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It’s not always easy to know what you need. Travel has so many aspects to it that we always realize we need something when it’s too late and we are already on the road. That’s why I have made this travel essentials list of 20 items that will greatly improve the way you travel, based on my own experience.
I have organized these 20 useful items into 3 categories:
- Packing: Packing properly is a headache for many travelers – including seasoned travelers – and these often inexpensive products can truly help you pack in an organized way and save a lot of space in your bag or luggage.
- On the road: These are the products that will really make your life easier while traveling and make you more independent. Some of them are particularly interesting if you are going away from the beaten path.
- Electronics & gadgets: Electronics are part of our life. And most of them won’t travel without them. Here are really good and useful gadgets that help you make the most of your trips!
There certainly are even more products that I could have listed here that are generally useful for travel, but I believe that the 20 essentials mentioned here are already a great list to start from.
Happy browsing!
Travel Essentials List: Packing
Packing Cubes
BAGAIL 6 Set Packing Cubes,Travel Luggage Packing Organizers with Laundry Bag(Geomtry Blue)
Seasoned travelers all seem to be raving fans of these packing cubes, and for good reason! They are just so convenient to keep your luggage organized and your clothes properly stored during the trip.
I am myself a big fan of such little accessories that help me stay organized.
This is a set of 6 packing cubes of different sizes, coming with a laundry bag not to mix your dirty clothes with the clean ones!
Compression Bags for Clothes
Spacesaver Premium Travel Roll-Up Storage Bags with Double-Zip Seal and Triple-Seal Turbo Valve, Get Maximum Space Saving and 80% More Storage (Travel 8 Pack)
If you are one who always ends up squeezing your things inside your luggage because you never have enough space, these compression bags can be the solution you are looking for!
Rolling up your clothes is always a good idea when you are packing for a trip, but if you want them to take even less space you should definitely use these little bags.
There are 18 of them in the pack, they are reusable and you don’t need any kind of pump to use them. You just need to put your clothes inside the bag, roll it up and the air will be pushed out of the bag naturally.
Waterproof Dry Bag
Floating Waterproof Dry Bag Backpack 5L/10L/20L/30L/40L, Roll Top Dry Sack Pack for Marine Canoe River Kayaking Rafting Boating Swimming Camping Hiking Beach Fishing Sailing Paddling (Orange, 10L)
$14.99 in stock
I invested in a dry bag a few years back and I have never regretted it. They are great (and really, 100% waterproof) if you are planning some activities that involve water in one way or another, such as the beach, snorkeling, going into humid jungles, and so on.
Your valuables will be kept dry inside no matter what.
It’s an inexpensive item that doesn’t take much space and is always good to have, in my opinion. Many colors and sizes are available.
Silicone Travel Toiletry Bottles
Valourgo Travel Bottles for Toiletries Tsa Approved Travel Size Containers BPA Free Leak Proof Travel Tubes Refillable Liquid Travel Accessories for Cosmetic Shampoo and Lotion Soap
I don’t know how we could travel without them in the past! These toiletry bottles are really great because they are made of silicone, they are leakproof, and very light.
Now you can conveniently bring the right amount of shampoo, lotion, soap, or sunblock that you need for your trip without needing to carry the whole, heavy bottles and fearing that they leak in your bag.
Another inexpensive item that really makes a difference when you are packing for your next trip.
TSA-Approved Luggage Padlocks
TSA Luggage Locks (2 Pack) - 4 Digit Combination Steel Padlocks - Approved Travel Lock for Suitcases & Baggage - TSA Lock - Black
If you are concerned about the safety of your luggage while it is being handled at the airport, you can get this pair of TSA-Approved luggage padlocks.
These best-selling locks were specifically designed for luggage, allowing TSA officers to open them to control your bag without needing to break the lock.
They are made of metal and will definitely keep thieves away.
Good Hiking / Day Trip Backpack
ROCKRAIN Hydration Backpack, WindSeeker Insulation Hydration Pack with 2.5L BPA Free Leak Proof Water Bladder, Prefect for Outdoor Gear, Perfect for Cycling Hiking Running for Men, Women & Kids
This one is often a little overlooked but I believe it is important to have a quality daypack you can rely on every time you go for a day tour or a hike during your trip.
There are many extremely cheap options around, but it’s always wiser to settle for better quality and avoid finding yourself with a broken zip in the middle of a hike.
Also see our daypack buying guide if you are not too sure of how to choose your daypack.
