10 Travel Must Haves

I’ve hit that summer slump where I WISH I was on vacation. Summer is half way over, school is on the horizon and I just itch to go somewhere. Whether it’s a quick weekend trip or multiple weeks away, we love to travel as a family. After years of traveling with kids, we’ve perfected our list of must have travel pieces. These pieces never get left behind and are almost always stored in my carry-on at home.

Luggage scale

There’s nothing I hate more than paying for luggage OR overweight luggage. Traveling around Southeast Asia, you’ll find that even your carry-on luggage is limited in weight and it is almost always weighed when you check in for your flight. We always carry this luggage scale with us. It’s lightweight, easy to use and I’ve never had issues with the weight being inaccurate.

Toiletry bag

I like a folding one made out of fabric instead of leather. You can lay it open flat in your suitcase or folded up if you have the space. I also prefer one with a hook in case I have the option to hang it to keep countertops clear of clutter. I keep this one packed with a set of my makeup essentials so I can just grab it and go. I keep the other half packed with first aid supplies because there’s no worse feeling than being in a foreign country with a kid with a fever. I also keep all the toothbrushes and toothpastes we snag from hotels in this JUST IN CASE one of us forgets to pack their toothbrush.

Portable Chargers & Universal Adaptor

I’m good about having a USB cord in my purse at all times, and usually a universal adaptor. My husband is much better at packing portable chargers - and reminding me to grab them. We have a ton of portable chargers but my husbands current favorite is this Anker one. It’s a charger and power bank in one, and you can plug up 2 devices at one time. We’ve used this travel adaptor for years and I just ordered this one. I like that this one has 4 USB ports and 1 USB-C port. I’m finding lately that so many AirBNB’s, hotels, and cruise ships already have adaptors or USB plugs but I’d rather not be stuck without one.

e-SIM

Everytime we travel, we get local SIM cards and last year we started using e-SIM cards from Airalo. (Disclosure: that’s an affiliate link and if you use it - I earn a bonus from it!) I’ve used one in Thailand, Australia, Japan and Iceland. Earlier this year my husband also switched to a Google Fi phone plan so he always has cell phone service when he travels for work.

I also have a referral code. Use SARAH0465 for $3 off your eSIM purchase. You get $3 off, I get $3 back. Win win for both us!

Drink Mix

I carry these blackberry lemonade drink mixes in my purse at all times. I find that when traveling, it helps the kids drink more water also. They’re small, convenient and I keep extras in my toiletry bag, too. The blackberry lemonade has been my favorite flavor for years now and we haven’t gotten tired of it. I actually had my sister go and purchase all of the ones in stock at her Walmart to send to me when we ran out last time.

Hand Sanitizer

I mean, this is a no brainer especially after the last few years. My mother-in-law gave me one of these everyone for everybody hand sanitizers in the coconut and lemon scent and I love it. It smells so clean and not harsh. I also stock up the Bath & Body Works ones when they go on clearance at my local Exchange. They’re also great stocking stuffers for Christmas.

Kindles

I’ve spoke about this before, but London is an avid reader. I have to limit her to 4 books at a time at our local library and she’ll carry all of her library books for a 15 minute car ride. You can only imagine what traveling with that is like - LOL - so a few years ago we bought her a Kindle. She has access to thousands of books through Amazon Kids+ as well as whatever she asks to purchase throughout the year. If London loves a book, she will read it over and over and over. I know there’s a lot of huff over children having access to tablets but this is one we try to make sure is always charged up and ready to go.

First Aid Supplies

Things I always keep stocked in our first aid kit include: Advil, kids liquid ibuprofen and/or acetaminophen, lots and lots of band aids, Benadryl tablets and Benadryl itch reliever, liquid bandage, melatonin for kids, Boudreaux’s butt paste, motion sickness tablets, Neosporin… and so on. Most of this stuff is for the kids because you never know what they’ll get into.

Inflatable Foot Rest

I’ve found inflatable foot rests to be a controversial travel piece for a lot of airlines in this part of the world, so I typically wait until the lights dim and the flight attendants aren’t watching before I inflate it. I like traveling with this, Brandon doesn’t. It gives Millie more room to lay out and get comfortable, and is super helpful when her and London are fighting over sleeping space. I also like to be able to rest my legs or feet on it. I actually have two of them but have found us traveling with only one lately, probably because of the amount of space it takes up.

Most of these I keep readily packed in my carry-on suitcase so I don’t have to hunt them down each time. Having them readily packed is a little convenience that takes the stress out of packing. Do you have any great travel tips or must haves that you want to pass along? Share them in the comments!