Have you ever wondered what an avid traveler would recommend as their top travel gear? I have been to over 19 countries and have made every mistake in the book. No one really thinks about some of the things I wish I would have known. So check out my list of curated, travel girl's guide to the trip packing essentials.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links and anytime you make a purchase, I receive a small commission. At no extra charge to you. In essence, you are being my sugar momma or daddy by buying through my links and I could just kiss ya if you end up liking my suggestions and buy! You are awesome. And make sure to check out my storefront here!

Luggage

Royce and Rocket Castle Classic

A suitcase with shelves in it?! Trust me when I say this is a travel girls bff. If you find yourself living out of suitcases you know the struggle of keeping organized. The packing cubes, shelves, and hidden compartments are absolute luxury and essential for that staple luggage you’ll have for forever. Plus it was designed by a mother daughter duo who is just the sweetest. So by purchasing their Castle Classic or Carry On, you are supporting a family owned, female ran business and me! Click here for 10% off your purchase just from me to you :)

Reusable Grocery Bags

Some of you may already know this about me, but I am passionate about sustainability and taking care of our planet. I mention tips in my blog posts about how we can all chip in with conservation and preservation when we can. Hence our first travel girl's essential... reusable bags. The less we use plastic bags as a society, the less these corporations will need to provide them to us. It decreases the waste you leave in a country when shopping, which is always a priority. Only thing permanently changed from your trip should be you. Click here for my favorite tote from Be Good Shop seen below:

Weekender

I love a good weekender. Not only can they fit a lot in them for a short trip, they are a great size for a carry on. I have found vintage or handmade ones from around the world! If you’d rather buy new, check out Able. Their brand supports women around the world with fair wages and I think that's pretty dope. This is their Helen Modern Weekender bag that is my favorite of theirs this fall.

Reusable Toiletry Bottles

Have you ever gone to the section at Target that has all those mini bottles of shampoo and face wash? Did you know you could bypass that aisle entirely and use the same products you use at home without bringing the whole bottle? Check out these mini bottles! Just gotta fill them up with your curated skin care line or hair care routine products and go. These work with the TSA restriction of 3 oz max for carry on liquid. Added bonus that they are squishy and fun.

Away Luggage Set

One of my favorite packing essentials! Away luggage is unmatched when it comes to the goals of their company meeting the quality standard for us buyers. They have a focus on carbon neutrality and reducing waste by ensuring a quality product you don't need to replace, with a lifetime warranty. So if you are interested in these bags, click here for $20 off your first bag! If I had to chose one bag, get the carry on. It comes with a portable charger that is a GAME CHANGER. No more need to find an outlet at the airport. Also it fits in the overhead bins of all airplanes so it makes it easy to roll in and roll out of the airport without having to check your shit.

Flag Patches

Ok, so, this is a fun one and really just a traveler tip about momentos! There is always an airbrush t-shirt or overpriced snow globe around any corner waiting for your tourist dollar. Rather than grabbing that airport souvenir you'll eventually give to Goodwill, patch up your favorite travel bag with your favorite countries flags that you've visited. I put them on my 60L pack I carry on pack trips around the world. It is always a conversation piece and I can look at them as I put it up into the overhead bin and remember that freedom feeling. Something you can take with you without taking up space!

Clear Stadium Bag

If you are traveling to a city (like Nashville) and plan to hit up a game or concert inside a stadium, some places have a rule that you can't bring in a purse that you can't see through or that isn't a certain size. Or it has to be see through. Yeah it’s some shit. So come prepared and look it up to see if this is the case for where you are going. And then come back and click here to buy this one!

Tech

AirTags

A must have for 2023 travel because of the chaos that is the airline industry post pandemic. Loads of stress could have been avoided if these had existed sooner and I now put one in my luggage if I need to check a bag. I think these are the best out of all the tracking devices. Another brainwashed apple user I know haha.

Pelican Memory Card Case

When I hit the road, I am always forgetting my SD cards. I have found them in my pants, bags, car, and even in a boot once lol. This past Christmas, my mother-in-law got me one of these to keep all my stragglers all together in one place. It is big enough where I don't lose them but it also doesn't take up too much space. There's room for 12 cards+ in there so enough for a trip or two lol!

DJI Drone

This is TOP on my list of packing essentials next, so whoever wants to buy this for me will get a lot of kuddos. From DJI, a highly recommended drone company, the Mavic Mini Portable drone has a lot of features that would step up the game of a travel girl. It self tracks, has video preview on the controller and a 1 year warranty. This is definitely a recommendation for us photo nerds who love a birds eye view! PRO TIP: Make sure to check the laws around drone usage in the country you will be visiting. There are laws against brining them into countries like Egypt and Morocco. You will have them confiscated so don’t do that to yourself. Do the research ahead of time.

