7 Essential Travel Items I Bring Every Time, from 0-Night 3-Day Trips to Around-the-World Journeys

I've been hooked on overseas travel for over 10 years. During that time, I've been on a wide variety of trips, from 0-night 3-day Asian getaways to a 5-and-a-half-month trip around the world.

In this note, I'd like to summarize the starting lineup of my travel items that have survived the process of trial and error. These are all irreplaceable products that I always bring on every overseas trip.

7 items I can't travel without

The criteria for the items introduced here are the following three:

・I bring them on all overseas trips regardless of the duration.
・If I break or lose them, I would definitely buy them again (or have already repurchased them).
・I can write down the specific product name.
*For example, I bring a universal travel adapter on every trip, but since I'm not particular about the manufacturer or model number, I won't write about it in this article.

The following 7 items met the criteria. It's surprisingly few.

(1) Mobile Battery 'ALPHA LING w-07'

A mobile battery with a built-in cable, so there's no need to carry a charging cord. I bought it on Rakuten for about 2,000 yen.

It's compact and light, and I also like that it's easy to use my smartphone while charging. Since a smartphone's battery is a lifeline when traveling abroad, I carry two of them in different colors.

(2) AirPods Pro

AirPods Pro with their excellent noise-canceling function are a must-have item for air travel. I feel like I get less tired just by being able to turn off the roar of the cabin.

(3) Uniqlo's 'Ultra Light Down Jacket'

The number one item shared by travel lovers.

The inside of an airplane is 120% cold, so even for a 2-3 hour flight, I always sneak it into my carry-on bag. It's compact, light, and warmer than it looks.

(4) Senjakuame Honpo's '100% Honey Candy'

This is also a companion for flights. I'm not good with the shaking and noise during takeoff and landing, so I pop one of these in my mouth and listen to music at full volume to distract myself.

Of course, it's also for preventing a dry throat and for calorie replenishment. Since it's 100% honey, there's less guilt even when I can't brush my teeth right away.

(5) MediQtto's 'Fluffy and Tight Compression Pajama Leggings'

To prevent cold feet and swelling, I wear these over my pants before the flight.

I use them as pajamas at the hotel. I think they are just on the borderline of being acceptable to wear if a luxury hotel staff member knocks on the door.

(6) OOFOS Sandals "OOriginal"

I swear by OOFOS for footwear because they are incredibly comfortable to walk in. They work for both city strolls and the beach, they don't make my feet tired even after walking a lot, and it's convenient that I can just wash them off if they get dirty. I also use them as slippers on planes and in hotels.

I often wear sneakers when leaving home, but I switch to my OOFOS once I've finished weighing my luggage at the airport. Depending on the climate and the nature of the trip, I sometimes don't even bring sneakers and travel with only my OOFOS.

(7) Melano CC "Medicated Whitening Gel for Dark Spots"

Skincare items inevitably take up space. If I want to lighten my load, I prefer to choose all-in-one products.

Furthermore, since I travel with only carry-on luggage, all liquids must be 100ml or less. In that regard, this gel is exactly 100g, so I can bring it as is without having to transfer it to another container.

It's easy to get sunburned while traveling, but this allows me to replenish vitamin C in the morning and cool down and moisturize at night. Since it's affordable, I use it generously all over my body.

However, since the moisturizing power is a bit lacking for the dry air on planes and in hotels, I apply a thin layer of Sana Nameraka Honpo Eye Cream over my entire face after using this.

My skincare routine during overseas travel is generally like this.

[Face Wash Items]
・Mini bottle of cleansing oil (I don't have a specific preference since I only wear sunscreen, brow makeup, and lip color while traveling)
・Obagi or suisai enzyme face wash powder (single-use type to keep luggage light)
・Cleansing sheets (no specific preference, only brought when I have an overnight flight)

[Moisturizing Items]
・Melano CC "Medicated Whitening Gel for Dark Spots"
・Sana Nameraka Honpo "Wrinkle Eye Cream N"
・A few sheet masks (no specific preference, only brought on trips with many hotel stays)

The most important thing is that the price point is such that I can think "oh well" if it spills all over my luggage or if I leave it behind at a hotel.

Must-have items I want to upgrade

There are three things I'm always thinking, "I'd like to upgrade if I find something good."

(1) Photochromic sunglasses

Sunglasses are essential for blending into overseas cities.

I currently use inexpensive Zoff sunglasses (prescription), but since I have to carry both my regular glasses and sunglasses, it ends up being bulky. With photochromic sunglasses, one pair would suffice, so I'd like to get some if I find a pair I like.

(2) Waist-style security pouch

The pouch where I keep my passport, some local currency, Japanese yen, dollars, euros, and spare credit cards is one I bought before my trip around the world in 2012. Despite being compact, it has three separate pockets and is incredibly easy to use, but it's definitely time to replace it.

I'm looking for something thin and form-fitting that doesn't announce "valuables are here" when worn over clothes. Surprisingly, they are hard to find.

(3) Bag for city walking

When traveling abroad, I use a 45-liter backpack in addition to a GREGORY daypack. It serves not only as a companion for walking around town but also as a bag to keep under my seat, packed with items I need during the flight.

Although I like it, I don't think this bag is the best. I am still searching for the optimal solution.

▼ Click here for the full overview of what's in my overseas travel bag

▼ A 'travel itinerary' to prevent trouble is also a must