Trio of images: one of a person's hands folding clothes, one of Santorini, Greece, and one of a neatly packed suitcase. All photos have a slight grain and pink hue.

Does anyone else love packing? Anyone? No? Just me…got it. Whether you love it or hate it, it’s a crucial part of every trip, and striking a balance between too much and not enough can be anxiety-inducing! I typically travel carry-on only, so I don’t have much precious space to be carrying around a bunch of random travel gadgets, but I do have a select few essentials that come along with me on every trip. So if you’re looking to invest in a new personal bag or just need a bit of help upping your organization game, I’ve got you!

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In This Post

BAGS – Bento Bag • Large Crossbody • Travel Wristlet • Packable Shopping Bag

ORGANIZATION — Mini Jewelry Organizer • Quart Bag • Packing Cubes

ELECTRONICS – Power Bank • Universal Adapter • Wireless Headphones • Tripod

BEAUTY — Mini Hairbrush • Dryer Brush • Straightener/Curling Iron Combo • Travel Bottles

Bags

Bento Bag

Ah, my beloved Bento Bag. This thoughtfully designed bag is an excellent investment for frequent travelers. It works perfectly as a personal item on flights or as a weekender. It opens like a suitcase, so it’s super easy to pack, with a padded laptop compartment and two easy-access pouches for toiletries and essentials. A charging port, detachable strap, and trolley sleeve round out its features. The Bento Bag is pricey at $248, but they often have sales, and I know my bag will be a lifetime investment. A decent-looking dupe is available on Amazon if you want to try a similar style or check out Poshmark for secondhand.

Large Crossbody

For a day bag, I’ve loved this three-zipper crossbody for years! It’s super basic but looks cute enough and fits everything you need for a day of exploring. I can pack this with a water bottle, wallet, first aid kit, tripod, my phone, with plenty more space for anything you collect throughout your journey. In addition, it packs flat, so I just stow it away in my carry-on during transit and then use it daily while I’m out and about.

Travel Wrislet

I love wristlets for airports, nights out, or days where you just don’t need to carry too much. This one has served me well over the years and holds my passport, a pen, cash, cards, and my phone.

Packable Shopping Bag

These are perfect for grocery shopping, beach bags, picnics, hiking – anytime you might accumulate more than you bargained for. These are water-resistant, super easy to clean, and fold up into a neat little square.

Organization

Mini Jewelry Organizer

This affordable jewelry organizer is perfect for bringing necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and even hair accessories. It keeps all your items from getting tangled and packs nice and flat, without taking up too much space!

Quart Bag

I’m gonna go ahead and recommend that you upgrade that dusty old Ziploc for a nice sturdy reusable bag! This is the only one I could find on Amazon that’s genuinely a quart size (many are significantly larger, which could cause issues at TSA!), and it’s worked well for me on dozens of trips.

Packing Cubes

Sorry, packing cube haters, but I am proud to say that I am 100% pro-cube. Packing cubes are fantastic for organization and space-saving, and compression cubes take it to the next level. Compression cubes allow you to pack as you would typically and then release the extra air from your items to save you tons of room. Eagle Creek makes the OG compression cubes, but these from Amazon work just as well for a bit less.

Electronics

Power Bank

When you’re abroad, you definitely don’t want to get stuck with a dead phone! So I usually take two with me, one that lives in my Bento Bag for transit and this smaller Anker one that I store in my purse to take with me day-to-day. It’s sturdy and holds about two phone charges.

Universal Adapter

Essential for any trip, this upgraded universal adapter fits snugly in any outlet and has 4 USB ports so you can charge all your devices at once.

Wireless Headphones

Airpods weren’t quite in my budget, so I snagged these fabulous Anker wireless headphones. They come in a compact travel case, and the charge lasts forever, so they work perfectly for long flights and train rides!

Tripod

If you’re a solo traveler like me, having a packable tripod is a great option. This one fits in my crossbody bag and can be used as a tripod or a selfie stick (if you’re stuck in 2014).

Beauty

Mini Hairbrush

As a short-haired gal, I don’t need to take along a giant, clunky hairbrush, so I love that this duo came with a smaller version to bring on my travels. It works just as well as a full size, and I usually wrap a few hair ties around the handle just in case I (inevitably) lose some.

Dryer Brush

🎶 People, let me tell ya ‘bout the best invention. 🎶 Seriously, whatever genius came up with the hairdryer/brush combo should be sitting on a private island sippin’ margs right now. It can brush, dry, style, and curl all in one! My favorite is the Hot Tools Professional One-Step Volumizer. Keep in mind that if you’re from North America and looking to use this abroad, you’ll need to make sure the voltage is compatible. I have two of these, one for home and one for travel, that I snagged on Amazon UK!

Straightener/Curling Iron

I stumbled across this product after cutting my hair short, looking for a mini flat iron. This efficient little dual-voltage straightener/curler combo packs a serious punch and packs nice and snug in your luggage, taking up next to no space.

Travel Bottles (1, 2, 3)

If you’re a beauty gal like me, you have about a thousand products you want to take along, but most quart bags will only fit a few 3oz bottles. Instead, be realistic about how much you need of each product, and downsize to smaller bottles or jars, which allow you to take way more. I like squeeze bottles because you can get every last drop out!