Traveling Soon? Buy These Now!

We’ve done the searching so you don’t have to! Here are some items that we have purchased, love, and want to recommend to you. We do a lot of research before purchasing anything, read the reviews and take a look at all the different options out there. Disclosure: Anything purchased directly by clicking the links on the post, does provide us with a kickback. Thank you for supporting our love of travel!

1. First on our list is our favorite traveling backpack EVER. The Travelon backpack is an anti-theft bag that is slashproof, all of the zippers lock, and the front pocket has RFID blockers built in for your cards. It is a bit pricey, at $75, but it has been 100% worth it for us. It is very roomy, we can fit everything we need for the day in it, including our camera, a sweater, passport holder, maps, books, etc. It helps us feel secure when in crowds, where all of the pickpocketing tends to occur.

2. Something else that puts our minds at ease is the Travelambo RFID blocking passport wallet. It can hold your passport (of course), 4 slots for ID/credit cards, a sim card slot, a zippered pocket for coins, a slot for money, a key holder, and a pen holder. You can buy it in various colors for only $13.99 . This can really save you from any kind of fraud that can occur when abroad.

 

3. So maybe you are traveling somewhere without a backpack or you just want extra security for your money and don’t want it in your backpack. You will want a money belt for this, but there are so many uncomfortable and bulky ones out there. This one-the Ultimate Travel Money Belt is the best! It holds quite a bit while not being too bulky so you can fit it underneath your clothes. Also, it does not ride up on your waist and it has a mesh back so it does not get sweaty against you. It has 2 different compartments so you can keep things a little more organized. You can buy it here. 4. This product is essential to traveling to another country if you need to charge anything. FosPower all in one international power adapter is amazing because there are no extra parts you have to pack like a lot of the adapters out there. Also, it not only has one regular AC adapter but it also has 2 USB charger ports. With the US, EU, AU, and UK plug capabilities it covers over 150 different countries! It comes at a great price of $12.97 and you can purchase it from the link below the picture. 

5. Speaking of power, I’m sure you will need batteries to charge things like your camera you’ll be using taking those killer shots. You will not be wanting to lug around loads of batteries while traveling, so you should buy some of these Panasonic rechargeable AA batteries and of course, the charger to recharge them. It’s only $19.95 and comes with the charger and 4 batteries. We bought a pack of the batteries by themselves and then purchased the charger with extra batteries. That way we can be using the 4 batteries in our camera and have a fully charged set of batteries to use after those are drained.

 

6. Next on our list of must haves is the OKO H2O Pure Everyday Water Bottle. These water bottles have a built in natural coconut shell carbon filter in the cap that filters the tap water wherever you are. We used these all over Europe since we were unsure if the tap water we were drinking was safe or not. Also the water bottle is super light so it is not a pain to carry around! It has 40 refills per bottle and comes in a pack of 2 water bottles, with a replaceable filter when you run out. Buy it here for $9.98. 

7. Something you can’t find in many hotels in Europe, especially if you aren’t springing for a hotel and are content with a simple hostel, is shampoo, conditioner, etc. If you are like us, it is worth it to us to sacrifice the space in our luggage for those luxuries. But who wants to carry the whole bottles? That’s why we bought these 16 oz plastic flip top bottles. You should be able to pick them up at any store, but these ones we bought are quality and have lasted so many trips. $5.09 may seem steep for just one bottle, but the use that we have gotten out of these has been invaluable. 

8. Another nice thing to have for the bathroom is a hair dryer and a lot of hotels do not have them internationally. Our huge hair dryer is a waste of space though, plus it is not dual voltage which is very important when traveling, so we looked into a smaller, better option. The BaBylissPRO Tourmaline Titanium Travel Dryer was the absolute perfect option and coming in at $34.99, was no stretch to our budget. It even folds up to save more space! You can buy this little red beauty down below. 

