Suitcases are big. They’re supposed to be! You need enough space for all of your things. But a problem forms. (Especially after a couple days away.) Your suitcase becomes a vast ocean of stuff. It all flows together and you can’t find up from down. How are you supposed to organize things when it’s just one giant pocket?
For starters, what are they? Organizer cubes are a growing trend in travel and packing, and they’re a game changer. Organizer cubes are bags within bags. They come in various sizes and you stack them up in your large bag. These smaller bags let you divide up all your clothes and gear however you like. You’ll find everything just where you left it, even after a 15-hour flight!
Now once you decide that you need some travel cubes, you’ve got a lot of options. They come in all different shapes and sizes. (And prices!) Why not trust the company that you trust with everything else? Amazon! AmazonBasics is a great new direction that they’re moving in. They put out a quality but low-priced baseline of items all across the board. From HDMI cables to travel cubes, AmazonBasics has you covered! This 4-piece travel cube set will get you started on your road to organization, for just $23. The different sizes will let you prioritize and make your own calls about what goes where. The large mesh side will let you see what’s inside without having to check. Each of the individual bags come with their own handles. Meaning, you can also carry them each individually!
Out of almost 7000 reviews, these travel cubes earned a 4.7 star rating. Reviewers agree, this is a fantastic set to turn your messy suitcase into a well oiled machine!
It used to be that if you wanted active noise-cancelling headphones, you had to shell out the big bucks. Getting started took 2 or 3 hundred dollars! Those days are over. The COWIN E7 Noise Cancelling Headphones bring noise-cancelling technology to everyone. At just $60, you don’t have to break the bank to avoid breaking your ears.
Yup, you heard that right. Just $60! The next noise cancelling headphones on the list get up to 4 or 5 times that! But don’t think that these headphones sacrifice quality.
The COWIN E7 Noise Cancelling Headphones Function
Two main functions define these headphones. The first is to deliver your sound to you. Whether it’s music, movies, or games, these headphones bring quality. They use bass-boosting to make sure that they hit the deep lows and everything else!
Plus they last 30 hours on a single charge! That’s a long time for such a powerhouse of a speaker.
Noise cancellation is their other main function This is more than just muffling the sound physically. These active noise-cancelling headphones use sound wave technology to stop outside noise. Background noise in a plane or office is a thing of the past. They don’t completely cover louder things like lawnmowers, but they take all of the edge off.
Reviewers love these headphone! As they should be for a $60 pair of active noise-cancelling headphones. They’ve got a 4.4 star rating out of an astronomical 47 THOUSAND reviews! People of all ages and backgrounds love these headphones. One young reviewer loves using them while he works on his car detailing business. Another 69 year old reviewer was just looking for a quality pair of headphones, and that’s exactly what he found!
For a ridiculously low price, you can get a great pair of headphones with active noise-cancellation. You’ll love these headphones too!
When you’re traveling, you need a good backpack. It can be your carry-on or even your personal bag. Plus it’ll be your day bag once you get to your destination! But there are a lot of backpacks out there in a lot of shapes and sizes. How do you choose which one is the best for you?
I’d say you start with a good brand. AmazonBasics is perfect because it’s got all the trustworthy power of Amazon. But, it’s also got the cost-effectiveness that Amazon is known for. This is a budget bag, but it’s got the quality of a name-brand.
The Features Of The AmazonBasics Slim Travel Backpack
For starters, we’ll look at the design. This is a slim backpack and it’s designed to be. It hugs your body and doesn’t stick out into the way of other people. Keeping things close to you is especially important in places like foreign cities and streets. But the slimness doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have all the space that you need. It’s got a dedicated pocket for keeping your laptop safe. The padding that’s on the back and straps protects you and your computer.
The outside pockets have numerous mesh zipper pockets. This will give you the ability to organize all your things and access them quickly. Plus the extra layer of zippers will help deter anyone else trying to get inside. The zippers come together with a clasp that lets you use your own travel locks to secure it. And it’s got compression straps on the sides for easy access and travel. You can even strap it up like a messenger bag!
This bag gets great reviews, because it’s got everything you need. Owners love that it straps so easily to your rolling luggage. Plus they love the amount of space and quality for the bargain of a price! At just over $60, you can’t beat this quality!
