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There’s something about traveling that is equal parts excitement and stress, especially when it comes time for you to bust out your suitcase and prepare to pack. What comes along with you can vary tremendously depending on the length of your trip and the occasion. Thankfully, the Cut Shop team has traveled far and wide, and has picked up a few tips, tricks, and essentials for packing well. Regardless of whether it’s a quick weekend escapade or a whole month abroad, here are the 39 best travel essentials worth taking along, listed according to the length of time spent away from home.
SO, YOU’RE GOING ON A TRIP?
➼ For Overnight Trips
➼ Weekend Trips and Excursions
➼ Anywhere From Five Days to a Week and a Half
➼ Two Weeks or Longer
➼ A Month or More
For Overnight Trips
Whether you’re only traveling ten minutes away for a staycation or venturing to a nearby city for a day, overnight trips can be just as challenging to pack for as longer ones. Our best tip is try to be strategic about stowing all the necessities in a larger tote bag.
iMangoo Protective Cable Organizer Case
Keep all your chargers and cords organized and untangled in one place. This little case makes sure you can actually find what you are looking for, especially in the depths of a big bucket-shaped bag.
Hill House Home The Ellie Nap Dress
The Nap Dress is comfortable enough for any road trip or train ride or even to sleep in. You really can’t go wrong — it’s like wearing your pajamas but still looking totally presentable. We particularly like the wrinkle-resistant navy dress for easy wear on the road.
Baggu Go Pouch Set
This three-pack of pouches might be one of The Cut Shop ream’s favorite purchases. Perfect for everyday use, the pouches are great for housing everything from makeup to dirty clothes to receipts. We always have one in our bags, no matter if we’re leaving the house for a night, an hour, or a whole week.
July Everyday Garment Tote
Perfect for event-specific travel, this tote doubles as a garment bag, protecting those special-occasion outfits. It has just enough space to also pack a pair of shoes you do not want to commute in.
Saie Slip Tint Dewy Tinted Moisturizer SPF 35 Sunscreen
One of the best tinted moisturizers out there, this option from Saie offers hydration and some SPF and will give you light coverage with a dewy glow. When you can’t bring your entire medicine cabinet, this is a great option that combines a bunch of products in a multistep routine.
HoodHealth Stainless Steel “Stay Thirsty” Water Bottle
Because hydration is always important, especially when you’re traveling.
Leeshine Ice Roller for Face and Eyes
Just because you’re not doing your skin-care routine in your bathroom at home doesn’t mean your skin should suffer. This ice rollers will fit perfectly in your toiletry bag and come in handy first thing in the morning.
Emi Jay Big Effing Clip
Sometimes on those quick trips, we push washing our hair an extra day (or three) so we can leave all our heat tools at home. With some dry shampoo and a cute hair claw, no one has to know.
Weekend Trips and Excursions
Whether you are heading out of town for a wedding, trying to get away for a little R&R, or traveling for work, when it comes to packing a weekender or a smaller suitcase, organization is key.
Béis The Weekend Duffel Bag
There are so many options out there for weekender bags, but this water-repellent tote from Béis ticks all our boxes including the trolley pass-through pocket to attach to your suitcase and save your shoulders. This one is just over $100.
Guanda Car Vent Phone Mount
Most of the time, travel is associated with flying, but whether by choice or not, sometimes the trip involves hours of car time. A phone mount changes the game on a long road trip and is definitely safer.
Comrad Nylon Knee High Socks
For those longer flights where you are in a confined space and not moving around as much (looking at you, window-seat fliers), compression socks can help reduce swelling and discomfort in the legs and feet.
Loop Quiet Earbuds
Weekend trips can sometimes mean a jam-packed itinerary, so when you want to sleep, you want to snooze uninterrupted. Enter Loop, a reusable silicone earplug that allows you to get the ultimate fit (it comes in four sizes) so you can get in that power nap.
Le Specs Outta Love Sunglasses
Forgetting your sunglasses on vacation, especially when headed somewhere sunny, is a rookie mistake, which is why this pair from Le Specs is perfect to just keep in your weekend bag so you are never without.. They’re stylish, sturdy, and under $70, in case you end up losing or breaking them.
Cadence Build Your 6 Bundle
Normally, travel containers are not the most stylish or multifunctional. But these Cadence capsules are both of those things. Unlike traditional travel containers, these can be used for anything from storing pills and skincare products to necklaces and hand cream. Plus, you can design your own set to include different labels and colors
Everlane the Relaxed Oxford Shirt
You can never go wrong with a classic button-up. It’s a must-have for any trip, especially a weekend one when space is limited. Wear it on its own, with a dress or pants, or as a bathing suit cover-up.
Tower 28 SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray
The Tower28 spray is our skin-care savior, and if you’re looking to pack minimally for weekend trips, this needs to be in the toiletry bag. Perfect for sensitive skin, it’s multifunctional, and a spritz delivers a refreshing dose of hydration and soothes stressed-out skin.
Kindle Paperwhite
Not only do books take up valuable real estate in a carry-on, they add a bit of weight too. A Kindle is so low profile and light that we do not even think twice about tossing it in our bag. It also saves us time doing the math on how many books we should be bringing on a trip because our next read is just a Wi-Fi connection away.
