Don’t Travel Without Them!

For the holidays, Kevin and I traveled to New England to visit his family for New Year’s Eve and attend a friend’s wedding too.  Beyond the best pasta I’ve had in forever, the trip was filled with lots of good times and catching up with friends and family.   But as we fly back to Atlanta, I thought about what makes up the top travel items a woman should own as you make your way through the airport to your final destination… and I’m not only speaking in terms of domestic flights.  So these are the essentials (beyond your standard travel pillow, eye-mask, and cashmere throw) that would make my top ten travel basics every woman needs in her carry-on:

1.  Digital Luggage Scale: There are a ton of options out there for luggage scales, but here’s one from Conair that Iike – mostly because it’s blue 😉

2.  Foldable Ballet Flats: I’m all about traveling in style, I’m more of a blouse than t-shirt kind of gal, but depending on how long and how far the trip is, it’s great to have some foldable ballet flats in your bag just in case that walk to Gate E36 gets a little too far away.  The Yosi Samra ballet flats are a great option if you’re looking for a stylish yet functional option.

3.  Wireless Headphones: There’s nothing better than drowning out that crying baby or snoring bozo across the aisle, than cranking the volume up and enjoying your favorite music. The Beats Studio Wireless Headphones let you turn up the jams and tune out the noise.

4.  Portable Charger: I love the look of the Kate Spade portable charger… not only does it keep you powered up, but you can’t go wrong with cream and gold stripes!

5.  Nylon Travel Pouch: One way I keep organized is by throwing all my power cords and adapters, into my C.Wonder small nylon pouch to make it easy for me find everything in my carry-on.  I’ve seen cord divider packs that seem to work well at staying organized with your charging cords, but I love how small and compact my C.Wonder pouch keeps everything.

6.  Cozy Sweater: Regardless of the season, I would rather bring a cozy sweater in my carry-on than risk the chance of being too cold on a flight.  My personal favorite is my DKNY Long Sleeve Cozy navy sweater that picked up at the outlets a couple years ago – it’s been one of the best investments in my closet. Seriously.

7.  Lip Balm: It always seems like the higher I go in altitude the more my lips get chapped and dry. I’m all about my newest eos smooth sphere lip balm flavor “sweet mint” – the perfect light fresh moisturizer.

8.  Cooling Facial Mist: Along with chapped lips from the dry in-flight environments on a plane, you can keep your face hydrated and protected from germs with something like Kiehl’s In-Flight Refreshing Facial Mist.

9.  Passport Cover: Here’s where the international component comes into play, you’ve got to make sure you’re rocking a sweet passport cover.  Whether you find a fun striped case like the one J.Crew carries or if you find one on the clearance aisle at TJX, keep it protected and you’ll be ready to jet set to that next destination in-style.

10.  Pet Carrier:  If our plans allow, Kevin and I love throwing Berkeley (our peek-a-poo) in our Sherpa Original pet carrier and taking him as our carry-on whenever we fly domestic.  Why leave home without the little guy… especially if he’s a small one that you can take in the cabin with you?

Now that you have all the travel basics every woman needs, you should be all set for your next flight!  Do you have any basics that I left off my top ten list?  Share your thoughts below in the comments and let me know about your travel essentials!