I came up with the concept of my Travel Go Bag during the glory days pre-Covid when I was packing a suitcase about 50 times per year. Between work trips, bachelorette parties, weddings and jet-setting for fun, I grew tired of constantly packing, unpacking and restocking the same supplies every few weeks. Working smarter not harder, I started leaving the essentials neatly stocked and stored inside the duffel I always use as my personal item (the bag you can bring on all airlines, stored under the seat in front of you). Now, part of my unpacking process involves refilling or replacing items in my Go Bag, and life has never been easier.

My Go Bag is filled with things you always need specific to travel, things that can be tossed in your bag when packing, used during your trip, then Just to be real… this is probably the most organized thing I do in my life 🙂

Here are the things I keep in my Go Bag.

Medicine

Next time you’re at the store, grab an extra bottle of your preferred over-the-counter medications to keep in your Go Bag. I keep mine stocked in a small pill case so I always have what I need when I’m on the go. The meds I always bring are: Tylenol, Advil, Zyrtec, Gas-X (trust me), Unisom, Tums and an extra spot for anything specific I’m taking at that time – like vitamins or scripts.

Liquids

Remember the 3-1-1 rule for TSA – liquids must be under 3.4 oz, fit in 1 quart-sized bag and only 1 bag per person. There are tons of options for approved bags and liquid bottles on Amazon and in-stores, but a disposable quart-sized bag will also work just fine. Keep extra liquids you need on every trip stocked inside your bag, like conditioner, Aquaphor, lotion, eye drops, face wash or moisturizer. A great way to keep this stocked is to replace with toiletry items provided by your hotel.

Personal Products

Keep spare personal items stocked in a bag and ready to go. Some things I keep in this bag are hair ties, Chapstick, Liquid IV, hygiene products, my EpiPen, a reusable makeup remover pad, nail clippers, etc. Most importantly PACK SOME PENS! If you are traveling internationally, you will have to fill out multiple forms during and after landing. You don’t want to be the passenger caught without a pen! This is another great thing to grab from hotel rooms when you leave – pop it in your personal products bag and be reminded of your adventure every time you pull it out!

Chargers

Chargers are the #1 thing I leave behind when I travel, so I developed a simple system to keep me from constantly having to buy more. I ordered an extra charger for my phone, watch and Kindle, and I keep each packed with one wall block and one portable charger inside a Ziplock bag. I wrote a checklist of each charger on the outside, so when I’m packing I remind myself to make sure I’ve grabbed them all. Super easy!

This is just a handful of easy items to have prepped and ready any time you travel. While I consider all of these essentials, there are a few other things I recommend packing in your personal item every time you fly. For a complete guide to how to pack your personal item, click here.