My Ultimate Travel Essentials Checklist After 10 Years of Traveling

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Packing for a trip doesn’t have to be stressful. Whether you’re heading out on a weekend getaway, backpacking through Europe, or taking a long international flight, having the right travel essentials can make every part of your trip easier.

After more than 10 years of traveling (from budget backpacking trips to luxury vacations) I’ve narrowed my packing list down to the items I genuinely use on almost every trip. These travel essentials have helped me stay organized, travel lighter, avoid unnecessary purchases, and make long travel days much more comfortable.

In this guide, I’m sharing my complete travel essentials checklist, along with the exact luggage, backpacks, packing accessories, and flight must-haves I personally recommend.

Before you go, don’t miss my guides to How to Plan a Trip and 7 Essential Travel Safety Tips to help you prepare with confidence.

Travel Essentials Checklist

It took me years to learn this: quality matters. A sturdy suitcase and well-designed backpack will change your travel experience entirely. I’ve replaced wheels mid-trip, retired bags unexpectedly, and learned that investing in the right gear is worth it.

Here’s your travel gear essentials check list (and I linked my favorites):

• Suitcase for carry on
• Suitcase for checked bag
• Personal item backpack
• Packing cubes
• Electric adapters
• Reusable water bottle
• Portable charger
• Sturdy walking shoes
• Sleeping mask for the red eye flight

Short on time? I’ve linked my curated ShopMy, Amazon and LTK lists to make it easy to grab everything in one place or shop below:

Best Carry-On Suitcase for Travel

For eight years, I used the same carry-on and replaced its wheels twice – until one finally snapped off on my honeymoon. After extensive research, here are my top picks:

• Budget-friendly: There’s nothing wrong with being on a budget. If you plan on flying frequently, consider the mid-range recommendation. If you don’t plan on flying often, the Amazon basics suitcase will serve you well.
• Mid-range: The lightweight and heavy-duty qualities the Bigger-Carry on Away suitcase brings makes my life soooo much easier when I’m traveling. It’s my favorite suit case I’ve ever owned!
• Splurge: The Samsonite Freeform Hardside is consistently rated the top carry-on suitcase. I would’ve gone for this if I hadn’t bought the Away bag. You can occasionally find it on sale on Amazon!

Best Personal Item: Backpack

Your personal item is your under-seat lifesaver. The key? Maximize space without sacrificing comfort. For international trips especially, I recommend a backpack over a weekender bag for better weight distribution. However, a weekender bag is great for domestic trips.

• Budget-friendly : I’m loving this price point on the Matein backpack and it looks like a decent size.
• Mid-range: The Away 25L Convertible backpack is so good. I use the Away 25L Convertible Backpack on nearly every trip because it opens like a suitcase, fits under most airplane seats, and holds far more than you’d expect. If I could change one thing, I’d add a waist strap for better comfort on long walking days.
• Weekender: If a weekender or duffle bag is your style, the Wellington Weekender from STATE is the bag you’ll want to consider.

Packing Essentials

• Packing Cubes: Total game changer for organization.
• TSA approved Liquids: Especially helpful for international travel.
• Makeup bag: I keep mine packed year-round to save time.
• Airtags: For the worriers about where your checked bag is.
• Medicines: I will never make the mistake of traveling without Imodium or Dramamine. The last time I forgot to pack Dramamine, I found myself in an Italian pharmacy and accidently purchased the most drowsy motion sickness medicine in the market. I was falling asleep for DAYS and learned my lesson. If you have prescription medication, always fly with your medication, and don’t leave it in a checked bag.

Flight Essentials for Long Flights

Now that you have your carry on and personal item to pack your items in, it’s time to talk flight essentials. After taking more than 100 flights, I know the flight isn’t the main part of the trip but it is important to be comfortable so you can feel refreshed when you land.

