Everyone has something they’d never leave home without, from a favorite pack of gum to a specific brand of earplugs. See the items that these expert travelers will never leave behind.
Tom Colicchio, chef
“My wife bought us these extremely intricate, grown-up coloring books that keep our creativity sharp despite the toll travel takes, so I always have a pack of colored pencils and one of the books in my bag.”
Laila Gohar, chef and event producer
“Bobby pins!”
Lucy Laucht, photographer and co-founder of Tio y Tia
“Miso soup sachets. I substitute them for terrible plane food or for sustenance during long red-eye layovers.”
Phoebe Lovatt, founder of the Working Women’s Club
“I’m a very light sleeper and very sensitive to noise in general, and earplugs help with both. On airplanes, I’ll put my earplugs in immediately to muffle out all the not-so-ambient noise. If I’m sleeping in an unfamiliar place, they help me to fall—and stay—asleep.”
Scott Conant, chef at Masso Osteria, Mora Italian, Fusco, and The Ponte
“I keep extra notebooks close to me for any sudden inspiration.”
Matt Kliegman, co-owner of The Smile, Black Seed Bagels, and the Jane Hotel Ballroom
“If you have ever had a print subscription to The New Yorker, you know it is impossible to keep up, which is why I always bring at least one issue, often two, to read on the airplane.”
Victoria Dahlberg, photo editor
“For a long flight I need to have my toiletries bag with Image Skincare moisturizer, cleanser from Grown Alchemist, Dr. Jart mask, and facial hydrosol spray from Aesop.”
Arizona Muse, model
“Coconut oil can be a snack, moisturizer, toothpaste, or cuticle oil. The best.”
Julia Sherman, creator of Salad for President
“Tide To Go pen. I travel to eat, and I also try to pack light. For a passionate (some might say messy) eater, this poses a problem—I can’t afford to spill mole on one of the two shirt options I have for a week. So, I never leave the hotel without a stain pen in my purse, and I use my napkin as a bib whenever I can.”
Stella Bugbee, editor in chief of The Cut at New York magazine
“Perfume! Usually I decant some Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan into a small flask. Or I grab a tester of my favorite: Terre D’Hermes. It’s a men’s scent, but I love it.”
Melanie Vandersluis, photographer and jewelry designer
“The one thing I can’t travel without is chewable Pepto-Bismol. One of the best parts of traveling is eating all the different delicious types of food; you just never know how your body is going to react!”
Mic-anthony Hay, photographer
“For me it’s Apple earbuds. Whether I am waiting in the airport or en route to the next location on the day’s itinerary, it’s great to collect my thoughts while listening to my favorite songs.”