Non-Essential Travel Essentials

Regardless of the season, there are a few items that make it into my bag every single trip.

From Big Sky to Bali (bucket list), here are 5 non-essential essentials - items you technically could travel without, but that make life smoother and help you avoid the kind of small disasters that can totally derail a trip.

A multi-port charging cube

Two ports for multiple cords means less clunky blocks in your gear.

Total game changer. This thing drastically cuts down the bulk your chargers take up. Mine came with my laptop, and now I use it for everything - laptop, iPhone, AirPods, you name it.

I can charge both my laptop and phone overnight, no extra bricks needed. If you're feeling fancy, upgrade to one of those larger Anker cubes that supports 4+ devices. Highly recommend if you're someone who travels with gear.

Sleeping mask

Mine is usually cleaner, I swear. I just left it in my apartment - remember the whole at home healing from surgery bit.

This one became essential for me a few years ago. Sleeping on planes without one is suddenly way harder - am I just getting old? Obviously great for red-eyes, but it’s also a lifesaver once you get to your destination.

Let’s say you're sharing a room with a friend on a ski trip. You go to bed early, they roll in at 1am after a night out… yeah. Been there.

Bonus points if you pack earplugs too. If you've ever shared a room with your dad, you know. And if you're the dad, pack them for your family. You're doing everyone a favor.

Power bank

Definition of a travel life saver. I’m debating splurging on one of those monster ones that can power a laptop.

I have no clue how people travel without one of these.

Picture this: you’re on a shuttle to the mountain on I-70 at 9:30pm and your phone dies. Nightmare fuel.

Sure, iPhones are better with battery life these days, but there’s no reason not to carry extra juice. Airplane seat ports are hit-or-miss at best. A power bank keeps your anxiety down and your phone alive.

USB-A to USB-C cable

Your best friend on an airplane. There is nothing worse than watching your charging cube fall out of the loose socket at the bottom,

We’ve made great progress shifting to USB-C globally… but we’re not there yet.

Most airlines still have USB-A ports next to the seatback screens, and they tend to be way more reliable than the in-seat outlets. Same goes for hotel rooms - those near-bed ports? Almost always USB-A.

Having a USB-A to USB-C cable gives you flexibility when it comes to charging your phone, iPad, or whatever else you’re bringing. It will also make life easier internationally if you run out of convertors. Which happens way more often than you think.

Wrinkle release spray

My glorious king. Thank you for helping me look presentable.

One of the most underrated inventions of the 21st century - or whenever it came out - hands down.

I’m objectively terrible at ironing. But I also hate wrinkles. So I found the perfect workaround: wrinkle release spray. Tons of cheap options on Amazon, and I love that they come in travel-sized bottles.

You just spray your shirt 30 minutes before you need it, hang it up or lay it flat, and boom - wrinkles fade and your clothes smell laundry-fresh. Effortless.

If your primary travel gear is the Avengers, these are the Thunderbolts. Yes - that is a Marvel reference, hopefully it reaches the target audience.

Look, you can survive a trip without any of these. I’m not saying you’ll crash and burn without a power bank. But I’m also not here to tell you to pack a toothbrush. Like... no shit.

What I’ve learned is that it’s the little things - the subtle, often-forgotten items - that make travel less chaotic. Dead phones, crappy sleep, and wrinkled clothes are an easily avoidable bad time.

So next time you pack your Weekend Warrior, throw in a few of these. Your future self will thank you.