It’s no surprise that we love to travel – often hopping on multiple flights or taking multiple road trips a year, and over the years we have figured out just what all can be left behind, and what we absolutely need to bring with us on the go. Below is a list of our tried and true travel essentials that we can’t live without on a trip!
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Noise Cancelling Headphones
We both can’t live without a good pair of headphones while on the go. HallyAnn enjoys these Infurture Noise Cancelling Headphones that are collapsable and have a long lasting battery life – plus they come in multiple color options! Brandon enjoys these Pocbuds Noise Cancelling Headphones and as they are super tiny and don’t take up hardly any luggage room and they hold a charge for weeks at a time!
A Good Pair of Walking Shoes
When we travel, we try to do, see, and eat as much as possible – and HallyAnn is very picky about shoes after having two broken feet and multiple surgeries on her both feet – so a comfortable and supportive pair of walking shoes is essential. HallyAnn enjoys these Abbos shoes as they are both comfortable and stylish, and come in multiple colors. She wears them to work in a healthcare setting as well!
If you are in need of a different kind of walking shoe, HallyAnn loves these Sorel waterproof boots. She wore these all over Italy during the rainy season and had no issues – even while clocking in over 30,000 steps a day!
Luggage Compression Packs
When traveling with a suitcase, we find its important to fit as much in a suitcase as possible – especially when only traveling with a carry on! These compression cubes have been a lifesaver for getting everything to fit in the suitcase and keep our luggage organized too! We also find that these shoe bags are great for separating dirty hiking shoes or a wet swimsuit from the rest of your items.
An Apple AirTag
Traveling can be very stressful at times, so whey not try to ease your mind a bit? That is exactly what having an Apple AirTag does for us when we are traveling, especially if we are checking luggage. You pop one of these in your luggage, and apple will automatically send you updates about its location as you travel so you can have peace of mind knowing exactly where your luggage is.
A Universal Travel Adapter
If you are going overseas – a universal travel adapter is not just a nice to have item – it’s a must have item! We have actually ended up using ours a few times here in the United States as well when visitors from out of the country come to stay with us and forgot their adaptor.
A Good Carry On Travel Bag
We don’t make it very far without having a carry on travel bag – that often doubles as our hiking bag as well! HallyAnn uses this bag that also allows her to carry all of her must have travel items on a plane, but also houses all of her computer and camera gear while on the go. This is often the bag that we carry with us on our adventures so we don’t miss the opportunity to capture a moment while on the go. As HallyAnn typically carries all the camera gear, Brandon typically carries our other essential items like snacks, a change of clothes, books, our travel pillows, etc. He uses this bag that also doubled as his work bag for years!
A Supportive Neck Pillow
There is nothing worse than arriving to your destination after a long haul flight where you weren’t able to get any sleep – and now you are jet lagged. I’m not going to say that having a good travel pillow will completely devoid you of being jet lagged, but it sure does help when you step off that plane more rested then if you weren’t able to sleep at all! If our flight is any longer than just 2-3 hours, then we are sure to bring our trusty neck pillow with us!
A Good Pair of Binoculars
If we are heading anywhere that we may spot some wildlife, you better believe we are packing our binoculars! We went years without having any and wishing that we had a pair, so now that we finally bought some, we can’t imagine not having them with us, especially if we are heading somewhere scenic where we can spot wildlife closer up!
Snorkling Gear
If we are heading somewhere tropical with luscious blue waters, you better believe that we are bringing our snorkeling gear with us! We aren’t experts at snorkeling so others may recommend more fancy gear, but these Orsen snorkel masks are what we use & they work great for us as amateur snorkelers (and they have a go pro attachment spot which is handy when filming).
An Anti-Theft Bag
If you are heading anywhere that pickpocketing may be an issue, then we highly recommend getting an anti-theft bag similar to this one. We don’t always bring this with us, but when visiting places like Rome, Italy where we found multiple people’s wallets in bushes – we were extremely happy to have an anti-theft bag with a lock on it that kept our passports and wallets safe while roaming around town.
For a more daily use style bag or weekender trip bag, HallyAnn also uses this Foldie bag. It can be used as a fanny pack or a crossbody bag and with its antitheft latch and RFID safe fabric, it makes for the perfect everyday bag!
A Really Good Book
Both of us really enjoy reading, especially while traveling. It’s always so nice to be able to remember a book by where in the world you read it too! Brandon really enjoys a good sci-fi/fantasy, self help, or thriller book. HallyAnn loves to read thrillers and romances! Here’s a list of some of our favorites that we would recommend to anyone!
Brandon’s Favorite Self Help Books:
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E Frankl
Chatter by Ethan Kross
Brandon’s Favorite Sci-Fi & Fantasy Books:
Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
HallyAnn’s Favorite Romance Books:
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
Verity by Colleen Hoover
Summer Reading by Jenn McKinlay
In the Likely Event by Rebecca Yarros
HallyAnn’s Favorite Thriller Books:
That’s Not My Name by Megan Lally
The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden
Additional Books We Recommend:
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
A Listerine Pocketmist!
There is nothing worse than having bad breath, especially when you are stuck on a long haul flight in the window seat! We don’t go anywhere without having one of these Listerine Pocketmisters in a purse or carry on bag. Not only do we use these when traveling, but also during our everyday lives! They are truly a breath saver!
