Travel Accesories

I'll bite. Here's a short list that doesn't take too much room in your luggage.

ziploc bags - use them in addition to packing cubes for various items: scarves, keeping receipts together, etc.
packing cubes - tops, underwear, electronic bits and bobs, etc.
laundry cord - drying hand washed items.
sink stopper - for doing laundry.
blow up pillow - pillows in many countries seem pretty flat. I usually need a bit more lift or my neck and/or back aches.

Inflatable airplane pillow is my #1. I'm also a heavy user of ZipLock bags

Hands down-- Zip Lock Bags in multiple sizes- perfect for flat packing light items & for food leftovers. Inflatable neck pillow, Therm-a-Rest inflatable Lumbar Pillow for long journey, packing cubes--to consolidate and new find--Lewis N. Clark Hidden Clip Stash Travel Wallet. Comfortable, compact and a great way to hide credit card and small amt. of cash.

Without a doubt, zip locs in various sizes-so, so useful for lots of things. I also take my travel size down pillow (squashes down to nothing). I sleep much better since taking it with my on my travels.

Looking through my yearly packing list:

3 adapters - Last year I bought the inexpensive RS ones because they’re even smaller than the ones I had previously. And they only have two prongs. In some of the locations in Italy, I wouldn’t have been able to use my 3-prong version.

Small flashlight - Useful to walk home after dinner through smaller streets, to see the cobblestones so we don’t trip, or to walk from the front door of a B&B to the room door if an overhead light isn’t working. (An alternate could be to use a flashlight on the phone.)

Small binoculars- Only bring them if there’s two places per trip for using, I.e. mosaics in churches & at a jousting festival for the last trip.

Small coin purse - This has been useful to only place what I’d be using for the next museum ticket, for instance. It really helps me not acquire so much lose change which can get heavy.

Apple shuffle & regular earbuds - I used to bring noise-cancelling headphones, but they are too bulky for and lower priority for me.

Trtl neckpillow support - this one allows me to truly sleep on the planes.

Ziplock bags of various sizes, and a set of plastic silverware. Very handy for eating picnic lunches or fruit/veggie healthy snacks.

2 pens and post-its- always find good uses for these.

Small sets of pages from guidebook and papers with list of location ideas. I pull out the next location’s info during our train ride, so we can decide what sounds the best to us and be ready to go have fun when we arrive.

A larger item is my LLBean toiletries bag - love it! Everything is instantly organized, and I can immediately see if I’m missing something.

On my last trip I brought some big 2.5 gallon ziploc bags to do laundry in hotel sinks. Put in one or two changes of underwear and socks, or a couple of shirts, fill with warm water and detergent (Tide liquid in one-shot packages), shake and let stand a few times just like a washing machine, then drain out the water and rinse the clothing in the sink. No need for a drain plug, no mess, no drips all over the place.

This idea came from someone on this forum, maybe Pam. Thanks to whoever!

Multi-port usb charger. I can plug multiple devices in one spot and I’m less likely to forget it! This one comes with a European adaptor: Pisen USB Wall Charger 4-Port... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075V3WKPH?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

Coin purse. You use a lot of change in Europe: bathrooms, tolls, etc.

Large envelope - for postcards, brochures, maps, receipts, etc.

I agree with the ziplocks. There's a million uses. Extra large ones can be good for washing clothes (put in water and soap, no need for sink stoppers). Packing (group like items together). Rain protection (put anything you need to keep dry, like maps, cameras, etc inside if caught in a deluge). Containers for snacks for later in the day. Transport wet or dirty items without messing up everything else in your bag. Group papers together (Paris tickets and map in this one, Rome in that one...).

Portable charger for iphone - charge this tiny item at night and if your phone runs low on battery during the day, plug it in and continue using the phone. Essential if you use your phone as a camera or for real-time maps.

Foldable tote bag. Mine squishes to smaller than my fist and unfolds to a grocery bag size. Many stores do not provide bags, and a cloth one is sturdy for carrying heavy or numerous items. Also can serve as a beach bag or overflow day bag if carrying a lot one day. ALSO I put my purse (personal item) in it on the airplane - it's a little extra room in my personal under seat item for snacks or water, once I land I finish the snacks, store the bag, and just have my purse and suitcase.

Travel towel. Ex-Large one folds to smaller than a t-shirt, but can be used like a regular towel. I've used it on the beach (who wants to pack a big beach towel for 1-2 beach days out of a long trip?). Also used it to squish out water from laundry, or in a pinch if I run out of hotel towels (my hair is long and thick, so I can go through towels fast!). Also can be a blanket if needed.

Portable charger for my iPhone which will poop out by mid-day even if fully charged in morning - I use it a lot for photos, maps and self-guided museum apps when I'm on vacation.

Compression packing cubes from Eagle Creek. I travel carry-on only and they are great for squeezing down multiple pairs of jeans and sweaters when traveling in colder climates, or if I'm going to be away for several weeks I can fit more daytime and nighttime outfits and still just have 1 carry-on to deal with.

