I lived out of a suitcase for a year—these 5 unexpected essentials saved my sanity and skyrocketed my health game.

Have you ever found yourself packing for a trip and wondering, “Do I really need all this stuff — or am I just hoarding in my suitcase?” That was me, fresh out of college, clutching my untested backpack with the wide-eyed excitement of a newbie on her first national Broadway tour. Picture this: a 21-year-old musical theater major, who had never even flown on a plane before (thanks to a lifelong phobia handed down from mom), suddenly thrown into the whirlwind of living out of a suitcase in nearly every state. It was chaotic, thrilling, and a downright crash course in what it truly means to pack smart. After years on the road and globetrotting through places like Japan, Italy, and France, I’ve honed my packing game and refined my travel essentials to a fine art. If you’re itching to know what survives the ruthless purge of limited luggage space and what’s just dead weight, stick around — because I’m about to spill the tea on my non-negotiable travel companions that keep me one step ahead of the packing panic. LEARN MORE

Once upon a time, I was a college student majoring in musical theater. The summer before my senior year I, on a whim, decided to audition for the national tour of a Broadway show. Knowing how competitive the industry would be, I figured I should get some reps in before I graduated — so imagine my surprise when I got the call saying I’d booked the role (insert jazz hands). I got the green light from school to defer for a year, signed the contract and embarked on a journey that involved traveling to nearly every state. Exciting!

The thing is, I’d just turned 21 years old and was not a seasoned traveler. In fact, I’d never even been on a plane before, due to my mom’s longtime fear of flying. Family vacations were always road trips and cruises, so I had a lot to learn about packing efficiently.

Well, it turns out that living out of suitcases for a year gives you a good sense of what is essential to pack on a trip and what isn’t worth the limited space in your luggage. Doing that first tour was like having a crash course in travel planning, and I felt much more prepared when I booked my second national tour several years later. Since then, I’ve done other acting gigs that have taken me out of state for months at a time, and, outside of work, I’ve had the opportunity to travel to countries like Japan, Italy, France and Hungary. I’ve come a long way from the naive traveler I once was, and now I consider myself a total packing pro. Here’s what’s on my non-negotiable travel list:

Amazon/Britt Ross/Yahoo

Pincnel Anti-Theft Backpack review for more. 

$31 at Amazon

July

Magic Erasers. 

$295 at July

Britt Ross/Yahoo

$20 at Amazon

Britt Ross/Yahoo

$20 at Amazon

Amazon

$23 at Amazon

Amazon

$100 at Amazon

Amazon

Reebok Classic Leather Sneaker review for more. 

$40 at Amazon

Britt Ross/Yahoo

other fun styles. 

$16 at Target

Britt Ross/Yahoo

sunscreen freak and never leave the house before applying it, let alone take a trip without stashing some in my bag. This 1.7-ounce tube is small enough to meet TSA requirements, and its glorious formula meets my requirements. 

For starters, it doesn’t leave a white cast on my face, even though it’s 100% mineral-based. It glides onto my skin like a dream, feeling more like a moisturizing lotion than a chalky sunscreen. Admittedly, it’s not the cheapest SPF on the market, but I’m willing to pay a bit more because it’s that good. Hey, the best sunscreen is the stuff you don’t dread slathering on, right?

$40 at Amazon

Britt Ross/Yahoo

$12 at Amazon

Target

$2 at Target

Amazon

$7 at Amazon