Travel Essentials for those who want to not be bothered, stay clean, and pack easy

TUMI - Alpha 2 - 4 Wheeled Expandable International Carry-On Luggage ($625 at Amazon.com)

This is engineering at its best. They always have great travel products as the Tumi Alpha 2 – 4 Wheeled Expandable International Carry-on doesn’t miss. Ok… yes, $625 is a lot for a carry-on bag. If you are a constant traveler (especially for business), you will need something of quality that will stand up for years against the ripping up and down the concourse to the inevitable stowing your carry-on under the plane. The classic Tumi luggage style has a black-on-black ballistic nylon shell, which provides an extra layer of protection and security. The international carry-on is a great bag that is durable and provides the organization for your clothes and travel items. Additionally, Tumi has great customer support and a good warranty. How many Tumi stores have you seen at the airport? There’s a reason. Outside of making new sales, they are close to their customers and can support whatever fixes or issues they have.

PocketJuice 20,000 mAh Portable Charger ($49.99 at Best Buy)

Pocket chargers are an absolute god-send and a necessity. I carry two because you never know when you are going to:

1) Find a wall charger

2) (Then possibly) Be stuck on a flight that has no back-seat entertainment (Hello, American Airlines) and need a charge

3) Be caught on the streets trying to Uber or Lyft and are at 1%

4) Need to take a business call with your boss and again you are at 1%

PocketJuice is a great brand. Their products charge quickly and have longevity.

Scarf – (Alexander McQueen Skull Print Scarf - $175 at Farfetch.com)

Any scarf can do, but I need a specific type of scarf while. However, the scarf has to be long and wide. My personal choice is to have one that is cashmere for the fall and winter, and another that is silk or linen-blend for the spring and summer. A nice (possibly) designer scarf goes a long way. You can easily dress it up or down. But most importantly, you need a scarf to block you from the elements – frigid air in planes or the occasional windy day or summer heat or just to cover your face when someone is trying to peep/camera-phone-picture you from a far.

Kiehl’s Refreshing Mist – ($27 at Saks Fifth Avenue)

Waking up dishelved and simply a mess ain’t where it is at. After long flights across country or across the ocean, I find that Kiehl’s Refreshing Mist wakes your face up and gives you a refreshed feel and hydrates your face before you deplane. Who wants to go to a customs office with sleep in their eye and looking all dry-faced(ed?)? The Refreshing Mist is the go-to; it doesn’t leave you oily or dried out.

Cottonelle Fresh Care Flushable Cleansing Cloths ($0.99 at Target) and Clorox Disinfecting Wipes On The Go Fresh Scent ($0.99 at Target)

Traveling is hard. At some points, you can be separated from your stuff for hours (or days) and your own space/bed for days/week/months depending on how you roll. The best thing for me especially when traveling in airports is to carry wipes to clean up when you aren’t feeling fresh after being on a nasty plane. Face it: planes are nasty and don’t get deep cleaned as often as you think! This brings me to another requirement. While some people like hand sanitizer (I am a fan too!), I really prefer some Chlorox® (emphasis again on Chlorox®) wipes. They are great for cleaning off a seat area (whether you in Basic a$$ economy or First Flagship Premium Class in-front of the plane apartment). Plus, they are great for when you get to that hotel or Airbnb where it is essential to clean down that hotel phone and your remote.

Again, people nasty and wipe yourself down good LOL!

Beats Studio Wireless headphones ($349 at BeatsbyDre.com )

As a proud member of the Frequent Economy Class (although I scored a First-Class upgrade on this flight I am on right now – another conversation for another day), it’s great to have something that will tune out the crying babies and a chatty a$$ neighbor. I am an introvert/ambivert. I struggle to talk to people I don’t know and I don’t like babies…that I don’t know.

The quality of the headphones supplied especially in Economy sucks. It is always the scratchy earbuds with the cheap wires attached and terrible sound output. I believe it is always good to have something that will block out the noise and make that movie seem like you stuck inside of it on a long distance journey.

Patagonia Belt Bag – ($29.00 at Patagonia.com)

I am going to be honest. People steal. People steal on planes. People steal in First Class in planes. People steal in museums. You got to guard your $h*t like it’s gold. They will take your passport and wallet. This is why I love the Patagonia belt bag. It’s smaller than most belt bags, but you can store the most essential stuff in it, and its discrete enough to take to the bathroom with you. Additionally, it works well while you are touring. For example, when you go to some museums, they may make you check your bags. They don’t care if they are book bags or purses sometimes. No pass go! When you have this belt bag, it is to out around your waist and conceal it from the museum/tour/guards/etc people (or wherever). The bag, while also durable and water resistant, will allow you to rest your mind and not worry about if someone is going through your bag.

Again, people steal on planes. This old lady next to me in First Class looks like she steals. I am not judging. I am just being cautious.