Hello there!

I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks packing is the best part of getting ready for a trip!  Listed below are my travel faves and must haves…

Luggage

At one point I had five sets of luggage and I’ve trimmed it down to two.  My favorite luggage brands are Lug and Samantha Brown.  Here I am at a resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica with my lovely Samantha Brown luggage.  At one point I was obsessed with having beautiful looking luggage when I travel, but now my go to most times is my Lug backpack and lightweight BMW hardside 20”.  I’ve gotten packing down so well that I can pack ten days worth in my little 20”.  ebags.com, luglife.com

Lug brand Pros:  practical, well made, very organized Cons:  expensive but of good quality

Samantha Brown Pros:  fashionable and reasonably priced Cons:  heavy to begin with (croco style as pictured) and possible trouble with the airline you fly with.  For example, when I fly American Airlines, they often ask me to put it in their sizer and it never fails, it fits!  It’s a hassle to deal with and can be frustrating since the whole point of carry-on luggage is not to go to baggage claim and waste another half hour or so when you could have already been at the beach!

Packing cubes

You can find a perfect set almost anywhere now but the ones I have are from Samantha Brown’s collection.  It is a three-piece set that comes with a small, medium and large cube.  The best thing about them is that once I get to my hotel, I place my cubes in the drawers and work out of it during my stay.  It makes packing and unpacking so much easier and once I get home the contents of my cube go straight to the washer.

Crossbody

I love being hands free when I’m shopping or sightseeing!  I suggest RFID protected crossbody bags by Lug or Samantha Brown.  They are very stylish, perfectly sized and practical.

Shoes

I always bring a pair of flip flops, one wedge and one heel.  I wear Tommy Bahama flip flops, wedges from Clarks and heels from Sole Society, but there are several brands I love!  For those of you who have never tried the Clarks brand you’ll be glad you heard about them here.  They are the most comfortable brand I’ve ever tried!  clarks.com

Airline comfort

I usually bring my own pillow and blanket set that comes in a 6″x 9″ case by Dennis Basso.  It’s the perfect size and small enough to place in my personal bag.

Tanning products

I never had this problem before until I moved to the mainland (what locals from Hawaii call the U.S.).  I remember in college when one of my cheerleader friends commented on how she loved my tan and asked which tanning salon I went to.  That was the first time anyone ever commented on my skin so I was a bit surprised and all I could think of to respond with was, “Oh, thank you, but I don’t do that, this is my skin”.  She responded by saying, “Oh wow, nice.  Lucky!”  Fast forward…now if I ever go to Hawaii or on a beach vacation I use tan towels to give me that natural looking tan ahead of time!  This has been my fave go-to for that golden natural look.  I don’t look orange nor does it taint my clothing.  Check it out at tantowel.com.

Sunglasses

My favorites are my Ray-Ban aviators and Michael Kors’ Chelsea style.  I usually bring two or three pairs to change up my look!  rayban.com, michaelkors.com

Portable charger

I own a couple from Instacharge.  They come in a variety of colors, are a great size and they hold a full charge for my phone and e-reader before I have to recharge it again.  hsn.com

Ear buds

My favorite are my phone’s ear buds (Android smartphone).  I’ve tried several and quite honestly I am not one to pay a few hundred dollars when my phone ear buds do just the same.  They are free and the sound quality is superb and a definite must have when laying on the beach and catching rays or listening to your favorite music on the airplane.  May I also suggest listening to Bob Marley, Christopher Martin or Da’Ville reggae/lover’s rock artists, to name a few, to get you into that island mood before you make it to your beach paradise?!

Hydration

Last but not least is my flask from hydroflask.com.  They have a variety of sizes and they also have an option to customize your own flask.  You’ll see mine on #bluecrushtravel when I went on my 6am hike at Lanikai’s Pillbox.  It keeps my favorite drink cool for a few hours while I’m at the beach and we all know how important it is to stay hydrated!

What are your travel must haves?  I’d love to hear from you!  Please comment below.

Haze- Blue Crush Travel

 

Pic:  Lanikai Oahu, HI (flask) and Montego Bay, Jamaica (luggage)