As many of you know, I’ve spent a considerable amount of time on planes, in airports, in cars, and in hotels the past few years of my life. As a result, I’ve gotten pretty good at packing for trips and being prepared for the unexpected… because you just never know what you might need when you’re on the road.
People often ask me questions about traveling and packing and prepping for trips, so I thought it would be fun for me to put together a list of 10 things I never travel without (a few of these are also included on my post on 10 Things You Should Bring on Long Flights With Young Kids):
These come in handy for so many different things: quickly washing a stain off an outfit, wiping down the airplane seat or tray, washing your hands, wiping up a spill, and so on.
I can’t tell you how many times they’ve rescued me or my kids or someone I was traveling with from a sticky situation (see what I did there?). You can get travel packs of Wet Wipes from Target (look in the dollar section) or the dollar store.
2. An Extra Outfit
If I’m going to a speaking event, I always pack a complete extra outfit that I could wear on stage. You never know when something might rip or a something will get spilled or you just will end up needing another option for some reason. Knowing that I have a backup outfit lets me breathe easy and not have to worry when something happens to what I’m wearing.
And it’s not just a great idea for speaking events! The other day, the guy next to me on a plane got up from his seat to go to the bathroom and knocked my entire cup of ice cold orange juice all over me. I was SO glad I had an extra pair of pants because otherwise, I would have had to be on two more flights in completely soaked jeans!
3. Comfortable Shoes
I’m such a fan of comfortable shoes! Not only are they better for your feet and back, but you will be so grateful for them on days when you need to walk for miles through airports or when you’re at an event that requires you to be on your feet for hours.
These Sketchers (see me wearing them in the photo below) are my very favorite shoes for traveling right now. I just adore them! Plus, they slip on and off which is really nice for when you want to slip your shoes off on a long flight plane or car ride.
For speaking/dressier events, I love the Aerosoles brand. They are durable, they offer so many different cute options, and they are comfortable — even when you’re on your feet for hours and hours on end.
Want to know what I brought on a 10-Day International Trip this year? Find my packing list here.
4. Headphones
I find that blasting music I love in my ears is so energizing on trips where I’m feeling a lack of energy or confidence. This year, at the encouragement of a friend, I got a pair of Bose in-ear headphones. I am hooked!
They are far better than any pair of headphones I’ve ever had before. They are comfortable (even when wearing them for long periods of time), they stay in your ears well, and they have such great sound quality. Plus, they really are far more noise-cancelling than any other earbud I’ve ever tried.
I use mine for listening to music while working at home, for business phone calls and Zoom meetings, for interviews via Google Hangout, and, of course, while on planes and at the airports.
5. Books
I never, ever travel without bringing at least 1-2 books… sometimes more like 4-6! I just can’t help myself!
People always tell me I should use a Kindle, but I’m such a lover of real books that I’m willing to lug around the extra weight in my backpack in order to get to experience the thrill of reading a real book.
Flying is one of my favorite opportunities to get in some good reading. Even if I plan to work on my computer during the flight, I always have at least 30 minutes on the take off and touch down to get in some reading. It’s amazing how that can add up to a lot of reading if you fly regularly!
Tip: Need some reading inspiration or ideas? Check out my list of my 10 favorite books I read in 2015.
These are the best things ever invented for speakers or anyone who spends time on the road! When I’m in a book-signing line or at a meet and greet, the last thing I want is to have bad breath! However, at many events, I can’t easily make it through the crowds of people to brush my teeth in the nearest bathroom. So Listerine Strips come to the rescue!
They are also nice for when you are feeling grungy from a day of traveling and just need to quickly freshen up. I keep a few packs of these in my purse at all times… and then use them multiple times a day on every single trip!
7. Extra Medicine & Essential Oils
Traveling takes its toll on your body. You not only often get less sleep, but your sleep usually isn’t as good since you’re sleeping in a strange bed in a new place.
Plus, add in time zone differences, schedule differences, and exposure to all sorts of germs on flights and in public places and it’s a recipe for getting sick a lot more easily.
This is why I always bring extra medicine and essential oils. I usually always bring Advil, Benadryl, and DayQuil/NyQuil + OnGuard, Thieves, and Tummy Rub oils. At the first sign of sickness, I use lots of OnGuard and Thieves and then Tummy Rub oil works amazing if my stomach or digestive system is a little off (as often can happen while traveling).
On long flights/international flights, I’m a big believer in Dramamine. In fact, I think it was pretty much the best thing created for motion sickness! 
If there’s any possibility that you won’t have ample access to an outlet to recharge your phone, you must invest in an external battery. In fact, if we’re going to be on a long flight or a long trip, we’ll often bring more than one fully charged external battery just to be safe.
This way, if an outlet is broken, your layover gets shortened, you can’t find an available outlet, or you just plain don’t have time to plug your phone in amid the crazy of trying to get to your destination, you can pull out your external battery and you don’t have to worry about your phone dying! You can buy one for as little at as $15 or $16 and, in my book, it’s a must-have for anyone who travels!
9. Travel Blanket
Am I the only one who is always freezing on flights? I have this travel blanket I carry with me at all times now when traveling because in spite of wearing a sweatshirt and leggings when flying, it almost always feels Arctic on planes! {You do usually get a thin blanket on long flights, but it's still nice to bring your own — in case you are really cold or to serve as an extra pillow.}
By the way, if you're going to try to sleep on a plane, having a great pillow can make all the difference. This is my favorite travel neck pillow and it's the only thing that allowed me to get hours of good sleep on international flights. You have to fuss with it a little bit to get it situated just right and I usually prop a blanket up on it to help give me a little extra support, but if you get it just right, it's SO comfortable.
10. Patience
One of the most important things I try to always bring when I travel is patience. I try to go into the day expecting delays, expecting flights to not go as planned, and expecting that there will be unexpected frustrations.
This is not because I want to be a Negative Nelly; it’s because I want to be realistic! Delays and interruptions are part of travel. I want to prepare the best I can, but then go into traveling expecting the unexpected.
Why? Because then if it happens, I won’t be surprised or frustrated… I planned for it to happen! And if delays and frustrations don’t happen, then I’ll feel like I got the added gift of extra time and a smooth travel day!
Related: What I Learned From Wearing the Same Outfit for 4 Days
What do are your travel must-haves? What would you add to my list? I’d love to hear!
