When it comes to travelling, different things come to our mind. For some, it is a passion to see every corner of the world. For some others, it is rare, and they only travel when moving from one place to another. And for some other people, they do it for business or study purpose.
Whatever the cause for your travelling is, you should make a list of must-have travel accessories. You want your journey hassle-free and take with you as much as essential things as possible while having your pieces of baggage lightweight. Here are the 20 must-have travel accessories you should keep from your next trip onward.
1. Protective face masks
Let’s face it. In the time we are living in, face masks are an everyday item. You wear it even when you just need to buy ice cream from outside. So, it’s no wonder this thing should come first in the must-have travel accessories list. Whether you prefer disposable or washable fabric ones, facemasks are essential in our day-to-day lives and travel companions.
Make sure to keep multiple masks in your luggage and an extra one in your hand baggage.
2. Travel pillow
Whether the transportation for your trip is an aeroplane or a bus, a travel pillow is a handy companion for long journeys. The seats of a bus or a plane are not really suitable for sleeping. And if you do fall asleep without using a travel pillow, chances are you will wake up with intense pain in your neck. It is also risky to sleep without a travel pillow in a bus journey in a case where roads are full of turns or not smooth.
3. Universal power adapter
You will be taking your cameras and smartphones with you on any travel. And you will also take the chargers along. But what if both your camera and smartphone run out of battery at the same time? You would think that you will plug in both the device in different ports. But the problem is that there is only one single port for where you will be staying, either a hotel or a cottage. Having a universal adapter will save you from trouble? Just plug in the adapter in the port, and then plug the chargers in the adapter.
What’s more interesting is that you don’t have to put your different charging adapters in your luggage. Because universal adapters have USB ports, so they can save you spaces even though a tiny amount of it.
4. Power bank
Even though your devices are well-charged, it’s always a good choice a have a backup. Having a power bank will save you from a lot of troubles. Let it be having a delayed flight and all the ports in the waiting area are pre-occupied, or having your street vehicle trapped in nowhere. You might have calculated that you would have reached your destination around a certain time and then put your gadgets on charging. But in reality, you will be arriving there 12 hours late, for example. For such cases, power banks will be handy.
5. Money bags
It’s usual for you to keep your money in your wallet or purse. But be careful about where you put your money while travelling. Some places you visit might be full of pickpockets. And you don’t want to lose money while enjoying being in a new location.
Get yourself a money belt. It comes in two different styles; one is an ordinary belt for pants with a hidden pocket, while the other is the size of a purse that has multiple pockets to store your mobiles and passports.
6. Eye masks
This one is a must-have for people who are too sensitive to lights; they can’t fall asleep without total darkness. You might think that you have no problem sleeping while travelling at night. But whatever the transportation you will be boarding, you will be exposed to different lights now and then. So, it is better to put on your eye masks before resting your head. This way, your eyes can only feel darkness no matter what the situation is outside the mask.
7. Earplugs
You got your eyes covered for good sleeping. But what about the ears? Our ears fall asleep after our eyes but wake up before. Earplugs should be kept in your must-have travel accessories list even if you are not sensitive to lights. When you wake up hearing sudden loud noises, it could hurt your heart. This is not always the case if you wake up having been exposed to a flash of light.
Earplugs are not just to avoid loud noises, but it is also helpful if two or more of your co-passengers talk while you are trying to rest your head. Not only that, if the person sitting next to you is also sleeping but putting you in trouble unconsciously for their snoring, you can block out that sound by using earplugs.
8. Noise-cancelling headphones
In case you are not planning on sleeping but want to keep yourself entertained either by listening to music or audiobooks, noise-cancelling headphones are beneficial. You can concentrate on whatever you’re listening to stress-free without worrying about outside noise interrupting you.
You can also use noise-cancelling headphones as an alternative to earplugs.
9. Hand sanitizer
You are covering your mouth with face masks, but hygiene for your hands is also in question. Keep one always in your pocket and a spare one in your luggage. You can research the COVID-19 situation for the place you are planning to visit, but it’s not always enough. Keeping yourself in hygiene is the first step to stay healthy.
10. Sunglasses
Unless you are travelling to an extremely cold country in winter, sunglasses are a must. To keep your eyes safe, you need to focus more on UV protection than fashion. But if you find a pair of sunglasses with UV protection and go with your style, buy them without thinking much.
11. Personalized luggage tag
Ever happened that you have taken someone else’s luggage thinking it’s yours, or vice versa? Such things are common when a co-passenger has the exact same luggage as yours. Unique luggage tags can save you from this kind of troubles. When the luggage is being handed to the owners after a journey, you can search for those tags rather than the pattern of your luggage.
12. An extra pair of clothing in hand baggage
Yes, you will think of putting all your clothes in your luggage. But that’s not a good idea at all. Suppose you get stuck on a transit flight but need to change your clothes. Your luggage will be transferred from one plane to another. So, you cannot access any items from it. But having an extra pair of clothing in your luggage will definitely be handy.
13. Reusable water bottles/flasks
Planes never allow any disposable water bottles, and some bus companies provide them themselves. But reusable water bottles/flasks are exceptions. They are environment friendly, as well as keep the temperature of the water intact.
14. Travel towel
You may be quite fond of your home towel, but don’t think of packing it for travelling. Instead, get a travel towel. These are lightweight, smaller in size, and quick-drying.
15. Toiletries
Don’t think of putting that large shampoo/conditioner bottle in your luggage. The same goes for a bar of soap. You should buy travel toiletries instead. You will find them online as well as in big malls. Buy 50-100 gram/ml of soap/shampoo and pack them. This will give you more spaces and less weight.
16. Folding toothbrush
Taking your regular toothbrush with you on travel is okay, but packing a foldable one is better. It will take half the space as your regular one.
17. Rain protectors
Whether it’s a raincoat or an umbrella, pack the one which is suitable for you. While the raincoat will take up more of your space, it can save you from heavy rainfall. On the other hand, an umbrella will help you stay safe from extreme sunlight as well.
Get some waterproof protection for your gadgets as well. You also need to worry about those things along with your health.
18. Slippers
You undoubtedly won’t be spending the whole trip wearing your favourite pair of shoes. Your feet need fresh air every day. Also, you can’t put yourself in trouble by going to the beach wearing your shoes. You should take a pair of slippers with you for a beach day to wear while in your hotel room and while roaming around the hotel lobby.
19. Shoe bag
Shoe bags are essential to separate your clothes from shoes. And it’s crucial when you need to repack the shoes you used for travelling. A shoe bag will help you keep your clean clothes separate from dirty shoes.
20. Backup of everything
By everything, we mean every travelling document. Such as photocopies of your passport, tickets, travel insurance etc. you should keep your passport in the hotel room and take the photocopy with you in your travel belt while on a day trip.
Closing remarks
This was our list of must-have travel accessories. Yours, however, can be different depending on your next travel itinerary. Whatever your next destination is, we wish you luck and that hope this blog was helpful to you.