Creating the perfect travel kit for women is an art. But luckily I’ve suffered through enough trips that I was woefully unprepared for to put together this list of essential travel supplies so you don’t end up like me:

In Salzburg, Austria covered in 70+ bedbug bites, itchy, in pain from the most massive blisters known to mankind on your toes, and crying because your hostel roommates are snoring to beat the band.

In Salzburg. Pretending to be rested.

Here Are 8 Essential Travel Supplies that MUST Be in Your Travel Kit for Women

You can click the name of each item to grab it off of Amazon.

See also:

• Tired of Traveling? 6 Ways To Get Over Travel Burnout
• Study Abroad Bucket List: The Ultimate European Scavenger Hunt” href=”http://www.shesatripblog.com/study-abroad-bucket-list/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Study Abroad Bucket List: The Ultimate European Scavenger Hunt

Diva Cup

Smiling and bleeding at Windsor Castle, June 2015.

The Diva Cup is a lifesaver for traveling women and it’s one of the essential travel supplies I can’t do without. It saves me room in my luggage when I’m trying to pack light (one Diva Cup VS a whole box of tampons + a few backup pads…you get the picture) AND I don’t have to worry about ever running out of period supplies on the road because it’s reusable.

Seriously. Why aren’t you using the Diva Cup yet?

See also:

• Dealing with your Period on Vacation

Ear Plugs

In Rome. September 2017. Smiling cause I slept alone at my old study abroad campus.

Snoring triggers me like no other. I can’t even be in the room with a heavy breather when I’m trying to sleep. I’ve also never stayed in a hostel where one of my roommates wasn’t snoring. I typically try to ignore it, send them death lasers with my eyes from across the dark room, or sleep with an ASMR video turned all the way up on my phone.

But the noise from the video ends up hurting my ears and it’s not comfortable to sleep with earbuds in anyway. So now I use ear plugs.

Any proper travel kit for women should sport a few pairs of foam ear plugs. Don’t forget them unless you don’t feel like sleeping on your trip.

See also:

• Hate Traveling with Friends? Here’s How to Avoid Fighting on Vacation

Achetomeniphen / Paracetamol

Arenal, Costa Rica. May 2017. About to get so sunburned that I popped pills like it was my job.

Period pain. A stress headache because you misread the boarding monitor and now you’re on the completely wrong train. Aching feet from climbing a mountain in the Costa Rican rainforest. Achetomeniphen (sometimes called Paracetamol…but more commonly referred to as Tylenol) has got your back.

Don’t skimp on the travel size. Bring the full bottle. If your trips unfold anything like mine do (aka ordeals you have to consciously turn into adventures) then you’re gonna need the entire thing.

See also:

• An Iguana just Bit Me! (and Other Costa Rican Disasters)

Band Aids

Athens, March 2014. My feet hurt real bad.

Cuts, scrapes, blisters, and the like are inevitable when traveling. Save yourself the hassle of having to pop out and hunt some band aids down in India, France, or the Maldives. Just pack a few in your expertly crafted travel kit for women and take the stress out of it.

I also may or may not be including this on the list because I had the worst blisters known to man on my trip to London last fall, so I bought some band aids at Boots, but they turned out to be worthless. Seriously. It was like taping paper onto my feet.

See also:

• Bedbugs, Blisters, and Backpacks: Camino de Santiago Advice for Women

Mole Skin

London. Pretending to have functional feet.

England. September 2017. I’m limping down a train platform at half five in the morning in East Mosley because I have the biggest blisters known to man on each of my toes and the pads of my feet. I wanted to look “Euro Chic” for my grand tour and forwent sensible walking shoes for cute booties. Big mistake.

My limp was so pronounced that as I entered the packed train, a woman got up out of the seat marked for disabled people and offered it to me.

When I arrived at Gatwick airport, I paid nearly £30 for a pair of flip flops to ease my pain, but instead only got two new pairs of blisters rubbed between my toes.

If only I’d had some moleskin, a heavy cotton fabric that goes a long way to prevent blisters in the first place.

See also:

• 2017 in Review: My Best and Worst Travel Moments

Chafing Protection

Another way to avoid chafing: literally just wear pants. Vienna. October 2017.

All human women should have chafing protection with them while traveling. Most of us have legs. They rub together when we walk. It burns. It makes us look like penguins as we try to avoid the stinging by waddling around. Just pop some chafing protection in your travel kit for women and you’ll be grand.

See also:

• 5 Questions to Ask when Traveling to Avoid Common Travel Mistakes

Anti-itch Cream

A few of my bed bug bites.

Those 70+ bedbug bites I mentioned? Do you know how much better my life would have been if I just had some anti-itch cream with me from the onset?

I’m honestly surprised I didn’t get a staph infection from how much I tore at my skin. I spent like €15 at a pharmacy in Munich trying to relieve the itch, but that was after nearly a week of being itchy and miserable.

So whether you run into ants, bed bugs, mosquitos, or even another traveler covered in bug bites (sharing is caring!), anti-itch cream is always a good thing to have on hand.

See also: 

• The Top 12 Useful Travel Gifts for Women – She’ll Love Them!

Peppermint Foot Lotion

What it feels like to use peppermint foot lotion. Marrakech, Morocco. February 2014.

I’m all about foot care, if you can’t tell.

I think that happy feet are quite literally the foundation for a good trip. If you’ve followed my advice above and purchased band aids, moleskin, and Achetomeniphen / Paracetamol for your trip, your feet should be quite happy. But sometimes, after a long day of exploring, they still need a good rub to be fully functional the next day.

So make sure to grab some peppermint foot lotion before your next adventure. The scent is cool and invigorating. You can thank me later.

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Emily Kammerlohr

Emily’s all over the place. She’s an expert on working holidays, studying abroad, and turning your #GapYear into a #GapLife. Learn how here.