With my trip to Sri Lanka looming in the future (5 days to be exact!), I have been (attempting) to prepare for the 25 hours of travel that await me. This is not one of my more glamorous trips as I will be living on an elephant conservation with no hot water for most of my stay so I plan on bringing only the bare essentials. Or at least what qualifies to us girls as that ;).

Airports are not my favorite place I must admit. Do not get me wrong, I love traveling and it would not be possible without planes, but if I could just skip over the whole crowded, strange smelling, airplane-food-stomach-ache ordeal, I would in a heart beat. Then again, who wouldn’t? However, have no fear I am here to share with you all of my Travel Essentials that are sure to ease your traveller troubles.

1. Scarf

One of the best travel scarves I have come across from lululemon.com

My number one travel essential would have to be a scarf. They are so versatile and useful! Perfect to brighten up and outfit for walking around the airport, then once on the plane can be converted into a blanket. That way you do not have to use those questionable free ones they give out in order to avoid freezing to death.

A lot of travelers use Shemagh scarfs, but I prefer this Vinyasa lululemon one (as pictured above). It can be worn as a scarf, vest, blanket, and many more! There is a whole youtube video that you can watch showing all the different ways it can be worn and you can watch it here.

2. Hand Sanitizer

I feel like this is one of those super obvious, but always forgotten essentials. I mean lets be real, airports defiantly are not the cleanest places in the world… and hand sanitizer can be a life saver in preventing sickness because there is nothing worse then picking up a cold right before your trip. I personally like the hand sanitizer with the plastic loop so then you can just attach it to your purse strap making it super easy to access.

3. Good (used) books

I love reading, but often lack the time to do so. However, planes provide the perfect place the catch up on the latest novels thanks to the lack of cellular coverage there is little to no distractions (unless you have got a crying baby in the vicinity then its a whole other story). The reason I say to bring good used books is so that once you are done reading them you can give them to another traveler, pedestrian, hotel, etc! Thus, leaving you with more room in your backpacks and fulfilling your good karma of the day all in one swoop.

* Need some reading inspiration? Click HERE

4. Fanny Pack

                                    Gotta love eCards

I know you may cringe when you read this, but hear me out! Fanny packs are not just for festival goers and people over 60. I personally love them when visiting really crowded cities. Pros of fanny pack:

• everything is much more accessible
• way lower risk of getting pick pocketed
• hands free!
• you never have to worry about the dreaded set purse down and forget it scenario

I personally found an all black one on Amazon for $10 and love it! If you are interested in purchases one with yourself (and you should be) click HERE!

5. Headphones

I cannot stress enough how important it is to invest in good headphones. Really people, stop buying the $5 ones on sale at the Walgreen check out – you (and your ears) will thank me! Listening to music can be the perfect way to pass the long hours waiting in the airport terminals, or to tune out all the obnoxious coughers, snorers, and cryers that you may find yourself surrounded by on the plane.

Personally I prefer ear buds for when I am walking around the airport, sitting in the terminal, etc. On the long flights however I really enjoy having the big, soundproof headphones because I find them more comfortable and its nice to slip into my own world and block out the noises around me.

My favorite earbuds truthfully are the ones that come with iphone/ipods when you buy them. I like the shape and the fact that they have a volume button on the cord, but just find what works for you!

As for headphones, right before I went to Sweden my Uncle gave me an awesome pair of soundproof Samsung headphones that work like a charm. Although for all my beats fanatics out there I have tried those too and like them a lot.  I would recommend springing the extra money to get the wireless kind, so you won’t have to deal with all the cords getting tangled up.

I hope this helped! If anyone has any other travel suggestions please feel free to comment below!