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Once you’ve travelled a few times and have suffered through the usual annoyances – a dying phone, no outlet in sight, digging through your carry-on for the fourth time – you start to learn what kinds of things make long travel days more bearable. It’s usually small, practical items that make the trip smoother, more organized, and more comfortable.
We (Rachel and Emily) each have a few things we always travel with. These are the items that have earned permanent spots in our luggage.
MOGICS Super Bagel – Rachel
I can literally never travel without this. It’s a super compact wall adapter and extension cable in one. Whenever the wall plug is in an inconvenient spot, I plug this in and use it as an extension cable for my other items. It’s only about a metre long, but that’s enough.
The circular shape means lots of bulky wall plugs (like for laptops) can be plugged in without interfering with each other. Each insert is international, so US, EU, UK wall adapters call be plugged in to the bagel. I offer it to other travellers in the airport lounge if there’s only one wall plug and their non-US wall plugs can all fit at once. It’s also cleverly designed so that the ground pin insert doesn’t block the surrounding sockets, meaning 3-prong wall plugs still work.
The “centre” of the bagel is an international travel adapter that works for plugs all over the world. It’s not the most robust for EU outlets, so I still bring a separate wall adapter for those, but it works great in most cases.
MOGICS Super Bagel (Source: Amazon)
Tech Pouch from Amazon – Emily
One item I never travel without, even if I’m not flying, is my tech pouch. I used to just throw chargers, cables, AirPods, adapters and random gadgets into my backpack. Every time I needed something, I’d end up digging around for several minutes trying to find what I was looking for. Eventually, I realized that $15 for a little extra organization is a worthwhile investment.
This one has dual compartments, with elastic holders and mesh pockets. It keeps everything from getting tangled and/or lost. I use it to store my laptop charger and block, iPhone charger and block, bluetooth mouse, portable battery, and wired headphones.
Now everything lives in one compact pouch. Everything has its place, cords don’t tangle, and nothing disappears to the bottom of my bag.
Tech Pouch
Tech Pouch – Outside Pocket
Anker 5,000 mAh Slim Magsafe Battery Pack – Rachel
This lives in my day bag whether at home or travelling. It’s the perfect emergency battery. It’s super slim, super light, and even looks great sitting on the back of my iPhone. It barely adds any bulk but provides as cool additional 5,000 mAh. There are 10k mAh versions, but they’re bulkier, so this one is perfect in a pinch.
Under 10,000 mAh means it won’t charge your phone to full, but it’s just right for emergencies when you’re out and your battery is about to die. This happens to me constantly while travelling, when I’m using my phone non-stop: Google Maps, taking photos, Apple Pay, listening to music, my airline and hotel apps, etc.
Packing Cubes – Emily
Packing cubes are a staple for me, especially on longer trips or business trips, like my three week trip to China. I use different cubes for different categories: one for dresses, one for pants/bottoms, one for shirts/tops and one for miscellaneous items like socks, pajamas and workout clothes. They keep everything structured and make unpacking or repacking so much easier.
I bought mine from Modern Tourist in Guelph, ON, one of my favourite travel accessory stores, but you can find more budget-friendly options on Amazon. The brand matters less than the product. Once you start using packing cubes, it’s hard to go back.
Packing Cubes
Philips One Sonicare Rechargeable Toothbrush – Rachel
It’s a shame the new version uses a proprietary Philips charger, since my model from a few years ago was USB-C. I’d still buy it today though; it’s just an excellent toothbrush. Only the head vibrates, but it’s extremely portable as far as electric toothbrushes go, and light enough that I even bring it on the plane. It’s way better than the disposable toothbrushes you get in amenity kits and at hotels.
Apple AirTags – Emily
This one is more for peace of mind than anything else. I put one in my checked suitcase and one in my backpack. If you have airline status or are flying business class, your bag is usually tagged as priority, which helps, but I still like being able to track my luggage myself.
It actually came in handy once when my bag didn’t make a layover and got left behind at YUL. Instead of wondering where it was, I could see that it was still at the airport. It doesn’t prevent mishaps, but it definitely provides piece of mind.
Apple AirTags (Source: Apple)
Arctic USB Fan – Rachel
I used to carry a different one by this brand, but I left it behind somewhere along the way and picked up this version instead. It’s great. Perfect for airplane cabins with no individual air nozzles, or stuffy hotel rooms. It might be an occasional-use item, but I’m so glad to have it when I need it.
If you’re looking for ways to make your travels more organized and/or comfortable, we recommend trying some of these products. Let us know if you like them 🙂
