On long travel days, a fanny pack, aka belt bag, keeps my travel essentials within reach, allowing me to access them in just seconds. My 20 years (and counting) of traveling has taught me how to pack a fanny pack with the absolute necessities — and it’s also taught me what to leave behind.

Instead of throwing random items into my belt bag, I want to pack the essentials to help me survive long travel days, whether I’m hitting a multi-day music festival or visiting loved ones. That includes a slim, packable wallet, portable charger, wireless earbuds, and more. Everything is available at Amazon — with fast-delivery for Prime members — and prices start at just $6. 

Don’t Buy: A Backpack or Single-pocket Fanny Pack

Instead Buy: A Multi-pocket Fanny Pack

Maxtop Crossbody Fanny Pack

The most important feature to look for in a fanny pack is the amount of pockets. This crossbody style comes with four compartments, including a secret back pocket to help you organize your belongings and keep your passport safe. One reviewer was even able to fit a phone, wallet, poncho, bucket hat, tickets, room keys, wet wipes, a phone charger, and lip balm, “with room to spare.” 

Fitting the most into your fanny pack doesn’t require packing it a certain way every time, you just need to focus on picking out slim, compact travel essentials — like the ones listed below.

Don’t Pack: A Standard Portable Charger

Instead Pack: A Portable Charger With Built-in Cables

Charmast Portable Charger

I’m guilty of forgetting to bring the cord for my portable charger, which defeats the purpose of carrying one. And, when I do happen to remember my cord, I have to spend time untangling it before I can juice up my phone. Charmast’s version solves this with its four different built-in charging cables that are compatible with Apple, Samsung, and Google devices. There’s also an LED screen that tells you how much battery life is left, so you’ll know if you need to juice it up before that eight-hour car ride. 

Don’t Pack: A Bulky Wallet

Instead Pack: A Thin RFID Blocking Wallet

Buffway RFID Blocking Slim Wallet

Carrying a wallet is essential for long travel days, but traditional styles come with unnecessary heft that take up precious space. Buffway’s slim wallet can hold up to 12 cards, plus cash, and with the added bonus of RFID-blocking technology to protect your cards and IDs. More than 82,000 shoppers have given the accessory a five-star rating, and reviewers say they “feel much safer” carrying it over a purse.

Don’t Pack: A Bottle of Spray Sunscreen

Instead Pack: A Slim Bottle of Facial Sunscreen

Innisfree Daily UV Defense Sunscreen

A solid facial sunscreen is essential for protecting your skin even if you’re not outside. I like the Innisfree SPF for its slim size that, unlike a round spray bottle, won’t make my belt bag bulky. This lightweight formula uses natural ingredients like green tea and sunflower seed oil that are sensitive skin-friendly, hydrating, and moisturize my skin without leaving behind a greasy residue.

Don’t Pack: A Standard Passport Holder

Instead Pack: A Passport Holder Wallet

Eoehro Passport Holder

When you need to have your passport on hand, you can save space with a passport holder that doubles as a wallet. This two-in-one accessory will keep your passport secure using RFID-blocking materials to keep your personal info safe. There are also additional pockets and slots for your credit cards, IDs, coins, and cash. The Amazon best-seller for passport covers has a smooth, lightweight material that one reviewer said adds “a touch of elegance to my travel essentials.”

Don’t Pack: Sunglasses in a Case

Instead Pack: Sunglasses in a Microfiber Pouch

Sojos Retro Aviator Sunglasses

Sunglasses are admittedly one of the harder accessories to pack, but that’s where pockets come in handy. Sofo’s aviators have become an Amazon best-seller for women’s sunglasses and offer a sleek and casual look. It comes in a soft microfiber bag that is flexible and will help protect the accessory from getting scratched — unlike a hard case that will just end up taking up precious space.

Don’t Pack: A Regular Tube of Lip Balm

Instead Pack: A Multitasking Lip Balm

Laneige Glowy Lip Balm

I always keep this lip balm near me when I’m commuting to work or flying on a plane. It’s made with moisturizing ingredients like shea butter and leaves a subtle shine on my lips like a gloss. Plus, I don’t have to reapply it every hour like other lip balms. It comes in six scents including blueberry and mango, which are my personal favorites.

Don’t Pack: A Bottle of Standard Hand Sanitizer

Instead Pack: Spray Hand Sanitizer

Touchland Hand Sanitizer Spray

Touchland’s hand sanitizer has a flat design that won’t take up space like a round, bulky bottle. Aside from the slim packaging, the spray feature is its most notable quality as it lets you distribute sanitizer all over your hands quickly, which is important when you’re constantly touching things en route. Reviewers also praise how it doesn’t leave your hands sticky or easily leak onto your things. 

Don’t Pack: Standard Hair Ties

Instead Pack: Coil Hair Ties

Kitsch Spiral Hair Ties

Having a hair tie on hand is essential for keeping my hair off my neck — especially in a hot airport. Traditional hair ties stretch and lose shape over time, but more than 8,000 shoppers have snagged this set of plastic ties, with one traveler saying you just “boil some water, toss them in, and they go back to their original size.” 

Don’t Pack: Over-ear Headphones

Instead Pack: Wireless Earbuds

Marshall Motif II Wireless Earbuds

Over-ear headphones are typically bulky and even when folded down, won’t fit in traditional fanny packs. These are my favorite wireless earbuds to travel with for their noise-cancellation, battery life, and small size. On a full charge, I can get 30 hours of non-stop listening, and the noise-cancelling feature is so good, that the earbuds were able to drown out a crying baby on my flight. If I want to hear what’s going on around me, I can switch to transparency mode. Plus, the case barely takes up space in a fanny pack.

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