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Welcome to our article on travel essentials for women. Whether you’re a frequent traveler or about to leave for your first adventure, we’ve got you covered.
In this guide, we’ll share the must-have travel essentials you should pack to make your upcoming trip hassle-free and enjoyable. From beauty essentials, items to make you feel safer and comfy clothing, we’ll cover everything you need to know before you hit the road.
I have travelled extensively internationally so I feel pretty qualified to share this list of travel essentials for women. Throughout the past 14 years I have used each of these items multiple times so can personally vouch for them.
Keep reading for practical advice and recommendations to ensure you’re well-prepared for any destination, climate, or emergency.
My Number One Travel Essential
The one item I recommend as a must have is a luggage weight. My oma got me one for my first trip abroad and I have used them ever since – both the analog and digital versions.
A luggage weight is a small device with a hook, that you can hook on to your backpack or suitcase to weigh it. Its invaluable when you have to stay within a certain weight for checked and carry on because you can weigh your bags before you leave and adjust accordingly.
If you’re traveling carry on only, it’s a must have. As it is if you’re a chronic overpacker who has been charged overweight fees at check in before.
I’ve never had the misfortune of being charged overweight fees, but if I didn’t use the luggage weight I definitely would have.
I still use it every single time I travel and its my number one must have.
Do I Need All of These?
No, not really. This is a comprehensive list covering all situations so you wont need every little thing for each trip you go on.
However its good to refer back to as a guide when you do go traveling to different places.
I have taken every single one of these items on trips at different times and hence have made this list to help you stay prepared, no matter the trip.
Electrical Travel Essentials for Women
Portable Charger
A portable charger is a must-bring travel essential for women. It keeps your devices charged on the go, avoiding the hassle of having to find power outlets when your phone dies mid sightseeing.
Whether you’re on a weekend getaway or a long backpacking trip, a portable charger helps you stay connected and able to take photos of the place you’re visiting.
It’s especially important to bring on trips that involve a lot of outdoor activities or where access to charging points might be limited, like camping, hiking, or road trips.
Compact and lightweight, a portable charger easily fits in your bag without taking up much space. With a reliable portable charger in your luggage, you can sightsee without having to worry too much about using your phone or camera.
International Adapter
Super handy if you are traveling abroad and want to be able to charge your electronics. Hint: you do.
My favourite thing about international adapters is that they’re actually affordable, meaning it’s a travel must have that wont dip deeply into your travel fund. I love the ones that cover multiple countries, rather than just one, as that means you can use it for multiple trips.
My top tip is to store it in a safe place that you’ll remember after each trip. They’re not too expensive but they do last for a while so best not to put it somewhere forgettable meaning you have to buy a new one for every holiday.
A Camera
While you don’t need a camera to have a great holiday, lets face it. Your memories aren’t always the most accurate reminder of what happened and also they fade over time. A camera means you have a backup of all the great things you saw and did every day while on your trip.
If you don’t already have one, or if you can’t afford to buy one – no stress, you can use the camera on your phone. But if you have the budget for it, I’d recommend buying a mirrorless camera such by Sony, or a DSLR from Nikon. I personally have the Sony 6500 mirrorless and the D5100 Nikon but there have been newer versions since then.
Travel Tripod
This is especially handy if you’re traveling solo, or even as a couple or with friends and want to get shots of yourself.
Ofcourse you can ask a stranger, but it really depends on the type of shot you want. I have travelled a lot and most of the time, a shot taken by a stranger doesn’t make it to the Instagram feed.
If you do want professional looking photos, a travel tripod is worth investing in. Make sure its lightweight, and folds up small so its easy to carry around.
If you are happy with selfies though, you won’t need a travel tripod.
If you have looked at the options online and they seem like more weight than you wish to carry, you can also try a mini tripod like the Gorilla tripod. These are a good compromise option if you want to be able to take full body pictures of yourself, but don’t want to carry too much extra weight around.
Travel Must Haves for the Plane Ride
A Neck Pillow
I never travel without a neck pillow, and while you can buy them last minute at the airport, I strongly recommend buying one beforehand to avoid paying double the price.
Neck pillows are great for helping you sleep or stay comfortable on planes, buses and trains. Best of all, they technically don’t have to take up space in your luggage as you can clip them to the outside of your backpack or suitcase while on the move.
A See Through Bag for TSA
I think some airports may give these out, but if you want to save time and avoid rushing at the airport, buy one before hand. I always do this so I’m not scrambling to shove my liquids and gels inside.
This way you can put everything you need in there before even getting to the airport. Then all you have to do is grab the see through bag from your carry on and place it in the tray on the conveyor belt.
Ear Plugs
A must have not only for hostels but also for on the plane.
Crying baby?
What crying baby. I’ve got earplugs in.
Snorer in the hostel?
Don’t know what you’re talking about as I slept like a baby.
Struggling to read a book while people are chatting around you?
What people?
You get where I’m going with this.
Earplugs can greatly improve the quality of your sleep or transit experience while traveling. Plus they’re super cheap to buy and don’t take up a lot of space in your luggage.
