Reading Time: 5 minWith Father’s Day just around the corner, I’ve been thinking a lot about my love for travel, and how my dad is solely responsible for that passion. My father has been a road warrior for decades, and still flies at least 140,000 miles a year (he's over 80,000 miles for 2025 already). So it's understandable that as I was growing up, I slowly picked up on all his little travel tips and tricks.
More importantly, I began noticing the necessities that always seemed to end up in some corner of his suitcase, and I've made many of them my own. So if you're looking for something to give the special dad in your life this Father's Day, here are 7 items my travel-obsessed father doesn’t skip when packing his luggage.
Ever since I can remember, my dad has never left for a trip without an eye mask. But I only recently discovered the wonders of sleeping with an eye mask, and how helpful having one is for getting some shut-eye when you’re on the go.
For almost 10 years, the Bucky 40 Blinks Travel Mask has been my dad’s go-to for its comfort and durability. Now, to be honest, my personal favorite is the MZOO Sleep Eye Mask, but I don’t have quite as many miles to back me up. So if you're shopping for your own father, you may want to go with the expert's opinion on this one.
Although not terribly common, one of the unfortunate realities of travel is hotel carbon monoxide leaks. And while it may be a "dad" thing for my father to make sure he has a carbon monoxide detector on the road, he's not wrong — it might just save your life when your lodging of choice can’t.
The battery on the Pildegro 3-in-1 Portable Carbon Monoxide Detector lasts 5 days. It's easy to charge, and fits easily in a side pocket of your bag. Plus, this detector can assess the general air quality of your hotel room, and warn you if you need to prepare for a potentially rough night's sleep.
When I went off to college this past year, my dad made sure I would have enough power for all my tech. Although I’m typically very good at charging my devices, the Anker 9,600 mAh Power Bank my dad gave me came in handy when my campus lost power for a day and a half — a perfect example of how you can never be too prepared.
Outside of its many uses on a college campus, a power bank is a necessity for travel, and the Anker stands out from the rest. With a built-in plug and supportive pass-through charging, it can re-energize two devices at the same time, and speedily recharges itself for continued use. It's also small enough that it can easily be slipped into your pocket for flexibility.
While a power bank is great for quickly charging your cell phone and tablet on the go, a charger with more diverse ports and standard A/C outlets is essential for work trips, or for sharing power with others.
With 2 USB-C and 2 USB-A slots, as well as 2 A/C outlets, the Anker 6-in-1 Prime 140W Charging Station is perfect for charging many devices at the same time, as well as powering large electronics like laptops.
But even with its advanced charging abilities, the sleek and flat design of this charger, along with its detachable cable, makes it easy to travel with.
For a more compact travel charger — good for cramped flights or in the airport — the Anker Compact 140W 4-Port Charger drops the A/C outlets in favor of three USB-C ports, one USB-A port, and an overall smaller size.
According to my dad, this charger also stays in an outlet far better than other chargers he's tried.
Another thing my dad sent me off to college with was plenty of charging cables. Anker Charging Cables come in 3 and 6-foot lengths, and are very durable, which is vital given how often you'll inevitably end up shoving them quickly into your bag.
Anker Charging Cables also come in a variety of bright colors. My dad bought specific colors for each family member, so we can keep track of our cables and ensure we each have enough on family trips together. It's also prevented some fights between me and my younger brother about whose charger and cable is whose.
Traveling abroad comes with the joys of foreign outlets, so adapters are necessary for international trips. The Ceptics Universal Travel Adapter Kit comes with a wide range of plugs and a multitude of ports. It also offers good protection and an attached USB-C cable for easy charging.
By the way, can you tell what my dad’s priorities are when packing? (Hint: it’s making sure his devices can always be on).
Finally, once you have enough eye masks, charging devices, cables, and international adapters to last a lifetime, you need something to organize it all.
The Cocoon Accessory Organizer is slim, but provides many slots to keep your travel gadgets in order. My dad likes that it fits nicely into a backpack, and he can configure it to fit all his cables just right.
So if you have a travel-obsessed, ultra-prepared father figure in your life, hopefully one of these items can be a perfect fit for him this Father's Day. But as my dad says, when in doubt, plane tickets to a new country are always an acceptable gift.
