10 Essential Travel Accessories

There are a lot of gadgets that will make your travel life a breeze these are the 10 Best We've found....so far:

When traveling we have found that a good accessory will take you far. Sometimes we go for convenience, other times it's for the fun of it. If you travel with some of the accessories from our list below you will for sure get either entertainment from it or some serious use.

1. Travel Specific Wallet

It may seem trivial but a wallet will see more action most times than your camera while on vacation. Since this accessory goes in and out of pockets or bags we felt it was essential to mention. Not all wallets are created the same, many are fancy, some are just for the fandom of the brand but when it comes to travel you need a piece that will protect, be durable and will be lightweight.

Typically people who carry wallets are in two categories, for the most part, those who carry in their pockets and those who carry in a bag. For my fellow travelers that do either there's the Satechi Passport Wallet.

This beauty has a battery and a GPS locator tag built in and unlike other brands where it'll be bulky from hiding an AirTag in the booklet, this guy is Apple Find My compatible. It protects from RFID scanners and it holds a few essential cards. It's tall enough to slip a boarding pass in the inside and your passport without becoming all loose and susceptible to loosing your contents.

It may not be aesthetically pleasing or a big brand wallet but it'll fit into any pocket or bag with ease and protect your cards and passport with peace of mind.

2. Power Bank

One of my personal top things to bring while traveling is a Power Bank. Like Goldilocks you want something not to big, not too small but just right. Most times this is something you kept to yourself but if you find one with the right weight and capacity you might wanna bring that along. That's where the 10,000 mAH Anker MagGo comes into play. We reviewed the 5,000 mAH version here, and man was this a game changer. The limit on airplanes is of course a lot higher at 27,000 mAH but we just need to this to charge our phones so we can use it to navigate or translate, not power a laptop.

It may not be the prettiest thing in your inventory but having an whole extra charge and then some all while being cordless is a blessing in disguise. If you have ever fumbled around your bag you know that if you add a cord to tangle in that tango it will get messy. Well, this will not, get messy because it attaches via MagSafe very securely to your phone making it removable, shareable (so long as that person has a magnet and Qi charging) and it's lightweight.

At some point either by taking pictures or using maps you will run low on battery during your adventure so having a backup will keep your journey on going so you do not have to stop somewhere for hours waiting for your device to reach an adequate charge. Worse yet, some places you travel won't give you access in public to a outlet or even charge you. Our advice, carry one of these, it may save the day.

3. Multi Plug Adapter

Adapters used to be a bulky affair with a pouch full of building block like pieces to fit only a few countries outlets. Nowadays it can be much simpler especially with adapters like the Anker Nano Travel. Many of our devices with AC adapters can handle the current but instead of carrying around a ton of adapters choose to carry just one.

The most vexing thing about going to different countries is that every new region you go to whether it be UK or Japan all have their way of grounding and supplying power through outlets. Japan uses the US standard plug type but keep in mind that they are 100v as opposed to being in the states at 110-120v.

The bonus to this adapter is that you get two (2) USB-C, two (2) USB-A and (depending on region you purchase from) a US configured outlet. Even if you don't use the main AC outlet the USB ports cover a wide variety devices making this an excellent addition to you travel basics. Which can replace 5 wall plug for charging devices

4. Re-usable Shopping Bags

One of the strangest and handiest things we bring with us is a re-usable shopping bag. In many countries the use of plastic bags are frowned upon and paper bags are far less common. Worse, they charge you extra for these bags. We've amassed a collection of decent ones over the the years, our recent favorite is the one we got from Tokyo Disneyland. You can find ones like it on Amazon, here.

We prefer the ones we get from special events and room acomodations but hey, if you're out or don't have any choose the link above as you never know when you'll need a bag. It's like a towel, a mighty reference from our favorite book series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. You can do a lot with a spare bag: laundry, grocery shopping, souvenir shopping and even just to carry your things in around town. Honestly, it seems random but having a spare, fold-able bag just in case is probably the handiest thing we can think of when you're away from home.

If like us you keep your grocery bags in the car and suddenly you are without your car you might be a little lost. So when traveling keep one of these guys tucked away in another bag and it'll never do you wrong.

5. Toiletry Bag

Ever since the dawn of time we humans have remained vain creatures and in today's world, well not much has changed, except that we have more tools to pack to keep us looking good. When I was younger I would stuff all my toiletries in the bottom of my backpack, just in case the shampoo or toothpaste burst. I would shove what I could into a Ziploc and be done with it. Little did I know that I would have to deal with an unorganized mess...

Enter the toiletry bag, kinda like this one from Bellroy. We prefer the hanging variety as it allows for more counter space. If you're traveling with your spouse and children chances are you will all try to get ready at a similar pace at the same time. Hotel, unless it's like the Four

Seasons, do not have much of a bathroom counter, let alone a vanity table. So hanging this type of bag on the towel rack gives everyone access and keeps the counter top free for crowding.

