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Travel + Leisure
22-06-2025
- Travel + Leisure
I've Been to 30+ Countries—Here, 15 Brilliant Travel Essentials I Tell Family to Buy for Trips Abroad, From $6
Traveling abroad can be both thrilling and overwhelming. As a travel writer, I've fielded countless calls from friends and family asking for tips, especially a go-to packing list of essentials before their first flight, cruise, or any other international adventure. Over the years, I've been surprised by how often people circle back to tell me that one specific item made all the difference. I've had moments myself, like when a fellow passenger lost her phone mid-flight and my trusty headlamp lit up the dark airplane floor to find it quickly. And in today's world, with headlines about carbon monoxide leaks in hotel rooms or widespread power outages, some of these 'nice-to-have' accessories have become non-negotiable for peace of mind. Whether you're a first-time flyer or a seasoned jet-setter, I hope this list of must-have travel items helps you feel a little more prepared—and a lot more at ease. I've carried an Energizer headlamp in my travel bag for nearly a decade—and like the brand's famous bunny, it just keeps going. Whether you're rummaging through luggage at night, navigating a blackout, or helping someone find a lost item under their airplane seat, it beats your phone flashlight every time. This two-pack is great for having a backup on hand or sharing with a fellow traveler. It's a smart addition to any emergency or camping kit, too. Packing cubes are a travel essential, and Veken's eight-piece set levels up the game. Whether you're road-tripping or flying overseas, these space-saving organizers help keep clothes neat, outfits sorted, and your suitcase stress-free. The breathable mesh keeps things visible and fresh, while sturdy handles and well-thought-out sizes make packing (and unpacking) way easier. It comes with extras like a shoe bag, a laundry pouch (also great for beach days), and a cosmetic case. Carbon monoxide poisoning in hotel rooms is a growing concern, which is why a portable carbon monoxide detector is a must for safety-conscious travelers. This compact model from First Alert is dependable, travel-friendly, and highly rated (it's an Amazon's Choice pick). Though a small addition to your packing list, it can make a big difference when staying in unfamiliar accommodations. When you're navigating a new city, the last thing you want is a dead phone. This slim, travel-ready Mophie power bank has saved me more times than I can count. It holds enough charge to fully power up an iPhone, and the fast-charging feature delivers juice up to 50 percent faster. Durable and compact, it slips easily into a crossbody or backpack—perfect for travel days when you're using maps, mobile payments, and camera apps nonstop. Jet lag and time zone changes can make it easy to forget your daily meds or vitamins, but this colorful, easy-open Auvon pill organizer helps keep everything on track. It's BPA-free, compact enough for travel, and designed with push-button lids that are gentle on hands. Whether you're managing prescriptions or just keeping up with supplements, this travel-friendly case makes it simple to stay consistent on the go. Avoid the TSA shuffle with this 18-piece travel toiletry set, which includes leak-proof bottles, jars, and spatulas—ideal for shampoo, skincare, and other personal items. The clear, zippered bag keeps everything organized and TSA-compliant, and the variety of sizes makes packing for a week or weekend a breeze. Every item is reusable and easy to clean, too. A universal travel adapter is an essential accessory for any international trip. Compact and lightweight, this Tessan adapter easily converts outlets for over 150 countries with simple slide mechanisms—no bulky parts required. It includes multiple USB ports alongside a standard AC outlet, so you can charge smartphones, laptops, cameras, and other devices simultaneously. Amazon's Choice, with over 5,000 positive reviews, is designed for durability and convenience. For best care, store it in a protective case to keep dust and debris out during travel. Traveling light with a carry-on means having to maximize space, and keeping your belongings clean is key. These waterproof shoe bags are a game-changer for anyone who packs an extra pair of shoes. Designed to protect your clothes and gear from dirt, mud, and moisture, the durable, water-resistant material keeps your suitcase organized and mess-free. Perfect for hikers, bikers, or beachgoers, these bags also double as storage for swimsuits, laundry, or toiletries. The five-pack gives you plenty of options to separate shoes or other items on every trip. This toiletry bag easily fits an electric toothbrush, shaving kit, and all my grooming gear with room to spare. Secure zippers and sturdy materials help prevent spills and leaks, too. Available in five neutral colors, it complements any suitcase style while offering versatile storage for toiletries, electronics, or small travel accessories. Travelers love stylish vacation looks, but sun protection is just as essential for staying healthy and energized. This wide-brim sun hat offers UPF 50 protection, shielding your face and neck from harmful UV rays. Crafted with breathable mesh fabric, it'll keep