10 Really Useful Travel Accessories
There are some unique travel gadgets out there and then there are some useful travel items. Not necessarily essential travel gadgets but they are things to make travel easier.
So let’s look at what are good travel accessories and why you should buy them for travelling whether it’s backpacking, road tripping or taking a luxury trip.
In this Article Learn Why You Need these Helpful Travel Items:
- The Sleep Keeper
- Earplugs
- Eye mask
- Space-saving bag
- Creating a laundry travel kit
- Travel bottles
- Travel document organiser
- Portable PacSafe
- Day packs
- Drink containers
More tips to make travel easier
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10 Useful Travel Accessories
1. The Sleep Keeper
To me, one of the biggest problems I have, when I travel, is getting a good night’s sleep. And it all comes down to the pillow. The accommodations pillow is too hard, too soft, too high or too low – basically, it’s just not right because it’s not my pillow.
The next problem is if you take your pillow, it is either bulky in your luggage and/or the pillow gets dirty. But I have now found a solution. It’s called the Sleep Keeper^ and I’ve recently been given one to test out.
[youtube width=”100%” height=”100%” autoplay=”true”]https://youtu.be/0i9TP3IndtY[/youtube]
Essentially it is a water-resistant nylon bag that comes in six colours to pop your pillow into. But it goes beyond just keeping your pillow clean, you can also roll your pillow up to a third of its size then secure the roll with Velcro straps. Plus there’s a handy handle to carry your pillow or slot over your luggage handle.
Top Trip Tip: Take your pillow out of the bag as soon as you arrive at your destination – depending on what your pillow is made of it may take a bit of time to bounce back into shape. I tested the Sleep Keeper on my latex and memory foam pillows which bounced back straight away, but the gusset-filled pillow took a bit longer
2. Earplugs
Another sleep problem I have encountered is noise. The people above me or next to me are awake at some ungodly hour of the morning making an incredible din.
To solve this I now have earplugs included on my trip packing list. But do a bit of research some earplugs say they block snoring – they don’t and others are really uncomfortable. I have found Mack’s earplugs* to be comfortable and reduce the noise.
Top Trip Tip: Test your earplugs before you leave home to ensure they are comfortable and block noise
3. Masks
Then, of course, the last sleep problem is light. I can’t believe how many accommodations have blackouts curtains that don’t cover the window entirely. An eye mask* (like this one on Amazon) is the only way to stop that stream of light beaming into your eyes.
Top Trip Tip: When choosing an eye mask find one that contours your eyes and is not too tight across the back of your head
4. Space Saving Bags
With sleep sorted it’s time to pack the bags. These days everybody is keen to organise their travel packing with packing cubes. But let’s go one step further and save space as well. Organise your travel packing into these travel compression packing bags*. To use these bags you pop your clothing into the bags (similar to a ziplock bag) almost close the bag and then roll to squash the air out of the bag.
Top Trip Tip: Choose clear bags so that you can see what is inside the bag
5. Laundry Travel Kit
Now unless I am only going away for a few days I struggle to pack enough clothes for an entire trip. Therefore at some point clothes will have to be washed. You have several options for this:
- Use the hotel laundry service – very expensive
- Find a laundry mat – time-consuming
- Or hand wash – economical and if you do it daily not that time consuming
If you go the handwashing option you will need detergent, possibly a universal sink plug* or a Scrubba Wash Bag and a clothesline to dry your clothes.
I have found a bar of laundry soap the best option, though not as easy to buy as it used to be, so these days you can buy laundry detergent in sheets*. The laundry soap sheets are better than buying the pre-packaged travel tube of laundry liquid. I have found the lid breaks within a few uses and then of course leaks everywhere.
When hand washing your clothes in the sink often the plug has gone missing so it’s handy to take your own. Alternatively, if you are backpacking and don’t like the idea of washing your clothes in the same sink where someone has spat out toothpaste the Scrubba Wash Bag* provides you with a sealed washing vessel.
