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What I Packed When Solo Travel as a Woman Finally Stopped Scaring Me
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items Spent two years wanting to travel alone but kept chickening out because every scenario in my head ended badly. Finally booked a solo trip to Portugal and obsessively researched what to bring — turns out the right gear makes you feel ten times braver....
Sections
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Personal Safety Devices That Actually Gave Me Peace of Mind
Anti-Theft Bags That Let Me Actually Relax
Door Security for Sketchy Hotel Rooms
Packing Cubes and Organizers That Saved My Sanity
Comfortable Walking Shoes That Survived 20K Steps Daily
Portable Chargers and Tech That Kept Me Connected
Personal Safety Devices That Actually Gave Me Peace of Mind
Walking back to my Airbnb alone at midnight used to make my heart pound. These fit in a jacket pocket and let me breathe normally again.
Clip this to your bag strap when you're walking alone at night — the 120dB alarm is loud enough to stop anyone in their tracks. Saved me from a sketchy situation in Lisbon when a guy followed me three blocks.
SABRE, Personal Alarm with LED Light, 1 Ct, Rose Gold
Swap this in when you want something that doesn't scream ‘safety device’ — it looks like a keychain charm. Perfect if you're the type who wants protection without broadcasting that you're solo.
She's Birdie Personal Safety Alarm strobe Light
Keep this on your keys so it's always within reach. Practiced pulling it out fast before my trip and honestly the confidence alone changed how I carried myself walking around at night.
SABRE Pepper Spray with Quick Release Keychain
Toss one in each bag — when my backpack got swiped at a café in Barcelona, I tracked it to the next street and got it back in ten minutes. Worth every penny before your next trip.
Apple, AirTag Tracking Device, 4-Pack With 1-Year Apple Warranty
Anti-Theft Bags That Let Me Actually Relax
I was that tourist death-gripping her purse with both hands at every market. These bags let me stop looking like a walking target.
Switched to this after someone tried to unzip my regular purse on a crowded tram in Prague. Slash-proof straps and locking zippers — now I can browse street markets without white-knuckling my bag.
Travelon Anti Theft Bags
Use this as your daypack if you're tired of wearing your backpack on your front like a weirdo. RFID blocking pocket kept my cards safe and it fits a water bottle, camera, and snacks.
Pacsafe Citysafe CS350 Anti-Theft Backpack
Grab this for evenings when you just need your phone and one card. Fits under a jacket and nobody even knows it's there — exactly what you want in a crowded bar district.
Travelon Anti-Theft Tailored Crossbody Phone Pouch
Bring this if you carry a tablet or journal — big enough for a full day out but the slash-proof strap means nobody's cutting it off your shoulder on a busy metro.
Customer reviews for Travelon Anti-Theft Classic Essential
Door Security for Sketchy Hotel Rooms
Booked a budget hostel in Morocco and the door lock looked like it was installed in 1987. Slept like a baby anyway because of these.
Wedge this in any inward-opening door and nobody's getting in, period. Took me thirty seconds to install at a hostel in Marrakech and I finally slept through the whole night for the first time that trip.
Addalock Portable Door Locks for Travel Safety
Hang this on any door handle — if someone turns it, a 120dB alarm goes off. The hostel receptionist actually asked me where I got it because three other solo women wanted one.
SABRE, Door Handle Alarm, 110dB, 8 in x 6 in x 1 in
Try this for ground-floor rooms that make you nervous. Adjustable length fits most doors and it's lighter than you'd think. Packed it in my checked bag and used it at every single accommodation.
Customer reviews for SECURITYMAN 2-in-1 Door Security
Kick this under any door and it screams if someone pushes it open. Weighs almost nothing and fits in a shoe. For anyone staying in budget spots where the locks feel questionable.
GE Personal Security Window and Door Alarm
Packing Cubes and Organizers That Saved My Sanity
Living out of a backpack for three weeks sounded romantic until day two when I couldn't find clean underwear. Organization changed everything.
Ditched my chaotic packing method after watching a YouTube video at 2am — color-coded cubes meant I found exactly what I needed without dumping everything on the hostel floor.
Shacke Pak - 4 Set Packing Cubes
Keep your dirty walking shoes away from your clean clothes — learned this lesson the hard way when my muddy hiking boots ruined a white shirt I was saving for a nice dinner.
