Airplane Item

 

Airplane Personal Item

 

• • Cross-Body Bag: If you want to look a little more put together, but want easy access to all of your carry on travel essentials, a cross-body bag is a must. If you like to travel with your laptop, make sure you purchase one that has a laptop sleeve too. Of course, it should be small enough to fit under the seat in front of you but roomy enough that you won’t have to dig around in it to find what you want. My Recommendation – Vera Bradley Lighten Up Weekender Travel Bag. This is honestly an absolute must for me, and I bring it everywhere I go.

 

• • Backpack: Your backpack should be both supportive and spacious. I love that this also can substitute as a hiking day pack. Everything that I pack in my cross-body bag will also fit in my 24L backpack, so it just comes down to personal preference. My Recommendation – Osprey Sirrus 24 Women’s Hiking Backpack and Osprey Stratos 24 Men’s Hiking Backpack. These both have incredible structure and hip support.

 

Airplane Carry On Item

 

• • A Spinner Carry On Suitcase: If you’re questioning whether you should get a suitcase with two wheels or four wheels, always choose the four-wheel spinner. It will make your life easier as you both navigate crowds within the airport and on the busy streets of your destination. Trust me on this, as I converted from a two-wheeler to a four-wheeler and it made a huge difference in the way that I travel. My Recommendation – TravelPro Maxlite 4 21” Hardside Spinner. Hardside here is key. It helps you not to overpack, and it is also more durable for your travels. This is one of the most lightweight hardside carry on suitcases that you’ll find on the market, and it has a built-in TSA-approved lock as well as a limited lifetime warranty.
  • If you’re not carrying on a suitcase, you may be able to carry on both recommended personal items – depending on the airline, size, and weight.

 

Airplane Checked Item

 

• • Spinner Checked Suitcase: Again, I highly recommend a spinner four-wheel suitcase over a two-wheel suitcase for the purpose of ease. Personally, I like when my carry on spinner and checked spinner match, which led me back to TravelPro. I like the way that the inside is organized, and it’s helpful that each of their hardside spinners come with a built-in TSA-approved lock. My Recommendation – TravelPro Maxlite 4 25” Spinner and TravelPro Maxlite 5 29” Spinner. Depending on the type of trip you’re taking (and how many shoes haha), you’ll need to decide which size checked luggage works for you. I find it useful to have a 25” and 29” on hand, but 99% of the time I will choose just to bring the 25” Spinner, as I’ve found that’s more than enough for me. If you’d like to purchase the 21”, 25”, and 29” as a set – which is the best bang for your buck – you can do so here.

 

• • Trekkers Pack: Now, if you’re moving around a lot, camping, trekking, and staying in refugios, then a trekkers pack will certainly be the better option for you. When I first started traveling I used a trekkers pack, and it definitely has its benefits for the active among us! When researching which pack to get, make sure that it’s easily opened from multiple points on the bag, that it has plenty of pockets for your smaller items, and provides you with plenty of support. My Recommendation – Osprey Ariel AG 65 Women’s Backpacking Backpack and Osprey Atmos 65 AG Men’s Backpacking Backpack. I tried on what felt like hundreds of trekkers packs before realizing that these were, hands down, the ideal pack that I was looking for. I have carried quite a bit of weight in mine, and it was always comfortable on the hips and shoulders. Plus, Osprey has an “all mighty guarantee” where they will repair any damage free of charge and, if they can’t fix it, they will replace it at no cost to you. Incredibly, this applies to all of their products, no matter the purchase date. You can read more about it here, if interested. 

 

• • Rolling Duffle: At the end of the day, some people just love duffle bags (my grandpa is one of them!). They’re a great combination of a duffle bag and rolling suitcase, and you have the ability to carry the bag or roll it, depending on your circumstances. My Recommendation – TravelPro Rolling Duffle Bag with Drop Bottom. This comes in all different colors and sizes, but I recommend the 30”, as it’s plenty roomy without being overwhelming. This rolling duffle is lightweight, yet incredibly durable; it survived a few weeks of safaris in Africa with no problems. It also has many different pockets and separators to keep your bag well-organized. 

To keep your luggage organized as a whole, I couldn’t recommend packing cubes highly enough. I originally didn’t think they had much use, but they’ve changed my life when it comes to packing – whether it’s just for a weekend trip or a year-long journey. They come in all different sizes, and I use a variety of small, medium, and large packing cubes. My Recommendation: I have tested many packing cubes over the years, and I can say – without a doubt – that the Eagle Creek Pack-It Specter Cubes are the absolute best on the market. They are incredibly durable and as lightweight as possible. And look at how nicely they fit into a suitcase!