To hang out your clothes a pegless clothesline* is the easiest. This is a stretchy twisted line that can easily anchor at two points with suction cups or hooks. No pegs are required, just pull apart the lines and tuck in a corner of your clothing to hang out.
Top Trip Tip: The pegless clothesline is also really handy for hanging out swimming clothes
6. Travel Bottles
As an alternative to the laundry sheets, you can make your own travel versions of laundry liquid, even dishwashing liquid and of course decanter your own cosmetics, shampoos and conditioners into travel bottles*. This allows you to create your own mini travel cosmetic kit with your favourite cosmetic brands to pack in your toiletry kit.
Top Trip Tip: When deciding on using the travel bottles assess how much of the cosmetic you will need for the duration of your trip
7. Travel Document Organiser
You don’t necessarily need to buy a special document organiser*, but you do need something to keep all your travel documents together.
Find out where to pack and which travel documents to take in this…
At the airport, it is really helpful to have some sort of shoulder bag or hand carry bag to place your passports, boarding passes, departure and arrival cards (which are now also in your hand-carry bag). You will be asked for these items over and over as you make your way from check-in through customs, security and onto the plane. So it’s just easier to have them all in a travel document organiser*.
Even if you are not travelling on a plane it is really helpful to have all your travel documents together, so that when you arrive at your destination you can easily find all your travel vouchers and receipts.
Top Trip Tip: Include a pen in your travel document organiser to fill out the departure and arrival cards
8. Portable PacSafe
Once you arrive at your destination, take your pillow out of your Sleep Keeper and deposit your luggage in your room, you are just about ready to explore your travel destination.
But you don’t necessarily want to take all your money, credit card, passport and electronic devices with you. One option is to use a hotel room safe. However sometimes the hotel room safe fails and you can’t reopen the safe. That’s OK you can call security and they will come and open it for you. But my feeling is if the hotel staff can open the safe with your combination set what stops them from opening the safe when you are out of the room? Personally, I’m not feeling so safe with that safe.
So the answer is to take your own portable safe. I’m really keen on the PacSafe brand portable safe* as I already own and use the luggage PacSafe* for my bags.
Learn more on how to keep your valuables safe while travelling with these…
9. Day Packs
When you head outside to explore your destination you will want to take a few things with you like a water bottle, hat, phone and camera.
These things will weigh a little bit so you will want a comfortable bag to carry it all in. For absolute comfort go with a day backpack*, however, sometimes you want to look good as well so these fashion day bags* are a good alternative.
Discover what to include when…
10. Drink Containers
Finally, we all want to be good to the environment, so try to reduce the use of single-use plastic bottles by taking your own water bottle* and coffee cup*.
Apart from having your water bottle for day trips, it is also really handy to have on road trips and on discount airline carriers.
Top Trip Tip: Empty your water bottle in the bathroom before going through security and fill it back up at the drinking fountain before boarding (be aware this works at most airports but not all eg. Bali Airport)
Making Travel Easier
Hopefully, with this useful travel accessories list, we have made your trip easier whether you are a solo traveller, couple or family. You can sleep well having taken your pillow in the Sleep Keeper, stayed asleep with earplugs and an eye mask. Saved space in your luggage with space-saving bags, taking laundry sheets, a pegless clothesline and travel bottles. Organised your travel documents and then kept them safe at your accommodation. So that you are ready to explore your travel destination with your day pack and water bottle.
Discover More Travel Accessories
- Which is the best travel luggage for you
- Learn which are the safest travel wallets
- Get essential travel items
- Choose the most useful waterproof toiletry bag
- Find useful travel gear
- Handy items for backpackers
- Useful camping gear
- Essential car accessories for kids
- The best portable travel safes
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DISCLOSURE:
- We were gifted a Sleep Keeper to review.
- Additional Pin Image by pasja1000 from Pixabay
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