This one has separate spaces for my toothpaste now, that's how I know I've grown up, just kidding. This has a very low impact on space and has compartments for every little jar, even little shampoo bottles. So the traveler's we've become can now enjoy organized vanity.

6. Silicone Bottle Cover

Forget about packing up your shampoos and conditioners in Ziplocs, we're now in the modern age where you can slip a Silicone Bottle Cover over the top and save space and

prevent leaks up to 90% of the time. Made with the elasticity of a rubber glove these little covers almost completely seal in a lid.

It is positively amazing what these will fit over. Shampoo bottles? Yes. Liquid foundation with a upside down 'L' shaped spout? Of course. Although just because these are on there doesn't mean you can take them in the Airplane cabin or through TSA, but you can rest assured that wherever you put these be that in the Toiletry bag mention above or let to roll around loose in your suitcase that you will not have an accident.

IF you do have something spill inside the the covers are non porous and easy to clean. This particular kit comes with multiple sizes and is great for all different sizes of bottles. It can even be used to cover a water bottle in your backpack when going on a day trip so it's not dangling about in a side pocket.

7. Trip Manager App

So, it's not so much of an accessory but it is essential to how we travel. A few years back we discovered an App on the Apple storefront called TripIt and man was this a game changer. We simply forwarded all of our plans to a no reply email address connected to the App and viola our entire trip was organized by date and time. The only thing we had to do was add in the QR codes for things like Ghibli Park that don't have their own internal app, like Disneyland. Simple, organized and shareable.

One huge plus is that you can organize with others. There were a few occasions that we'd tag along or have a sibling with us and they could send their itinerary to the same place and so long as we were on the same event it would all add in to the plan. They could know if we had plans and likewise so there wouldn't be any confusion on if we split up or stayed together.

This beats the days of using Excel or calendar apps by a long shot as it is on your device and updates in real time. You may never loose the plan again.

8. Lightweight Jacket

Not everyone needs one of these but at some point it will be ultra handy to have especially if it folds up to a compact carry size. That's is exactly what you're going to get with a jacket like the one from Outdoor Ventures. These types of jackets don't tick all the boxes but are extremely convenient when in hand.

They may not be down or capable of handling extreme weather but if you get a sudden down pour they are certainly able to handle rain and wind. For obvious reasons this is a seasonality choice but if you're already wearing a sweater in fall this will be a nice waterproof option. If in spring, throw over your shirt but if in winter you may already be carrying a jacket that's more than capable.

Since it's compact and takes up very little room so it's impact on what your packing for your trip will be little to none making it a smart choice to carry. On the occasion we do really recommend Uniqlo's version as it is less expensive and slightly lighter.

9. Smart Watch

One thing that I've learned that I can't live without is a Smart Watch. Specifically the Apple Watch since we're mainly Apple users, if it's Samsung your after that's equally as good to carry. These little guys may seem like a major expense but if you're in Tokyo, going through a Metro gate and can't seem to fiddle with your pocket or purse for your phone just tap your watch. Once setup with one of the various Near Frequency Charge (NFC) payment methods this accessory becomes a very convenient tool in your travel arsenal.

If you can remember to set your watch to a lower power mode you can almost go 12 hours on a charge giving you more use than a smart phone in one day. Plus it helps like a normal watch which is super handy for timed events like, Universal Japan Super Mario World entry windows or even directions to your next train platform with the right maps app.

Smart watches in general are just the right decision because of how much they can take away from your busy adventure by providing you with all you need to pay, navigate and organize without taking your phone out, allowing you the opportunity to just enjoy your surroundings. This does make it's way lower on the list due to the combination of products and techniques to fully utilize it for travel but guaranteed once you get it all set up, you won't want to travel without one.

10. Sling or Cross-body Bag

In place of shoving everything into your pockets consider instead a Sling or Cross-body Bag. Something more secure that doesn't hurt your personal aesthetic. See our group of reviews on the ones we like here. Personally we really like the Aer SF City Sling 2. It's lightweight, element proof and looks great.

You might think that it looks silly and a bit like your Dad's Fanny Pack and while you're not wrong, he's not wrong either. It keeps all you need in a tight, close space and leaves your pockets devoid of weight allowing you to keep moving. Yes, you can keep lip balm in there and not look like a fool because to be honest, all you need is at your finger tips and you will know it.

It keeps eyes up in terms of security and if it's not being yanked out of your pocket you will never know with how good some pickpockets are. A sling or cross-body worn in front of you will reduce the likelihood of theft off your person. Also, it keeps the little things you might tuck away in your pocket safe from dropping out of a roller coaster.

Did you already have any of the items on the list? Did some of them surprise you? Utility is very subjective at times but we hope you got some ideas on how to make your trip a little easier with some time saving and convenient accessories.