Ries The Essential Travel Vanity Bag
If you’re skipping the carry-on, this is an easy way to organize your beauty routine now that you’ve condensed it into teeny bottles and containers. The recycled faux-leather bag zips closed and features enough compartments to keep everything neat and organized.
Anywhere From Five Days to a Week and a Half
A full-fledged trip that still limits you to a carry-on may be the most difficult to pack for. Europe,Cabo, our parents’ house, it’s all about making the most of the room you have, even if you can’t help but pack all your sunglasses, expensive skin care, and cute outfits.
Reformation Fantino Cashmere Collared Cardigan
This cashmere cardigan is amazing on its own or as a layering piece in case you get chilly en route or in your hotel room. When you’re packing a carry-on, the more pieces you have that you can wear multiple different ways, the better.
Dagne Dover Remi Glasses Case
Sometimes you just can’t decide which sunglasses to bring, especially if you are going somewhere extra-sunny. This protective case from Dagne Dover allows you to bring three pairs in a very compact and convenient case that is easy to hang up when you get to your final destination.
Away Bigger Carry-On
There is a reason you can’t travel without seeing one of these suitcases. It fits in the overhead bin of most major U.S. airlines and allows travelers enough room to store all their belongings while remaining light, sturdy, and sleek. Plus, it comes in seven attractive colors and has a USB external battery for those extra-long travel days. It is an essential for the majority of trips you will probably take.
Calpak Packing Cubes 5-Piece Set
We love using packing cubes when we need to keep a duffel bag from becoming total chaos or for just staying organized when we’re traveling somewhere where we will be doing a wide range of activities that require very different wardrobe options. These packing cubes from Calpak are cute and will help bring some order to a carry-on.
Aesop Resurrection Rinse-Free Hand Wash
Whether you are in the window seat and do not want to disturb your neighbors to wash your hands or need to do a quick clean after pumping gas on a road trip, having some sort of hand sanitizer while traveling is a good idea. This one from Aesop obviously smells amazing.
Two Weeks or Longer
It’s time to check your bags. Fill your carry-on with the essentials and save the rest for your suitcase. Opt for two-in-one products, space-saving containers, and clothes you can dress up or down. Pro tip: Don’t forget to invest in a luggage tracker to make sure your suitcase arrives when you do.
Uniqlo Wide-Fit Pleated Pants
Wearing trousers on a plane not only saves room in your suitcase but also makes you feel more put-together on the go. These comfy but tailored pants from Uniqlo can be worn casually or dressed up, making them the perfect pair to travel in for long periods.
Merit Flush Balm Cream Blush
A two-in-one product that is perfect for face and lips is a godsend on the road, and this Merit lightly tinted balm is highly rated. It is the perfect product to throw in your bag for when you want to do a real quick touch-up, no matter where you are. Not to mention it’s one of our senior shopping editor’s favorite cream blushes.
Rimowa Classic Check-In L
The pinnacle of traveling well comes down to one word: Rimowa. The cases are classic, luxurious, and durable, though definitely a splurge. If you’re traveling for long stretches of time, and often, they can be worth the price point.
Wild One Travel Carrier
Pets under 20 pounds are allowed to fly in a carrier under the seat in front of you, and this stylish option from Wild One opens into a bed so your pet can relax at the gate before you both board.
4PCS Refillable Travel Perfume Spray Bottles
Most fragrances do not come in a three-ounce bottle, and it can be quite a risk to send a glass bottle in your checked bag, so it might be safer to opt for something like this. Even when you are not traveling, these little cases are convenient to throw in a bag so that you always can carry around your favorite scent.
A Month or More
We’re way past suggesting hand cream and new luggage because, at this point, you’re practically moving to your destination. These are the things that upgrade you from a casual traveler to a pro and will make your longer flights and longer stays more comfortable
Bearaby Travel Napper
Carrying an extra six pounds might seem a bit excessive, but if you’re on a long flight and you’re staying over a month in your new destination, you might as well be as cozy and comfortable as possible. This travel0size weighted blanket from Bearaby comes in its own duffel bag, so it can easily be your personal item or be checked in with no problem.
FunTouch Rechargeable Travel Makeup Vanity Mirror
Want to be able to still do full glam while you’re away? This rechargeable and slim travel vanity mirror will help your makeup look flawless no matter your lighting situation.
Twelve South AirFly Pro
You may have seen this on your TikTok FYP. It allows you to connect your Bluetooth headphones (hello, AirPod Maxes) to airplane screens, so you can watch your favorite comfort movie or episode of Sex and the City without worrying about bringing a corded pair or needing to purchase those cheap plane headphones in the air.
Saatva Weighted Silk Eye Mask - Sand
Like a weighted blanket for your eyes, this eye mask is sleep enhancing (perfect for long flights and jumping through timezones) and made from super soft silk.
Tumi Just In Case Tote
Chances you’ll come back from vacation with more clothes than you went there with are high, so consider packing this foldable nylon tote to hold all your overstock.
Mejuri Travel Case
Travel with ease knowing that your necklaces won’t get tangled and all your earrings are safe and sound in one place.
Daily Pill Organizer
This pill case also came from our TikTok FYP and is small enough to fit in any purse, but has enough storage to hold all your medicine, vitamins, and supplements.