Travel Essentials List: On The Road
Travel Neck Pillow
Crafty World Travel Neck Pillow Memory Foam Airplane Travel Accessories Essentials Comfortable Washable Cover Plane Neck Support Pillow for Neck Pain Relief Sleeping Purple
Neck pillows are more and more common and can really help if you are going on long plane, bus or train rides. I find it a little bit easier to sleep on the plane with a neck pillow. And this one is really soft.
Long sitting trips are not great for the body and such a pillow can help avoid all kinds of annoyances like back pain of neck pain because of a bad position.
If you haven’t got one already, I suggest you check this one out 🙂
Travel Wallet with RFID Blocking
DEFWAY Passport Holder Travel Wallet - Family Passport Holder of 4, RFID Blocking Passport Wallet for Men Women, Travel Essentials for Flying, GREY
Traveling always means handling all kinds of documents and papers such as boarding passes and passports, and it’s not always easy to stay organized. This travel wallet is convenient to keep all your precious documents, cards, money and phone in one place, organized and safe!
It uses the RFID blocking technology, which prevents thieves from getting your personal information by discreetly scanning them through the wallet. Yeah, I know, it’s insane that some people actually do that. But it does happen.
With this wallet, your documents will also be safe from the rain as it is made of water-resistant fabric!
Money Belt with RFID Blocking
Money Belt for Travel - Slim Passport Holder Travel Pouch to Protect Your Important Papers and Money - Soft Innovative Rip-Stop Fabric, Secure and Water Resistant w/ RFID Blocking Sleeves Set
This is a good complement to the travel wallet shown above.
A money belt is always a good thing to have for any traveler. It enables you to safely and discreetly carry your money and important documents as you are walking around and visiting.
Just like the travel wallet, it is equipped with RFID blocking technology to prevent the scan of your personal information. It is also made of water-resistant nylon and can be worn on bare skin thanks to its well-designed, aerated backing.
Wash Bag – Portable Laundry System
Scrubba Portable Wash Bag – Foldable Hand Washing Machine for Hotel and Travel – Light and Small Eco-Friendly Camping Laundry Bag for Washing Clothes Anywhere
6 used from $52.79
This is a really great invention for travelers, hikers, and campers. It’s not always easy to find a place to get your clothes washed when you are traveling. And even if you are in a city, you don’t always feel like adding a laundry budget to your trip.
That’s where this wash bag comes in handy. You can now do your own laundry anytime, anywhere. And well, it’s much more convenient and hygienic than a hotel sink.
On top of that, it’s really lightweight and once folded, really doesn’t take much space in your bag.
Biodegradable Multipurpose Soap
Dead Down Wind Base Camp Biodegradable Camp Soap | 4 Oz Bottle | Multipurpose Environmentally Safe Concentrated Cleaner | Use as a Body Wash or Dish Soap | All Natural Hunting & Camping Soap
1 used from $12.50
This is a great soap to use with the laundry bag above.
This multipurpose soap can be used for anything: your personal hygiene, laundry, washing the dishes when you are camping, or anything really!
It is made in the USA and is 100% biodegradable, which is great if like me you are concerned about limiting your environmental impact in the wonderful places you are visiting.
Water Purifier Bottle
LifeStraw Go Water Filter Bottle with 2-Stage Integrated Filter Straw for Hiking, Backpacking, and Travel, Blue
A super convenient invention for those who travel to destinations where tap water is not drinkable or going for a trek and needing to drink from the river for example.
The bottle is extremely easy to use. Just fill it with water, press it to filter, and drink. 99.99% of bacteria and viruses will be killed, particles and heavy metals will be filtered out, and the water will be 100% safe to drink.
The bottle exists in 4 colors and extra filter cartridges can be purchased.
Personal Water Filter
LifeStraw Personal Water Filter for Hiking, Camping, Travel, and Emergency Preparedness, 1 Pack, Blue
$14.96 in stock
Another awesome invention to help you be safe with water while traveling, but this time taking the form of a straw. This is maybe more useful to hikers and trekkers, as part of your emergency kit.
Like the bottle above, the water from any river, lake or pond gets perfectly filtered and is instantly made drinkable. It is extremely lightweight and will filter as much as 4000 litres of water before needing to be replaced. That’s a hell lot of water.
If you are an outdoor enthusiast, this little inexpensive item should really be part of your gear because if you get lost or run out of water, it could save your life!
Travel Essentials List: Electronics & Gadgets
International Power Plug Adapter
Power Plug Adapter - 4 USB Ports Wall Charger - Fast Charging Adapter for 150 Countries - Multi Port Electric Plug - Type C Type A Type G Type I f for UK Japan China EU European by SublimeWare
$20.99 in stock
This truly is a must-have for international travel. This one is great because it features 4 USB ports (on top of the plug itself) to charge your smartphone or other devices – 4 of them can hence be charged at the same time.