9. Going to the beach anytime soon and worried about getting your phone wet or are you even brave enough to take it in the ocean with you? On our trip to the Bahamas, we really wanted to take some underwater pictures and also did not want to have to worry about our money getting stolen so we bought the Joto Universal Waterproof Case. Let us tell you that it is most definitely waterproof (up to 100 feet deep) and was a lifesaver! It fit our phone as well as some cash and credit cards. It was easy enough to take pictures with the case being on and it did not scratch the screen at all. Best of all, there was not a single drop of water in the case or on any of our stuff! You can buy it in various colors for a modest price of $7.99. 

10. Up next on the list is by far, the BEST neck pillows we have ever owned. We have tried quite a few neck pillows that did not live up to our expectations. BCOZZY chin supporting travel neck pillows have saved our necks from being strained and sore from long plane rides and car rides, due to the great neck support. It also has a snap-strap that makes it easy to attach to your bag. It is $30 for one pillow or you can get a set of 2 for $55.

11. Now whenever we travel, we have a lot of cords to keep organized and things can get pretty messy sometimes. This little cord organizer is great for keeping things all together and it’s only $19.99!

12. When we took our trip to the Middle East for a little over 2 weeks, we packed light and needed to be able to do laundry on the go. That’s where No Sweat detergent and laundry cleaner came to the rescue! This bottle lasted for the whole trip and kept our clothes smelling fresh. We simply filled the hotel sink, added a little bit of the soap and scrubbed our clothes. $10.95 will get you a 16 ounce bottle of citrus rush detergent.

13. So we had clean clothes…now we needed something to hang them on. The Hawatour portable travel elastic clothesline was great for drying our clothes in the hotel bathroom. $8.99 is a very reasonable price to pay for a quality clothesline with 12 clothespins, secured with black clips on either side so the won’t slip. It also comes with a plastic travel pouch.

14. Next on our list is a fantastic toiletry bag that can hold a lot more than you think. On any trip that we take together, we always bring this toiletry bag and it can fit all of our toiletries, with room to spare. Along with the main compartment, it also has two side pockets for extra storage. It also has a hook on the top so you can hang it on the back of the bathroom door and give you more room on your bathroom counters! It is $19.99 and comes in a variety of colors.

15. Ok if you’ve made it this far, you’ve come to the best part and a HUGE time saver, both domestically and internationally: Global Entry. Now obviously this is not as easy as clicking “buy now” but it’s worth the wait and the effort. So what exactly is Global Entry? If you haven’t already heard of it, it is pretty much like TSA pre check but it includes a ticket to the fast line when going through customs coming back into the U.S. Now you can just apply for TSA pre check if you are not going to be traveling anywhere internationally, but we have Global Entry so this is what we are recommending. TSA pre check is $85 to apply and Global Entry is only a tad bit more, at $100 and lasts for 5 years. Coming into customs, you do not even have a line to wait in, or a person to talk to. You simply walk up to one of the Global Entry kiosks and answer a few questions, scan your fingerprints, and “say cheese!” to their front facing camera.                                   Here is a breakdown of the application process. First of all, you will want to create a GOES account (Global Online Enrollment System). After that, complete your application and pay the $100 non refundable fee. Yes, we said non refundable. Either way, you will spend the $100 so if you have any doubt you won’t get approved (see reasons for ineligibility here) you should probably not apply. Anyways, moving on to step 3: the interview. After you get conditionally approved, you will need to set up a time at a Global Entry Enrollment Center. They have them at most major airports (see locations here), just be patient as the slots for interviews can be full for quite some time. Bring your passport and one other form of identification, like a driver’s license or other ID form. The interview won’t take more than 15 minutes and then you will be on your way. If you pass, you will have your known traveler number and start enjoying the perks of having Global Entry!

 

So is there anything that we’ve missed that you have gotten and loved? We want to know!

 

**Updated for accurate prices and also added a few items: 2/21/2018