These two are perfect examples of the basic necessities needed whilst being adventuresome (I can't believe that's actually a word). The On-the-Go Sport Kit, Oops No. 2 Kit and Travel Fix Kit, contributed by the great team over at Urban Aid, make living life lively.

What's so great about them?

The On-the-Go: Sport kit (under $10!)

Contains: 2 Moist Towelettes, 1 Sunblock Towelette, 1 Lens Wipe Towelette, 2 Adhesive Bandages, 1 Pack of Lip Ointment, 1 Hair Band, 1 Packet of Pain Reliever

• Small compact tin is small enough to fit in most clothing pockets as well as in any baggage, the tin can take a beating and can be reused when the kit is emptied
• Airline friendly! No liquid rule breaking here!
• Hair band can be used for other emergencies like keeping a bag of snacks rolled up so they stay fresh
• Lens wipe can also be good for cleaning off some electronic screens like iPods

The Travel Fix Kit

 Contains: 1 Sewing kit, 1 Toothbrush, 1 Disposable Razor, 1 Vanity Kit, 2 Dental Flossers, 1 Moist Towelette, 1 Hydrating Lotion Towelette, 1 Pair of Ear Plugs

• The sewing kit solves a lot of problems on its own. Minor snags, wardrobe improvisations etc.
• Slightly larger durable tin, but still compact enough to fit in the toiletries kit
• While I had some of these supplies already packed away, the tin is usually stored in my day pack or sling bag for emergencies
• Ear plugs are essential for backpacking in shared rooms in hostels and sleeping on long trips

The Oops Kit: No. 2Thai sunset at the elephant park

Contains: 1 Urban Aid tee, 1 Stain Remover Towelette

• I think I've worn my Urban Aid tees a million times over since I got them. They roll up nicely to fit in my backpack and I usually always keep one in my day pack in case of dirt emergencies. The fit is perfect and that's even after a dozen washes. 

Other available kits include the humorous Shame On You kit for one night stands and the Clean Getaway kits, packs for both men and women. As well as the unisex One Too Many kit for hangovers and Naughty Nite kit for whatever you can imagine. They also have an awesome packing check list you can print and take with you so that you make sure you've got everything!

Visit UrbanAid.com for more fun kits!

They're not exactly protective talismans against luggage thieves, in fact I'd put them in the "Keep Off The Grass" level of reprimanding. I suppose the only way they might actually protect your belongings is if a thief were to read the tag, laugh and then think to themselves, "Wow, a person with a sense of humor. They are not a douchebag, therefore they should be allowed to keep their belongings. I'll be moving on now." *Pause* Yea, that's exactly how it would happen.

If anything, they'll make you're bag easier to pick out of the mass amounts dark hued luggage. And I am unashamed to say that this little one ($1.99)...was picked out by my mother. Thank you Mother, it deterred many a SE Asian scoundrel. 

 TravelPro 1070012F Stop Sign Luggage Tag

Honestly, sometimes it's just nice to see a little bright and shiny beacon coming down the conveyor belt that puts my worried mind at ease.

 Looking for something similar? Check out these quirky tags. They might be a good mini-gift for a fellow traveler.

It's gonna sound like a last resort, but believe me, you'll do it even when its not. What it is is a mini bath, one might say. It won't give you a full cleaning head to toe, but if you have concerns about bodily hygiene while on the road, it'll ease your nerves for awhile. I use them the most on overnight bus rides and when I went camping in Surin Thailand with the elephant project. Most of the time it was just pleasant to have something to clean my filthy feet with. Also, these Kleenex wipes can stay in my Dopp kit with me on the plane without breaking any silly regulations.

What's so great about it?

• A resealable pack! Take one or two and save the rest for later. And even a month after first opening it, the remaining sheets are still moist and fresh. Sounds like a cheesy afternoon commercial, but it's true.

• Travel size! The pack itself is compact enough to fit in my Dopp travel kit and still leaves room for everything else.

• I actually feel cleaner and not like the dirt was just moved around. I also don't smell like I just bathed myself in lemon scented household cleaner - which is a plus.

This one little tin has lasted me about 5 years now and I’m still working on it. Made with almond oil, olive oil, beeswax, comfrey leaves and other root extracts, it pretty much treats any minor annoyances you might have acquired. Bug bites, itchy bumps, bruises, minor nicks, scratches and burns; all covered. Even the largest mosquito bites can’t seem to stand up to this stuff; doesn’t hurt that it smells nice too. Oh and it's all natural, just in case you're like me and happen to be allergic to ingredients in everyday body care products. The tin never leaves my purse regardless of where I go in the world, be it a big city or rugged outdoors. In the office I used it on all of my numerous, silly paper cuts and when I travel it seems to be the duct tape of body care. Tell me, oh mighty tin of Burt's! What will you solve for me today?!

