Travel accessories, part 2

[Disclaimer: This post contains some affiliate links. This means that if you were to make a purchase on Amazon using one of those links, I would get a tiny commission, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend items that I own myself and am glad I bought!]

As a reminder, the first blog post I made about worthwhile travel accessories is here, and if you were to buy only one thing, it should be packing cubes. Or my printable packing list!

I bought several new-to-me things for my recent trip to Japan. I won’t talk much about the ones I didn’t like, beyond telling you not to bother with disposable water-less toothbrushes or individually wrapped towelettes. I think I’ll donate the ones I did not use; they’re just not for me. But here are some things that were absolutely worth it!

I’ve always disliked neck pillows: they are bulky, and I never got comfortable with them. They just go around your neck, and you can’t lean your head anywhere on it, right? I was always fine without it on domestic and short international flights. But this time, I had a 13-hour flight during which I *had* to sleep, and I was in a middle seat between strangers – no one to lean on, literally. So, I took a chance and bought a new-to-me model, the Trtl neck and travel pillow, which is not so much a pillow as it is head and neck support. There’s a band that wraps around your neck and secures with hook-and-loop closure, and a plastic structure inside that allows you to lean your head on it. I bought mine on Amazon because I wanted to be able to try it out before committing to it (if you buy straight from the retailer, it’s a bit less expensive, but once the package is open there are no returns or refunds). It turns out it was great! I was able to sleep relatively comfortably on my flight, it didn’t take up much space, and it has a travel pouch to keep it clean. I love it!

I decided to buy a new pair of pants to wear on the plane. I was a bit hesitant, because I was afraid the fabric wouldn’t be breathable, but it turns out this wasn’t an issue! I was comfortable the whole way, I knew I would be able to wash and dry the pants quickly if needed, and they had an elastic waist and pockets galore! As soon as she saw them, my mother-in-law wanted to know where I got them. I’m sure I’ll get a lot of use out of them!

I also bought a new travel wallet which had room for just about anything one might need: passport, credit cards, SIM card, pen, boarding pass, coins… This time, because it was a business trip during which I would have some personal expenses, I needed to have at least two credit cards with me, in addition to physical currency. This wallet was perfect! Plus, it blocks RFID, and it comes in lots of different colors.

I had heard of bar shampoo, obviously, but I didn’t realize they also made bar conditioner! I ended up getting some specifically made for curly hair, by Éthique (shampoo here and conditioner here). They smell like lemongrass, and I got some waterproof cases for easy transport. Not only were they nice to use, but they were easy to take with me in my carry-on without counting towards my limit of liquids!

I also got some laundry soap sheets that took up hardly any space! The downside is that they are so small that I had to use at least two just to wash a bra, but I loved having them and found them very convenient.

Finally, let me tell you about lens cleaning wipes. I always have a cleaning cloth on me for my glasses, but even then, there are times when you just get stubborn smudges on there that no cloth will get rid of! At home, I can just wash my glasses with soap and water, but on the go, that’s a different story. So I now love these wipes, because they take care of the problem easily! Plus, because they are individually wrapped, they are super easy to carry.