5 things you need to pack for a trip
When I prepare for each trip, there are items that ALWAYS ALWAYS come with me, no matter what type of trip it is – a nice short haul trip to Seville or a nice long hop to Miami, they always come with me.
Here are the 5 things you need to pack for a trip (in my opinion!)
An Amazon Fire 10 HD tablet
Costs from £/$/€ 159 from Amazon UK or USA
I have always only had Apple tablets but the truth is, I very rarely use my iPad since switching to a Plus phone and currently my IphoneX. I have a MacBook 12′ which fits into my handbag perfectly, so the only thing I really have felt the need for a tablet was to watch films on planes and on trips. Could I justify the £1000 price tag? No – which means more money for shoes or hand wash.
My friend Kim-Marie Evans from Luxury Travel Mom had raved about the Amazon tablets and on a recent Prime Day sale, we just bought one. And we love it. We bought the one with the most storage (but you can actually extend it with a micro SD card, unlike an iPad). It was easy to set up, we have all our Sky, Prime and Netflix apps and I do not need it for anything else. For £100 and something pounds, it is perfect and the screen quality is great. It also doubles up as a Kindle and I am sure it has many other features we haven’t discovered yet
You will also need a case (which doubles up as a stand, so make sure get one). See the UK suggestion here and the USA here.
Have a look at my Travel Tech essentials on this post – there may be another two or three things you need to pack for a trip there too.
A personalised Longchamp Le Pliage
Costs from £120 from Longchamp
We have 3 Longchamps Le Pliage (the XL size) which we always take folded with us on every trip. You never know what you may buy, they are discrete and do the job really well. I also find them useful every time I forget to pack a beach bag (which happens a lot more than it should). I wash them in my washing machine when I get home and on average, each of my bags lasts almost 10 years. Cost per usage? £0.10. We recently had to replace one of ours and it was the perfect excuse to order a personalised Le Pliage – for only £124, you can have your own bag, pick the colour, stripe, handles, and have it monogrammed. For the first one I chose navy, so when the next one goes, I will do the reverse and have it in grey. It took about 2 weeks to get it – and definitely is one of the things you need to pack for a trip.
Tumi Madina Voyageur Washbag
From £175 or $175 from Selfridges, Amazon USA , Shopbop, Zappos
I feel that I have been looking for this XL washbag for years. I love the Medina, which you can just hang on a hook and you can also detach one of the parts (the black one) and remove it when you do not need it. I have machine washed it after an ‘explosive accident’ and I expect it to last years. We have been loyal to Tumi for over a decade and very happy customers.
Vacuum insulated water bottle
Costs from £25/$20 Selfridges,John Lewis, Amazon UK, Amazon USA.
We were very late to this game and I really only got my bottle a few months ago. I thought it was a gimmick but it actually isn’t – I found it obviously useful when working out, but it was then we tested it when going to the beach that the ball dropped. The water stays cold all day (12 hours, they say) and in some places with very limited or no ‘sun lounger service’, this worked like a dream.
I am still a bottled water snob, but this meant we stopped buying small bottles to take for workouts and in the car. I am worried about our plastic waste and we really are trying to reduce our waste and this is a small step. I have waited over 4 weeks to include this in this roundup in case I was just excited about it, but we stuck with it. Don’t get the white bottle as it tends to get a bit dirty. And buy a washing brush as it is a pain to clean them (I am dying for when they are dishwasher-friendly).
If you are not sure you will commit 100%, buy a cheaper version – we did that before then upgrading to a Swell. If there is one thing you take from this post – please let these be one of the things you choose to pack for a trip.
Uniqlo ultra-light down jacket
Costs £55 from Uniqlo (ships world-wide)
It took me a while to convert to Uniqlo, but I am honestly hooked. They do basics very well – and I cannot recommend them enough. They do the best jeggings (which look like real trousers, don’t need ironing and fit like a glove for £20) but they do these ultra light down jackets which come in its own bag and they have saved us a few times now. Obviously not if you are in the middle of a heatwave, but if you aren’t sure if it will get cold, just throw one jacket (or vest, the vests are great too!) in your suitcase and it will take almost no space. Their longer version is lovely (and looks very smart) and of course, men and kids can also have their own. Best £50 you will spend.
If you want something similar at a different price points, you won’t go wrong with a Herno. (See US options here and European options here). I have two and I just love them.
All these items were purchased by ourselves and we have recommended them to friends and family – and would very happily recommend to all my readers. I hope one of these items is useful for an upcoming trip.
What items do you think will be of most use? What are the things you always need to pack for a trip?
xo
Mrs. O
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