Solo Travel Essentials for Women
Solo travel can feel intimidating, especially if you feel unprepared. I’ve definitely had my fair share of solo travel failures to teach me how to properly prepare. Thinking ahead will set you up to have a more comfortable trip and build your confidence as a female solo traveler. Lucky for you, I’ve made those mistakes so you don’t have to. I’ve created this helpful list of solo travel essentials for women.
1. Laundry Detergent Sheets
When traveling alone, I try to pack as efficiently as possible which includes reducing the weight that I carry. For this reason I plan y outfits ahead of time and incorporate a mix and match strategy for my outfits. This method means I wash my clothes a little more often, and I always pack laundry detergent sheets. Laundry detergent sheets are very convenient on saving space; not to mention you don’t have to haul around a bottle of detergent or worry about it spilling all over your clothes in your luggage.
2. Portable Phone Charger
In the past, I have had my phone die at the worst possible time while solo traveling. Not only is it stressful, but it can also pose a safety issue if you need your phone to get out of a situation. For this reason, I highly recommend adding a portable charger to your travel essentials. It has saved me (and others) in a pinch. I prefer a small portable charger that can easily fit in my small day pack. Here are 2 portable chargers that I recommend:
3. Hydration Powder
Another incredibly important travel essential to have as a solo traveler is hydration powder. Whether you’re sick, dealing with altitude sickness, in a hot climate or engaged in high exertion activities, hydration powder will give you the boost you need to make it through the day. Hydration powder is what got me through South East Asia during the hottest months of the year. It also helped me recover faster from food poisoning (which is the worst as a solo traveler).
4. Powder Facial Cleanser
As I mentioned earlier, I am all about packing efficiency and weight reduction in my packing, which is why I am OBSESSED with this women owned brand of powder facial cleanser. I can go on and on about why I love this product. First off, it’s light weight. Secondly, it is powder which means I don’t have to worry about it spilling all over my toiletry bag or luggage. Third, this product is sustainably and ethically made. And one of my favorite reasons for why I love this product is because it has done my skin wonders! I haven’t completely converted to using this powder cleanser in my daily life, as it sits in my shower. I also happen to be obsessed with their rice polish as well, which is a gentle exfoliant.
Oh, and did I mention that the founder of this powder facial cleanser is a female solo traveler and bio-mechanical engineer who wanted to make a leave-no-trace solution to washing her face while she backpacked.
5. Mace
As female solo travelers, we have the unfortunate reality of needing to be more aware of our safety while traveling alone. I hope you are never put in a situation where you feel unsafe during your solo travels, but in the unlikely chance that you do encounter this experience, having mace could make a difference. I carry mace with me during all my solo travels and I have not needed to use it, but I always take the precaution.
6. Packing Compression Cube
When I travel, I like to stay organized. It helps with keeping my space feeling clutter free and also expedites the packing up process. For that reason, I always travel with my packing compression cubes. Not only do they help me organize my outfits and essentials, it also happens to help with reducing the volume of my things. No more clothing busting out the seams of luggage zippers. With compression cubes, you can usually save about 40% of space in your luggage!
7. Anti-Theft Day Pack
There is nothing worse than realizing your purse that was hanging off your shoulder got stolen in a large crowd while jamming out to local music (yup, this happened to me before). That earth shattering moment of losing my phone, wallet and hostel keys in a foreign country made me a full believer in anti-theft bags. For that reason, I highly recommend an Anti-Theft Bag or day pack. This affordable Amazon bag has really helped me feel comfortable in crowded places. I haven’t been pick pocketed or had my bag stolen since using this bag (knock on wood).
8. Plane Blanket
As a female traveler, I am constantly jumping from flight to flight or traveling on buses to my destinations, and I happen to be sensitive to the temperature. Ever since I started carrying a light weight blanket with me when I travel, I’ve been able to rest more on planes and buses. It’s important for me to feel comfortable and get good sleep on planes when I travel.
9. Dirty Laundry Travel Bag
As I mentioned earlier, I tend to mix and match my outfits to optimize my luggage space, which results in more frequent laundry sessions. I like keeping my clothes organized, which includes separating my dirty clothes from my clean clothes. I always carry a travel laundry bag to isolate my dirty clothes. I also repurpose the bag as a beach tote or grocery shopping bag. Alternatively, I’ve seen people use dry bags as a way to get dual purpose out of the bag.
10. Selfie Stick
It goes without saying that as a solo traveler, I do quite a bit of travel on my own where I don’t have many people to take photos of me while traveling. I do ask strangers to take photos of me every once and a while, but when I’m traveling on my own without others around I use a selfie stick to stick capture the beautiful moments of travel. Actually, some of my favorite photos captured on solo trips were the ones I captured using a selfie stick. I love having photos of my travel because they instantly transport me back to the memory of the trip.
11. Portable Fan
A portable fan is something that I never thought of packing with me until I found myself in Mexico City in the peak of summer. It’s such a small item but makes all the difference in 105 degree weather. Needless to say, a portable fan came in handy during many of my travels.
12. First Aid Kit
Arguably the most important solo travel essential for women is an emergency kit. While on your solo travel, you really never know what you are going to encounter and being prepared is imperative to keeping yourself (and others) safe. I’ve never had to use it on myself, but I did lend my first aid kit to a person I befriended in a hostel. It’s also helpful to walk through how to use or implement the items in the first aid kit.
13. Hair Essentials
I always carry extra hair ties and hair bands. For one, I am notorious at losing them. Secondly, I do a lot of exercise and athletic activities while I solo travel and I have a lot of hair to manage. Hair ties is how I keep my hair out of my face while training jiu jitsu, running or hiking.
14. Women's Backpacking Bag
Whether you’re planning a multi month backpacking journey or doing your first outdoors backcountry backpacking trip, Osprey has provided me with the most comfortable experience when it comes to backpacking backpacks. And the Osprey Eja is my favorite bag for my adventures.
Pro Tip: If you have time, visit REI at their huge sale during labor day weekend for discounted gear.
15. Gimbal Stabilizer for Phone
If you are someone who likes to document high quality travel videos and pictures, getting a Gimbal Stabilizer will be the perfect way to ensure you have great videos for documenting your adventures! I
Summary of Solo Travel Essentials for Women
In conclusion, solo travel is one of my favorite ways to experience the world as a woman. To me, it’s incredibly empowering for me to give myself the gift of travel on my own, in my own company and feel whole. And I want you to experience that same feeling of empowerment and independence as you venture on your solo adventures! I hope this list helped you and made you feel more confident in preparing for your solo adventure. I’d love to hear what other items you’d recommend as solo travel essentials for women. Drop a comment in below!
Now that you have learned what some solo travel essentials for women are, you’re ready to plan your solo trip. Here is a list of solo travel ideas for you to brainstorm, Happy solo trip planning!
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Evie
Female solo traveler, blogger and personal finance nerd helping women plan their solo travel adventures.
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