• Canadian Travel
  • European travel
  • travel tips
  • United States Travel

Travels With The Crew

  • Canadian Travel
  • European travel
  • travel tips
  • United States Travel

Our favorite travel items

Traveling can be a frustrating experience without the right gear, so today is your lucky day! Here are our very favorite travel items. We actually use every single one of these things and find them valuable in our travels. This list only includes items that we have been using for years and have held up and continue to work for us.

If you want a list of our newer favorites click here.

If you want a list of our favorite road trip essentials, click here!

Carry on bags

This backpack/satchel is my absolute favorite! The straps are wide and comfy and it is very roomy. I like that it has handles to carry through crowded plane aisles. It opens wide to allow me to see everything inside of it and it also has a zipper in the back to grab things out when you can’t access the top. It is strange to be enamored with a backpack, but it is a fabulous one. It has made dozens trips with me and is still going strong!

Order Here

My boys obviously prefer a really basic backpack and this one fits the bill. They love this one because there is a cord you can attach a battery pack to so they can keep their electronics charged on the go. There are also lots of pockets! There is a laptop space as well. The straps are wide and comfortable and they clasp in front to make for easier carrying for my smallest guy.

Order Here

Suitcases

We favor suitcases that can double as carry on items. When you are traveling with kids, you want to keep costs down, and make sure that at least your bigger kids can carry their own. These hardback ones from American Tourister are our favorites. They come in fun colors, to help your suitcase stand out from the sea of black suitcases. They also pull very easily or roll standing up. They continue to work for us trip after trip!

Order Here

Luggage Straps

Luggage straps were originally used as a way to keep your old suitcase together. They are still used for that purpose but they are also an easy way to find your boring black suitcase.

We do have brightly colored carry ons but when we travel with a checked bag (which is very rare) we only have black suitcases. I love these luggage straps as a way to make sure other people don’t grab my case accidentally.

I love these straps because they have an additional lock which allows you to criss cross them and lock them up. It adds another level of security.

TSA 3-Digit Password Lock Adjustable Luggage Strap Travel Suitcase Band Belt Baggage Strap Fit for 20-32'' Suitcase
TSA 3-Digit Password Lock Adjustable Luggage Strap Travel Suitcase Band Belt Baggage Strap Fit for 20-32'' Suitcase
  • ★★Applicable to the size of the suitcase: 20inch-32inch. belt length: 79”(the horizontal )- 87”(the vertical), width: 2“.
  • ★★This is a baggage strap with TSA3 password lock, TSA lock can make your luggage through the customs when the luggage strap will not cut off.
  • ★★high quality nylon strap + durable POM Lock + ID card, it does not snap when bent inward or outward. This travel strap can keep your baggage not burst...
Buy on Amazon

Whatever you do, make sure to get an unusual patterns (no rainbow ones they are everywhere) so you don’t grab the wrong one.

Packing cubes

I used to think packing cubes were just a gimmick. I thought they were another way to get travelers to spend money. Well, I admit I was completely wrong. They have changed my travelling life.

Packing cubes mean I don’t have to dig through my suitcase and ruin all my nicely folded clothes. They mean I can always close my suitcase, and my dirty clothes don’t get mingled in with my clean ones. My kids even like them.

We have gone on month long trips, where we have packed one very large suitcase, and we all have different colored packing cubes, so we were all able to share. Here is some great information about the different kinds of packing cubes, and what will work best for your family!

Order Here

Pillows

The J Pillow

This is hands down my favorite travel accessory! I love my J pillow. It is great for road trips, flights, and to double when I don’t like a pillow at my hotel. When I lost my original one at the Vancouver airport, I bought a replacement while waiting at the gate. It is that good!

Order Here

The Trtl pillow


My sister gave me this pillow for my birthday last year, and it has quickly become a staple for my husband! You read that right! My husband claimed it as his after our first flight with it. (I was okay with that because I really am partial to the next pillow on the list.) He slips it into his carry on for every flight and generally has it on before we even take off!  This pillow wraps around your neck and has a flexible insert that helps cradle your chin so you can sleep upright.

Check price here

Great for light packers and people who get middle row seats!

Adapters

If you are doing any overseas travels you will need a good adapter/converter.  We love this one from Bestek because there are 3 places to plug in your technology and it includes a 200 watt converter. We still carry around the box it came in and it has been on every international trip we have been on for the last 7 years.

Order Here

Zip up pouches

Every person in our family has one of these small zip up pouches to store headphones, chargers, aux input cables, watch chargers, etc. In fact, we never unpack these! I have dedicated accessories just for traveling, so no one needs to unpack them to use in their everyday life. They are always waiting for us to grab and go. Any bag will work at all, but for your reference, this is the bag I use.

Order Here

Compression Socks

These are a must have for long haul flights! No one likes swollen ankles, and these help protect you against travel blood clots. If you have to wear them they might as well be cute too! I put mine on just before leaving for the airport and have had so much less swelling than I did before I used them.

Check price here .

Great for pregnant women or anyone who gets swollen ankles when flying!

Travel Blanket

I have spent far too many flights shivering. I have spent even more of them, giving my jacket, or blanket to shivering kids. I had had enough of it, so I bought all of us these travel blankets. When we have to pack really light, we can get by sharing, but for long haul flights we all pack them. They fold up nice and small and can be used as a pillow too! I have even used mine in a few Airbnb’s that didn’t have enough bedding!

Order Here

Spill proof travel bottles

These amazing refillable bottles keep your shampoo, lotion, contact solution, etc in the bottle. I once had a bottle of lotion burst in my suitcase after an overseas flight. I had to throw out half the clothing in my suitcase, because I could never get the oily stains out. These little guys don’t leak, don’t burst, and last a very long time. We decant products in them and label them with a label maker. (Sharpie wipes right off of these.)

Order Here

Kindle

Gone are the days when my carry-on was weighed down with books! I love to read on an airplane, at our destination, basically I love to read. Before the kindle, I would bring enough books to make sure I didn’t run out of things to read. Now if I run out, I just upload a new book anytime. The kindle is lightweight and easy to stash in your bag and at 7 oz. it wont break your back!

Order Here

Last update on 2023-02-01 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Share1
Pin912
Tweet
913 Shares

Related Posts:

  • Travel to Sweden from home {Travel the World from Home Series}
    Travel to Sweden from home {Travel the World from Home…
  • Travel to Russia from home {Travel from home series}
    Travel to Russia from home {Travel from home series}
  • Travel to New Zealand from Home {Travel the World from home series}
    Travel to New Zealand from Home {Travel the World from home…
  • 12 Best Travel Purses for women {best travel gear series}
    12 Best Travel Purses for women {best travel gear series}
  • 7 Best Travel Umbrellas {best travel gear series}
    7 Best Travel Umbrellas {best travel gear series}
  • 9 of the Best Travel Irons {best travel gear series}
    9 of the Best Travel Irons {best travel gear series}
TRAVELS WITH THE CREW is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com
Copyright ©Travels With The Crew 2019 2023 Travels With The Crew
  • Canadian Travel
  • European travel
  • travel tips
  • United States Travel
Theme by SheShoppes

Copyright © 2023 · Smitten for Genesis on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

Travels With The Crew
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.