Also known to my travel buddies as the “Indiana Jones belt”. Another great, inexpensive investment I made, although, I’m afraid it looks better on girls. Sorry guys,

What’s so great about it:

- Small envelope pocket with magnetic snap closure

   - It fits my IDs, money and maybe a paper with the directions of location I’m headed to

   -   Or one slim cell phone or one MP3 player

-  2 metal links

   -  Easy to clip things to it, for instance, my HMDX speakers, carabineers, baseball cap and my camera usually loops through the buckle. Makes everything hands free!

- Can wrap around a dress nicely or loop through pants to work as a functional belt

- Also good for nights out on the town. Hands-free, no losing track of your things, dance without having to hang on to your bouncing purse

Want something similar? Try Happy Cow leather goods

As featured on Fiona on the USA show, Burn Notice. I’m dying to get my hands on this one. *Ahem…wink wink, nudge nudge* 

HMDX Audio Speaker-on-the-go - $10, available at Sports Authority

Best. Impulse Buy. Ever. I stopped off at Sports Authority in Atlanta before my SE Asia trip to pick up some fast drying, travel savvy, sport shorts, and spotted this brilliant piece of awesome at the check out counter...next to the gum, which was strange. $10??!.....What's the catch. No catch, if you can believe that. It clips to my backpack, sling bag, or beltloop for music on the go. It's made with a super durable hard case which keeps my iPhone or iPod safe from outside harm. However (a minor however), it doesn't charge your iPod, if thats what you were hoping. And the sound quality? Pretty great, if you ask me. I was actually surprised how much it projects. So far I've used it to entertain my friends while we waited in line at the Cambodian border, while we prepared dinner at the elephant camp and during down time in the camp cabins. All it needs is 2 AA batteries to make your travel adventures a little more plesant sounding.

 Absolutely brilliant.

Books are like old lovers. You never forget how they made you feel but sometimes it’s necessary to go back and remember why. Just a few chapters in and I was reacquainted with why I fell in love with Eat, Pray, Love.

After reading this book I pondered the meaning behind the great cosmic aligning that took place the day I picked it up at the bookstore. I had inexplicably ignored its cheesy title and cover art, despite my shameful lifelong case of BCJS (Book Cover Judgment Syndrome). It’s a sign, I thought. Or maybe I was just a sucker for strategic in-store book placement. Either way, this book changed me. And if you take it for what it is - best selling chick lit and all - it, too, will change you.

Eat, Pray, Love is a classic coming into middle age tale - packed with divorce, an existential crisis, and cougar-like love affairs. Oh, and travel. Lots of it.

Unlike the times when your parents didn’t let you sleepover at Katie’s and life was so unfair that you ran away to your neighbor’s backyard, author Elizabeth Gilbert’s adult-sized problems prompt her to runaway into the world - collecting passports stamps in Italy, India and Indonesia along the way.

It should be noted that this book is not some brilliantly marketed and desperate self-help book (okay, maybe brilliantly marketed). If anything, the only person getting help is Gilbert who was granted a yearlong travel contract with her publishing house to chronicle her journey to finding pleasure, devotion and balance. Hey, after a nasty divorce a la Paul McCartney and Heather Mills (minus the millions, plus the drama) the girl deserves it. Or at least we’ll convince ourselves of that to avoid how totally jealous we are that she gets to eat gelato, meet new people, write and get paid for it. Nope, not jealous. 

The book reads like a personal diary – no dates, just meltdowns. Gilbert had it all – a nice home, a nice husband, a stable writing career. But after divorcing her husband, falling into depression, she packed her bags and channeled her energy into an exhausting process that I like to call – Getting To Know Yourself.

Sometimes, you feel almost as if Gilbert threw herself onto the pages and pressed copy. Yes, she is petty, self-absorbed and you will want to throw the book at her. But she is honest.  Suddenly, you will find yourself rooting for her victory or at least another Italian love affair. Because whether you want to admit it or not, there is an Elizabeth Gilbert in all of us; the self—proclaimed well-traveled intellectual who stands inside the Sistine Chapel, appearing concerned over the style of its vaults and wondering: “what’s for lunch?” 

Reading Eat, Pray, Love is like having a conversation with yourself - a long (331 pages to be exact) and strenuous monologue with yourself. Think of it as if you got the opportunity to read every love letter you’ve ever written to someone. Each page is filled with moments of shame, doubt and immeasurably fascinating evidence that you are very much human.

By the end of your reading Elizabeth Gilbert will have accomplished three things: added to her royalty statements, made you feel as if you just met up with an old best friend for lunch and discovered how much you still have in common, and rekindled the flame with your inner vagabond.