Long plane flights aren’t fun. But they can be a lot better if you know a few simple tricks. These travel tips for long flights will take you from an air novice to a flying pro.
1. Pack Snacks
Digesting on a plane is harder than on land. With that said, you still make sure you bring plenty of snacks. Being hungry will make the time pass a whole lot slower. Make sure to prioritize high-protein foods like meats or nuts to keep you full the longest!
2. Avoid Caffeine
You should avoid caffeine when you’re flying for a lot of reasons. For starter’s it’ll dehydrate you, which is a big factor in jet lag. Another reason to avoid it is it’ll mess up your sleep. Sleeping is probably the best time-killer when you’re on a plane. If you’re all hopped up you’re not sleeping on the plane or after you get off.
3. Wear Comfortable Clothes
A lot of the tips for long flights on this list contribute to letting you sleep and relax on the plane. Planes are stressful, it’s why it’s so important to try and relax. Comfy clothes will help you do that. You don’t have to wear a sweat-suit, but jeans and a comfy t-shirt will serve you well.
4. Bring Noise-Cancelling Headphones
They’re not as expensive as they used to be. Do yourself a favor and get a pair of headphones that has active noise cancellation. It’ll help to cut the background noise on a plane and help you sleep. Or it’ll help you focus on your other electronic entertainment!
5. Bring Entertainment (Especially Books)
Speaking of entertainment, make sure to bring plenty of it. You’re going to be stuck in one place for a long time, you’ve got to have a plan. Bring a tablet, a Kindle, a game system, or even just your phone. One thing to keep in mind is to bring some non-electric stuff. There’ll be around and hour on either side for take-off and landing where you can’t use your phone!
6. Moisturize
The recirculated air on planes will dry you out fast. It’s important to rehydrate yourself. Make sure you’re drinking plenty of water. You should also bring chapstick and lotion to keep your lips and skin hydrated!
7. Bring A Pillow And Blanket
There’s a reason they make these in travel size. Plane seats are super uncomfortable for seemingly no reason. If you bring your own pillow and blanket you’ll always be able to get comfy wherever you are.
8. Charge Your Devices
Always make sure to charge your devices before you get on the plane. You never know if the plane will have any sort of charging port. Better yet, charge your devices and an extra power bank. Power banks give you a much longer battery life for very little weight.
9. Podcasts And Audio-Books
These are both getting more popular as time goes on, and it’s for good reason. Podcasts and audio-books take up much less battery than games or video. They’ll keep your devices kicking much longer. Plus, there are thousands, maybe millions of hours of free podcasts available. You can get apps to download these pods to your device, so you don’t even need internet!
10. Avoid Jet Lag
When you’re on a plane, you’ve got to be aware of jetlag. Tips for long flights can only go so far in preventing it. It’s pretty much unavoidable, but you can make it less intense. Make sure you’re hydrating on the plane. Avoid alcohol if you can. Alcohol will dehydrate you even more and it can give you a hangover. If you can, try to catch some sleep on the plane. An eye mask will help block out the sun too to keep your circadian rhythm on track!
You can’t take a washing machine with you. But you might need one. Accidents happen while you’re out and about. Washing your things might be especially important if you’ve only got limited clothes. Your hotel or your AirBnB might have laundry, but do you want to trust strange washers? What if they don’t? Or what if you’re out in nature and you don’t have access to that kind of thing?
Fear not, there is a solution. That solution is called the Scrubba Portable Wash Bag.
So what is it? It’s a portable washing machine! It’s a waterproof bag that folds down very small. The regular size is compact, but the mini is even smaller! It’ll fold down to the size of your palm!
So after you fill up your wash bag with water, you just add a little soap for cleaning. Next you squish out the air and seal it up so you’ve got a little bag of liquid and clothes. The inside of the washbag has a specially designed washboard, for deep cleaning. Once you’ve got it ready to go you just knead your clothes in the bag. After just a couple minutes they’ll be washing machine clean!
The Scrubba portable wash bag is an absolute must-have for long term camping, but it’s even great anywhere else! Get the mini size and toss it in your travel bag. If you need an extra pair of socks or underwear, just scrub and go. Leave your things to dry overnight and you’re in good shape!
