Note: This post was updated May 2026.
Kris and I have been traveling more or less full time for going on 17 years now. I remember – not so fondly – when we first started traveling internationally in our 20s what a pain it was to keep it organized and keep it simple. Although we'd traveled a good deal since then, it was only when we got a bit older did it finally sink in that we were just lugging around too much stuff.
Based on that revelation, the first task that we'd recommend towards paring your travel down as far as possible is learning what you don't need. And, yeah that takes a bit of trial and error. First step: ask yourself, “Did I actually use that on my last trip?” If the answer is no, leave it at home.
As part of that process, you'll have boiled down your travel accessories list to the bare minimum. That's what we've done here. All of these recommendations are for travel gear we're actually carrying now. Over the years, we've been through many iterations of these accessories. We've updated a lot of things from earlier versions, for updated technology, efficiency, and weight, and we've tossed a bunch or old stuff in the recycling bin. Suffice it to say, this is a pretty good list, based on a lot of miles and years' experience.
And, like I said, we're constantly updating this list. Travel is an ever-changing target.
These days, with most air travelers limited to one carry-on bag and a “personal item“, it's even more imperative to be efficient in your packing.
So, you should keep these general recommendations in mind as you shop for your best travel gear:
- Size and weight: Obviously, you want to avoid baggage fees, and checking a bag unless you absolutely have to. Your baggage has to be durable, light weight, and fit in the overhead and under the seat in front of you.
- Comfort: Comfort on the plane is crucial. Pack eye masks and noise-canceling headphones or earbuds that will block light and sound.
- Efficiency: Make sure your bags and accessory organizers let you get at what you need with a minimum of hassle.
- Health considerations: Travel, especially long flights, can be hard on your health. Keep yourself hydrated. Minimize your alcohol consumption. Get out of your seat and move around every hour or two. On flights over two hours, wear compression socks – especially important as we get older. It's always a good idea to get some sleep if you can. It's the first step to beating jet lag on international flights. Bring a neck pillow. Oh, and don't forget the little things like hand sanitizer, lip balm, and moisturizer.
All that said, here are our best travel accessories for men and women.
The best travel tech accessories
Apple AirTags
If you're checking a bag – and sometimes that's necessary – you'll want to protect yourself by dropping an Apple AirTag in each of your bags you're entrusting to the airline. The tag syncs to your smart phone so if your bag goes to Istanbul when you're going to Indianapolis, you can set the tag to “lost mode” and the Apple cloud will tell you where it is.
Your AirTag then sends out a secure Bluetooth signal that can be detected by nearby Apple devices in the Find My network. These devices send the location of your AirTag to iCloud. You can go to the “Find My” app on your cell phone and see it on a map. The whole process is anonymous and encrypted to protect your privacy.
Smartish iPhone case
If you're using a magnetic charger for your phone instead of a cable, you'll need a MagSafe phone case. We've tried a lot of phone cases over the years (and spent a lot more money than we've had to) but since we got our last phone update, we got Smartish cases. Smartish were rated the best case by Wirecutter – which is how we found them, but now that we've run them through more than two years of world travel and handling by two-year-old grandchildren, we can vouch for them too. Light, rugged, durable, protective, and in the scheme of phone cases, very reasonably priced. They come in lots of colors, too. And in sizes for pretty much all phones.
Buy the Smartish phone case on Amazon
Tessan 30-Watt Power Bank and Charger
It's hard to keep current (pardon the pun) with chargers because they're constantly being improved. But the Tessan 30-watt portable charger is probably the best combination of weight, versatility, and power available as of this writing. It's got enough power to give a full charge to your iPhone three times, and because it has both lightning and USB-C connectors, it will also work for your older iPhone, Android phone, laptop, or any other device that uses USB-C.
Buy the Tessan Power Bank on Amazon
Tessan 65-Watt Universal Travel Charger/Adapter
We've recently upped our charging game by switching the older multi-plug adapter/charger we had been carrying to this Tessan 65-watt version. We switched from our old 5-watt adapter to this one after noticing the laptop wasn't charging — not ideal on a long trip. This version has two standard USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, and an AC plug, so you can charge five devices at once. Be aware though, this is not a power converter. Be sure what you're plugging into the AC port it is compatible with the voltage of the country you're in. Don't plug in the hair dryer your brought along. BTW, you can also use this as a convenient multi-charger at home.
Buy the Tessan Charger/Adapter on Amazon
Anker 100-watt charging cables
If you're going to up your charging game, as above, you need to be sure your charging cables handle the load. It makes no sense to have a 65-watt charger and cables that can only handle 10 watts. So, we also upgraded to these Anker 100-watt cables.
