Hello from 40,000 feet! I’m writing this as we are flying across the Pond to London, and I can tell you that having just packed for five people, I thought this was the best time to do a deep dive on my Travel Essentials. This covers everything you need for packing, on the airplane and once you arrive. I will call out a few items from each category that truly stand out to me.

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One is my White and Warren travel wrap that has been on every international flight with me since around 2010! Love! And as a fan of compression on airplanes, but unable to handle the feeling of compression socks, the Vim and Vigo Compression tights have been a game changer for me! I love the feeling and wouldn’t do a long haul flight without them.

Next would be my EO hand sanitizer and wipes as I make the children wipe down their airplane seats before we take off and use them throughout the flight. I will add that oversized toilet seat covers for little girls also come in handy!

The AirFly connectors are a way to make your Bluetooth headphones work with any airplane seat television and spare you from the headphones that are handed out.

I never travel without my portable steamer that changes voltages based on what country you are in! On that note I might add that I was traumatized in eight grade when I had a class trip to Australia and a friend of mine burned off a large chunk of her hair with a curling iron that was plugged into a converter. To this day I will not use a hair styling tool that is not the proper voltage of the country I am in. One of my best moves ever was to buy a European Dyson Air Wrap on eBay and I use it with all of my accessories. This is now my 3rd international trip with it and I’m thrilled!

When it comes to luggage in our family, we all have a preference. I am a Tumi girl for life and love the quality and the quantity that I can fit in a bag! For our children I absolutely love AWAY bags. They are so resilient, hold a lot and are very lightweight! Would probably be my top suggestion for someone looking for new luggage. And my husband absolutely loves the style and function of FPM Milano bags. He had a Rimowa aluminum bag that he loved, but it got so banged up on the last trip it was not repairable. Enter FPM Milano with a similar style, but with reinforced corners. The jury is still out on how they will stand the test of time.

A quick side note about the two membership programs. Clear Plus gets you to your gate faster bypassing most lines and is even quicker and easier than TSA Pre. I do want to mention that your children 17 and under are complimentary and can join you in the Clear lane.

Global Entry on the other hand requires an application and is necessary for ALL members of your party to use the Global Entry kiosks upon entry to the US. I do highly recommend this if you travel internationally on a frequent basis with your children.

I have included some of my packing lists that I use to be sure I have everything needed for me, my three children and husband. I hope this has been helpful and I wish you happy packing and Bon Voyage for wherever your next journey takes you!