But you don’t have to take my word for it, the bags have 4.4 and 4.5 stars out of over a thousand Amazon reviews! Reviewers say that their clothes come out cleaner than a machine! Not to mention that it’s easy to use, and unbeatably convenient!
The time for soft luggage is over. Anything that you put in a backpack or duffle and trust to the TSA is gone. You can kiss anything breakable goodbye when you check it. That is, unless you’ve got hard-side luggage. Hard-side luggage is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a hard armored shell that’ll keep all of your belongings safe and sound. Even when it’s going through an airport. So if all your luggage is soft, what do you do? You might not be able to replace all your gear at once. Start with the carry-on.
The AmazonBasics Hard-Side Carry-On is the best foot in the door into hard luggage. At just $55, it’s as affordable as it gets. You can’t beat this deal for this level of quality from a trusted company. It’s Amazon, you know you can count on them. And you can count on them delivering it fast and cheap!
The AmazonBasics Carry-On HardSide Features
You’ve got options with this bag. It’s got 4 spinner wheels and a collapsible handle that you can pull out of the top. It’s also got a handle on the top and side, so you can carry it any way you like. The inside has one deep well with a clasping strap to secure folded clothes, shoes, or anything else! The other side zips up completely to enclose whatever you put inside. (Plus it’s got a mesh pocket on the zip-lid!) The bag also expands out an additional 15% with another zipper around the whole bag. This gives you the freedom to pack how you want!
But don’t take my word for it. It’s got 4.6 stars on Amazon out of over 16 THOUSAND reviews! This compact but roomy bag has no trouble fitting in the carry on checker at the airport! Many flight attendants even report this being the perfect flight bag. It doesn’t add any weight and it’s super easy to use. For just $55 it’s a huge value at a bargain of a price!
When you leave on a trip you never know what you could run into. For this reason, it pays to be prepared. Now you can’t prepare for every situation imaginable, your backpack would be enormous! But you can bring the right travel gear for the likely ones, and you can try to cover your bases.
Below I’ve assembled a list of the must have travel gear you should keep with you for all occasions. If you’ve got all this, you’re ready for anything that comes your way.
A Good Multi-Purpose Day Pack – AmazonBasics Slim Carry On Travel Backpack
For starters, you’ll need something reliable to carry it all in. A good daypack will be good for a lot of purposes. It can serve as your carry on, your personal item, your day bag, or even your suitcase! There is of course an important decision to be made about size. Backpacks come in all shapes and sizes. I recommend a good midsize, like my example here.
Nail Clippers – SZQHT Ultra Wide Jaw Opening Nail Clippers
I would recommend a multi-tool, but the TSA frowns on those. Multi-tools are massively useful, but hard to travel with. It’s true that multi-tools without blades are TSA-compliant. But, they don’t always follow their own rules. And you can bet anything that if you try to argue, they’re going to search you for anything else. And they search everywhere. For this reason, nail clippers are a good solution. They’re good for cutting a lot of things and can be handy for a lot of things.
Travel First Aid Kit – General Medi Mini First Aid Kit
A First Aid Kit is always a good thing to have. It doesn’t need to be fancy. It just needs to be enough to patch yourself up in case of small accidents. If anything serious happens, there are always doctors. Just make sure there aren’t scissors in it as the TSA gets a little testy about those, too.
Water Bottle – HYDAWAY Hydration Travel Pack | 25 oz
Having your own water bottle is always nice. You won’t be able to take it on the plane full but you can fill it up after the security checkpoint. When you’re travelling about, especially outdoors, you don’t always know when the next convenient drink will come around. Having your own water bottle will let you fill up and take your hydration into your own hands.
Travel Towel – Rainleaf Microfiber Towel
Travel towels are compact and they come in clutch. You never plan on needing an emergency towel. But it’s for precisely that reason that they’re so useful. They fold up small and are super handy. Plus, in a pinch, they can double as a soft place to put your head on a plane!
