Best Carry-On Travel Essentials
This post is about must-have carry-on travel essentials.
dear Lilah,
I hear you are going on an upcoming trip and are looking for ideas on what to pack. Every situation might require you to bring specific items, but these are travel items that are universal to every trip. After years of traveling, these are the best carry-on travel essentials that I always bring every time.
My #1 Best Packing Advice
Before packing for your trip, I must tell you my #1 packing tip is to pack light and to pack simple.
When being away from our belongings at home, it’s very easy to get into the mindset of bringing “just-in-case items”. Tell yourself you can live without certain products for a few days. Oftentimes, it’s just extra space in the suitcase being taken up. Pack with intention and pack only the items you will use.
Travel with Peace of mind
When flying, many times you can bring a personal item + a carry-on bag. I never fly with a large suitcase that has to be checked. I always travel with my belongings with me which makes me feel less anxious when flying.
When packing minimally, everything will fit into a personal bag + carry on. Even if you are only able to bring one bag on the plane, these travel essentials that I share will fit regardless.
With all of your belongings with you, you don’t have to stand in long check-in lines to drop off luggage. You can head straight to security when arriving at the airport. When getting off the plane, you can head straight to your destination rather than waiting for your bag at baggage claim.
Checked suitcases are more susceptible to being lost or stolen. It’s a sucky situation when you don’t see your bag on the carousel.
You’re also not at risk of having an overweight bag and then paying extra for it when bringing only a personal + carry-on bag.
In cases where you are stuck at the airport and your flight is delayed, it’s nice to know you have all of your luggage and travel essentials with you in case you need to stay overnight.
Although it may be nice to have multiple eyeshadow palettes and 4 pairs of shoes to choose from, ask yourself, would you rather mitigate the risk of your luggage being lost? Would you rather save money and time when packing just one suitcase? If you can, I highly recommend packing everything into just a personal item and carry-on bag.
Best Carry-on Travel essentials
Every time I pack, I like to create an organized travel essentials list of everything I’m bringing to make sure I don’t forget anything. I like to break travel essentials down into their own category to ensure I’m not missing anything.
Important Files
Always remember to have your important documents and cards when traveling. This includes your passport, driver’s license, identification card, boarding pass, and tickets to events or transportation.
Whether you’re traveling locally, domestically, or internationally, it is always good to keep cash on hand alongside your main method of payment.
If you like physical copies of your important files, I highly recommend having a digital copy as well in case you lose the actual copy.
Electronics
The basic electronics to bring are your phone, phone charger, and earbuds. Depending on your trip, it is also helpful to bring a portable fan and a portable charger.
health
Having a little first aid kit with you is always helpful to have such as your medication, band-aid, and menstrual products.
food + drink
Your favorite snacks, chewing gum, and drink of choice can help ease the already stressful day of travel. Bringing your own food and drinks can save you money from buying something with outrageous airport prices.
A great travel essentials to bring is a silicone collapsible water bottle. It’s portable and takes up hardly any space. Oftentimes, they come with a carabiner so you can hook the water bottle to a strap.
Beauty
Traveling isn’t a beauty or fashion show. However, if you want to still look somewhat presentable, bring just the basic beauty essentials that are easy for touch-ups. A simple powder foundation can act as a concealer and setting powder in one. Any lip product can act as a blush while providing color to your lips.
Other
I like to have this open category for products that are more specific to my type of trip. A long flight might call for a good neck pillow. If your destination is raining, bring an umbrella. If you plan on bringing back souvenirs, pack a small foldable bag.
Here are the best carry-on travel essentials that I recommend for every trip. Remember trips are temporary and not permanent. It’s ok to leave the “just in case” items behind. Let your mind relax when packing more mindful and minimally. I hope these travel tips and recommendations help you. I would love to hear your thoughts and if you have any recommendations yourself. Have a wonderful trip!