So remember, whatever you do, don’t judge the cover.

And stay tuned for the movie coming out in 2010, starring Julia Roberts, James Franco and Javier Bardem!

I do not have a couch currently to line up these plushy numbers, but my heart envies the people who can. They do however look prime for my next road trip across the US. My lower back would just love to cozy up to the orange RSS fleece pillow (pictured right)

The Reddit one is particularly quirky and adorable. Even brilliant to use as icons for social media links on your website the way Regretsy does. Ask permission from Craftsquatch first!

Or for those who are more web design inclined. Embrace the Photoshop and software icons also sewn up. Rest your head for sweet nerd dreams and envision the followers. If you buy it, they will come. Oh wow, imagine all the nerd pillow fights.

Ok so you've got your suitcase/backpack/day bag laid out in front of you. You've narrowed down what clothes to take, what electronics you cannot live without and you're surveying what space is left for the rest of the items "necessary" for the trip. Hmm not a whole lot. An open corner, one outer pocket and a pair of shoes that could hold a couple things in them. Well it's obvious that your Cosco bulk sized 2-in-1 shampoo bottle is not going to fit, so that's out, and a hair dryer is a want, not a need. Do you really need a giant spray can of deodorant? And that extra large bag of beef jerky is not only unnecessary but also illogical because your entire wardrobe is going to smell like South Georgia in the summer.

Travel size, people! Mini versions of all your favorites! Ever since they established the 3-1-1 airplane regulations, more and more companies from all over the world have developed single servings of their best selling products so that you don't have to suffer without them.

Here's a couple things available at your local drugstore that might save some space:

- Shampoo/Conditioner                       -  Lotion

- Hand Sanitizer Wipes (I use these for when I get off the subway -->)

- Deodorant             - Toothpaste

- Shout stain sheets    

- Tide to Go pen

But what you probably didn't know they made:

Laundry detergent packets (wet and dry) and universal rubber sink stopper - Well color me surprised, that's kinda brilliant. You mean I don't have to roam the city looking for a sketchy Laundromat? I can just wash them in the sink? Well alright then. Challenge accepted.

Sunscreen Towelettes - take out the liquid regulations altogether with these babies! Get the right UV protection without the goop and you can stuff these in any available slot on your travel gear or in your pocket if you're going to be doing athletic activities.

Travelon Shampoo Sheets - 50 sheets for $2.78, Just add water, dissolves instantly, biodegradable. I've never tried these, but I will say they are highly intriguing. I've been on a few camping trips where I had to instate the dreaded 5 Day Ponytail Braid because I couldn't find a decent biodegradable shampoo to take along.

LA Fresh Deodorant Towelettes - $0.28 for 1, versions for both men and women, biodegradable. These would make me so lazy in the bathing department.

(available at minimus.biz)

Nail Polish Remover Wipes

Toilet Paper Rolls & Cover Seats

As a girl about the world, with limited space in the pack, it's necessary to make the most of it. Which means packing multi-use items and durable convertible pieces. Susan Heller once said, "When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money." Probably one of the smartest things I've heard this year, and I definitely needed to hear it. I'm a girl. We pack a lot (understatement of the decade).

   American Apparel has been my go-to retailer for such durable convertible pieces. Dresses, skirts and scarfs that can be worn a minimum of 2 ways and a maximum of 15. They come in every color a skittle might, and each online profile of the item comes with step-by-step instructional videos of ways to wear them. One dress, one skirt and one scarf in the pack and you're set for multitudes of occasions. I once wore the black jersey convertible dress (pictured right) with flip flops and denim jacket to a workshop tour and then changed into heels, took down my hair and wore it straight into a Paris fashion show. I even wore it later that week as a skirt. Easy as that. Even easier if you don't have to go to a fashion show. The Le Sac dress has the most options (bottom picture). Drawstring style, with multiple changeable straps, this dress can be worn so many ways I've lost count. One-shouldered Grecian style, as a halter, a jumper, strapless version. The list goes on. It's absolutely brillaint.

   The newest addition to the convertible wonders family is the Unisex Circle Scarf (pictured below). The extended width creates so many splendiferous possibilities of awesomeness. Wear the scarf as a hood, a skirt, a dress, a capelet, a wrap. It's unbelievable. An item like that for traveling is not only brilliant for changing climates, but also for cultures with modesty on the mind. Wear it as a beach cover-up and then use it as a shoulder-covering hooded capelet when visiting a religious monument. Bring a safety pin along and multiply the options. All are made with t-shirt like cotton blend, making them both extremely comfortable and easily washable.

Photos via AmericanApparel.net