YAMIU Travel Shoe Bags Set of 4 Waterproof Nylon
Use the compression ones if you're a chronic over-packer like me. Squeezed three extra outfits into my carry-on and still had room for souvenirs on the way back.
Gonex, Compression Packing Cubes, 4-Set
Toss all your chargers, adapters, and earbuds in here instead of the plastic bag at the bottom of your backpack. Found my EU adapter in five seconds flat instead of the usual frantic dig.
BAGSMART Large Electronic Organizer Travel Case
Comfortable Walking Shoes That Survived 20K Steps Daily
Blisters on day one of a solo trip is a special kind of misery because there's nobody to complain to. Broke these in before I left and my feet thanked me.
Wore these for 22,000 steps through Rome and my feet felt fine at dinner. Break them in for a week before you leave — future you on cobblestones will be grateful.
Skechers Go Walk Joy Women's Walking Shoes - Navy
Grab these if your itinerary includes anything outdoorsy. Got caught in a downpour on a coastal trail in Portugal and my socks stayed bone dry while everyone else squished along miserably.
Men's Merrell Moab 3 Mid Waterproof Hiking Boot - Walnut
Pack these as your hostel shower shoes and casual evening sandals — they weigh nothing and dry in minutes. Doubled as my beach shoes in Greece and saved me from packing a third pair.
Birkenstock Arizona Eva Sandals
Switch to these on days when you want something sportier looking. Light enough to run for a bus and cushioned enough for a full day of museum-hopping without that burning arch pain.
New Balance Men's Fresh Foam Roav V1 Running Shoe
Portable Chargers and Tech That Kept Me Connected
My phone is my map, translator, and emergency lifeline when I'm solo. Letting it die at 3pm in a foreign city is not an option.
Slip this in your bag every morning — it's smaller than a deck of cards and gave me two full phone charges. Got lost in Lisbon's Alfama district and my maps app stayed alive because of this little brick.
Anker PowerCore+ 10000 with Built-in USB-C Cable
Ditch the giant laptop charger and use this instead. Charges my phone and laptop with one tiny block — saved so much outlet space at hostels where there's one plug for six people.
Anker Charger, 65W 3-Port Fast Compact Foldable USB C
Bring ONE adapter instead of four — covers US, EU, UK, and Australia plugs. Lost my first one in a hotel and immediately ordered another because traveling without it felt reckless.
EPICKA Universal Travel Adapter with 1AC/3 USB-C/2
Noise canceling on overnight buses and planes made the difference between arriving exhausted and arriving functional. Also great for pretending you can't hear that guy trying to chat you up at the café.
Restored Apple AirPods Pro 2 In-Ear Headphones
Toiletry Essentials That Fit in a Quart Bag
Checked bags get lost. Learned that in Amsterdam when my suitcase took a vacation to Frankfurt without me. Now everything critical fits carry-on.
Ditch liquid bottles entirely — these bars lasted my whole three-week trip and TSA didn't blink. My hair actually felt better than with my regular shampoo, which was an unexpected win.
Kitsch Rice Water Shampoo & Conditioner Set
Airplane air destroyed my skin on the first flight. Started applying this mid-flight and at every hotel — arrived looking human instead of like a dehydrated lizard.
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream Travel Size Face
Use this daily even when it's cloudy — got a weird tan line on my first solo trip because I skipped sunscreen on overcast days. This one doesn't feel greasy under makeup.
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen Lotion
Pour your full-size products into these instead of buying travel sizes every trip. Saved probably forty bucks over three trips and they don't leak — tested that theory in my carry-on multiple times.
Travel Bottle Sets for Toiletries and Liquids
Quick-Dry Clothing for Sink Washing Between Laundromats
Doing laundry abroad is either expensive or an adventure. These dry overnight on a shower rod so you can pack half the clothes.
Wash these in the sink at night and they're dry by morning. Packed three pairs for three weeks and never ran out. If you pack one thing from this list for solo travel, make it these.
ExOfficio Women's Give-N-Go Bikini Brief
Wore this hiking, to dinner, on buses — it dries in hours and doesn't hold odor like cotton does. Rolled up the sleeves when it got warm and looked put-together enough for a restaurant.
Columbia Men's PFG Tamiami II Long Sleeve Shirt
Bring two of these and rotate them. Rinsed one out in a Barcelona hostel sink at 10pm and it was ready to wear by 7am. Weighs basically nothing in your pack.
