5 Things I Bring on Every Vacation

Today I am sharing 5 things that I bring on every vacation. These are the things that come with me no matter where I am going. Let's get to the list!

Shoes So Comfortable You Can Walk In Them All Day Long. You should only be bringing comfortable shoes on a trip. If you must bring a pair of fancier heels for an event - fine let that be the exception. Otherwise, you need to choose at least 2 pairs of shoes you can walk in all day. For me, I have a pair of booties from Madewell that I can wear to walk 7 miles in a day, and a pair of sneakers (I recently replaced my Keds with Adidas). I also love my Keen hiking boots and I bring those if I am going to be hiking.

A Camera You Know How To Use. Learn how to use your camera before you bring it on a trip. I love my Canon Rebel. Put thought into which lenses you will use, and try to only bring a couple lightweight lenses. I love my 24mm lens. I always bring an extra SD card and the charger for the battery too.

A Bag To Bring Sightseeing. My favorite bags are the Henri Bendel Jetsetter Backpacks (in the larger size). They are big enough to fit my camera and all of my essentials, without being bulky. You can read more about how I pack my bag for a day of sightseeing right here.

A Rain Jacket. A lightweight rain jacket takes up hardly any space in your bag, and if it does rain, you will be so glad that you have it. I have two rain jackets - this blue one is from L.L. Bean and it fold us super tiny because it is very lightweight. It's great for a summer trip, but it can also be layered over a sweater or another jacket.

I also have a thicker warmer waterproof jacket with a hood that I have worn in Iceland and Finland. I especially love this jacket because it has lots of pockets.

Less clothing than I think I need. Most people overpack. I look at it this way: I always end up shopping when I am traveling, and I come home with more than I left with. Don't bring that dress you have never worn or those pants that don't fit quite right. Pack items that you love, that won't get super wrinkly, and that can be worn a couple of times. You can't go wrong with jeans and black shirts. And if the weather turns cold and you don't have a sweater, you can always get one cheap at H&M. The only thing I pack extra of is underwear - it's small and it's better to pack extra than not enough.

Do you have any travel essentials that you bring everywhere? I would love to hear about it in the comments! If you want to see everything I packed for a 2+ week trip in Europe - click here!

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