Welcome to Part Two of my must have travel items. Part One included electronic related items which you can read here, and this post will cover everything else that I never travel without.
Clothing:
Compression Socks- For long flights these are a must have. These by Sockwell come in different colors/patterns and are really comfortable (for compression socks).
Wool Socks- I tested these out on my trip to Iceland and they were amazing. People Socks come in different colors and kept my toes warm and comfy in the daily rain, snow and cold weather.
Wrinkle Releaser- Regardless if you fold or roll your clothes you'll end up with at least one item that's completely wrinkled as soon as you plan to wear it. Downy has a travel size version that is TSA friendly and it works well.
Rain Jacket- This shell by White Sierra is lightweight and easily folds up into your bag. It technically can fold into one of it's pockets, but if you're in a hurry it still folds well. I bought one in black and it is so thin it's transparent, which means it provides no warmth at all. Good as a light layer to throw over your other clothes, but can stick to your bare skin.
Travel Accessories:
Water Bottle- What can't I say about this Hydro Flask water bottle. It comes in 20 different colors, absolutely does not sweat, and really keeps cold things cold ( I haven't tested it with hot things yet but it's supposed to work for that too). The 21 Ounce is the perfect size to put in a side backpack pocket, and the hook on the top of the cap is the perfect size to hook to one of your zippers so you don't lose it with one of these.
Door Stopper- It is a small, cheap item to make you a little safer when traveling, especially if you travel alone. Newlemo sells a 3 pack for less than $10 and it takes up no space in your luggage.
Compression Bags- These bags by Acrodo work very well, especially for larger items. I used a large bag for my winter coat on my Iceland trip so that I didn't have to wear it while flying and the bag remained compressed for days. For smaller bags these by Gonex are perfect. For under $40 I got 5 different sized bags and a laundry bag.
Backpack- It rained everyday when I was in Iceland and this KAKA waterproof backpack kept everything dry. I ordered the large one (that was only a couple dollars more than the smaller size) and I'm glad I did. The only negative to this bag is that the shoulder straps could be a little more padded, but it's not big enough of an issue to not use. I took this to Japan for 2 weeks and never had any complaints.
Pillow- I spent hours and hours researching the 'best' travel pillow because I have neck problems and get frequent migraines as a result. The traditional U-shaped pillow does nothing good for me, and I didn't want to commit to an Ostrich pillow so I decided on the J-Pillow travel pillow. I realize the pillow looks a little funny and it's probably NSFW but this has worked better than anything else I've tried, and has a snap loop to attach to your backpack if you don't have enough space inside.
Eyemask & Earplugs- I like this eyemask by Bedtime Bliss because it's contoured and doesn't smash your eyelashes. Unless you're splurging on super expensive earplugs, any generic ones that you can buy in bulk are fine.