Sholdit infinity scarf. I find money belts uncomfortable and the under the shirt wallets on a string that you wear around your neck are useless if you want to wear a more form fitting top. The infinity scarf comes in lots of colors and patterns and can hold excess cash, a credit card, passport/ID - even an iPhone. Let's me be hands-free when I want to and not have to carry a purse to dinner, concerts, bars or sporting events - just looks like part of my outfit.

ChicoBag for the grocery store or outdoor markets.

More and more, I need a cord organizer. I take a camera (battery charger), laptop (charger), 2 phones (wife and myself, 2 cords), and all this is a pain to keep straight. Plus the converter to European outlets - almost everything these days is dual-voltage. I just bought a very nice cord holder at Staples for about $13.

One cautionary note - 2 years ago, we were on the train, and left our small package of all financial info on the train. So, when you get ready to depart, make sure that you have all your stuff. Best to put it all in the same place each time.

Many of my favorites mentioned above. I also take:

• WetOnes in single packs -- super for cleaning tray table, hands, bathrooms, and even stains off your clothes
• A reusable wine stopper such as those from Vac-u-vin. I don't take the plunger, just the stopper. Just in case there is leftover wine.
• Wash-Eze for laundry as we often rent apartments and I don't want to buy a huge thing of laundry soap and have to abandon it. Also, I cut these into small pieces for sink laundry.

My #1 travel accessory is my money belt -- unlike some others I find it comfortable to wear and very comforting to know my passport and cards/cash are safely strapped beneath my clothes. Then portable charger, duct tape, 2 plastic coathangers, bandaids, and of course, Ziploc bags of all sizes. Nylon grocery bags 99¢ at Ikea or €1 at Monoprix.

blow up pillow, as others have said many european hotels have horible flat pillows so my blow up on is always there.
special adapter with usb port so I can charge iPhone and iPad from same plug socket.
I too have a small portable charger to boost my phone during the day,only bought it a few months ago and used it on two trips so far and has been useful.
Travel kettle.I only ever take this for longer trips and when I know there will be no access to kettles , I like a cup of tea when I get up in the morning.

I like the Civita Hidden Pocket. It is for sale at "Shop Online" at this website. It can hold a Passport and currency and Bank cards.

All of the above make sense except the notion of "left-over wine". What is "left-over wine"? I've never had that problem with wine. ...

Ha! Paul! We do sometimes take 2 nights to drink a bottle when we have rented an apartment and are eating “at home” and perhaps have also imbibed at lunch. Then there’s the grappa for an ADD (after dinner drink).

Take your own washcloth. Many hotels in Europe do not supply them. Also a ZipLock for packing it while still damp. And the very large ZipLock style bags are what I always use for packing clothes, fairly wrinkle-free if you are careful about stuffing the folded items inside before squashing out the air. They're available in the storage department of WalMart etc. Ikea sells a synthetic tote bag, like you use for buying vegetable etc. It weighs nothing, squeezes down into less than your pocket, but is very sturdy.

Thanks for the kind words Dick! Yes, my 2 gal ziplock is essential for my washing machine.

Other than that, I guess my Compass Rose Compression Packing Cubes from the blogger, Travel Fashion Girl. I thought I loved the Eagle Creek compression cubes but I love the way these sit in my suitcase (on the long side) rather than stacked on top of each other. The only thing that bothers me is that she has called them "compression" cubes but they are not really.

https://www.amazon.com/Travel-Packing-Unique-Organization-Fashion/dp/B07BVSD4HM/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1543280573&sr=8-5&keywords=compass+rose+compression+packing+cubes

I'd had several phone chargers crap out a few months ago. I picked up a handful of cheapies at Office Depot. They were in bins near the front with mix and match cords, phone adapter, USB ones, etc. I got purple ones so they'd be easier to see. Imagine my surprise when I plugged one in and itty bitty LED lights were on the cord. Just like Christmas, and it's a tiny night light. That was useful.

Night light! I had forgotten that we bought one in a 99-cent store in Germany, very handy for the middle-of-the-night wandering around unfamiliar hotel rooms.

From a guy who carries only a shoulder bag weighing under 12 pounds (ten lbs. is ideal).

The only thing that has continued to make the list year after year is ziplock bags. They come in handy in lots of ways.
- A big one for hand washing laundry (REI sells dry laundry sheets). Using a bag makes it easier to agitate and keep water from going everywhere.

- A few gallon storage bags for dirty socks, underwear, keeping papers dry, etc.
- A handful of quart size bags for smaller stuff including my dry and wet (1 each) toilet items.

My wet toilet items are toothpaste, shave cream, shampoo/conditioner, body wash, eye drops, and Febreeze spray. Not all come from the travel section but they're all under 3 oz and fit in one bag.

My dry items are dry deoderant, hair brush, wash puff (in it's own bag), razor, sunscreen stick, toothbrush, aspirin, Claritin, q-tips and a tiny sewing kit/bandaid package. I started bringing a puff because I hate packing wet bars of soap (and wash cloth) and my lodging choices usually require my own items.