Safety Items for Women
A Hat
Nobody wants a sunburnt face so it’s a good idea to pack a hat if you’re going somewhere sunny. If you’re going somewhere windy I’d strongly recommend picking something with a strap or that is tightly fitted to your head.
Nobody wants to run after a windblown hat on a crowded beach.
My tip for packing hats in luggage is to fill it with small items, such as underwear, or socks, then place it down into your luggage. This way it technically takes up no space in your suitcase.
The space that it does take up is filled with something that you would have packed anyway, and the rest is flat against the bottom of your suitcase reading to have clothes folded on top of it.
Toiletry and Health Travel Essentials
Makeup / Toiletry Bag
Trust me, this will make your life so much easier. If you can find something with sections, even better.
A makeup and/or toiletry bag is a godsend, especially in a crowded backpack. It prevents you from having to search aimlessly for rogue toothbrushes, concealer or tweezers.
Its so much easier to grab one small bag and carry it into the bathroom, and gives you a barrier between your items and the (hopefully well cleaned) basin.
Sunscreen
Sunscreen is a must have when visiting a place where its sunny and you’ll be spending a lot of time outdoors. Its up to you whether you want to buy this before leaving for your trip, or when you arrive.
If you have a specific brand you like or if you want a particular type of sunscreen, I recommend buying before you leave.
Use reef safe sunscreen if you’re going to be wearing it in the water. While its not perfect, this is far better than regular sunscreen for the marine life.
Hand Sanitiser
A small bottle of hand sanitiser will come in handy when you need to wash your hands on the go. Especially for after going to the bathrooms or being outside touching all manner of things.
I recommend a travel sized bottle, as you can normally find more in chemists overseas if you need it. Hand sanitizer can be a lifesaver, especially in public restrooms where soap isn’t often provided.
A First Aid Kit
A small first aid kit is essential because it will help you if you unexpectedly have a headache or get sick. I remember waking up severely hydrated on Caye Caulker one morning, and with no chemists open yet, my only medicine was some powerade.
If I had had a small medical kit with dehydration sachets, I would have saved myself some pain and walking around. So now I always have a small kit.
I recommend you pack some headache tablets, Toms or some other medication for an upset stomach, and some hydration sachets. This will buy you some time to feel better before having to venture out to find a pharmacy.
Hair Ties
Don’t kid yourself, take quite a few. Hair ties are known to go wandering and they aren’t always easy to find when on the road. You can normally buy a 20 pack of simple bands quite cheaply online or in the supermarket at home.
Make sure you pack some comfortable ones, that you know wont pull your hair out. Especially if in a beach destination where you know your hair will get extra tangly.
Tweezers
While its not something you’d immediately think to pack, tweezers are a great thing to pack for your travels. They have two key uses.
First, your eyebrows. Its great to have some tweezers on hand to keep your eyebrows tidy while traveling. Or just to keep your eyebrows in a certain shape.
Secondly, if something gets into your skin, like a prickle, it’s a must have. You can pull out your tweezers and pull it out much quicker than you would it take if you first had to find a store that sells tweezers.
Facial Wipes
A travel essential for women if you’ll be wearing make up on your trip. Facewipes are an easy way to clean your make up off at the end of the day, rather than bringing a bottle of cleanser which may leak in your bag.
In addition, you can use them for cleaning your hands after eating if you’re not near a sink. IE: if you’re eating something on a long bus ride.
A Toilet Paper Roll
The amount of times a toilet paper roll has saved me in a public restroom is far too many to count. It may shock you, depending on what your home country is like, but a lot of public restrooms don’t have toilet paper.
So you’re kind of left to fend for yourself. Especially in Asia and Central America.
Sometimes they’ll be a fee for toilet paper, but many times there just won’t be any. So I recommend bringing a roll with you from home that can be squeezed into your day bag.
A Laundry Bag
A laundry bag is a must have travel essential for women while traveling, as it’s a place where you can put dirty clothes in after use. The benefit being that those clothes wont mix with your clean items, stopping them from transferring dirt or smells.
You don’t need anything fancy for this, a plastic bag will do. You can chuck the dirty clothes inside and tie it off, isolating it from the rest of your luggage.
Nail Clippers
On trips longer than a week or two, nail clippers can come in handy. It will help keep everything tidy, especially during summer when your feet are out and about, greeting the world.
They also come in handy for if you break a nail, so you can even the nail off quickly. Also, doing so will stop that jagged nail from catching on anything else, such as clothing, or your skin.
Lip Balm
Lip balm is great for keeping your lips soft while on vacation, regardless of whether its summer or winter during your visit. In winter though, I’d say its even more needed as the cold, dry air can crack your lips.
Something cheap and moisturising will do, you don’t have to buy something fancy here. A bonus is that lipbalm is so small that its going to take up no space at all in your luggage.
A Hair Brush
An item which doesn’t always jump out as something you have to pack, but is very much needed. Don’t get so focused on the big items that you forget to pack the one thing keeping your hair from being a mess.
If you don’t have a lot of space, you can opt for a smaller, travel sized hair brush.
Clothing and Shoe Travel Items for Women
A Water Proof Poncho or Rain Jacket
If visiting a place during a time where rain is common, a lightweight rain jacket should be an essential item to pack. These jackets are often thin but will protect you if you get caught out in a shower.
