I Travel Carry-On Only—And Here Are 9 Travel Accessories I Always Pack
I (almost) always pack carry-on only when I travel. While I use several well-tested tips to keep my bag light, the main thing I do is carefully consider each item I bring with me. For clothes: will they all work together? For toiletries: how can I bring exactly the amount I’ll need, and not much more? And as for travel accessories, I only bring what I know I’ll need, not what I think I’ll need. Here are 9 travel accessories I never leave home without.
1. Travel wallet by Bellroy
Buy now: $89, bellyroy.com
I spent a lot of time searching for the perfect travel wallet: something small, compact, stylish, and with a zip-up closure so I could still carry some coins—all for under $100. The Folio Mini wallet by Bellroy delivered on all of these requirements in a timeless, and simple leather design. It also has a tiny pocket to hold SIM cards if you’re switching them out while traveling internationally (which I’ve yet to use, since I’ve mostly moved away from swapping physical SIMs). I’ve had it for nearly a year and it’s still in near perfect condition, a testament to its quality. The only con is that you can’t carry too many coins in there, so while traveling in countries that use a lot of coins, like Japan, I’ll also bring a small change purse to supplement.
2. Compression socks by Comrad
Buy now: from $32, comradsocks.com // amazon.com
If you’re over 30, you should be wearing compression socks when you fly to help reduce achy legs, risk of blood clots, and improve circulation. Since that includes me (hey there, fellow 80s babies 😉) I always pack a pair for flights longer than 3 hours.
There are several good brands on the market for compression socks, but I use the merino wool compression socks by Comrad. I like these specifically because of the merino wool material, which is a naturally odor-resistant and temperature regulating fabric. I also like that the compression weight on these is just enough for someone like myself—which is to say, relatively young and not medically required to wear them—to help stimulate blood circulation and reduce leg restlessness in-flight.
Bombas also makes a comparably good pair of compression socks, including versions with merino wool.
3. Headphones and Airfly by Apple
Headphones: amazon.com // apple.com
Airfly: amazon.com // apple.com
Although there are many great headphone options on the market, the Apple’s Airpod Pros are hard to beat for travel—they’re pocket-sized and therefore much more portable than an over-ear headphone, yet still have some powerful noise cancellation capabilities, especially for their size.
However, one downside to traveling with wireless, bluetooth headphones is that you can’t plug them into your personal entertainment device on airplanes (though airplanes are increasingly adding this feature to their in-flight entertainment devices). To solve for this, I’ve started traveling with the Twelve South AirFly Pro Bluetooth Transmitter, which can connect your bluetooth headphones to any device with a headphone jack—including TVs on airplanes.
4. Silk eye mask
Buy now: $23, brooklinen.com
Anyone else struggle to sleep when your hotel room has lots of tiny little lights that remain on, even when you’ve killed the switch? Same. Which is why I never leave home without an eye mask. I use an eye mask that I bought from a local boutique in San Francisco called Kim + Ono, but I also like the silk eye mask by Brooklinen. The Brooklinen mask is soft and cool on my face at night. It feels super luxurious but, at just over $20, is still affordable. Plus: it’s machine washable.
5. Reusable toiletry bottles
Cadence: keepyourcadence.com
GoToob: amazon // humangear.com
In college, I would go to Target and buy a handful of cute, travel-sized toiletries before each trip. But, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve moved away from this habit in attempt both to be more eco-friendly and to save money in the long run. I also find those products limiting, and would prefer to decant the products I love and use every day into reusable toiletry containers before each trip. The best containers I’ve found after testing dozens in my job are the Originals by Cadence for anything under 0.56 ounces (like face cleanser and lotion) and the 1.7 ounce GoTooob for shampoo and conditioner. To be totally honest, I love the original Cadence capsules but the larger ones are a little too heavy and bulky for my preferences, and I just prefer the mechanism of getting shampoo and conditioner out of a squirt bottle.
6. Travel converter by Ceptics International
Buy now: amazon.com
For international trips at least, a travel converter is a must. I prefer owning a set of adaptors, rather than one large, clunky universal adaptor. It allows me to just toss in the one or two adaptors I’ll need for my trip and save a little space (which, if you’re a die-hard light packer, you already know: little things add up!). There are many options out there but I use this affordable set by Ceptics International and it does the trick. Nothing fancy.
7. Water bottle by Snow Peak
Buy now: $87, snowpeak.com
These days, a reusable water bottle is a must for any trip. We all likely own one (or many) already, so while I personally use the 500ml “milk bottle” water bottle by Japanese outdoor brand, Snow Peak, the best water bottle for your trip is going to be the you already have.
8. Passport cover, vintage
Passport covers may feel like a nice to have, non-essential item but it’s actually pretty important to keep your passport from getting damaged by water spills, tears, and more. According to the U.S. State Department, your passport could be rejected or deemed unusable if it’s too damaged. I’ve been using a vintage, leather purse I found at a flea market for the past decade or so (I love being able to go secondhand when I can!) but have heard great things about the passport covers by Smythson from fellow travel industry friends.
9. Instant coffee by Waka or Verve
Verve: amazon.com // verve.com
Waka: amazon.com // wakacoffee.com
I don’t always use the instant coffee I pack, but when I need it, I’m happy I have it. Generally, this ends up being in situations where I’m waking up at 5am (either because I’m jetlagged or making an early flight) and no nearby coffee shops are open, or a hotel has provided tea and a tea kettle but no coffee (something that happened more commonly in Asian countries like Malaysia, Singapore, and Japan). Starbucks Via is a solid and easy to find option for Instant Coffee, but I prefer Verve or Waka, they’re much better in terms of taste.
