2025 was a year of travel for me, including stays in 11 countries and my first transatlantic crossing by ship. But it wasn’t until my Christmas trip back to my hometown that I realized I always take the same 10 items on every trip, be it Iceland, the Azores, or Eclectic, Alabama. If travel is a priority for you in 2026, read on for my go-to travel must-haves that keep me ready for anything, no matter where I go.

Writer-Loved Travel Must-Haves for Stress-Free Trips

Pander Belt Bag

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Amazon


This simple, stylish $15 belt bag has become a prized part of my airport regalia, and I never fly without it. In the security line, I just empty my pockets into this crossbody bag and breeze right through. On flights, it keeps sanitizer, earbuds, and snacks all within reach. And on the ground, it’s perfect for side quests and all the odds and ends you collect as you adventure. User-friendly features include a two-way zipper, mesh slip pockets inside, a zippered pocket on the back, a water-resistant exterior, and an adjustable strap, and I love its monochromatic style that matches my luggage and keeps me looking put-together on travel days.

Landneoo Set of 3 Pill Organizer Box With Labels

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Amazon


If you deal with things like migraines, menstrual cramps, fever blisters, and lactose intolerance, you need certain pills on you at all times. And if you’ve ever been in a pinch and bought the world’s most expensive aspirin at an airport, you’ll know why I always travel with what I call my portable pharmacy. I keep it stocked with every medication I might want, for any need that may arise. Pain relievers, antibiotics, Benadryl, Lactaid, Imodium, sumatriptan, lorazepam—I carry them all, just in case. This travel pill case keeps pills separated and well-labeled behind plastic doors in individual compartments, and the whole thing takes up no more room than a paperback novel. Pro tip: At the end of each trip, I replenish any pills I took to keep my portable pharmacy ready to go, no thought required, for my next adventure.

Away Bigger Carry-On Suitcase

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Amazon


When you’re a one-bag traveler like me, a great carry-on suitcase is a must, and some of the best news of 2025 came when my favorite luggage brand, Away, debuted on Amazon. I’ve rolled my hardside Away Carry-On across 11 countries now, and it looks and handles as great today as it did when I got it a year ago. I love its interior compression features that maximize every square inch, and the spinner wheels, telescoping handle, and lightweight shell make it a dream to walk alongside. Away recommends this suitcase for trips from four to seven days in length, but mine’s easily handled trips from nine days long up to 28. Pro tip: If that gorgeous shell gets scuffed along the way, a few swipes with a Magic Eraser can have it looking like new.

Trtl Pillow Plus Adjustable Airplane Pillow

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Amazon


I bought my first Trtl travel pillow in 2018, after GQ writer Carly Fisher swore this pillow lets her “sleep like a baby now, even in Economy” and doesn’t “make you look like an absolute dork.” Nearly a decade later, my Trtl pillow still goes with me everywhere I fly. It’s a welcome departure from the usual squishy, bean-baggy horseshoes that give poor neck support and look a little too much like hemorrhoid-relief cushions for my taste. The Trtl holds your head upright and bobble-free as you snooze; it’s adjustable for necks of all sizes; and with it, I’ve held my head high as I’ve ugly-slept on flights to Honolulu, Cape Cod, London, Paris, and more.

Arcade Belts Momentum Belt

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Amazon


Frequent flyers appreciate anything that lets us sail through security checkpoints with no fuss, and thanks to this belt’s metal-free construction, I can keep it on and breeze right past TSA. It’s a dress-code chameleon, too, looking casual with jeans and shorts or dressier with suits and trousers, for one less thing to pack on vacation. The stretch webbing and low-profile design is perfect for those of us who need a belt that doesn’t pinch or bind while hiking, golfing, rock-climbing, or snowboarding. As a bonus, it can double as a suitcase strap to help you quickly pick out your checked bag on crowded carousels.

More of my travel must-haves are just ahead, including the packing cubes that help me avoid checked-bag fees, the space-saving bags that let me pack even a puffer jacket into carry-on luggage, and the unloseable self-gripping cable ties that keep my charging cords spooled and hotel rooms neat.

Alming Set of 12 Space-Saving Compression Bags

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Amazon


Wrap-It Storage Set of 40 Self-Gripping Cable Ties

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Amazon


Hetp Set of 2 USB-C Power Banks

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Amazon


Bagail Set of 6 Compression Packing Cubes

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Amazon


Sequence Pillar 7-Day Pill Organizer

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Amazon




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