1. An expandable hard-shell carry-on suitcase with four spinner wheels and a built-in lock to bring your luggage firmly into adulthood with you. RIP, soccer camp duffel bag. You will not be forgotten.

Target

Promising review: "We have had two of these bags for the last 10 years. It’s a great bag. Perfect as a carry-on and fits at least two weeks' worth of clothing in it. We are an airline family; therefore, we fly standby, so checking in bags gets tricky. My older son’s bag is now showing some signs of wear. I have been looking at new bags, but I can’t find anything that will accommodate as much as this one." —M

Price: $89.99 (available in six colors)

2. *OR* a duffel-adjacent weekender bag if you're not quite willing to give up that duffel life. It has a trolly sleeve to make it easy to carry along with a roller bag, and it's small enough to count as a "personal item" on most planes, ensuring you have the perfect carry-on-only setup with as much room as possible.

Target

Promising review: "Perfect carry-on bag. Hooks to roller luggage as well. Super roomy, and I love all of the pockets. Holds a ton!" —Jb

Price: $79.99 (available in two colors)

3. A travel throw blanket so you can stay toasty warm even if your seat neighbor is blasting the air. Plane naps are so much better when you're the right temp. And when you're not using it it folds down into a plush bag and doubles as a pillow.

Target

Promising review: "This blanket set is soft and cozy, perfect for long flights or car rides. The pillow provides great support and comfort. I love that it comes in a compact bag with pockets, making it easy to carry and store. This set is a must-have for any traveler and makes a great gift too."  —Amandatwilight

Price: $19.99 (available in three colors)

4. Some classic Apple EarPods that are minuscule to store when you're not using them, don't require charging, and don't break the bank. I'm a believer that these classics are underrated, especially when it comes to traveling light.

Target

Promising review: "After going through too many wireless earbuds to name, costing me so much money, I decided to follow the trend of the tried and true wired buds. The sound quality is great and the price even better." —aj

Price: $19.99

5. A small bottle of CeraVe Moisturizing Cream so you can leave the enormous tub it usually comes in at home while still enjoying it's cult-status effectiveness. That's gonna be especially key after a long, drying flight!

Target

Promising review: "I have very dry ski,n and this cream is my holy grail. I put it on at night, and it’s not sticky or greasy. It doesn’t make my clothes feel like they’re sticking to me, and it also hydrates my skin the whole next day. I haven’t found any other cream that measures up to Cerave." —Target Shopper

Price: $7.69

6. A ruled hardcover Moleskine notebook to use as a travel journal. I love writing small daily entries whenever I'm on a trip but hate lugging around enormous journals. This one is slim, easy to carry, high-quality and is always in my carry-on.

Target

Promising review: "I’ve been looking for something to put all my writing in, and this book is awesome! The quality of the paper and the lines aren’t that close, and it allows you so much room per page. Will buy again!" —Kimbe

Price: $24.99 (available in six colors and three page styles)

7. A reliable external battery so you're never stuck without directions somewhere new. The amount of times an external battery has saved my tuchas is astonishing.

Target

Promising review: "It stalled me all day at an amusement park, and I could charge my phone and my mini fan to keep me cool. At the end of the day, it was at 60%, and I used it constantly for about 12 hours. Didn’t overheat at all, which surprised me since the weather was around 90 degrees when I used it the most. It does only come with two ports, one to charge the battery itself and one USB port to charge other devices." —ana

Price: $49.99

8. A seven-piece set of packing cubes to keep your items as compact and organized as possible. I used to be skeptical of packing cubes at first but can conform they help even the most disorganized of travelers (me) maintain some semblance of order.

Target, Terget

Promising review: "These are a game changer. They kept my suitcase organized for travel, and spared me from the digging to find 'that one shirt' on vacation! I got multiple colors, one for me and each of my kids for maximum organization. Highly recommend." —Em

Price: $29.99 (available in two colors)

9. A travel-size Evian facial spray so you can keep your face hydrated even as the plane tries its hardest to dry you out. Its mini size makes it super simple to tuck into a bag, but you'll feel so luxurious using it.

Target

Promising review: "This is my favorite facial mist to apply before serums. I’ve tried many expensive ones and always returned to this one. It doesn’t have any harsh ingredients, is all-natural, is truly for all skin types, and is affordable. I highly recommend it!" —KT

Price: $10.39+ (available in three sizes)

10. A couple of tiny bottles of SheaMoisture shampoo and conditioner, because your curls have been subjected to subpar hotel products way too many times. Let's fix that while still keeping your toiletry bag a manageable size.

Target

The products are paraben-free, phthalate-free, and cruelty-free.

Promising review: "Great product. I don’t use shampoo daily, so this small size is perfect and lasts a while. Cleans my hair good and keeps it curled and shined." —Ddaniel

Price: $3.89 for the shampoo and $3.89 for the conditioner

11. An itty-bitty Venus razor with a carrying case so if you're planning on shaving on your trip you don't need to bring your big ol' razor and try to find a way to store it safely.

Target

Promising review: "Love this compact razor for traveling. Very convenient size and the razor itself works very well. Smooth shave result. Would purchase again." —Channing

Price: $12.59

12. A mini bottle of Vacation Super Spritz SPF 50 face mist so you can keep your skin protected on the go. While checking a bag to lug your usual tub of SPF around could be worth it to some, this handy-dandy spray makes it easy to fly and reapply.

