5 Must-have Travel Items

5 Must-have Travel Item Details

I’m getting ready to travel to my last destination of 2017 and first of 2018… JAPAN, here I come!!  If you’ve followed me for awhile you know my husband, Luke, and I are quite the travel bugs.  This year alone we’ve probably been on 30+ planes, traveling all across the U.S., Mexico and Australia.  Why not end it with a BANG – literally ringing in the NEW YEAR in Tokyo! 🙂

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I’m a professional packer 😉  If you missed my travel post on my What’s in my Carry-on, you should check it out!  In this post, I’m sharing my top 5 things I can’t travel without.  See below!

BLOG NOTE – If you follow along with me on Instagram and my Instagram Stories, I mentioned I’m taking a vacay from the blog for the first two weeks of January while I’m in Japan.  Since starting the blog 2+ years ago, I’ve posted every week at least once, SO needless to say, it’s time for a lil’ break!  One of my goals for 2018 is to work on being more present and living in the moment. 🙂  This is why I’ve chosen to really BE in Japan while I’m there 🙂  Happy New Year, boos!  I’ll see ya in 2018! xoxo

[1] Hard Case Carry-on Luggage

If you invest in one item to travel with, this is it!  A hard case carry-on suitcase is a game changer.  Not only is it easier to shlep all of your stuff around BUT it is the perfect lil’ bag to protect your precious cargo.  I use my carry-on to pack my luxe items – handbags, shoes and jewelry along with my fedora hats and high-price tech goods – camera, lenses, computer, etc.  Basically everything that I can’t live without, goes in my hard case carry-on bag AND never leaves my side!  Y’all one piece of advice, don’t pack your nice sh*t in checked luggage!!  You never know who’s going through it and/or if it will get lost… trust me, it’s happened to moi!

See below to shop my favorite bags under $200!

[2] Comfortable Sneakers

Having happy feet is A-must when traveling.  On actual travel days, y’all could alone walk 2+ miles in airports, so comfortable sneakers are SO important!  If you are heading out to a city, walking around is key to seeing a city.  Luke and I probably walk 5+ miles everyday when we are on vacay.  Trust me, I’ve learned my lesson on comfortable walking shoes.  Even booties with a slight heel can make your feet ache by the end of the day.  I know you boos are probably thinking… “but Kasey, I want to look cute”, girl, I get it!  Below I’ve found some of my favorite COMFY & CUTE kicks!  My current favorite sneakers to achieve this are Adidas Gazelle and Nike Classic Cortez.  Check ’em out!

[3] Loungewear

Comfort is key on travel days!  I know y’all still want to look good but the airport is not a FASHION runway 😉  Dressing in loungewear/activewear is my go-to when I hit the road.  I love a classic black legging or jogger pant paired with a long-sleeve jacket and/or sweatshirt.  Layering is always a good idea!  You never know how hot/cold an airplane will be AND depending on the weather you are coming from and going to – having items you can take on/off is important!

Below I’ve linked my favorite tops and bottoms.  I would recommend wearing darker colors as they are more likely to stay cleaner and look nicer longer.  My ALL TIME favorite black leggings that I can take from the gym to an everyday outfit are these KORAL beauties – so worth the moolah!

[4] Hats

I LOVE hats!!!! (in the voice of Oprah 😉 )  My obsession is real – from ball caps and beanies to fedoras and cowboy hats, I’ve got ’em all!  Needless to say I always travel with hats – they’re part of me! LOL 🙂  As I mentioned above, make sure to pack your hats in your hard case luggage.  We don’t want any smushed headwear!

Travel days can get long – waking up early, waiting in lines, long flights, etc.  If you’re like me, you don’t always want to DO your hair before leaving on a jet plane and/or the day is SO long your locks end up greasy.  Girl, I get it!!  Slap on a hat and you’re good to go!  Depending on the temp and your style, you will find numerous hat styles below.  In my book, you can never go wrong with a neutral fedora – here’s a link to my favorite: Brixton.

[5] Healthy Snacks

If you get hangry like me, this is probably THE most important out of my top 5.  ALWAYS CARRY FOOD WITH YOU!  This is something I do pretty much every day BUT on travel days, it’s mucho importante!  I never know what my food options I’ll have, and let’s be honest, I don’t want to eat crap.  It’s important to me to eat healthy food that make me feel my best.  With that said, I’m always carrying a paleo bar and nuts.  Those are my two favorite snacks to keep me from becoming an angry b*tch 😉 , but other options are: fruits, veggie sticks, hummus, crackers, popcorn, peanut/almond butter sandwich.  I find all of these are great healthy options and easy to pack.

See below for my favorite travel snacks!