32 Degrees Mens Short Sleeve Crew Neck Cool Tee
Wear these everywhere — they look nice enough for a sit-down dinner but stretch enough for a morning hike. Dried overnight after I hand-washed them and didn't wrinkle in my backpack.
prAna Halle Straight Pants II - Women's
Sleep Aids for Noisy Hostels and Red-Eye Flights
Nothing ruins a solo trip faster than exhaustion. Sharing a dorm with a chainsaw snorer taught me to come prepared.
Toss a handful in every bag pocket — the slim fit actually stays in smaller ear canals, which regular plugs never did for me. Survived a six-bed dorm with the loudest snorer in Portugal.
Mack's Slim Fit Soft Foam Earplugs
Blocks light completely without pressing on your eyes. Hostels with broken blinds at 5am in summer? Not my problem anymore. Also doubles as a signal to chatty seatmates on planes.
Alaska Bear Silk Sleep Mask with Pad
Forget those inflatable neck donuts — this wraps around like a scarf and actually holds your head up on buses. Slept four hours on a night bus from Seville to Madrid and woke up without neck pain.
Trtl Pillow Scientifically Proven Neck Support
Grab these for jet lag — took two my first night in Europe and adjusted to the time zone in one day instead of the usual three. Taste like blackberry so they don't feel medicinal.
OLLY Sleep Support Gummies, 3 mg Melatonin
Money and Document Protection
Had my wallet pickpocketed in Barcelona on my first solo trip. Never again. Now my important stuff stays hidden and backed up.
Wear this under your shirt with your passport and backup card. Feels weird for the first hour, then you forget it's there. Way better than the anxiety of carrying everything in one purse.
Peak Gear RFID Neck Wallet
Use this instead of a neck wallet if you run warm — sits flat under your waistband and holds cash, a card, and a passport copy. Nobody knew I had it, which is the whole point.
shiyou-Money Belts for Travel Hidden Women
Keep your daily spending card in this and leave everything else locked up. RFID blocking and slim enough to fit in a front pocket. Lost a bulky wallet once and vowed to go minimal after that.
Vaultskin CHELSEA Mens RFID Blocking Slim Leather
Toss your passport copies, insurance printout, and emergency contacts in here. Got caught in a monsoon-level rain in Dubrovnik and everything inside stayed perfectly dry.
Fireproof Document Bag Waterproof Document Pouch
Solo Dining and Journaling Gear
Eating alone felt awkward for exactly one meal — then I brought a journal and it became my favorite part of the trip.
Started writing in this at every solo dinner and it turned awkward table-for-one moments into my favorite memories. Re-reading entries from Lisbon still makes me smile a year later.
Moleskine, Classic Notebook, Hard Cover, Large 5" x 8.25"
Bring real pens, not the ones that explode at altitude. These survived every flight and write smoothly on any paper. Kept one in every bag so I always had one ready.
Pilot, Gel Ink Pen, 0.7mm Fine Point, Black Ink, 5 Pack
Carry a thousand books without the weight — read at cafés, beaches, and waiting rooms. The anti-glare screen works in direct sunlight, which my phone screen absolutely does not.
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 16GB (newest model)
Pair these with a podcast when dining solo feels weird at first. Noise canceling blocks restaurant chaos and they fold flat into your daypack. Cost a fraction of the fancy brands and sound just as good.
Soundcore, Headphones, Wireless Over Ear Bluetooth
First Aid and Wellness for When You're Your Own Safety Net
No travel buddy means nobody's running to the pharmacy for you when you eat something questionable at a street market. Pack these and be your own backup.
Throw a handful in your daypack — blisters from cobblestones hit on day two and pharmacies in small towns close at weird hours. These stayed on through sweat and a full day of walking.
BAND-AID Brand Flexible Fabric Adhesive Bandages
Keep these within arm's reach after street food adventures. Ate something suspicious in a Marrakech market and these saved me from a miserable night. Chewable means no water needed.
How long does it take for Pepto Bismol to work?
Toss two in your bag for long travel days or post-flight recovery. Mixed one into a water bottle after a dehydrating red-eye and felt human again within an hour.
Liquid I.V.
Pack these even if you don't have allergies at home — new foods, different pollen, mystery hotel pillows. Had an unexpected reaction to something in Greece and these knocked it out in twenty minutes.
ETOPO Global Relief Model