External Hard Drive

External hard drives! Am I right photographers or am I right?! This one came highly recommended to me from another photographer so this one is more essential for us travel bloggers or avid photographers, who don't wanna lose all our work! BACK IT UP like a dump truck!

Skyroam Mobile Wifi

If there is one thing I would recommend you get on this list... it's this one. This bad boy has saved my LIFE on international trips. Whether it was getting us GPS signal on Ring Road in Iceland or finding directions in the souks of Morocco, it has never failed me. Up to 10 people can connect to it at a time, which is so nice if traveling with a group. It also doubles as a portable charger so that's just an added bonus. 10/10 recommend. Click here to purchase on Amazon or use MORGOSSKY on their website for a discount! I gotchu boo.

Phone Holder for Road Trips

This is the best car phone holder I have used thus far. I tried using the magnetic ones and I swear my phone almost fell out of the car window so many times when I would hit a pot hole or some shit. So this one as some grip on it and way better option that the magnet ones.

DSLR Tripod

If you are solo tripping and still wanna get pro photos without paying the pro price, you need one of these. This one is as close to the one I have as I could find. I recommend this one because I like the hook on it. Hooking your bag on the tripod allows you to not have to put your bag on the floor and it weighs your tripod down when its windy.

International Electric Plug Convertor

You may or may not realize but different countries have different electrical outlets. This interchangeable outlet convertor is awesome. It has USB ports and plugs for our hair dryers and curling irons ladies. Depending on what country you are in the power grid may be different. This also accounts for that possibility with low and high output settings. I have found that my hair dryers always blow up so I try and stay at Airbnbs or hotels that provide one of those that is made for the area. But my curling iron is fine as long as its on a low heat. I bought this in 2016 and I still use it so it is durable and reliable for the price!

Noise Cancelling Headphones

Ever wanna sleep on your flight but you've got a Snorelax next to you? Or just wanna enjoy a movie or two before trying to catch some zZ’s?! I’d getchu some of these Sony noise cancelling headphones. I actually can’t live without these at the airport and all flight! Battery lasts forever and the features are amazing.

iFly Bluetooth Connector

Have you seen ever wanted to connect those bluetooth headphones to the back of the head rest to watch the movies on there instead of just on your phone? But hate having to be connected to the headphones with wires. This little bad mamajama connects your wireless headphones to the back of the seat. Honestly, the coolest airplane gadget and lifesaver on long flights.

Accessories

Airplane Pillow Foot Rest

So you probably have a travel pillow for your head but I bet you don't have one for your feet. Did you know they make these?! These are the shit. I used it on my trip to Australia (16 hour flight) and it helped me curl up and able to fall asleep.

Eco Friendly Face Wipes

Need to freshen up before you get off the plane or after you land? Instead of the disposable wipes, try these reusable pads! Not only are you helping out the environment, you know exactly what ingredients you are putting on your skin leaving you refreshed for the day of exploring ahead from your curated skin care reusable containers mentioned earlier.

Compression Socks

Don't deny yourself the luxury of injecting comfort into the whole travel experience. Especially on red eye flights. Take your shoes off and slip into comfy compression socks to encourage blood flow in your legs during long flights. Helps reduce swelling and risk for blood clots while sleeping or sitting at high elevations.

RFID Passport Cover

Passport covers do more than look pretty. Did you know that there is microchip embedded in the cover of your passport that contains the information located on the photo page of your personal ID documents? It is very unlikely that a criminal would be able to access this info and it is there more for fraud investigation reasons (like someone was trying to steal your passport by replacing the photo or something). But better safe than sorry. Get a passport cover that has this feature for added security!

Sidecar Hat Clips

I always bring a hat with me to every destination. My favorite hats are from Lack of Color, Teressa Foglia, or vintage. And I hate packing them in my suitcase so I usually wear them on. Or clip them to the side of my bag with the Sidecar Love solo clip. This clip is 18kt gold-plated and the perfect addition to the aesthetic girls way to get your hand and head less full in the airport without crushing your bespoke hats.

And there it is... travel girl's guide to the trip packing essentials. There are so many other accessories, tools and fashion staples, but most of my other suggestions are destination based. So make sure to check out some of the Destination blogs for packing recommendations and destination specific travel essentials.