Target

Promising review: "I love it! It’s easy to apply. I used it as a first application, but I like it for reapplying even over other sunscreens. It’s not sticky, tight, or oily, and I've had no breakouts. So convenient because reapplying a cream sunscreen can cause gross buildup and feel heavy. Plus, it smells great when applied! I could see this potentially irritating someone with really sensitive skin, so maybe test it before putting it on your face." —tk104

Price: $8.79

13. A TSA-friendly travel makeup bag kit with a transparent design and matching to-go bag, so you don't have to think, "Did I pack my fave cleanser, moisturizer, and night cream?" as you rush to the airport.

Target

This set includes three refillable travel bottles, a refillable jar, a funnel, and a spray bottle.

Promising review: "These worked great for my recent trip to New Orleans. I needed something to hold all of my makeup removers, lotions, etc." —Taylor

Price: $9

14. Or an eight-piece toiletry bottle set so it's easy as can be to decant literally all of your favorite toiletries into small, manageable, TSA-approved bottles — yes, even sprays!

Target

The set includes two bottles with sprayers, two silicone bottles, two rolling bottles, two jars, and a zip-top pouch. 

Promising review: "I packed these with my daily toiletries, too, for going overseas, and they are so fun and cute. I will buy these again!!" —Tashala

Price: $12.99

15. A laptop backpack with a trolly sleeve if you're in search of the most versatile personal item out there. It'll come in handy both as a piece of luggage and as a bag you can use in your everyday life, and is obviously extra fitting for anyone who's working while on the go.

Target

Promising review: "I got this bag as my new travel backpack/carry-on. It's good quality, very cute, and has good pockets for organizing my things and securing my laptop/tablet. Would definitely recommend it!" —Jill C

Price: $48.49 (available in four colors)

16. Or a 35-liter travel backpack if you want to forego the suitcase altogether and pack everything hands-free. It opens suitcase-style so clothes are as easy to access as a more traditional bag.

Target

It also has a trolly sleeve!

Promising reviews: "Great size. No trouble fitting it on airlines under the seat or in the bin. A good size for traveling. Love the handle at the top and on the side for carrying options. Straps are comfy and thick. I love this bag." —Am

"Used this for traveling to NY, and it held everything I needed for three days. Great purchase." —Travel backpack

Price: $49.99 (available in five colors)

17. A Takeya water bottle with a fold-down straw whose small 18-ounce size is perfect for tossing in a carry-on. It's not gonna take up too much space or be too heavy, but you will have a nice serving of water to dip into whenever you need it. Balance, people!

Target

Promising review: "My husband and I received these as a gift for our wedding. I was hesitant at first because I'm picky about water bottles. BUT...I now use mine almost every day. I took my daughter to pick out a new water bottle for school, and she picked the Takeya with a straw. She was nervous it would be hard to suck through, but it's not! We all love ours from the handle to the grip bottom!" —Taryn

Price: $28.99

18. A simple and useful zippered pouch that is meant for makeup but can be used for almost any travel paraphernalia. Makeup, other toiletries, small electronics, cords, jewelry, travel tickets...You name it, and it can tuck away nicely and neatly here!

Target

Price: $23.45 (available in 12 colors)

19. A folding travel toothbrush ensures you don't have to size up your toiletry bag just to fit your regular toothbrush.

Target

Promising review: "This is the PERFECT toothbrush for a trip because it does not require an extra cover or a toothbrush case. It just folds up. I’m obsessed with it." —Cohdey21

Price: $0.99

20. An RFID-blocking waist pouch you can keep int he seat back pouch in front of you so you always have your eyes on your most important essentials.

Target

Promising review: "I bought this for a Europe trip, and it was perfect. Slim enough I could wear it under shirts and still big enough to store passports and cash." —Mtmama

Price: $14.99

21. An adjustable cushioned sleep mask that'll help you get some serious shuteye and be totally worth the room in your personal item bag. Arriving to your destination well-rested is such a gift.

Target

Promising review: "This eye mask is amazing. It blocks out light SO well and doesn’t hurt your face. Five stars!" —Chels

Price: $8.59

22. A five-piece compression bag set that don't require a vacuum to squish down nice and small and maximize space. All you need to do is roll the air out, throw them in your bag, and be on your merry way with a whole wardrobe in tow.

Target

This includes one small, two medium, and two large airtight waterproof bags.

Promising review: "The BEST and only storage bags you should buy. I could pack two weeks of wardrobe into one suitcase for the plane. You do not need a vacuum to seal! Love these bags, and will only buy these from now on." —Brooke

Price: $19.99

23. A compact pill organizer so you can bring the correct amount of medication and supplements that you need for your travels without lugging around full bottles.

Target

Promising review: "I like having the separate morning and evening sections so that I take my pills at the correct time. Also, it will be so handy to be able to just take the days which are needed out of the holder when traveling." —Shelley Retter

Price: $14.49 (originally $27.99; available in five colors)

24. A small pack of disinfecting wipes to give you peace of mind when using high-touch surfaces away from home. Nothing worse than discovering your airplane tray is mysteriously sticky.

Target

Promising review: "These are perfect for travel! I buy a few before traveling and use them on the plane and in the hotel. Perfect size for a backpack/purse, so I don't have to bring a giant Clorox container!" —R19

Price: $1.29 for a nine-pack

25. And a mini bottle of The Honest Company hand sanitizer spray to get your hands squeaky clean before you dive into those tasty plane snacks you brought.

Target

Promising review: "The smell is AWESOME! I love the scent; it's not overwhelming, my kiddo loves it, and the spray makes it easy to take on the go and keep in our bags. We will be bringing these everywhere to keep hands clean when we can't wash them!" —Sam

Price: $4.89

The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.