your face sheltered on sunny days, making it a must-have accessory for outdoor adventures and sightseeing in any destination. Long days in the sun can wear you down, especially while traveling. This lightweight hoodie has UPF 50 sun protection woven right into the fabric, shielding your skin from harmful UV rays. Its breathable, moisture-wicking material keeps you cool and comfortable on hikes, beach days, or city explorations. Compact and easy to pack, it's a smart, stylish addition to any travel wardrobe for reliable sun defense without bulk. For travelers logging miles on city streets or theme parks, foot fatigue and pain can quickly set in. These insoles provide extra cushioning and arch relief to absorb shock while reducing pressure and fatigue. They fit easily into most athletic shoes, helping you stay comfortable during long days of walking and exploring. Stay refreshed and energized on the go with these electrolyte packs. Perfect for days on which you're surrounded by that dry airplane air, these convenient packets help replenish fluids and deliver immune-boosting vitamin C. Keep hydration simple and effective wherever your adventures take you. Travel smart with Knockaround Polarized UV 400 Sunglasses. They're durable, stylish, and budget-friendly. Perfect as a backup or everyday pair, these polarized sunglasses protect your eyes from harsh UV rays while offering clear vision on any adventure, making them a must-have, affordable travel essential. Upgrade your in-flight entertainment with the AirFly SE Bluetooth Wireless Transmitter. Easily connect your Bluetooth headphones, including AirPods, to airplane seatback screens for superior wireless audio. It's perfect for travelers seeking a private experience and high-quality sound on flights. Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and we'll send you our favorite travel products each week.
Chicago Tribune
15-05-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Gifts for graduates who plan to travel
If there's one time in someone's life that's perfect for travel, it's right after graduation. Finals are over, and a new stage of life is on the horizon, so why not give in to a bit of wanderlust? It can be anything from an epic road trip to a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, but the one thing that remains the same for anyone heading out to see a bit of the world is whether or not they have the right travel gear. Many products are aimed toward making travel easier, so consider giving your graduate a thoughtful gift that'll help them get from point A to point B easily. Most of our favorite items are practical, but they will help your graduate have the trip of a lifetime. Ceptics World Travel Adapter Kit Designed by a traveler, this power adapter is compact and works with a variety of devices and has six adapters for countries like France, the UK, Australia, Japan and more. It also has two quick-charging USB ports and built-in surge protection. Veken 6-Set Packing Cubes While these might seem unimportant, take it from someone who travels regularly — packing cubes are a game-changer. You can keep your clothing organized, you can pack more options with them than without, and with this set, you'll get a laundry bag and a toiletry bag as well as the four packing cubes. Samsonite Winfield 2 Hardside Carry-On Luggage It doesn't matter if they're traveling by car, train or plane, they'll need a sturdy suitcase that'll stand up to the wear and tear of traveling. This particular carry-on meets size restriction standards for Southwest, Delta, United, American and Allegiant. It has side-mounted TSA locks and comes with a 10-year warranty. Apple Airtag Keeping track of your luggage has never been easier. It syncs to your iPhone or iPad with ease, and you can set up the 'lost mode' so you'll be notified when it's detected. Plus, it's a great way to keep track of keys, wallets and other essential items. All-new Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Traveling often includes a lot of sitting and waiting. Give your graduate the gift of millions of books at their fingertips. Opt for a Kindle Unlimited membership or download books for free from the local library. BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. BestReviews and its newspaper partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Buzz Feed
13-05-2025
- Buzz Feed
11 Items To Keep Your Suitcase From Ruining Clothes
One of the great challenges of traveling is figuring out how to keep your clothes from ending up wrinkled, spilled on, linty or musty after spending long periods of time stuffed in a dark, cramped suitcase. This can be especially frustrating if you won't have access to laundry machines during your trip or have to pack nice outfits that you don't want wrinkled or ruined in the event of a work function or wedding. If you're tired of unzipping your suitcase at your destination to find your things in a less-than-desirable state, we've rounded up some travel-friendly products that can prevent these woes. From a portable steamer that can zap wrinkles to storage solutions for keeping clean clothes clean, these travel essentials can make sure packing stays as stress-free as possible. A multifunctional, portable iron steamer Not much bigger than your average curling iron, this similar-looking handy gadget works as a wet and dry