It can be used on worldwide plugs: type A (USA, Canada, Japan), type C (Europe and South America), type G (United Kingdom, Hong Kong, and Singapore) and type I (Australia and China).
Unlike the bulky and inconvenient adapters of the past, this one is compact and doesn’t take much space in your bag.
Digital Luggage Scale
Etekcity Luggage Scale, Digital Portable Handheld Suitcase Weight for Travel with Rubber Paint, Temperature Sensor, 110 Pounds, Battery Included
7 used from $8.09
A pretty cool and compact item to but when you love traveling! With airlines often being super strict about luggage weight and our tendency to pack a lot of stuff, it’s always good to be able to weigh your luggage before heading to the airport.
This scale is cleverly designed like a handle to which you need to hang your luggage or backpack, and it will display its weight on the small screen.
It can measure up to 50 kg / 110 lb and even has a thermometer function.
Power Bank
Anker 337 Power Bank (PowerCore 26K) Portable Charger, 26800mAh External Battery with Dual Input Port and Double-Speed Recharging, 3 USB Ports for iPhone, iPad, Samsung, Android and Other Devices
$54.99 in stock
12 used from $43.99
Last year I added a power bank to my travel gear and I wonder how I have done without it before! As we tend to buy more and more handheld, battery-powered devices, the need to be able to charge them on the road is only logical.
This best-selling power bank allows you to charge 3 USB devices simultaneously and at high speed, several times without needing to charge the power bank itself.
When you do need to charge the power bank, you can do so by using the dual input ports – meaning that it will charge twice as fast as the classic speed.
Portable External Hard Drive
WD 4TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive HDD, USB 3.0, Compatible with PC, Mac, PS4 & Xbox - WDBU6Y0040BBK-WESN
$89.99 in stock
6 used from $64.74
If like me you are taking a lot of pictures when you travel, a portable external hard drive will become an inevitable purchase!
I find this brand (Western Digital) very reliable and never had a single problem with my hard drive in years of travel. This hard drive is available in 1TB to 4TB.
I recommend getting a bit more than what you think you need because with nowadays’ high-quality images it does fill up quite fast, especially if you are going for longer trips.
Travel Cable Organizer
BAGSMART Electronic Organizer Small Travel Cable Organizer Bag for Hard Drives, Cables, USB, SD Card, Blue
It’s always good to stay organized and this little bag is a great help when it comes to keeping all the cables and small devices in one place.
Indeed, this bag was not only designed to keep all your USB cables, charger’s cables, earphones, and so on, but also devices like portable hard drives or phone chargers.
It is made of water-resistant nylon that will keep your gear safe, and you can choose between 5 different colors.
Solar Charger
Nekteck 28W Solar Charger, Portable Solar Panel with 2 USB Port, IPX4 Waterproof Hiking Camping Gear Sunpowered Charger Compatible with iPhone 12/11/11pro/Xs, iPad, Samsung Galaxy, Camera
That’s a great gadget to get especially if you often go hiking, trekking or camping. The foldable solar panels are equipped with 3 USB ports, allowing you to charge up to 3 devices on the go.
The sturdy and weather-proof panels are half the size and weight of classic solar panels and able to deliver the same amount of energy. It is even able to detect what kind of device you are plugging into it and adjust the amount of energy needed to charge it.
It is easy to deploy the panels on your backpack while you are hiking.
Universal Waterproof Phone Case
JOTO Universal Waterproof Phone Pouch Cellphone Dry Bag Case Compatible with iPhone 13 12 11 Pro Max Mini Xs XR X 8 7 6S Plus SE, Galaxy S21 S20 S10 Plus Note 10+ 9, Pixel 4 XL up to 7" -Black
$7.99 in stock
Who can travel without a smartphone nowadays?! This very cheap, bestselling case is great to protect your precious phone from water, but also from sand and dust. This is a universal case, compatible with most smartphones up to 6″ in diagonal size.
It has an IPX8 waterproofing certification, which means it can safely be submerged in water for extended periods of time, and help you take cool photos of your snorkeling adventures.
Due to the water pressure, the touch screen might not function properly underwater, but you can also take pics using the side button.
That’s it for today! There are obviously hundreds of products you could possibly buy to improve the way you travel but this travel essentials list is there to help you focus on some most important ones.
I hope that this list was useful to you – At least I know such items were definitely useful to me as a traveler.
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