Buy the Anker cables on Amazon
Lightning adapters for charging cables
We no longer have iPhone 13 mobile phones, but if you do have an older iPhone, you'll need Lightning connection cable adapters to run off your new 100-watt cables. We love these because they have a loop that connect them to the cables so you're not always looking for a tiny piece, and because the cable itself will now work for the older iPhone as well as all regular USB-C devices, such as laptops, Kindles, or iPads.
Buy the lightning adapters on Amazon
Check out all our travel charging suggestions in one place in this post.
Apple AirPods Pro 3 Wireless Earbuds
We've both finally bit the bullet and switched our earbuds to the Apple AirPods Pro 3. And, to be sure, they're a revelation. The noise cancelling is superb. The sound reproduction is great, and the operation with Apple products is (obviously) seamless. One you try them, you'll see what we mean.
1Mii Bluetooth 5.3 transmitter for the plane
If you want to use wireless headphones or earbuds on the plane, you're going to need a Bluetooth transmitter to get the plane's entertainment system sound to your head. That's where the 1Mii Bluetooth 5.3 transmitter comes in. It's small, light, and works great. What I really like about using it is you don't have to go through the hassle of disconnecting yourself when you get up from your seat.
Buy the 1Mii Bluetooth 5.3 transmitter on Amazon
Kindle Paperwhite
We're both big readers, and would never think of traveling with out our Kindle readers. It's a whole lot easier than carrying the stack of physical books on a trip. And we like the Paperwhite for a few reasons: it's lightweight; the Paperwhite reading screen is easier on the eyes than, for example, an iPad; and there's an option to listen to your books via Amazon's Audible.
Buy the Kindle Paperwhite on Amazon
USB Data Blockers
Before you plug into any public USB port, such as your hotel room or airport, add a USB data blocker to the end of your cable. It does just what the name says: it allows the charge through to your device, but stops any data transfer, stopping a practice called juice jacking, where criminals use compromised charging ports to access your device. If you use data blockers, the guys who hacked into the airport or hotel data port won't get all the info on your cell phone.
Buy the data blockers on Amazon
Allett RFID Blocking Travel Wallet
And, speaking of data blocking, thieves are also adept at picking up your credit card info from a distance using scanners. You can easily stop that with an Allett RFID blocking wallet. Some say the danger of RFID hacking is overblown, but why risk it? I've been carrying this wallet for a few years now. Do I think about its RFID capabilities? Probably not too often. But I really like that it's super durable and super light weight as well. Since I only carry one or two cards with me usually, it's perfect.
Buy the Allett RFID blocking wallet on Amazon
Read more about how to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft While Traveling in our guide here.
The best accessories for packing and organization
Carry-on bags: Cotopaxi backpack or Lite Gear roll-on
Recently Tom switched from a roller bag to this Cotopaxi Allpa 35L backpack. He likes it for a couple of reasons: it's very light, it opens like a book for easy access to everything. And, it's a backpack, which he prefers when traversing airports. It also has a laptop sleeve and an easily accessible top pocket, which can effectively to carry stuff you need to get to.
Buy the Cotopaxi Allpa backpack at Cotopaxi
Buy the Cotopaxi backpack at REI
Buy the Cotopaxi backpack at Amazon
Kris uses a Lite Gear brand roller bag as her main suitcase, because her “personal item” is a backpack. But that model of roller bag has been discontinued. We see nearly every flight crew member is still using the Travel Pro brand, and that's good enough for us. Next time Kris's bag needs replacing, that's probably the way we'll go.
Personal item: Timbuk2 messenger bag and Cotopaxi Batac 24 backback
Tom's “personal item” is the Timbuk2 Messenger Bag. It's got a handy pocket under the flap that allows easy access to everything he takes out of his pockets at airport security. Once you pass security, it's easy to reach into this small space and grab it all to go back into his pants pockets.
Buy the Timbuk2 Messenger bag at Amazon
Kris's personal item the new, super lightweight Cotopaxi Batac 24 backpack. It has a separate zipped sleeve for her laptop, a couple convenient exterior pockets, and a secure interior pocket for keys and other essentials. This bag has plenty room for her small camera bag, medicine, a sweater, spare glasses, eye mask, a reusable water bottle, and all the other in-flight items she needs. The Batac style comes in several sizes, so you can choose one that works for you.
