Not long ago, I polled my followers on Instagram:
‘What should I write about next?’
1 / Adventure Travel
2 / Luxury Travel
3 / Practical Travel
4 / Eco-Travel
Winner: Adventure Travel
Interesting. Perhaps people are looking for more than Dyson hair dryers and pillow menus when they travel. More interestingly, an equal percentage of followers voted for both Practical and Luxury Travel. In fact, my post, ‘Packing Matters: 5 Things I Can’t Do Without’ overwhelmingly beat my other posts in clicks last year. I am Lost and Found may be about the cross-section of luxury and adventure travel, but there is plenty of space here to honor the practical side of travel.
So what to pack? My current list of five indispensable items I travel with follows. Some lean practical and some luxurious. A few are both, depending on how one defines the terms.
Which items will end up in your bag next? Read on.
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5 / What to Pack: Apple AirTag
I hate checking bags. Everyone does, right? That overhead luggage bins are filled by Boarding Group 3 proves I’m not alone. It isn’t pretty out there for checked bags. Airlines lose luggage more than ever. Yet, sometimes, I have no choice. On my recent expedition to Antarctica, I reluctantly checked my baggage. Fitting 13 days’ worth of polar gear in a carry-on is well beyond my packing expertise.
I have a secret weapon for keeping track of my checked bags now—the Apple AirTag.
Why I love it: Remember the game Hot/Cold we played outside as kids? Do kids still play outside? Well once the AirTag is set up, the app will not only tell me how many feet away I am from my luggage, it will point me in the right direction to let me know if I’m getting warm. Try hiding your luggage. I did. It works!
I can hear you saying, ‘I read AirTags are used to track people without consent.’ I read that too, but The New York Times cleared it all up. Since they said it best, feel free to read it here. I’m so in favor of AirTags that I’m considering attaching one to my 16-year-old son. With his consent, naturally.
Practical or luxurious: The $29 Apple AirTag is the most practical and cost-effective way to keep sanity in check when checking luggage. Don’t cry when your bag’s in Dubai and you’re in Denver—at least you know where it is! More times than not, you’ll have peace of mind that when you disembark, your luggage is less than 500 feet away from exactly where you are standing.
Say goodbye to lost luggage.
Shop it here.
4 / What to Pack: Luggage Scale
I overpack my bags. I curse loudly, sweat bullets, and scrape layers of skin off my fingers as I zipper it, inevitably ruining my vacation manicure. Afterward, I breathe a sigh of relief. Not only did I successfully get it shut, but that officially counts as my workout for the day.
Then comes the moment of truth. Is it too heavy? Will I be that person unpacking clothes on the floor beside the check-in counter—my underwear on display for all to see? Will they make me pay $150 for overweight baggage?
Owning a luggage scale means I no longer have to risk it. Flying these days comes with enough uncertainty. I may not know where my passport is (a habit that drives my family crazy every time we enter an airport), but I will know that my clothes and shoes weigh a travel-approved total of 48.6 lbs.
Why I love it: The luggage scale appeals to my measured and organized nature. It’s small, simply designed, and most of all, precise. Plus, it’s far better for my back than getting onto the bathroom scale with my bag. Not to mention my self-confidence. No one wants to read 380 lbs on a scale under any circumstances. That’s a number you just can’t unsee.
Practical or luxurious: Another truly practical travel accessory! That’s two in a row if you are good at counting. Most luggage scales cost around $12 and can be purchased within seconds at Amazon right here. I’ve had mine for five years and have yet to replace a battery. It always works! Which is a guarantee that the next time I use it, it won’t. But 5+ years for $12? I can’t complain.
Can’t wait to get one?
Shop it here.
What to pack side note: I swear by Eagle Creek luggage and packing cubes. Eagle Creek, don’t you think a built-in luggage scale would be a cool feature? I’m available for a brainstorming session at your convenience.
3 / What to Pack: Silk Eye Mask
Whether I’m on the 35-minute American shuttle to NYC or a 13-hour overnight United flight to Tokyo, I sleep on airplanes. My travel superpower is the ability to fall asleep at any time of day, in any moving vehicle. Although I try to avoid this while driving, of course. On an airplane, I can fall asleep the moment we are wheels up and I can recline my seat.
Occasionally, I pretend to sleep on airplanes. I’m an avid chit-chatter, but I NEVER chit-chat on a plane with a stranger until the wheels touch the runway. And even then, I don’t. You learn that lesson once the hard way (no gate, no gate crew, sound familiar?). A silky, soothing eye mask, therefore, has become an indispensable item in my sleep kit. Yes, I have a sleep kit. It has an eye mask, ear plugs, an emergency sleeping pill, and a micro travel blanket. I also have a travel pillow. I can see your eyes rolling from here.
