Unique Travel Essentials for the Ultimate Packing List

These are travel essentials that we found to be useful and are often missed on other “Travel Must-Haves Lists”

For this travel essentials list, we will not mention the usual essentials such as clothes in packing cubes, local currency, adapters, and toiletries. We will assume you have that all figured out. Instead we have compiled a list of other essential travel must-haves based on our own experiences thus far. These important items will ensure you have a seamless time on your trip. 

We are not minimalists nor maximalists when it comes to travel. However, we try to pack as lightly as we can without sacrificing too much comfort.

By traveling lightly, it is easier for us to pack up and move onto the next destination without much hassle, especially if we are taking multiple modes of transportation. 

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1. Rosaries – Our Spiritual Weapon

One thing we always have on us are our rosaries. No matter how tired or busy we are on a trip, we make sure to pray at least five decades of the rosary everyday.

“Every one of us needs half an hour of prayer each day, except when we are busy—then we need an hour” (St. Francis de Sales)

Also, if you’re stuck traveling in a plane, train, or car for more than a few hours, why not squeeze in more than one rosary? Might as well accumulate more treasures in heaven while we are enjoying the earthly treasures and experiences here on earth! 

Another thing I have to constantly remind myself is that prayer will be more worthwhile than watching as many movies as I can on a long flight.

Our Favorite Rosaries:

We are partial to corded rosaries. They hold up better than the ones with the metal chains, which always breaks on my without fail. We also prefer wooden beads because they are lighter than metal ones and sturdier than plastic ones. 

Catholic Woodworker – I’ve bought over 10 rosaries from them for myself and as gifts and love all of them. A tip is to go for the more natural woods as the colored ones tend to fade with use.
https://catholicwoodworker.com

Rugged Rosaries – We have seen a few priests with these. I have tried them myself and they are sturdier and heftier than most other Rosaries.
https://ruggedrosaries.com

Stone/Jujube Wood Rosary – A great option from Amazon for a good price. The stones also do feel nice and cool in the hands and overall it’s very lightweight.

2. Car Phone Mount

The car phone mount has been a game-changer for us. We often rent a car if we are doing a road trip to multiple popular destinations or if we travel to a destination that does not have good public transportation. 

Not every rental car comes with CarPlay or other car connectivity feature so we always bring it just in case. We’ve also found that countries with older rental cars come very bare-bones with a minimal entertainment system. It’s usually just a car that drives with no additional items. 

It has been such a great purchase and we highly recommend it. It allows the driver to have access to the map whenever needed and gives the passenger the freedom to enjoy the trip without having to stop and hold up the phone in the correct angle for the driver to see. 

We have gone through a few car phone mounts in our lifetime and found the one we recommend below to be the best one. Even better than some other higher-end brands. 

We use the dashboard version in our cars and love it. It is definitely a must-have on your next trip if you’re renting a car.

The head swivels at multiple points and lets you lock it in at the angle that works for you. We have found that it is one of the best at holding our phones steady, even my iPhone 16 Pro Plus. 

The magnet is strong and our phones rarely drops off the mount, if ever. This is probably my favorite travel essential purchase recently.

Car Phone Mount Recommendations:

The Spigen MagSafe Air Vent Car Mount – This is the one we bring with us on every trip when we rent a car. It is small and compact so very easy to pack.

If your phone does not have a magnet, you can simply purchase one of these and attach to your phone/phone case: Magnetic Ring Conversion Sticker

Spigen OneTap (MagFit) – This dashboard mount is the one we have on our personal cars at home

Spigen OneTap (MagFit) Charging – Get this one if you’d like for it to also charge your phone wirelessly

3. Unscented Castile Soap

This is our all-in-one soap, which is also what it is basically advertised to do. It is one of the most important things on this list.

We always have this with us when we travel and it has served us well in so many different uses. 

We both use it as body wash and it is super gentle for my sensitive skin. I have used it as laundry soap and as dish soap to wash our cutleries (see next item on the list) and reusable water bottle.

