I’ve been wheeling suitcases in and out of airports since I was nineteen and horse-mad enough to leave England for Belgium with nothing but a duffel bag and a wildly optimistic packing list.
Decades, dozens of countries and one very memorable “why did I check-in that huge case” incident later, I’ve finally landed on a kit that works. Not aspirational-Pinterest-board works. Actually-gets-me-through-immigration-without-a-meltdown works.
Here’s the thing about packing lists: most of them are written by people who’ve taken one trip and are riding the high. This one is written by someone who has lived as an expat most of her life, taken too many trips, lugged unwilling young children from country to country, made most of the mistakes, and is now allergic to anything that doesn’t earn its place in the bag. If an item hasn’t proven itself useful, practical, or flat-out necessary, it doesn’t make the cut. Ruthless? Yes. Regret-free? Also yes.
Let’s start with the bags, because bags are where good intentions go to die. I am, by my own admission, a bag hag. I’ve tried the oversized tote that ate my passport whole, the tiny crossbody that couldn’t fit a lip balm, and the “does everything” backpack that did nothing well.
However, two, recently gifted, have earned permanent residency in my travel life.
The Hedgren Orva crossbody is the one I’m going to be slinging across my body from the moment I leave the house to the moment I collapse into a hotel bed. It’s got that clever waterfall of zip pockets on the front; one for your phone, one for your cards, one for the inevitable receipts and boiled sweets, plus an RFID-blocking pocket inside so nobody’s skimming your cards on the Paris metro. It’s light, it’s water-repellent, and because everything has its own designated slot, I’m not upending the whole bag on a café table looking for my boarding pass while a queue forms behind me.
You can read my review of the Orva here : My Go-To Crossbody Travel Bag
For the bigger job - the actual “what am I taking as hand-carry” bag - I’ve switched to the BAGSMART Blast extendable travel backpack. It opens flat like a little suitcase, which means no more archaeological digging to find my kindle and it’s charger, or the airplane socks I’ve packed, or my moisturiser. There’s a proper laptop compartment that lies flat for security checks (genuinely useful when you’re the one holding up the line). For the trips you want to use the backpack for a hike, or carry on only, you can expand the whole thing from 28 to 38 litres. I’ve managed to wean myself off checked luggage for short holidays, and can pack all I need into the Blast for 3-5 days without going over the 7kg carry-on limit, oh and there’s a separate shoe pocket so your smelly trainers don’t fraternise with your clothes.
Read my full review here : Super Expandable Travel Backpack
Everything else on my list exists to solve a problem I’ve actually had.
Packing cubes, because loose clothes in a suitcase are basically an argument waiting to happen. A universal adapter with USB ports, because fighting your partner for the one working socket in a Balinese guesthouse is no way to start a holiday. A portable charger, for the itinerary that runs longer than your phone battery. Noise-cancelling headphones, because a long-haul flight without them is just enforced eavesdropping on other people’s family dramas. An eye mask because dignity is optional but sleep is not.
Then there’s the boring-but-essential tier: sunscreen you actually like wearing, a hang-able toiletry bag for hotel bathrooms with approximately four inches of counter space, a lightweight rain jacket that packs down to nothing, and photocopies (paper and digital) of your passport, because losing the original is a stress you don’t need on holiday.
None of this is about packing light for the sake of a smug Instagram caption. It’s about not spending day one of a trip you’ve saved for and dreamed about hunting for a plug adapter in a foreign pharmacy. Pack well, and the only thing you’ll actually be thinking about once you land is where to get the first proper coffee.
Hedgren Orva crossbody bag – RFID-blocking pockets, a waterfall of zip compartments, and it stays put across your body through crowds, queues and questionable taxi drivers.
BAGSMART Blast extendable travel backpack – Opens flat, expands from 28L to 38L, separate shoe pocket, and a laptop compartment that lies flat for airport security.
Packing cubes – The difference between an organised suitcase and a losing game of laundry Tetris.
Universal travel adapter with USB ports - One adapter, multiple devices, zero socket-sharing arguments.
Portable power bank - For the days your itinerary outlasts your phone battery.
Noise-cancelling headphones - Turns a crying-baby flight into a peaceful one.
TRAVEL & LIVING COLLECTION scarf or pashmina - An artist designed scarf or a warm pashmina can add a luxurious (and stylish) extra layer of warmth on any occasion.
Eye mask and earplugs - Sleep on your schedule, not the cabin lights’ schedule.
Lightweight, crushable rain jacket or poncho - Packs down to nothing, saves you when the forecast lies.
Comfortable, broken-in walking shoes - No holiday memory is improved by blisters.
Hang-able toiletry bag - Solves the four-inches-of-hotel-counter problem instantly.
Sunscreen you’ll actually reapply - The best sunscreen is the one you don’t avoid using.
Reusable, collapsible water bottle - Fill up after security, save money, skip the plastic.
TSA-approved luggage lock - Peace of mind for the price of a coffee.
Bright luggage tag or ribbon - So you’re not squinting at ten identical black suitcases on the carousel.
Photocopies (paper and digital) of your passport - The single best insurance against a very bad day.
A small, well-organised first-aid and medication pouch - Labelled, accessible, and not buried at the bottom of your bag.
A lightweight, packable tote or foldable shopping bag - For markets, groceries, and the souvenirs you swore you wouldn’t buy.
A laptop or IPad - Can’t live without something to write on.
A good book or loaded e-reader - Because delays happen, and doom-scrolling isn’t a personality.
Travel insurance, sorted before you leave - The item you hope you’ll never need, and the one you’ll be gladdest to have.
Tell me. What are your travel essentials?
Until next time,
Jo x
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