Why I love it: A silk eye mask makes all this business of ignoring seatmates possible. It allows me to zone out, meditate, listen to a podcast, or music, or actually sleep (without ruining my makeup!) Sleep is my all-time favorite in-flight activity. And since I’m always seated at the window, (insert humble brag) I’m truly the best seatmate ever.
Practical or luxurious: The silk eye mask is the ultimate practical luxury of plane travel. It takes comfort to the next level whether seated in 47A or 2A. Although, seat 2A probably comes with a complimentary glass of champagne. A welcome addition to the sleep kit, indeed.
Get ready for take-off.
Shop it here.
2 / What to Pack: Anatomie’s Kenya Jacket
It will come as a surprise to no one I have a go-to travel day ‘travel outfit’. This is what I wear on the bookends of my trip. It gets worn exactly twice so never takes up space in my bag. Clever, right? Imagine my surprise that I’m not alone in adopting this neurotic, I mean efficient, travel habit. Hello, Anatomie’s Kenya jacket.
Why I love it: Anatomie is a clothing line that’s ‘Designed To Fly’, a tagline I love so much I want to steal it. My navy blue Kenya jacket is breathable and doesn’t wrinkle. It’s lightweight, but still keeps me warm on ever-frigid airplanes. Anatomie’s clothes are stretchy enough to give at all the right times—like after I’ve devoured three stroopwafels, for instance. They are simple and classic enough to inspire gate attendants to move you up to business class.
Practical or luxurious: Yes, the price points are in the luxury arena. But, the style and fit are pure practicality. With one jacket, three pairs of trousers, and a few lightweight tops (mine are all mix and matchable in navy, white, and natural colors), I have an in-flight wardrobe I wear over and over again.
Are you designed to fly?
Shop it here.
1 / What to Pack: Le Labo Travel Perfume
My number one ‘what to pack’ item is so impractical that I am already bracing for the trolls. Go easy on me, did you forget the luggage scale is $12?
I’m nothing if not transparent. Remember I admitted to having a sleep kit! Lately, I’ve become obsessed with Le Labo products. It started a few years ago at The Edition Hotel in London. Their signature scent (a Pavlovian practice some hotels have adopted these days) is Le Labo. I was smitten at first sniff. Whoever’s behind the marketing for Le Labo—bravo.
Why I love it: First founded in New York City by two friends in 2006, Le Labo was later purchased by the Estée Lauder Company. Their array of 18, non-animal-based fragrances is nothing short of intoxicating. But, intoxication comes at a price. A 50 ml bottle of Le Labo perfume may cost $220 but the Discovery Sets, with multiple mini-scents, cost far less. See? Totally practical!
Aside from discovering your own signature scent, they’re ideal for travel. No need to worry about arriving at your destination smelling of stale recirculated air or the Chick-fil-A sandwich the guy in 47B had for lunch.
Practical or luxurious: Le Labo products are luxury items. The travel-sized samplers are filled with the kind of joy that only comes second to the happiness of going on vacation!
Le Labo is on Amazon.
Isn’t everything? Shop it here.
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Know what to pack
Packing is personal. We all have our go-to tricks, techniques, and items we can’t travel without. Some might be comfort-based. I have friends that travel with their own pillowcases, for example. Some are dietary-based, like packing a favorite brand of tea. Other items worth packing simply allow us to be prepared in a time when travel is anything but simple.
So, what to pack? Did you discover any practical luxuries that will make it into your luggage? Maybe your mind is eased knowing an Apple AirTag is tracking your luggage from DC to Buenos Aires, via Newark. Or, having a scale to ensure you can bring home all those colorful ceramics you bought in Morocco. Perhaps, you’re happy to get some shut-eye on the flight home with a poofy, pillowy eye mask to escape chatty seatmates.
My Instagram poll also highlighted that readers are interested in adventure travel. I’ll do my best to deliver, starting with our recent sailing escapades to the Belize Barrier Reef. Where we under-provisioned our food, underestimated the sun, and survived 30-knot winds at 3am.
Thankfully, I had my Le Labo travel-sized scent, Another 13, on board. So despite being in a minor state of panic, I smelled really good.
I remember you telling me about the time you fell asleep in the dentist’s chair. You really can sleep anywhere!