Compact Travel Blanket – Comfort Plus 3-in-1 Premium Travel Blanket
You’ll also want a travel blanket. Some of them fold up to be very small! They’re always useful for a little warmth or a slice of home on a cold plane, train, or bus. By keeping this with you, you ensure that you’ll always be able to get comfy!
Universal Charger – Unidapt Universal Charger Power Adapter
This is a lifesaver for traveling abroad. You want to have a charger for your phone, it might as well be universal. A universal plug will let you charge anything using any outlet. This is one that people often forget about until it’s too late!
Power Bank – Anker PowerCore 10000 Portable Charger
A power bank will also help you stretch your devices! It’ll give you a backup supply of power for when you really need it. I actually recommend having two power banks. You can use one all the time, and save the other for emergencies, so you’ve always got a plan!
Pocket Notebook – Five Star Fat Lil’ Pocket Personal Notebook
I’m still a big believer in pen and paper. I think there’s value to writing things down and I think it’s a lot easier than phone notes. Not to mention it’s classier than phone notes and you can rip off and use pieces of paper. You should definitely pick up a little notebook and pen for your travels.
Compact Umbrella – SY COMPACT Travel Umbrella
Finally on my list of must-have travel gear, always plan for a rainy day. A compact umbrella is a great low-weight low-space way to do that! It’s a little easier than carrying around a bulky jacket or a poncho and it’s super easy to use and put away!
Traveling with a baby isn’t easy, but it can be easier if you prepare. With the right tips and tools you can make the job a lot easier on yourself. Below is a list of some very important tips for traveling with babies that’ll help you keep your sanity!
1. Pack Light
The first tip might seem counterintuitive coming from a travel accessory blog, but pack light. This might be the most important of the tips for traveling with babies. With the right accessories you can actually pack lighter than you would without them. Slim down and only bring what you need. Prioritize light and efficient items. It’ll make you more agile and it’ll reduce the stress of dealing with all that stuff.
2. Wear Your Baby
This tip fold right in, wear your baby instead of using a stroller. This is another way to stay agile and light. Dealing with a big stroller or car-seat is never fun, if you can avoid it you’ll be a lot better off. Plus babies love it! They like being close to you and you can easily bounce them to sleep.
3. Buy Diapers There
Yet another way to pack lighter, buy diapers at the location. You don’t need to bring enough diapers to last the whole trip. You just need enough to last the travel and some wiggle room for locating diapers. This will really help you slim down as diapers can get bulky fast. Chances are, your baby won’t know the difference!
4. Travel Insurance
When you’re traveling with a baby, you want to minimize risks. One big risk any time you fly is that they lose your luggage. If that ever happens, travel insurance will be worth its weight in gold! One of the worst situations you could be in is finding yourself somewhere far away without any of your supplies!
5. Know Where To Find A Doctor
The worst situation you could find yourself in is if something is wrong with your baby while you’re away. That’s why you should always have a plan! Look ahead to the places you’ll be and plan out where you’ll go if something happens. That way, just in case, you know exactly where you need to go if the worst comes to pass!
6. Minimize Moving
Sometimes when you take a trip, especially abroad, you may plan on staying in a few places. You might want to hop hotels or B&Bs every couple days to hit as much as possible. Don’t do this with a baby! Most of the stress comes from the traveling itself. So if you can pick and stick with one place, you’ll have a lot less overhead to stress about!
7. Prepare For Baby Jet Lag
Baby jet lag is a real thing. Their internal clocks are still forming so they’re very delicate. This means that if you fly a few times zones over, your baby is going to think it’s the morning in the middle of the night. You can’t really avoid it so you just have to prepare.
8. Extra Plane Seats
If you can afford it, having an extra seat for your baby will provide a lot of comfort. Especially as they get older, they’ll get squirmier. You can even change your baby in the seat next to you if you have to! If you can’t afford an extra seat, it might be worth it to ask if there are any extras. Just ask if you could be seated next to them and they might help you out!
9. Fly During Sleep Time
If you can, time your flight for during your baby’s nap or bedtime. This will hopefully let them snooze right through and be none the wiser on the other side!
10. Pacifiers For Take-Off And Landing
Finally, you’ll want pacifiers for take-off and landing. The pressure difference for us isn’t comfortable. For baby’s it can bring on a meltdown. If your baby is sucking on a pacifier, it’ll naturally help them equalize.
