an artsy picture of the latte I bought at Penn Station on my way to Newark
I spent a lot of time (probably an embarrassingly large amount of minutes, if we’re being honest) watching packing videos and travel hacks on YouTube before my recent trip to Israel. It was my weakness and I couldn’t stop. I LOVE finding new packing tips and tricks and with YouTube (and Google) the possibilities of stumbling across your new favorite hack never stops.
A lot of the videos were meh, and sort of boring. One was actually titled, “YOU CAN’T GO TO ISRAEL WITHOUT THIS” and you know what the ‘THIS’ was? Rompers. This middle-aged woman said you had to bring ALL OF YOUR ROMPERS to Israel. What? I don’t think so. I don’t even own a romper. Thank you, next.
That being said I actually did implement a bunch of these travel hacks and I thought I’d share them with you guys in case you’re planning on traveling soon.
- Moisturizer In a Contact Case: I don’t remember where I saw this one but OMG it was the best. I put eye moisturizer in one pod and face moisturizer in the other. There were no leaks it fit into my tiny makeup bag perfectly.
- A Separate Airplane Satchel: I think I saw this on a YouTuber’s channel and she had gotten in the habit of putting similar items in little pouches so I thought maybe I’d try that. I had this little satchel that I’d gotten from a skincare company and held on to for who-knew-why and finally I had a good use for it. What did I put inside it? Toothbrush, toothpaste, cozy socks, earbuds, contact case, lip balm (and my glasses were in their case in my bag). The one thing I forgot? My contact lens solution because they made me check my luggage. Goddamnit! Anyways: this hack was ace because it kept everything organized. I will do this for forevermore.
- Using a Straw to Keep Your Necklaces Untangled: I saw this on another random YouTube video and thought I’d try it. I’m not big on bringing jewelry with me when I travel but I wanted to bring my quartz necklace so I put one end through a straw and when I took it out a few days later, voila, it wasn’t tangled. I personally don’t use plastic straws anymore, but if you have any hanging around in your junk drawer, throw them in your luggage so you have them on hand when you’re packing.
- A Scarf With a Secret Pocket: My one and only purchase on Black Friday last year was this scarf from Speakeasy Travel and this trip was my first time using it. Let me tell you: IT WAS WORTH EVERY PENNY! I had a very slim wallet with me that I kept in the secret pocket at all times. Along with my phone, sometimes, and occasionally even my passport. I never had to wonder where my wallet was and if it’d be lifted by a pickpocket because that would’ve been nearly impossible. Pro-tip: Also make sure you always close the zippered compartment.
- Binder Clips For Your Headphones (+ A Separate Carrying Case For Them): In another YouTube video, I saw that a vlogger used binder clips to keep their headphones from tangling and they would also put their headphones in a separate pouch. So, I did that. I bought two sets because one goes with my iPhone and the second would be usable on the plane. I always forgot the second pair, but thankfully I didn’t this time because the free headphones on the plane suck.
- Bonus: A Stackable Pill Case: I take a bunch of supplements every day and I knew I had to order something a little bigger to get me through 11 days away, so I found this case on Amazon and it worked perfect. It might not be a hack, per se, but it’s definitely something I am glad I invested in before this trip.
So, those are my favorite new travel hacks that I picked up on my last journey. I hope you find these helpful and let me know if you use them. If you have any other hacks that I have missed, let me know in the comments below!
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