Ahhhh, Amazon Prime Day. Equal parts exciting and anxiety-inducing. Do I need anything right now? No. Do I have anxiety about missing out on a great deal for something I don't actually need? Sure do. Here's a list of items that I recommend all the time. If the Prime Day rush has you totally overwhelmed, bookmark this page and return at a later date. These items are worth it at full price, I promise. But if you do have upcoming travel, might as well save a few bucks. Here are some of my essentials...photos are clickable links to each product. Happy shopping!
This travel backpack truly does the most. It's waterproof, has a separate compartment at the bottom for shoes, it also has a wet bag pocket and a USB charging port. If you're going away for the weekend, it might just be the only bag you need. For a longer trip, it has a sleeve to attach to your rolling suitcase. It's under $50 all the time (!!!) but is often on sale for even less. Prime day 2023 deal: $36.
Talk about an item that you don't know you need until you have it! For years my solution to this problem was to put all my bottles into a plastic bag so when they leak, it's contained (I've yet to win an innovation award and yes, I'm just as baffled by that as you). Now that NJ doesn't freely give away plastic bags anymore, I've been scrambling. Needless to say, when I saw this product I was all in. It's inexpensive regardless, but who says no to 20% off? Not I. Prime day 2023 deal: $9.50.
If you are in need of comfortable walking shoes that are not sneakers, look no further. It's as if the Birkenstock and the Stuart Weitzman Elodie sandal had a baby...but a super comfortable, much less expensive baby. Full disclosure: I have not tested these ones out myself but have heard it's the perfect shoe for walking around Italy from a trusted source. It's also in my cart this Prime Day so I'll be reporting back.
I questioned including two bags to the same travel essentials list but YOLO. Let's do it. Meet the garment bag/duffel bag/toiletry bag combo of your dreams. It's a traditional garment bag when laid flat and then you zip it into a duffel bag where you pack the rest of your clothes. The sides of this bag are made up of a shoe bag and a toiletry compartment, so it's truly a jack-of-all-trades. Usually somewhere around $50 but Prime Day 2023 deal: $42
I don't go away for even an overnight without packing cubes, and these compression ones are a particular favorite. Depending on the trip, I will separate types of clothes (pants, shirts, etc) or dedicate each one to a different days outfit. You can even buy different colors for different family members which makes combining suitcases much easier. A pack of 4 is $25, Prime Day 2023 deal: 15% off.