Happy Memorial Day! Let’s kick off the season with a travel MUST HAVEs list! And if you haven’t made your plans yet, let me know, I’ll be glad to help you with the perfect road trip or jaunt to France. Whatever works for you 🙂 We at Ohana Adventures love to travel. Here are our Top 23 tried-and-true products for you to consider before you travel this summer.
- The beach pop-up tent you didn’t know you needed. We’ve been using ours at the beach for decades, and it has traveled with us from Oahu to Nantucket. It is so versatile, providing a place to nap, store food coolers away from the sun, and hang out and play games.
- There is a reason why the L.L.Bean Boat & Tote is 80 years old. It’s the perfect bag. It’s such a classic piece that is made of heavy canvas and the strongest handles. It’s indestructible. Plus you can have it monogrammed just to be a little extra.
- When it comes to Nantucket summers, I have no way to pack light for it. You have your Nantucket lightship basket, your cooler backpack, the tent, shoes, and dresses; you get the picture. So when I found this foldable, wide-brim hat for my last cruise, I was ecstatic. What’s even more amazing is that it comes in two sizes. Standard hats don’t fit me very well so I was excited to get a hat a little larger than the norm. It rolls up nicely for your suitcase and doesn’t take up any room at all.
- A cooler backpack is a must have for the beach. While I’d love to have the Yeti version, we are super happy with the one we have. What I like is the separated container for things like sandwiches that keeps cool from the main compartment, but without anything getting wet, because wet sandwiches suck.
- Sand is HOT. Ocean rocks HURT. While these are not the sexiest thing on earth, these quick-dry water shoes are our absolute favorite. They are light, super durable, and are non-slip. They dry off super quick so you could easily spend the day in them.
- I am in airplanes a lot. I feel like I have worn every combination of “comfort” travel clothing available. I found this Cozy Earth travel set made from bamboo and it is the coziest thing ever. The bamboo makes it super breathable but also super, super soft. The pullover crew sits right at the waist, so I don’t feel like I am wrestling with a shirt when changing positions and the joggers just fit perfectly and have deep pockets that fit my phone without fear of it falling out.
- AirTags. I have had lost luggage and it is not fun at all. But, I do like that I know where my luggage is at least. I’ve seen my luggage sit overnight at O’Hare, I’ve picked up it’s location in the cargo hold, these are invaluable. Pair them with these TagVault Fabric mounts.
- The Trtl. I have a love/hate relationship with travel pillows. They are bulky and nine times out of ten you don’t end up using it because they are just. so. uncomfortable. Enter the TRTL neck and shoulder support. It goes around your neck with a lightweight fleece and attaches with a soft velcro. And that’s it. It supports your head with these lateral bands that almost feel like they aren’t there. It also fit very easily into a bag or backpack without taking up space. This is hands down the best travel sleep support device you can buy.
- This silicone travel bottle set. We all have that bin full of half empty travel bottles with mystery substances that you can no longer identify. They are a pain in the butt to clean, so they just sit there. I got this set for my last cruise and it is a game changer. It comes with all the supplies you need to fill the bottles AND clean the bottles. There are also labels for what everything is and little spatulas for your creams and serums.
- There is a reason that this INIU Portable Charger has over 100K reviews on Amazon. According to Amazon, I bought this in 2021 and it is still my absolute favorite charger, even after I spilled liquid hand sanitizer on it. Still works brilliantly.
- You always need a good speaker for the beach or pool. We ordered this in 2020 for our backyard “yacht club” during the pandemic and it’s held up ever since.
- Microfiber Towels are all the rage, I get it. But these are the real deal. They are lightweight, super absorbent, and really soft. They are a great alternative to hotel beach towels (*gasp*) or super thick beach towels that take up wayyyy too much room.
- At first I wasn’t sold on the idea of a collapsible water bottle. The concept seemed so…flimsy. But we got this BPA Free Silicone Travel Water Bottle before our Japan trip last year and let me tell you….not flimsy.
- Airplanes are inherently designed to suck moisture out of the cabin. That includes your skin. This facial mist is an excellent item to have in your bag for your prior-to-landing glow up. This revilatizes your dry skin and gives you a fresh-out-of-the-shower glow.
- I don’t know what my life was before owning this neck fan. I’m not kidding, either. It is super light, has 3 speeds, and holds a charge foreverrrrrr. It’s perfect for being at the theme parks, at the beach, or on the lido deck. And even for some of us, it’s perfect for hot flashes, lol.
- I have been on the hunt for the perfect water bottle for years. Hydroflask, SM, Stanley…none of them hold a candle to the Owala FreeSip stainless steel water bottle. The 2-in-1 spout allows you to either drink from the spout or sip through the straw. The choice is yours my friends! It’s leakproof, it has a push button opening and a carry loop/lock. I’m going to say it. It’s the perfect water bottle.
- In theory, I imagine myself lounging on a chaise at the beach with my summer beach read. The reality is that the beach read 100% of the time gets ruined in some way, shape, or form. Or it’s too windy and all the pages flop all over the place. iPads are useless in the sun and are just not very sand friendly. My Kindle is my BFF, I love her.
- Gone are the days where we can just purchase whatever sunscreen is on sale at Target. From beaches in the Caribbean to snorkeling in Hawaii, we have to be more responsible with a) what we are putting on our bodies and 2) what products we are putting in the ocean. Ingredients such as oxybenzone and octinoxate are harmful to coral reefs, fish, shrimp, and other sea life. Now is a great time to rid your medicine closet of Banana Boat, Coppertone, and certain Neutrogena products that still contain these harmful ingredients. While Supergoop! isn’t the cheapest option ever, it’s coverage is so light, not greasy, and smells divine. You won’t be disappointed.
- Keep your pooch safe with these pet seat belts. We’ve been using these for a while now, two thumbs up.
- This Kong dog water bottle is our favorite. It’s so sturdy and the insulated bottle keeps water crisp and cold all day long.
- Towel Clips. They keep your towel in place AND give you a visual as to where your lounger is. Perfect for cruises, but also the beach and pool!
- Water pillow. Hear me out. I recently got this one for a cruise and it is AMAZING. It attaches around the back of your lounger, take 3 seconds to inflate and is so comfy!! It folds up into a small 4×4 pouch and doesn’t take up any space in your luggage. It’s a MUST HAVE.
- This is kind of a weird one to end on, but it is no less important. Sometimes, you need to wash something on vacation and there is not a laundry available to you. These Tide Hand Wash packets are exactly what you need to wash what you need in the sink and hang to dry.
Have you seen our list of must-have tech gear? Also, check out our article on Elevating Your Travel Tech Gear.
We wish you a HAPPY SUMMER! Be safe, be well.
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