Hello Lovelies,
I travel quite a lot, whether it is within the UK, for business or across the world for holidays. Every trip I tell myself I must pack less in to my carry on / hand bag but I am one of those over packers that covers EVERY eventuality. I have whittled my essentials down as much as possible for this year and I am determined not to pile junk in again. Of course some things I carry serve both Mr Tramp and I.
If I am on a flight, my usual travel bag is a Jansport rucksack with my handbag tucked inside. It’s not glamorous but it is robust, spacious and keeps both hands free. If you are stuck in a queue for 2hrs in a baking hot airport, the last thing you want is a heavy handbag cutting in to your shoulder while you juggle your suit case and passport. My travel handbag is my Zatchels Saddlebag.
When I travel, I like to keep myself entertained as it is the only time I am not being hounded by clients or dealing with workloads. My Kindle Paperwhite never leaves my side, nor does my trustySamsung Galaxy S5. I can handle most of my professional tasks from it so I don’t usually need to bring my ipad. For long journeys I always carry my good old Ipod Classic 16gb full of tunes and a little portable speaker (not pictured) and my JVC noise cancelling headphones. With the new rulings on powering electrics for airport security I carry portable charger packs and all my wires. Handy tip here, I pack all my charging wires in to a sunglasses case to keep them safe and compact.
This tech with is fine but for those dreaded periods where you either can’t use electricals or don’t want to display what you have, a small book is a godsend. I always pick an amusing one, like quiz questions or a Where’s Wally and Mr T and I read it together this year’s book is 747 things to do on a plane. I always carry a small notebook and pen with me too you never know when you’ll need a pen and paper for blog ideas, directions or giving your details to that cool new person you meet.
I suffer terribly with ear pain on airplanes so I always have handfuls of foam earplugs with me. I have tried everything, truly, to get me through this but I always go back to the cheap disposable ones. No stress if you lose one. Take off and landing, these bad boys get me through. I always carry an anti bacterial spray as I prefer these to the gels as I can sanitise my surroundings as well as my hands. Tray tables, loo seats, hands, it’s multi purpose. Same goes for wet wipes. I buy ones that can be used on the face as well as hands if I need to refresh my face.
As a glasses wearer, I always travel in my glasses and make sure I pack plenty of contact lenses, my prescription sunnies and plain sunglasses. The plane air dries eyes out so it can be quite uncomfortable to wear lenses. Even with the fancy eye drops. As the air both in the airport and on the plane is quite dry due to AC and altitude, a foldable water bottle is a brilliant way to keep hydrated without lugging a big bottle round. You can fill it up whenever you need to keep hydrated then roll it back up. I always have mints or chewing gum with me too to keep my breath fresh.
For traveling comfort, I always make sure I either wear or pack a pashmina and my favourite folding slippers from Muji. Perfect for those trips to the galley or bathroom. If you are facing a long journey,a neck pillow and eye mask are a must. I prefer the inflatable pillows with soft jersey covers as they save on space. If you struggle to sleep during the day or suffer with jet lag, an eye mask is great. My favourite one is from NPW in their Inflight Comfort Kit as it is very soft jersey and comes in a cute bag with the pillow and some ear plugs. I keep a spare top and underwear in my hand luggage too (not pictured) as it really does help you feel fresh after a 14hr flight or when you’ve spilled your coffee. I keep the pashmina and clothes in a rollable airless pouch (not pictured) to save space and to avoid spills.
Finally, the Muji pouch is my number 1 tip. For journeys, I keep my “must haves” in this pouch and keep it with me. It fits my kindle, ipod, anti bac, wet wipes, tissues, beauty products, gum, ear plugs and pen in one place so I don’t constantly have to fish for things in my luggage. It sits neatly on top of my book with my headphones looped round. If you don’t have an aisle seat, it saves so much hassle and time. It also means if you need to visit the toilet, you can take your pouch with you instead of juggling things to take.
The only thing I haven’t included is my camera. To be honest, if I am going away with Mr T, he is the photographer out of us, so I leave it to him and use my phone for quick snaps.
