Today I’m headed to London (then Amsterdam, then Basel, then Rhein, then back to Basel, then Zurich, then back to London until heading home – whew!) Because I have so many flights (and trains) in so few days I’m trying to pack extra light! So here’s a roundup of some of the things making that a bit easier for me.
1. Coffee Wherevs
What’s worse, airplane coffee or hotel coffee? Honestly, I don’t know because with few exceptions, they both taste like licking an ashtray. For this trip, I packed a bunch of compostable, single-serve coffee bags from Steeped Coffee. As long as I have access to hot water, I can freshly brew a truly delicious cup of coffee. I’ve also been stashing these in my desk drawer at my coffee machine-less office. (100% not sponsored OR an affiliate link – it’s just good!)
2. Travel-friendly Teeth
Travel-sized toothpastes are pretty wasteful, and with all the lotions and serums I travel with space in my TSA-friendly liquids bag is precious. So this time I packed toothpaste tablets (LUSH Toothy Tabs are a good option). Just bite into one and brush your teeth – it’ll foam up and clean and refresh just like toothpaste, but you won’t have to unpack them to run them through the X-ray machine. There are also options on Amazon packaged in recyclable paper or cardboard packaging so you avoid the tube waste.
3. Face It, I’m Extra
Wow, I did not realize how wild my skincare routine has gotten until I started packing. I double cleanse, so I have little Nalgene leak proof bottles filled with various oils, a couple serums, lotions… it’s a lot. I usually just use travel bottles to bring small amounts of product with me but haven’t found a good solution yet for keeping them labeled – stickers and marker don’t hold up to washing. So I ordered travel sizes of my favorites from Paula’s Choice, which I can also refill when they’re empty. I’m partial to the Resist line, but heads up that not all of Paula’s Choice products are vegan so read the ingredients. (Vegan Beauty Addict has more info here.)
4. I Love Trash
The best thing about international travel, besides you know, going somewhere cool, is having an excuse to just binge on garbage TV for hours and hours. Most flights have TVs built into the seats now, but if you want to download your own movies and TV shows to your iPad or laptop I recommend a Mophie battery case. The one I use also has storage, so I can load it up with all the 90 Day Fiance I can handle.
5. I’m In Space
If all I had to lug around with me on this trip was my clothes and toiletries I wouldn’t have thought twice about stuffing it all into my carry-on. But, I’m also carrying most of the items that will go into building a trade show booth in London – and doing it all in a carry-on. So I bought a set of packing cubes from Eagle Creek, and the most useful piece is the Garment Folder. I managed to fit two pairs of jeans, pajamas, and five shirts into the space that normally would have been taken up by the jeans alone. If you follow the folding instructions, your clothes won’t wrinkle, and you’ll have lots of extra room to carry jackfruit samples from country to country. If that’s your thing, too.
Please note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means if you click and make a purchase I may earn a commission. However, this is not a sponsored post and all opinions expressed here are my own.