This saves us a lot of room in our toiletry bag from having to pack other specific items since it is so versatile. Make sure you get one of their travel-sized containers. A little goes a long way so it lasts many trips before you have to refill it. This has got to be the travel essential that packs the biggest punch for its size.

Recommended Castile – Travel Size:

Dr. Bronner’s Unscented Castile Soap with Travel Size

4. Set of Stainless Steel Travel Cutlery

The cutlery set we travel with so we can enjoy food anywhere. Just remember to remove the knife and put it in a checked luggage if going through airport security. 

Many times while traveling we ordered take-out or delivery and forgot to mark “include utensils”. We would realize too late that our meal was ready with nothing to eat it with. Sure, there is always the option to go down to the hotel’s reception desk to ask for some. But when it is late at night, and we are in our pajamas after taking a shower, it’s one of the last things we want to do.

That is why we purchased travel cutlery to bring with us on all our trips. We specifically looked for one that was not plastic since we are on a kick to limit our exposure to eating or cooking with plastic. 

The cutlery set is also great for those meals that we sometimes put together in our hotel room from the local grocery stores when we try to limit eating out at every meal while on vacation. 

We got ourselves a stainless steel cutlery set. None of the ones coated in paint because they tend to chip. The one we have comes in a great travel bag, looks great, is sturdy, and is much more enjoyable to eat with than any plastic or bamboo to-go cutlery.  

My husband even brings it with him everyday for his lunch at work. The cutlery set does comes with a knife so just remember to remove it if you do not plan on checking in any bags. 

A free alternative is to just wrap some cutlery up in a linen napkin spring roll style and bring that with you. The perk of that is that you will always have a linen napkin with you for when you are eating.

5. Scarves Suited for the Season

Another travel essential favorite of mine are scarves. We love scarves during the winter and for when the wind picks up but we also like to carry one year-round. 

Depending on the season, we bring different types of scarves. In the winters, we like a thicker and longer scarf made of a cashmere/wool blend but really, any of your favorite winter scarves will do. 

In the summer we go for a lighter material such as linen or cotton. I have this beautiful pareo that I got from Tahiti the first time we were there. I use it as a swimsuit coverup and even as a light shawl for some sun protection on beach days.

The most versatile scarf that I like to bring with me is a cotton/semi-synthetic blend that works in both cold and warm weather. When it is cold out, it is thick enough to be used as a scarf or a shawl. I also use it as a blanket for when it gets chilly on planes. 

For the warmer climates, it is one of the best way get get additional sun protection from its UPF 50+. I usually wrap it around my back, shoulders and neck like a shawl and I feel good knowing I am protected.

The material is smooth and super soft. It also has a cooling feel to it so it is not too hot on in the summer. 

For Holy sites that have dress codes, this makes a perfect shawl to cover your shoulders with. It has also worked well as a veil for when I go to Mass.

6. Personal Portable Travel Fan

When taking international flights, I make sure to bring along with me my personal handheld fan. Preferably one that can also stand on its own on a desk or nightstand. 

There has been many occasions where the fan made the long-haul flights 100x more comfortable. I’ve used it countless of times now in airplanes, airports, hotels, and even while lounging next to the pool. 

I once had a flight attendant stop by mid flight and say that having that fan was such a genius idea and why she never thought of it. 

Unlike US flights, flights to Europe and Asia tend to not blast their AC. At times, it can feel very suffocating and stuffy. Personal fans have become essential travel items for us regardless of the season.  I will always make space for it in my carry-on bag.

Also, many accommodations in Europe are older so they tend to not have AC. One of the last thing you want is to try to go to sleep in a hot and humid room. When that is the case, I would just have the fan propped up on the nightstand pointed in my direction and it makes sleeping a lot more comfortable.  

I’ve tried a many different forms of portable fans and this Portable Personal Fan is my absolute favorite. 

I find the neck fans a bit heavy and bothersome after some time. Although being handsfree is quite nice. The portable handheld fans with the handle are great also but are not as strong nor as versatile my favorite one.

Another tip is to look for one where the flashing light indicating it is on is not very bright so that it does not bother you when trying to sleep. 