Buy the Cotopaxi Batac at Cotopaxi
The Nanobag Daypack
For a daypack after you've reached your destination and you want something to carry around your rain jacket or sweater, your portable charger, etc. as you're walking around the city, you want this tiny, super light Nanobag Daypack. It weighs only 1.15 ounces (33 grams) and packs down in its included bag to a package about the size of a golf ball. Perfect for stashing in a tiny crevice of your carry-on.
Buy the Nanobag Daypack at Amazon
Eagle Creek packing cubes
We've shredded at least two sets of packing cubes over our years of full time travel. So, we finally opted for something a little more sturdy: The Eagle Creek mesh packing cubes. We like these for a couple reasons. You can see through the mesh so you don't have to remember what you put in which cube. And, as I said, they are a bit more substantial while still being very light weight.
Buy Eagle Creek packing cubes at REI
Buy Eagle Creek packing cubes at Amazon
Sea to Summit Toiletry Bag
Tom loves his Sea to Summit ultralight toiletry bag. It's small, but has enough pockets and pouches to carry all his toiletries. And the hanging hook is very convenient when you get where you're going.
Buy the Sea to Summit toiletry bag at REI
Cotopaxi Travel Cable Organizer
After carrying all my little electronics gear around in one small case for years, I finally broke down and got this Cotopaxi Travel Cable Organizer to keep it all straight and accessible in one dedicated tech organizer. It's so much nicer not having to dig around to find the right cable, my earbuds, extra SIM cards for my camera, and whatever other small electronic devices. It's a big improvement.
Buy the Cotopaxi Travel Cable Organizer at REI
The Waschii Travel Laundry Bag
This clever Waschii heavy duty plastic laundry bag is big enough to hold a few shirts, some socks, some underwear and a few liters of water. Add some soap (we usually use the hotel shampoo,) and shake it for a couple minutes. Empty the water, fill again a couple of times to rinse, and your travel clothes are clean. It folds up nice and small to easily fit in your carry-on. This is one of our new favorites.
Buy the Waschii Laundry Bag at Amazon
Travel accessories for comfort
The Trtl Travel Pillow
We've tried several types of neck pillows and found many of them to be too bulky. The big ones are too padded around the neck and actually push your neck forward off the seat back. That's not good. The best travel pillow for long flights we've found is the Trtl Travel Pillow. It wraps around your neck like a scarf and gently holds your head upright, which is what you want while you're trying to sleep sitting up. You can adjust it to be as tight or loose as you want so you can turn your head to the side, if that's your preference. And, like I said, it doesn't push your head forward off the seat back. That's worth repeating.
Buy the trtl Neck Pillow on Amazon
Contoured sleep mask
Sometimes, the airline will give you a sleep mask when you're on an overnight flight, but trust us, these contoured sleep masks are more comfortable. The contour holds the mask material off your eyelashes. Although it looks like you have a little bra on your face, these are a small, but significant, improvement in comfort.
Buy the contoured sleep masks on Amazon
Eargasm High Fidelity Earplugs
There are times when you want to plug your ears, but don't want to go all the way with total noise cancelling. Think all those loud concerts you used to go to. There are still times like that, such as those loud concerts you still go to – or even just that loud trendy restaurant. That's where these amazing Eargasm earplugs come in. They are plugs that reduce sound volume and pressure, but don't diminish sound quality. They have tiny diaphrams in them that allow most all the frequencies through, just at a lower pressure.
Buy the Eargasm earplugs at Amazon
Best travel accessories for health and wellness
KN95 face mask
No, Covid (and flu, RSV, and novovirus) are not over. And it just makes sense to wear a mask on a plane. Of course, that's up to you. But we often do.
Kleen Kanteen water bottle
One water bottle is pretty much as good as another, but I've been carrying this stainless steel Kleen Kanteen water bottle for several years. I like that it has a screw off top for filling and a pull up cap for drinking. I carry it empty to the airport in my “personal item” and then fill it on the other side of security and carry it on the plane. The flight attendants will gladly refill it for you during the flight. Think of the $6 you'll save by not buying plastic water bottles at the airport and the single-use plastic cups you'll save by not using them on the plane.
Buy the Kleen Kanteen water bottle on Amazon
Buy the Kleen Kanteen water bottle at REI
Point6 compression socks
Should I wear compression socks on long flights. In a word, yes — especially on flights over two hours, compression socks significantly reduce the risk of DVT. That might be the best piece of advice in this entire post. We had a friend who suffered an embolism on a long flight and almost died. It's easy and comfortable to wear a compression sock if you're going to be on the plane for more than a couple hours. Tom likes Point6 socks in general. (He also wears Point6 for hiking.) But the brand really doesn't matter. Just get good ones. And, don't forget to move around every hour or two to keep your blood flowing.
