel kit homemade palette usually has that, presenting your favorite shades and mixtures.

A portable or mini travel watercolor palette should also let you do so despite the limited amount and selection of colors. Moreover, the excellent blendability allows you to maximize your palette and achieve your desired color combinations. Hence, you can browse the reviews or test the watercolor set for seamless color gradients.

TSA Approved (Transportation Security Administration)

This is a mandatory factor to consider for those who are planning to fly with their watercolor sets. Airlines provide specific and detailed regulations about the items that you are allowed to bring in a carry-on.

In general, TSA has restrictions on liquid watercolors. Every tube of watercolor paint should be no more than 3.4 ounces, and all wrapped in clear zip-top bags. For dry watercolor palette sets, they are relatively much easier to bring on a plane since they come in compact and convenient sizes.

It is quite hard to tell because there are a lot of amazing brands that offer excellent watercolor travel sets. However, Sakura is by far the most reliable brand for great quality watercolor sets that feature assorted colors and essential tools. Plus, they come at a reasonable price range. But if it is about budget-friendly decent watercolor sets that have a wide array of colors, I would go for MEEDEN.

On the other hand, Winsor & Newton and Sennelier are my favorite brands for professional quality watercolors. They might be relatively more expensive than other brands but they have a reliable lineup of portable watercolor sets that let you paint like a pro.

Yes, you can as long as your watercolor paint palettes and sets do not violate the TSA’s regulations and restrictions. As mentioned, TSA is lenient with dry watercolor travel sets because of their small and convenient size, allowing you to bring them on a carry-on without any trouble.

The first thing you can do is list your itinerary. Jot down where you would go first and the places you would probably pass by. Sometimes, you can be spontaneous and draw the scenes and unforgettable memories you would like to record and remember. Thus, Make sure to bring a travel or portable watercolor journal or drawing book with you.

Like a travel photo journal or album, a watercolor travel journal lets you record memories, events, and beautiful sights, but with a different method – painting. For example, you can paint the dinner or lunch you have had, a beautiful sunset, or even the view from your hotel or train. As you capture these events, you can doodle around your drawings or write what your painting is all about.

Apart from the watercolor palette, a watercolor travel set usually includes a small or a refillable water brush. Although not necessary, some sets have a sponge to dry the brush, small partitions for water (in case water brushes are not available), and additional water brushes for versatile and effortless painting sessions.

Moreover, the tools and accessories in a watercolor set vary from one brand to another. Check the composition of a painting set you will buy to ensure you get the essential tools for your watercolor paintings.

The best watercolor travel set is not just about the portable size but the quality of pigments and essential tools as well. It is quite amazing how you can document everything you see when you travel, and a watercolor travel set helps you do that. This is the reason why you deserve to have the best watercolor kit that can beautifully capture and paint landscapes and even mundane sights when you wander around.

This list has jotted down the top picks for portable watercolor sets on the market. Besides their popularity, the brands mentioned offer reliable and excellent quality watercolor sets that are worth trying. Hope this helps!

Art has always been a part of my life; it influences my upbringing and later my career choice. For me, it is always a part of my parenting technique. So for whichever purpose that you come to art, you can start here with us.