iron to get wrinkles out of your clothes. The water tank holds up to 50 milliliters, which can let you steam continuously for about six to eight minutes at a time. The 5.5 foot-long cord gives you some freedom of movement, but the whole product weighs only 1.16 pounds, so it won't take up much room in your suitcase. The steamer comes with an included measuring cup to add the water, and a storage Since this is corded, don't forget to pack the right travel adapter if you're going abroad!Promising review: "Finally got a portable iron that I travel with. Works very well on all fabrics I brought on my recent trip (cotton, linen, polyester). Works pretty fast even though it's compact and fits really well in a suitcase without taking up too much space/weight." —PatrickGet it from Amazon for $76.99. A set of packing cubes to keep your clothes separated and secure Not only does a packing cube set like this eight-piece one by Veken make it easier to find everything in your suitcase, but it can also act as a barrier to keep your clothes from shifting around too much during travel and prevent wrinkles. This one also comes with a shoe bag and laundry bag, so any dirty or smelly items can be kept away from the rest of your addition to those two bags, this set has cubes of four different sizes, plus an accessories pouch and a cosmetics or toiletries bag with a hanging hook. The latter has a waterproof zippered pocket to prevent leakage. The set comes in 16 colors, so you can pick your favorite or match it to your review: "I was skeptical of packing cubes wondering how much of a difference can they actually make? Well...a huge difference!! I roll packing my clothes anyway, but using these bags were a game changer. I was able to pack so much more and they were compartmentalized so nicely and very few wrinkles. Will always use these now!" —MistyGet the set of eight from Amazon for $19.99+. This Bagsmart toiletry bag with a near-perfect rating 4.8 stars across more than 58,000 reviews? Say less. This Bagsmart toiletry bag is water-resistant, spacious and convenient. It's also spill-proof to keep your clothes from getting wet or damaged — you can thank the plastic compartments and elastic straps designed to keep tubes upright for that. You can zip and unzip the compartments from top or bottom for quick access to your products, hang the bag up using a hook to see all the items at once and easily transport the bag with its handle. The bag is available in a range of solid colors and patterns, and two review: "Used this for a recent trip and packed it in my checked luggage. One of my perfume bottles leaked and I was shocked to find that the toiletry bag contained the mess! It didn't leak into any of the other zippered compartments of the toiletry bag, nor the clothes in my suitcase. The hook is sturdy and hung over our hotel door with ease." —Gina ZGet it from Amazon for $11.99+. A powerful handheld garment steamer with a longer cord If the clip iron design isn't for you, or you just want a longer cord for less restriction, try out this HiLife portable handheld steamer with an 8.6-foot cord. This steamer also has a larger water tank capacity than the iron steamer: You can use up to 300 milliliters at a time for 20 minutes of continuous steaming. Enjoy both power (1100 watts of it) and user-friendly operation (there's just a single button to deal with, no bells and whistles), and then enjoy your wrinkle-free clothes. As an added plus, this bad boy comes in eight Like the other option, this is corded, so don't forget to pack the right travel adapter if you're going abroad so it's not unusable while you're away. Promising reviews: "Ok, so we're taking a trip out of state,12 HR drive. I know that when we get there our clothes will be smashed. So, I start reading this steamer. I'm telling you that this little steamer is the best! EASY to use. Got the job done. I'm having too much for some more wrinkled clothes! 🤩" —Wendy it from Amazon for $30.99+. A leakproof travel soap case Bar soap users, this one's for you. Packing up shower products at the end of a trip can be a struggle — it's like they're never actually as dry as they seem to be, and then water has leaked into your bag and potentially onto your clothes. But this silicone soap case can solve that problem with its unique ventilation and drainage features, including a vent valve and drainage layer to keep your soap dry. Reviewers confirm that this thing is air- and watertight, so even if you don't have a leakproof toiletry bag, you can rest easy without the imminent threat of water all over your stuff. Get the case in seven review: "I took this soap case with me on a two-month cruise to Japan. It performed perfectly. No leaking; the lid is secure. I was confident to toss it into my [suitcase] with my clothes, books, and papers. My only wish is that it came in a slightly larger size so I could also include the scrubby I use with my giant bar of soap. I would buy that!" —Stephen OrrGet it from Amazon for $11.99+. Dryer sheets to keep your suitcase smelling fresh Life hack: If you're worried about your suitcase and clothing getting smelly over time, the solution can be as simple as tossing in a dryer sheet to keep things fresh (this is a Reddit-approved tip). We're not sure we've ever seen a higher-rated product than these sheets by Bounce, which have 