I bring a synthetic chamois that I use to wring my hand washed items before hanging and as a towel when I need one (some of my lodging choices).

I've also found great utility in a blow up neck pillow and sleep mask. They don't take up much room and come in handy on the plane and in some lodging when it's either too light or the pillows are too flat (again my lodging choices).

Sun glasses and (for me) at least two pairs of reading glasses and a small microfiber cloth to clean them.

After that, I keep scaling back. I now bring my unlocked smart phone, regular ear buds (I decided noise reduction wasn't worth the extra weight/bulk for me), and both car and wall charger. It's my phone, camera, calendar, alarm, flashlight, music, TV, translator, email, GPS, etc. My RS travel guide is there too, as a Kindle file - downloaded at home before the trip. I buy a local SIM card when I get to Europe.

I do try to bring along some extra ziplocs

A small coin purse is invaluable in foreign countries where you end up with so much more coinage.

I actually like to have a money clip as well. That way I'm not exposing my actual wallet to pick pockets just a money clip with some cash on it and the coin purse.

I also put a little credit card holder on the back of my phone so I don't have to access my wallet for that either.

Then I keep my wallet in my pac safe "neck wallet"

Pacsafe Coversafe X75 Anti-Theft RFID Blocking Neck Pouch, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017BPN3PK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_plaaCb7KRKG00

but I actually wear it around my waist not my neck

Sometimes I actually have two of these on at the same time one for deep carry cash and passports and then one for items that I don't want stolen from me that I still need to access every time I pay for something. Such as the coin purse and money clip and even my wallet.

Again I wear these pac safe wallets around my waist and they have adjustable cables. They're easily the best thing I've ever bought. We actually all three of them. Two for me and one for my wife

Good point on the coin purse. After thinking about it for a long time and seeing that many men in Europe carry a wallet with an attached coin purse, I picked up a decent one very cheaply here in the states (I think $7 at a Ross).

If you think you might want one, look at places like Ross after Christmas. They're likely to be discounted because people don't use them here so they don't get sold. We don't have a one and two dollar coin like Europe.

Now if I can just remember where I put it?

I recently found some new things I really like:

Sea to Summit Ultra Sil Dry Sack

I use to use 2 gallon ziploc bags for laundry. Then I found this. Eight liters, about the same dimensions of the Ziploc, and weighs 1.1 oz. It rolls up to very thin. Much stronger than the Ziploc.

EasyAcc Battery Necklace Fan

I like it cool when I sleep. But that isn't possible everywhere. This little fan will not cool the room but put it on the nightstand next to you and it will cool the air around your head. USB powered, 3 speeds, adjustable direction, 6-18 hours depending on speed selected, 3" x 3" x 2.2", 5 oz.

Thanks everyone, a lot of great ideas. I tallied them and without a doubt the Number 1 item seems to be Ziplocks. But I also like someone's mention of the Sea to Summit 8L sack to do laundry.

I also think a coin purse is great, RS Store has a nice one. Several people mentioned tote bags but I prefer a small fold-up backpack. Someone mentioned an envelope, I use a vinyl folder, very handy for papers and maps. And I really like someone's mention of duct tape, that's on my list next trip!

Ziploc bags x 12
Travel pillow x 5 (everyone has a favorite)
Coin purse x 4
Packing Cubes x 4 (some mentioned compression type)
Portable power bank x 4
Tote bag x 4
Laundry soap x 3 (WashEse, Tide One Shots, REI Dry Sheets)
Money belt/neck wallet x 3
Travel towel x 3
USB charger x 3
Earbuds x 2
Electrical EU adapter x 2
Toiletries x 2
Apple shuffle
Bandaids
Battery Necklace Fan
Claritin
Containers for snacks
Cord organizer
Credit card holder for back of phone
Duct tape
Flashlight
Large envelope
Laundry cord
Microfiber cloth to clean glasses
Money clip
Multi-port usb charger
Night light
Pages from guidebook
Pens and post-it notes
Plastic coathangers
Plastic silverware
Rain protection
Reading glasses
Sea to Summit 8L Ultra Sil Dry Sack
Sewing kit
Sholdit Infinity Scarf
Shoulder bag
SIM card
Sink stopper
Sleep mask
Small binoculars
Sun glasses
Travel kettle
Travel Wallet
Trtl neckpillow
Washcloth
WetOnes in single packs
Wine stopper

Thanks for compiling that list, RC. You've done us all a favor.

Now the question is whether I can get any clothing into my bag on top of the 12 ziplocs, 5 pillows, and all the rest. Plus of course the leftover wine that has to go somewhere -- maybe a ziploc? ;-)

I generally go small with jewelry and use a pill organizer to hold rings and earrings while I'm traveling.

Cannot believe twist ties were not mentioned. I never travel without them.

Wow, over half of the items in your tally sheet have never been considered for my packing, and I’m planning our 11th European trip now (plus numerous past work trips). The danger is that now these items might drift onto our lists! ; )