Everywhere else I grab 1 or 2 cheap waterproof ponchos before I leave for my trip. These are often under $10 and are folded up into a small rectangular packet. I slip one into my day bag just incase the rain hits.
You can also normally find these at your destination but its good to have one on hand already. As a bonus, they also can help protect you from water spray if you’re stuck on a boat in wavy conditions.
A Sleep Mask
A cheap sleep mask can help you block out light when traveling. They’re useful for both plane, train and bus travel, as well as for when sleeping in a dorm room.
A sleeping mask can block out the light, whether that is from the outside world, or a dorm mate flipping on the light at 1am in the morning. So if you are doing any long travel days, or staying in a hostel, I’d strongly recommend a sleeping mask.
Flip Flops for the Shower
I always pack my flipflops, although that’s not what we call them in Australia. We call them thongs, but online I don’t want to confuse anyone. Flipflops are a great item to pack for your travels.
When I was younger, they were a great multitasking item. You could wear them outside on sunny days, and also use them as shower shoes – because who knows how clean your hotel shower really is.
Older me opts for sandals on sunny days, but still loves to bring a pair for the showers. They’re especially essential if you are sharing a bathroom with others, such as when staying in a dorm room.
Who knows what has landed on the floor before you entered. So don’t look down and slip on your flipflops.
A Scarf or Light Coverup
A scarf or light coverup can come in handy in two ways.
In cold weather, it can help keep you warm as a wearable item, and it can also be used as an impromptu blanket on transport when its cold or the air conditioning is too high. Plus, even though it’s a winter item, a non bulky scarf only take up the same amount of space in your luggage as a tshirt.
Alternatively, a coverup can help keep your skin protected from the sun when on the beach, or as something to throw over your swimwear when needed.
Quick Dry Underwear
If you don’t want to use a laundry service, a good alternative is to hand wash your underwear. This way you don’t have to worry about whose looking at it.
Buying underwear that is quick drying means it’ll take less time to dry overnight in your hotel room. Quick dry underwear also comes in handy when doing treks with water crossings, ensuring your underwear will dry quicker if it gets wet.
Pyjamas
Often forgotten, you’ll want to pack something to sleep in on your travels. We’re often sidetracked by what to wear during the day that pajamas are an after thought.
I normally pack a simple slip dress to sleep in as I find this takes up the least space, but then again, a small tshirt and shorts set wouldn’t take up much space either.
All Other Travel Must Haves for Women
A Day Bag
A day bag is a must have for daily sightseeing on your trip. If you don’t have a lot of things, you can easily pack an extra small bag, or you can use your carry on bag (if its an actual bag and not a mini suitcase).
Depending on where I’m going I will either pack a small handbag (if I want to look less like a tourist and have my smaller camera), or just take a carry on that doubles as a backpack if I have more camera gear and feel like I stand out as a tourist anyway.
Packing Cubes
Packing cubes are a great little hack for organising your backpack or suitcase. Its great for keeping things organised so you don’t have to ruffle around trying to find something.
There are lots of different styles you can try, and they’re normally not too expensive for a set.
If you don’t have the budget to buy packing cubes, I’d recommend grouping some or all of your belongings in plastic bags. It works similarly as it keeps your items grouped together, although you can’t see through them.
Sunglasses
Perfect for keeping the sun out of your eyes and protecting you from glare on sunny and bright days. Sunglasses don’t take up a lot of space and are lightweight.
Alternatively, for my fellow introverts, it’s a great thing to have on days where you don’t want people to see you’re looking at them, or if you just want that extra layer between you and the world.
A cheap pair will do fine for a trip overseas. If you want to take an expensive pair, then weigh up the risks.
Waterproof Bag
This comes in handy if you’re visiting an island, especially if you have to carry your luggage off a boat without a pier. This normally happens in shallow water (below the knee) and you’ll hold the luggage above the water.
You may encounter this situation in places like Asia or Central America, where the boat will park close to shore and you have to walk a short distance.
For these situations I like to put my valuables within a water proof bag inside my backpack or suitcase. Just incase I trip. Its an extra layer of protection.
Microfiber Towel
A microfibre towel takes up very little space in your luggage, but can absorb a decent amount of water. Most hotels will provide towels, but I’d recommend bringing a microfibre towel for other times such as while at the beach, or swimming at a waterfall.
Its lightweight so can been stuffed into your day bag (unlike a regular sized towel), and you wont have to rent one while out.
In conclusion, having the right travel essentials can make a world of difference for your future trips.
I have covered myself so many times from packing one or all of the above in my luggage. In 14 years of travel they haven’t let me down.
Packing cubes keep your luggage organized and stress-free, while portable chargers ensure you stay connected throughout your journey. Don’t forget a lightweight rain jacket to stay dry and comfortable in unexpected weather.
With these essentials in your bag, among the others on this list, you can travel with confidence and focus on making memories, worry-free. Remember, preparation is key, and investing in these items will pay off in the long run.
So, pack smart, charge up, and embrace the unexpected as you explore the world with these key items.