4.8 stars and more than 106,000 reviews on Amazon. One box comes with 240 "outdoor fresh"-scented sheets, so these can last you many trips and laundry review: "It's Bounce for Pete's sake! Makes great scents for drawers and putting away summer clothing in "Space Bags" or in drawers or in suitcases. They make everything smell delicious. They're not just for dryers anymore!" —JeMicheSunshineGet them from Amazon for $8.24. A travel-size bottle of wrinkle release spray if you can't bring a steamer We get it: Sometimes, you just don't have room in your luggage for any appliances. Or maybe you're traveling on a cruise, or internationally, and aren't sure what type of outlets you'll have if any. In any case, you can still get rid of wrinkles without a plug-in steamer using a wrinkle release spray like Downy's. All you have to do is spray, tug and smooth out your clothes' wrinkles. The spray has a light scent that also gets rid of unpleasant odors for a two-in-one review: "Perfect size for travel. I bought these to take on our cruise since they don't allow you to bring steamers on board and there's no irons in the room. It's not important enough for me to send something to laundry to be ironed. These were the perfect travel size and worked great." —L. CookGet a two-pack from Amazon for $7.99. A 4-pack of reviewer-beloved miniature lint rollers These travel-size lint rollers are technically designed for pet owners to pick up pet hair, but multiple reviews assure that they're well worth the buy even if you don't have pets. Having earned 4,000 5-star reviews and counting, this four-pack comes with 120 easy-tear and easy-peel sticky sheets to pick up lint, debris, dust, dirt and more. These are small enough to fit in a purse, carry-on bag or the glove compartment of your car for a road trip so your clothes can stay clean on the review: "Ordered these for my mom, who was visiting my sister (a certified animal hoarder.) These travel rollers fit in her bag perfectly and she said they removed all the pet hair from her clothes and suitcase on her trip! Now she has a few extra to keep around the house or in the car for any hair and lint." —KatyGet the four-pack from Amazon for $8.99. These laundry bags to keep your worn clothes from dirtying your clean ones Dirty laundry is a hotbed of odor and germs, so the more you can keep your clean and dirty clothes separate throughout your travels (as in, please don't just throw them into the same suitcase compartment nilly-willy), the bags like these by JHX are all you need: The bags fold down flat and to about the length of a cell phone when not in use, so you can easily chuck them in your luggage. They can hold up to 22 pounds of clothing and have helpful features like a drawstring slider, carrying handles, carabiners to clip onto another bag, an outer pocket for detergent or other items and a nylon material that is itself machine-washable, so you can truly throw everything into the machine as needed. You can buy a single or two-pack (pictured here) in gray or review: "These bags are great! The amount of clothes that fit in the bags is way more than I expected. I ordered these while on a two week vacation to take back new clothes I bought as well as dirty laundry. The handles on the bags are super helpful, all the other ones I looked at only had the drawstring. Highly recommend these!" —Jamie MunseyGet it from Amazon for $7.19+. A portable, retractable clothesline you can hook on anywhere Whether you want to air your clothes out to get rid of odors from your suitcase or dry off wet swimsuits and just-washed laundry, a travel clothesline can come in handy. Equipped with an elastic line that can stretch up to 10 feet and 12 clothespins, plus stoppers in between each one that prevent sliding, the clothesline can be hooked onto a balcony, your hotel bathroom or anywhere else you might want to hang your clothes. Promising review: "When you travel outside the US, many rental properties will have a washer but not a dryer. On our recent trip to the UK, we used this travel clothesline multiple times, and it worked great! The end hooks made it super easy to install, and we were surprised by how much weight it held (wet blue jeans). The clips that keep the clothespins from sliding were a brilliant addition to this product. It takes up so little space in my bag, and I'm planning to take it with me every time I travel." —Kelly GlazeGet it from Amazon for $7.99+ (available in four colors). A 3-pack of deodorizers that can eliminate odors for up to 60 days Like the concept of the dryer sheet hack we mentioned above, but you'd rather use something less disposable? These baking soda odor eliminators by Arm & Hammer are just as easy to fit in a suitcase at less than 2 inches tall, and work to keep your stuff smelling fresh for up to 60 days, so you don't have to change them out nearly as often. They're also similarly affordable. You can choose between a range of scents that includes calming lavender, white linen, forest pine and review: "I bought these for my luggage when I had to go visit family for over a week. As soon as I opened my suitcase, it smelled so good! I put one in my car, and another in my dad's car. They're pretty neat. Just buy them. If you're here looking at them, just give in already!" —Your Friend Down the RoadGet the three-pack from Amazon for $5.98+.