Before You Pack: What Every Traveler Should Know
- Choose the smallest suitcase for your purpose. To avoid extra fees and the hassle of lugging around heavy bags, choose a smaller bag and adapt what you're taking on your trip to the bag.
- Create a packing list. Make a general list of things you need so you don't have to remember and recreate it every time you hit the road. You can always make a few adjustments for your specific trip.
- Give enough thought to your personal item. Getting a good-sized bag – perhaps a smaller backpack – for your personal item is an easy way to carry a jacket, medicine, small electronics, and essential toiletries.
- Put your valuables in your personal item. By valuables, we mean everything you can't do without should you have any problems. (Our best advice regarding jewelry is leave it at home.) That means your passport, wallet, glasses, phone, etc. Then, add things you'll want on the plane, e.g. headphones, book, eye mask and neck pillow. If you are checking a bag, in addition to using the AirTags, take a picture of your checked bag so you can show it to the baggage office should it go missing.
- Make a photocopy of your passport or ID, your credit cards, and any other important travel documents and put them in your suitcase. If your ID or cards are lost or stolen, you will need to show proof of identity. Be sure to have copies someplace other than where your original documents are stored. An even better idea is to take a photo of your ID and passport ID page and email them to yourself and a trusted person or family member who can quickly email them back to you should everything go really wrong. The peace of mind of knowing you are backed up is worth the trouble.
- Carry at least a rudimentary first aid kit. It's easy to make one up yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions: Best Travel Accessories
What are the most essential travel accessories to pack for a long flight?
For long flights, the accessories that make the biggest difference are noise-cancelling earbuds or headphones, a quality neck pillow, a contoured sleep mask, and compression socks. Beyond comfort, bring a portable power bank so your devices stay charged, a USB data blocker for any public charging ports you use, and a reusable water bottle to fill after security. These items together cover comfort, security, and staying hydrated — the three things that matter most on a long-haul flight.
Should I wear compression socks on a plane?
Yes — particularly on any flight over two hours. Sitting still for extended periods slows blood circulation in the legs and increases the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a potentially serious condition where blood clots form in the deep veins. This risk increases with age, making compression socks especially worth wearing for travelers over 50. Pair them with getting up and walking the aisle every hour or two for the best protection.
What is a USB data blocker and do I really need one for travel?
A USB data blocker is a small adapter you insert between your charging cable and any public USB port — at airports, hotels, or cafés. It allows electricity through to charge your device while physically blocking the data pins, preventing a practice called “juice jacking,” where criminals use compromised charging ports to access or steal data from connected devices. They cost just a few dollars, weigh almost nothing, and are well worth carrying any time you travel.
What is the best carry-on bag for travel over 50?
The best carry-on depends on your travel style. A backpack-style carry-on (like the Cotopaxi Allpa 35L) works well if you move frequently between cities and prefer not to wheel a bag over cobblestones — it opens fully like a suitcase for easy packing and has a dedicated laptop sleeve. A compact roller bag (like the TravelPro models used by flight crews) suits travelers who prefer wheeled luggage and tend to stay in one place longer. Either way, choose the smallest bag that fits your packing list and will fit in the overhead bin.
What travel tech accessories are worth carrying in 2026?
The tech accessories that earn their weight are: Apple AirTags (one per bag, invaluable if an airline misdirects your luggage), a high-wattage portable power bank (30W or above), a universal travel charger/adapter with multiple USB ports, high-quality wireless earbuds with noise cancellation, a Kindle e-reader, and a Bluetooth transmitter for using wireless headphones on planes that only have a headphone jack. Add USB data blockers for any public charging port use and you're comprehensively covered.
How do I keep my devices charged while traveling internationally?
The key is a universal travel adapter with built-in USB-A and USB-C ports — this handles the plug difference between countries while letting you charge multiple devices simultaneously. Pair it with high-wattage cables (100W rated cables handle everything from phones to laptops) and a portable power bank for charging on the go. Make sure your adapter is rated for the voltage in your destination country — most modern electronics handle 100–240V automatically, but older devices (and hair dryers) may not.
Are packing cubes worth using for carry-on travel?
Yes — packing cubes are one of the most consistently useful travel accessories for anyone who travels frequently. They keep clothes organized and compressed, make it easy to find what you need without unpacking everything, and speed up both packing and airport security. For carry-on only travel, mesh packing cubes (like Eagle Creek's) have the added advantage of letting you see what's in each cube at a glance, which saves time at the start of every day.
