Here is a list of my personal travel essentials. These are things I almost never travel without.
Noise-Canceling Headphones
One of my absolute travel must-haves, noise-canceling headphones. I have mine for years now and I love them! They are very good at canceling out annoying noises around you plus the sound quality is amazing. I also love to use them for listening to music when I’m at home. Side note: They are great for canceling low tones background noise, but high-pitched sounds (such as baby cries) can come through to some degree.
Another of my favorites is my Kindle. I used to say that I’ll never switch from my beloved paper books to an electronic version, but then I tried to take more than two books with me on a trip… And now I can’t live without it. It is super convenient to bring along because of its size but also great for reading at night, especially for someone with rather poor eyesight like me.
Don’t forget that many countries have their own plugs! A universal travel adapter saves you a lot of hassle. Especially when you are going on a trip through multiple countries.
An insulated water bottle saves your day when you are on a day trip on a hot summer day. I still remember the unsatisfying feeling of drinking warm water on a hot day because my old plastic water bottle heated up so much. Never again.
I prefer silicone ear plugs over ‘traditional’ ones. In my opinion, they are easier to handle and stay in place better. You can also wash and reuse them. Perfect for hostels!
These are my favorite day trip sandals. They are super comfy and even water-resistant. Great for hot but also tropical climates. I also think they are really cute for outdoor sandals.
I think every traveler knows the struggle of carrying towels around. Microfiber towels are a great solution. They are super light, compact, and fast-drying. Available in different sizes and colors.
If you want something more stylish but also light, relatively compact and fast-drying, Turkish towels are a great option! You can use them as a regular towel, a beach towel and a sarong.
Of course, a portable charger should not be missing nowadays either. I use it mainly because I have such poor orientation skills that I have to use Google Maps all the time, which can drain the phone’s battery pretty quickly.
If you have to use laundromats on your trip, save you the stress of finding portable laundry detergent and bring some laundry detergent packets with you.
You can easily organize your clothes with packing cubes. With compressing packing cubes you can also compress your clothes to save space in your carry-on or travel backpack.
I also almost never leave the house without my reusable tote bag. Maybe it’s just the European in me, but I mostly use them for small shopping trips. And yes, I realize that I travel with a lot of bags and pouches. But they are just so useful!