Traveling isn’t always the safest activity. Anywhere that there are tourists, there will also be people looking to prey on them. That might not be anything as scary as getting mugged or kidnapped, but you may still be at risk. There are tons and tons of pickpockets out there, and if they’re any good you won’t even know you’ve been hit until it’s too late. You certainly don’t want to be caught in a foreign country with no wallet and no passport! So what can you do to avoid this?
The Zero Grid Travel Scarf
Well if you want to look good doing it, you get yourself a Travel Scarf. And if you’re interested in quality, you get it from Zero Grid. The Zero Grid travel scarf gives you two hidden zipper pockets. They’ll hide anything from passports and money to makeup and your phone! Not to mention that this is just a very functional scarf! It’s got a soft and stylish material through and several ways to wear it! It’s got snaps along the ends so you can form it however works best. Whether that’s a hood, an infinity scarf, a blanket, or anything else you can think of. You’re the boss of how to use this scarf.
Reviewers absolutely love this scarf. The versatility is really what shines through. The snaps on the ends of the scarf give you the option to use the scarf however you like. People also love it for keeping warm! If you’re headed somewhere cold, or if you get caught somewhere cold, this really comes in handy. You lose a ton of heat through your head and neck, so keeping them warm makes a huge difference! Reviewers talk time and time again about how this stealthy and stylish solution has changed their travel experience!
When you’re traveling you won’t be familiar with your surroundings. You may be in a strange, or even foreign place. Unfortunately, it’s a fact of life that people don’t always have the best intentions. If you’re a clueless tourist there are many that might see you and want to take advantage. The least confrontational of these criminals is the pick-pocket. They look like anyone else on the street and can come from anywhere. If they’re any good you won’t even know you’ve been picked until they’re far away. You don’t want to find yourself stranded money-less in a foreign place. The travel accessories for hiding money on this list are your best bet for avoiding that!
Money-Pocket Belts
The first money-hiding spot on this list is the money belt. There are quite a few belts out there that are canvas or some other material, and they hide an inner pocket. This pocket is big enough for some cards and some money and it’ll keep them close at hand. While it’s possible that a very skilled pickpocket could still get it, that’s very unlikely.
Even more than that, no one is going to expect you to have a secret money belt. Any pickpocket is just looking for a quick wallet grab or maybe even your watch. But they’re not going to be on the lookout for a money belt.
Money hiding belts are useful, but they’re not the most stylish travel accessories to hide money. If you’re looking for a stylish way to hide things, you need an infinity scarf. This is a relatively new invention but a much needed one. And it works a lot like a money-hiding belt. It’s just a stylish infinity scarf, but with a secret pocket. This pocket is even easier to access than the belt because it’s hanging around your neck.
This is basically as useful as a fanny pack. And let’s not kid ourselves, fanny packs are incredibly useful. They’re just not that fashionable these days. The security infinity scarf gives you the perfect blend of form and function with very easy access.
This is a trick that I always use when I travel to major cities or anywhere else with a high crime risk. Just pick up a couple cheap wallets from your local dollar store. Put a couple dollars and a spent gift card or two in it and carry it with you. I’ll usually put my real wallet somewhere safe like in a drawstring bag or in my inner jacket pocket. Then I’ll keep my decoy wallet in my side or back pocket.
This way, you’ll have an early warning system for if there’s a pickpocket risk. And it’ll keep your real stuff safe if something does happen. This is even useful for if you’re mugged as you can throw the fake wallet and get away!
Don’t Keep All Your Money In One Place!
This comes to another good rule of thumb when you’re traveling. Don’t keep all your money in one place. Whether it’s decoy wallets, a money belt, or even just spreading it out in your bag. Don’t put yourself in a situation where someone can get all of your money at once. By spreading it out, even if you get picked, you’ll still have some spread around.
If you have backups, you can’t get caught without money. As long as you’ve got some cash, you’ll be able to collect yourself. You can get to a phone or back to your hotel and you can figure out where to go from there. You especially shouldn’t keep your cash with anything you can’t live without like your passport. Money can be replaced, passports are a lot harder!