Flight essentials to make your experience comfortable as possible:

• Footrest: For a long flight or short flight, my footrest is the first item I pack.
• Sleeper Hold: This sounds weird, but the sleeper hold helps keep your head in place while you sleep on the plane and it’s a game changer.
• Compression socks: Compression socks are helpful at any age and whenever I forget them, I regret it.
• Phone + charger + power bank: Not all airplanes have in-power seats. Charge your phone, bring a charger in case you have in-power seats, and bring a portable charger as well.
• Noise-canceling headphones / earbuds: I bring my 5+ year old airpods on the plane. When they finally stop working, I will be splurging on the Apple Airpods Max.
• Reusable water bottle: I was stunned to learn that people don’t realize you can bring an empty water bottle through TSA. Start doing this and make sure it’s full for the plane because they don’t hand out enough water on flights.
• Sleeping mask: If you don’t bring the sleeper hold, a sleeping mask is a must.
• Face mask: It’s very important to get the Biodance face masks for flights. Over time, they dry out which makes less mess on a flight, and are designed to be on for a few hours. After meal service on red eye flights, I put on a face mask and fall asleep so quickly.
• Snacks (nuts, protein bars, gum): Delays are unpredictable and it’s important to carry snacks on the plane.
• Electrolytes: I like to bring electrolytes not only for my trip, but at least one packet for the plane to make sure I’m hydrating on a long flight.
• Entertainment (books, podcasts, downloaded shows): I love packing my kindle. I can download as many books as needed and it’s still the same compact size.

Travel Essentials for Every Destination

Whether you’re going to Paris, Rome, New Orleans, or even to your hometown, these essentials stay the same. It’s what makes them essential!

Destination essentials for any trip:

• Walking shoes: I’ve replaced my Reebok casual shoes three times now because I love the feel and look when traveling in Europe. Lately, I can’t get enough of the New Balance 530s.
• Tripod: If you’re bringing your phone as the main way to capture photos, my favorite tripod is the Magnetic tripod. I use the magnetic tripod daily! If you’re bringing a camera, then the Ulanzi tripod is the way to go.
• Camera: I finally got my hands on the Canon G7x Mark ii. These are hard to come by. The second best camera on the market for this size is believed to be the Sony Alpha 6100. If you’re looking to invest in a higher quality camera, I can’t tell you the best. I can share that my Canon Rebel is going on 7 years and has served me well thus far!

Check back in on this post ever so often. I am constantly learning better versions of items or little hacks that make travel easier. As always, thanks for being here!

Travel Documents & Misc.

If you’re a seasoned traveler, some of these essentials come second nature to you. If you’re new to traveling, especially international travel, use this as a checklist to ease your mind as your trip gets closer.

Don’t forget these essentials for your trip:

• Driver’s License: Starting May 7, 2025, U.S. travelers will need a REAL-ID compliant driver’s license to pass through Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints at airports. Learn more about that here and see if you need a new license.
• Passport: Even if you don’t have an international trip, get the passport. With a passport you can be ready when you decide on a trip.
• Travel Documents: If you have travel insurance or confirmation numbers, you don’t necessarily need to have these printed out. Make sure you at least have screen shots in case you don’t have service.
• Credit card: I have two credit cards I recommend for travel. First one is the Capital One Venture card. This was my first credit card I chose with the intention of travel and it was a great start. You don’t need a high credit score for approval and it can help you build credit while earning points.
• The other credit card I recommend and use now is the United Quest card. This card will help me retain my United Airlines status for next year and we use it for everything. We book flights, hotels, rental cars, and even use the card for groceries to constantly earn United miles. For our upcoming trip to Asia, we booked our flights with points!
• Boarding Passes: I highly recommend downloading the app of the airline you’re flying with. The app will have status updates quicker than any gate agent. In the event your flight is canceled or delayed, the app can quickly help in rebooking or finding new information. I use the app to scan my boarding pass on my flights.

Final Thoughts

The best travel gear isn’t necessarily the most expensive. It’s the gear that makes traveling easier, more comfortable, and less stressful.

Every product in this guide has earned a permanent place on my packing list after years of trial and error. I update this post regularly whenever I find a better suitcase, backpack, or travel accessory, so be sure to bookmark this page before your next adventure.

If you’re just starting to plan your trip, check out my How to Plan a Trip guide, and if you’re heading abroad, don’t miss my complete Europe Packing List for destination-specific recommendations.