7. E-Reader/Books

Another one that’s self-explanatory, but we like to bring a good book with us. There is no better feeling than that of flipping through the pages of a book but the Kindle Paperwhite is a great alternative since it is lightweight and illuminates from the device. 

It really feels like you are reading from a book when the light settings are just right. 

I also get most of my books on there from my library via the Libby app. It is such an amazing feature and a great use of tax payers dollars. 

Another perk of the Kindle is that it saves us from having to be the one to turn on the overhead lamp in the airplane when the rest of the cabin is completely dark. We are not saying there is anything wrong with doing so, and we do not judge anyone who does it, we just don’t like having our overhead lamp on since it could be a nuisance to our neighbors who are trying to sleep. 

8. Sleeping Eye Mask

My husband and I both have a hard time sleeping with lights on so eye masks are essential travel accessories. 

Hotels are usually good with having black out curtains but when we’re staying at an Airbnb or other rentals, we need the eye masks. 

We both love the MZOO brand one. It is the one that has a 3D contour which blocks out all lights completely. It’s great quality and doesn’t fall apart as fast as the other ones we have tried.

However my absolute favorite is made by Manta. They have a variety of masks to choose from but one of the best option is the Manta Pro Sleep Mask. As a side sleeper and someone who runs warmer, this was perfect for me. It is on the pricier side but it really makes a difference and is the only one I can tolerate wearing.

The quality is great and the airflow is the best I’ve experienced with an eye mask. It’s feels lighter on the face so it isn’t as suffocating. It also stays on my head better than other eye masks with the velcro band.

9. An In-flight Pouch

An in-flight pouch is a good idea to have on any flight. Within my personal item bag, I have another pouch with all the items that I typically will reach for while on a flight. 

This makes it very convenient because you won’t have to rummage through your under seat bag in an already cramped space. Or if you’re sitting in an exit row or in the bulk head seats, you don’t have to constantly go back and forth to the overhead bins to get your items.

I will keep this little pouch with me on my lap or tucked in to one side of my seat. It gives me easy access to all the supplies I need to make my trip more comfortable. 

With this, I have all the right items right at the tip of my fingers and is usually no problem to have on your lap during take off and landing. Any small pouch or bag will do. 

10. Large Reusable Tote Bag

The last of the travel essentials on our travel list is a reusable tote bag. Many countries are now charging for bags when you shop so it is nice to have your own. I now find it very rare to go to a place that doesn’t charge for bags, even if it is an international trip. 

A reusable bag comes in handy for shopping at local grocery store and also for transporting items from one destination to the next for the rest of the trip. We’ve also used it as a laundry bag.

They also make the perfect day pack for when you are out all day and loading up on local goodies. The sturdy tote bags came in handy for whenever I go souvenir shopping. They hold up a lot better than the paper shopping bags these gifts come in.

This is a tip definitely came in handy when I took the high speed bullet train from Tokyo to to Uji, Japan for a day trip. I loaded up on so much Matcha souvenirs there that my tote bag was overflowing. I was so thankful to have one with me because that entire day I logged in over 32k steps. Imagine doing that with only paper shopping bags.

Tote bags are also great for when you’re carrying things back and forth to the pool or as beach bags. 

We like to bring any reusable canvas tote with us that has a large capacity and folds up easily.  We would usually pack one or two totes and they would get used pretty well. 

The Trader Joe’s canvas bags are perfect and reasonably priced. Sure, we can always buy one when we get to our destination but we don’t like accumulating more bags when we have plenty of perfectly functioning ones at home. 

Conclusion

We know that this is not an an all encompassing “ultimate packing list” and that there are many other travel essentials that you know of. We just wanted to mention the ones that we have found to be very useful in our travels so for. I think the ones we listed are not often  mentioned on other travel essentials list. We hope this list helped you even a little with your packing checklist for the next travel plans.

Please feel free to leave a comment of your favorite travel essentials that are often missed on travel lists and why it is so!

Wishing you all the best on your travels,
A & D