Traveling for the holidays is almost like a rite of passage. Whether it's to your family home via public transit, a multi-hour roadtrip in the car, or across the country on a plane, there is so much planning and stress and well, stuff, that goes into holiday travel.
You probably have had a checklist for weeks with what to bring during the days you'll be away, but are you truly prepared? We've rounded up a bunch of products that you should probably invest in for your holiday travel plans, if you value having a less-stressful experience on your trip, no matter how long it is.
The holidays are stressful. There's no denying it. But there are ways to deal with the ridiculousness of heading back to your hometown, dealing with family (or your in-laws), or traveling, and we want to help. This week, we have The Holiday Survival Guide that will guide you through the things that will help get through the holidays.
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Bring The Right Accessories
Whether you're on a plane or propping your head up riding shotgun, the right pillow makes a huge difference when you're traveling. The Turtl Pillow keeps your head in an economic position while you sleep, so you don't wake up grumpy and sore.
Another important detail is having the right bag. Get one with a lot of dedicated pockets, like the Carra Studio Duffel, so you can compartmentalize all your needs. Keep your extra pair of shoes away from your laptop and headphones and your car snacks stashed within reach.
Travel-Friendly Clothing Is Key
Shoving dress shoes into luggage is the pits. They take up so much room, and you don't want to squish them down too much or you risk damaging them. Vivobarefoot makes some pretty snazzy dress shoes and chukka boots that can fold flat or even roll up to fit into the tiniest of crevices in any bag.
Finding a pair of dressy and comfortable pants is like finding a unicorn. These from Summersalt are made from vegan silk, so they're machine washable (holiday drinks, be damned), plus they have an interior passport pocket so you won't have to dig into your carry-on while rushing to make a flight.
Treat Your Skin Right
Traveling does horrible things to your skin. From the forced air in a plane's cabin to the heat from your car's vents, everything is out to suck any and all moisture (and life) from your face. Do yourself a favor and invest in a really, really good sheet mask. Yes, they're usually one-time-use, but if that one time makes your skin go from Salt Flats to Amazonian rainforest, it's worth it.
If you already have a set skin care routine, make sure you can travel with it. Most travel bottle sets are just glorified squeeze tubes, but this one has spray bottles, a pump bottle, and a jar with a leak-proof cap. It even comes with a spatula, a pipette, and a funnel to easily pour product from the full-size bottles without spilling. Plus, all these vessels easily fit into the TSA-approved carry case that the set comes with.
Stay Powered Up
The best thing you can do for yourself when traveling is make sure your technology is always charged. Whether you're draining your phone's battery streaming podcasts or you've already read three books on your Kindle, I recommend grabbing two things.
One: an extra long charging cable. Outlets are never where you need them and making sure you have one that'll reach to anywhere you are is a must. Maybe even grab one that has interchangeable dongles, so even the Android users in your life can get a charge. Two: an external battery pack that does more. The Anker PowerCore Fusion doubles as a high-speed charging wall charger so you can make sure your devices are charged while plugged into an outlet, but are also juiced up while on-the-go.
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