5 Must Have Travel Accessories for the Solo Traveler

Traveling nourishes the soul — but traveling solo can be a way to get in touch with yourself and experience the world in a completely different way than you might when exploring with friends or family. But before you head out on your next big adventure, make sure you have these five must-have travel accessories tucked into your luggage.

1. Sweet Dreams, Everywhere A travel pillow is a compact, easy to pack travel accessory that really packs a punch. A comfortable travel pillow can be the difference between 9 sleepless hours on a transatlantic flight and showing up in Rome well rested and ready to go. Not only are they perfect for long flights, travel pillows can help you catch some shut eye on a train or bus, without waking up with a kink in your neck. Some pillows are even inflatable, so they can compress easily in your carry on.
2. Keep Your Suitcase Tidy Stay organized on vacation by using packing cubes to organize your luggage. Pack one day’s worth of clothing into it’s own cube, or sort your garments by type. When it comes to getting dressed in the morning, everything will be easy to find; no more rummaging through a big duffle. Packing cubes keeps your clothing nice and compact, so you can bring a smaller bag on your travels.
3. Turkish Towels What can’t you do with a Turkish Towel? This oversized towel is woven flat from high quality Turkish cotton, making it lightweight and easy to roll. Both stylish and practical, Turkish towels are perfect for lounging by the ocean shore, or drying off after a shower in your hostel.Coming in array of stylish colors and styles, it can even be worn as a scarf on a chilly flight, or be used as a respectful shawl when visiting a cathedral or other holy site. The best part? The light weave dries super fast, so you won’t be packing a gross damp towel into your suitcase when you hit the road.
4. Hard Shell Luggage A hardside suitcase is both sleek and durable. A good piece of hard shell luggage will keep your clothes dry even through a monsoon, and will keep your souvenirs safe and unbroken on the flight home.When you are shopping for a hard shell suitcase, look for one with four wheels for easy airport navigation, and an expandable zipper, so you have a little more wiggle room for all the mementos you want to bring back with you. Some top of the line models even come with a TSA approved lock, and a portable charging station for your phone!
5. A Headlamp Yeah it’s a little dorky, but you’ll get over that fast when you realize how easy it makes your life. A headlamp is ideal for camping or for lighting up a dark trail on sunrise hike. It’s great for keeping your hands free while you work, and will really save your phone battery.Even if you aren’t heading into nature, you’d be surprised by how useful a headlamp can be, from reading in bed in a hostel, to dealing with an unexpected blackout in a developing country.

Author Bio:

Ronald Stanford is a Denver based blogger who has been writing about travel for nearly 10 years. When he’s not planning his next adventure, he can be found hiking in the mountains around his home.