Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
What’s in My Bag: Euro Summer Edition
30
items Embarking on a 2-month solo mission through the Balkans this past summer, I had to be *extremely* efficient with space while still making room for the essentials. This is everything that made the cut—and now that I'm reflecting after the fact—what I ...
Sections
3
euro summer essentials
nice to haves
deinfluencing you
euro summer essentials
the most critical items in my backpack during my balkans summer, these are the items i'd undoubtedly pack again—and will when i head to the iberian peninsula this time around!
my #1 must-have! hopping between hostels and otherwise budget accommodations, these completely noise-cancelling ear plugs were a life saver. once i pop these bad boys in no squeaky bunks, crying babies on planes, or other travelers partying outside c...
Loop Ear Plugs
i will warn you that once you start using this sleep mask—there's no going back. the cooling silk is ultra relaxing with just enough pressure from the wraparound fit to signal to your brain that it's time to sleep. i usually have a lash lift and tint...
Eyelash Protecting Silk Sleep Mask
the more expensive noise-cancelling solution, when i get *really* desperate i pull out my pods and play white noise to block everything else out—but then i have to worry about them falling out and getting lost in the middle of the night, so this is o...
Apple AirPods 4
you're undoubtedly going to need a plug adapter at some point to charge your devices in the local sockets, so learn from my mistakes and buy a universal adapter the first time around. it will work for all your future trips with various settings for t...
Universal Travel Adapter
most coveted euro destinations are scorching in the summer, meaning styles that keep your hair off your neck are going to be a lifesaver. i’m partial to a slick back pony or bun—which is pretty much how your sweaty hair is going to end up either way—...
Mini Curl Talk Mousse
said comb duo i use to achieve a slick back—the pointed tip is particularly helpful for achieving a super straight part.
Black Teasing Comb
a travel-sized, light hold hairspray perfect for achieving loose beachy (but not crunchy) waves or keeping baby hairs down on a sleek slick back bun.
CHI Infra Texture Hair Spray
even more important than a comb is a boar bristle brush. i didn't understand for years why i couldn't achieve a flat, sleek slick back without a bunch of bumps—and this is the answer. nylon pins are simply not going to do it.
Boar Bristle Brush
carrying around a personal towel in your bag is often more worth it than not, from serving its intended purpose on the sand or in the park for a picnic to becoming a blanket in dire circumstances. i prefer sand cloud so it's simple to pack up at the ...
Sand Cloud Towel
traveling for an extended period of time means you need to make space-saving sacrifices to get everything to fit, with this collapsible water bottle about as functional as it gets. don't get scammed into buying water every time you're on the go, carr...
Collapsible Water Bottle
my emotional support sun hat—she came with me everywhere and was on my head more times than i'd like to admit. the flexible material makes this beach staple incredibly easy to pack while the wire brim allows you to reshape the hat to your preferred s...
Crochet Sun Hat
if you're traveling alone, this is how you're going to get THE vacation flick. the coolest shots i've ever taken have been captured with this tripod and the height is perfect—so much so that nobody online is going to realize you were running it back ...
Tripod & Selfie Stick
sunscreen of at least spf 50 is a must to avoid fine lines, wrinkles, and potentially even skin cancer down the line, so be sure to pack a waterproof variety like this neutrogena hydro boost bottle that will stay put during beach clubs and boat days.
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Sunscreen
after an excruciatingly long day of travel, who wants to wash their makeup off? not me, that's for sure. whether it's before boarding a flight, on the train to a new city, or in my hostel bed when i'm too lazy to get up and go to the communal bathroo...
Neutrogena Makeup Remover Wipes
you're not going to be able to predict the moment where you'll need wet wipes—and that's exactly why you should always have some on hand. it could be to clean your hands before an impromptu meal, to wipe off your phone screen after dropping it in the...
Wet Ones Wipes
plenty of days spent under the sun means sweat, sand, and inconspicuous grim will end up in your pores. you likely won't have space for a full 10-step skincare routine—especially if the 100 mL baggies at the airport have anything to say about it—so b...
Mighty Patch Pimple Patches
i promise you do not want your toothbrush bristles out in the open, brushing against who knows what crumbs are in your backpack. keep things covered and sanitary with a steripod, no matter where your toothbrush ends up shoved in your bag.
Steripod Toothbrush Protector
while not in my bag physically, i only recently figured out how to use esims and let me just say—wow, was i wasting money. last summer my at&t plan was $10/day, meaning i spent nearly $600 on cell service during the two months i was abroad. compa...
Nomad International eSIMs
travel insurance is a must—not a nice-to-have—since you never know when and if something will go wrong. it's always better to be safe than sorry. if you're traveling for an extended period of time like i did and crossing multiple borders, safetywing ...
SafetyWing Insurance
nice to haves
while not true must-haves, if you have the space these finds did improve my quality of life while living out of a suitcase around the balkans.
on a group trip a tripod isn’t really needed—since you have multiple human photographers to choose from—but on a solo or duo journey this may be the only way to secure the perfect vacation flick. i usually carry a bigger tripod but needed to save som...
Amazon Basics 10-inch Tripod with Remote
the mediterranean—especially greece—was much windier than i anticipated, which made this silk hair scarf particularly useful for keeping my locks at bay. from boat nets to beach club sunbeds, this chic old-money style works perfectly for the summer w...
Satin Silk Scarf
another quick and easy way to tame beach or boat hair, this crochet bucket hat is a more casual hair covering in a cheeky pink and red stripe style i thought was absolutely adorable.
Crochet Bucket Hat
i'm embarrassed to admit how many times i got sun burnt—which regrettably goes against my whole ‘wear sunscreen’ mantra above—but fortunately this ultra moisturizing, coconut oil infused lotion kept me from peeling all summer. i brought some in a tra...
Palmer's Coconut Oil Lotion
a standard, travel-size toiletry bottle set to transfer any liquids into which come in original packaging that's too large for tsa. the labels help to differentiate what's what so you don't confuse sunscreen, lotion, shampoo, and more.
Travel Size Toiletry Bottles
skip out on the handheld fan and enter the 21st-century with this battery-powered variety. this is the cooling device i'll be packing for my upcoming iberian peninsula adventure, and given it's rechargeable i'm pretty confident it will last my whole ...
Portable Handheld Fan
deinfluencing you
these are the items i packed and undoubtedly did not need—or hardly ever used—so you can skip out on them and save some space in your bag.
more often than not, you’ll find yourself on pebbly beaches or climbing up rocks to then jump into the crystal clear water below. while not a must-have, water shoes can help make the journey a bit more bearable on your feet, especially in cases where...
Quick-Dry Water Shoes
i don't know where i came up with the notion that i'd need goggles for all the swimming—and impromptu snorkeling?—i'd be doing, but i hardly pulled these out. when i did, i felt like a dweeb, so i'd say you can skip the goggles and just man up when s...
Amazon Basics Swim Goggles
similarly to the goggles, i don't know where i got the notion that i'd be pulling out a fan to cool myself frequently—but that just did not happen. the few gusts of hot air i'd push towards myself were anything but refreshing, so simply put, there's ...
Cotton Lace Folding Fan
i would have had to use nearly half of these travel-size spray bottles to get even one shirt unwrinkled, which simply wasn't worth the time and energy that took. next time around i'd pack a portable iron, but in my case it was typically humid enough ...
Downy Wrinkle Releaser Spray
i knew with the sea breeze and meltemi wind that evenings around the mediterranean would be chillier compared to the day, but unfortunately this sheer shawl did little to nothing to keep me warm. a proper cardigan would've been more appropriate than ...
Lightweight Shawl