As I am packing to embark on my next journey to explore the Canadian Rockies, I thought about what travel accessories I bring along on with me on every big trip – things I simply cannot go without when I travel. Here are my list of “must-haves”.
Funky Planet Tote Bag – I am fortunate enough to have amazing travel buddies, a group of fantastic women I travel with at least once every two years. One of my travel mates created a line of tote bags called Funky Planet. While I use them in my daily life for grocery store and farmers market shopping, I also find these bags invaluable when it comes to travel. Incredibly spacious with a number of utilitarian pockets, these totes are durable, machine washable and make great carry-on bags. They go from a small, fold-up purse (pictured left) to a large tote (right) in an instant. Unfortunately, my friend no longer has a website for her bags because her day job got in the way of growing her Funky Planet business, but you can purchase them from Journeys Unparalleled here for $38 plus $10 shipping anywhere in the U.S. or free pick up/delivery in San Francisco.
TechMatte Car Mount – For road trips or basically any drive where I’m using my phone’s GPS, this simple little device is fantastic. Previously, I used to try to wedge the phone between the steering wheel and the dashboard. This was never very successful as it would either slide off and end up at my feet or else keep flipping face down. Now I mount this TechMatte into the car’s air vent and the strong magnet, which I insert between my smart phone and phone cover, firmly secures the phone in the location and at the angle that I want. They are available at Amazon.
Hygene and Hunger – For long car, train or plane trips, I find these items invaluable to include in my carry-on bag: small and large Ziploc bags, moist towelettes and hand sanitizer, tissues, and healthy snacks. These are ever-so important when traveling with kids, but I also take them along when I leave my children at home. They are great to have handy for emergency cleanup needs and times of hunger or low low-energy (peanut butter and crackers are also great go-to snacks).
Travelon Packable Shelves – This indispensable packing tool was introduced to me by another one of my travel buddies. Since learning about Travelon Packable Shelves, I no longer go on any trip longer than 4 days without them. Hang it in your closet, pack in all the clothes that you need for your trip, and then carefully drop the foldable shells into your suitcase. When you reach your destination, simply lift the shelving unit out of your bag, and hang it on to the rack in the closet. It makes packing and unpacking super easy, and it also simplifies the task finding the items you need while you’re on the road.
Suitcase Organizers and Day Bag – Finally, I find these to be two travel items I cannot live without. These particular packing organizers pictured on the left are the Eagle Creek Specter Compression Cube Set. I love them because they are light and you can squeeze them into the available spaces in your suitcase while keeping all your socks, unmentionables, T-shirts, etc. separate in their own bags, making things easy to find when you’re traveling as well as easy to pack and unpack. I prefer this style for their “squishability”, but there are also other companies that make actual cubes (they’re called cubes but they are actually rectangular prisms!) of different sizes that hold their shape. You can pick the style that works best for you.
This past spring I bought the Rume Crossbody Backpack pictured on the right just before my Windstar Mediterranean cruise (click on the link to see our photo albums on Facebook and scroll down until you find the 10 Windstar albums). It’s the perfect bag for hiking or exploring a new city when you want something ultralight, yet big enough to fit a sweater and your essentials for the day on the town. You can see glimpses of the bag in action during my recent Vespa Tour of Rome. The straps can zip together or zip apart for use as either a crossbody bag or a backpack. You can find these bags in a variety of colors and patterns at Rume.com or a number of other online or brick and mortar retailers.
For more on logistics and gear for family travel, visit Tips on Traveling with Young Children.