Some things become so useful you wonder how you ever traveled without them. After years of island hopping, long bus rides, missed ferries, tropical storms and too many chaotic travel days, these are the travel essentials I actually use and pack for every trip.
I've also added a couple I would skip at the bottom so you can save your money!
Bags & Packing Essentials
I’m currently travelling full time with my boyfriend Adrian and even though we travel pretty similarly we both have our different wins and how we prefer to pack. I’ll give you some examples of what I use and why, as well as what he uses and why. Maybe a mix is the best option for you.
Packing Cubes (My #1 Travel Essential)
It actually took me way too long to start using packing cubes, but once I did I never looked back. I first thought they were unnecessary, but they make living out of a bag so much easier.
I use them for clothes, swimwear, electronics, laundry, you name it and I have a cube for it. My biggest tip is to get different sizes and colours so it's super easy to navigate what you have in each. If they're all the same colour and size you most likely have to drag them all out and open them to find what you're looking for anyway.
Another tip is to actually splurge a bit on this. I personally think they are quite expensive but I once bought some cheaper ones and the zipper broke after just a couple of uses.
Now I have a mix of different colours, sizes and some with mesh fabric so I can see through them. My favourite ones from Amazon are the ones from Eagle Creek and Peak design.
A Good Travel Bag
I’ve done my fair share of backpacking with a huge backpack and I finally figured out that you honestly don't need a big mountain backpack to travel the world. Yes, there are some places where a suitcase with wheels just wont do, but honestly it’s fewer places than you might think. And there is a limit to how long you're actually going to carry the backpack on your bag each time. It's most likely just from the hotel and into a bus, and from a bus to a boat etc.
In some cases I do agree that it's practical, but I actually think it's more practical when visiting a small town in Italy where the car can't reach your hotel than if you're backpacking Central America.
One of the reasons I stopped using these huge bags I see most people using is because opening it and taking out what you need is honestly a nightmare. If you put something you need close to the bottom you have to take everything out first to reach it.
I've also learned that if I'm moving locations every couple of days I need to have a bag that's easy to pack and repack. Something I don't think many of those huge bags really are.
My honest opinion is that they're only necessary if you're going camping or hiking and need something that works good on your back for a long time.
Adrian and I have landed on a different kinds of bags. He still likes to carry his on his back at all times, but still want to be able to open and get out what he wants easily. I don't particularly want to carry it more than I need too, but I see that in some situations it might prove handy.
Adrian currently uses this 70L Thule bag from Amazon. This is the perfect size for him and it's comfortable to have on your back. It looks nice and is easy to open, pack and use.
I currently use this 80L Bag from Osprey. I bring more stuff with me so I need a bit more space. This one has wheels which I use most of the time, but you can also take out the straps and hip belt and it turns into a backpack. It also opens all the way through and have some practical pockets on the top for things I want to reach easy. It's very practical and I love using it.
Travel Backpacks & Carry On
I wish I was the kind of person who travelled with only carry-on, how easy that must be. However, trying to bring everything I could possibly need for every situation is hard enough in a 80L bag and a carry on in my opinion.
So in addition to my bigger bag I have a smaller bag with me that I use as a carry on. What type you need really depends on your preference, but for me its important that it's a bit sturdy so it can protect all my electronic devices as well as have enough room so I can bring everything I need with me for longer trips.
My carry on is an 30L Osprey which I think works perfectly for me as I can use it for hikes as well as just carry on. However, I don't think it works as a daypack because it's a bit too big to bring to beach.
Adrian on the other hand has chosen one that is practical for his interest in photography but also works with his love for a good-looking backpack. He uses one from Db called Ramverk and has added an extra camera insert bag to protect his photo gear.
One of the reasons we love both these bags is that they open all the way like a little suitcase. It's super practical if you need to get something out in a hurry somewhere.
Lightweight Daypack
Most people have a an extra bag for carry on that they alternate and use as a daypack when needed. I actually have a more hefty carry in bag as mentioned above, but I also have a packable day bag I can use if I'm going to the beach or just on a short hike.
This means that I don't have to repack my carry on every single time I want to do something else or that I have to have a carry on that I can use for everything.
I just have a foldable backpack bought in a Norwegian store called Clas Ohlson. If you're not located in Norway I've found this Nanobag which is almost identical and can be shipped worldwide from Amazon.
I understand this need might not be for everyone, but I love it, use it very often and it hardly takes up any space.
Shoulder Bag
This is a must in my opinion. Especially if you’re travelling for a long time and need something a bit more practical than a pretty purse.
They're cute and super handy and the fact that they wrap around you makes your stuff safer. I actually always have two with me, one beige and one black so I can mix and match depending on what I'm wearing. They fit much more than one might think and are super practical.
If you're travelling to Asia you'll most likely find one there. They sell them at UNIQLO stores and various markets. They don't have them in every country so if you're unsure I recommend getting one before you go.
Waterproof Dry Bag
I use this both to keep my stuff dry if I'm either in a country during rainy season or on a boat tour, or I use it to separate my wet stuff from my dry things when needed. If I've been to the beach or went snorkeling and my bikini or something else is wet I just put it on there so everything else in my bag stays dry.
This has definitely saved my things on multiple occasions. When I travelled through Vietnam one time during monsoon season I had it on me at all times and I know my phone and camera would not have survived those months without it.
My favourite is this lightweight dry bag.
Travel Laundry Bag
It doesn't really matter what you use as a laundry bag, but I highly recommend you have something to separate your dirty from your clean clothes. It can be a specific packing cube, a plastic bag or a designated laundry bag. I use one made of cotton so that every time I send my stuff to be cleaned I add that with it so my laundry bag is cleaned as well.
Small bag for passport and documents
I love having my stuff organized, especially knowing where all my important documents are when travelling. I therefore have a specific bag for my passport and other important documents such as vaccination cards, travel insurance, international drivers licence and extra credit cards and emergency cash.
I love this Passport Holder from Amazon because it has enough pockets to actually have space for everything I need. You don't have to use this specific one, but I recommend using something to store your most important papers in one place.
Shoe Bag
This is the last packing essential I bring on every trip. No matter how many shoes I bring and what type it is I need to have them separated from my other belongings. Dirty shoes can't just roam freely in my bag. You can essentially use whatever you want for this, from plastic bags to more advanced shoe bags. I use a mix. For my flip flops I just have dedicated plastic shoe pouches, and for my sneakers and hiking boots I have more sturdy shoe bags.
Again, I love products from Peak Design and we both use these sturdy shoe bags for my hiking boots and sneakers.
Safety Packing Essentials
Below you'll find all the essential gadgets Adrian and I bring with us on all our trips to feel more safe.
Travel Lock
I always, always, always lock my bags when I travel. I have two different locks that I use all the time. I have one small one that I use on my check in luggage to make sure no-one can open it without breaking the lock. And another lock with a longer cord that I use if I need to store my luggage somewhere.
It's not that I don't normally trust people, it's just that everyone can make mistakes and if someone takes your bag it's gonna be really hard to get it back.
I wasn't always this conscious of it until I had a friend tell me that a big travel group had accidentally taken her bag with them to another city. They just assumed that everything in the storage room belonged to their group and took it all with them. It wasn't until they arrived by bus in the next city and they had an extra bag they realised that they had taken someone else's bag.
In this case it worked out fine in the end, but what if that person was catching a flight that day and her bag was gone, or if that person had something critical in there they needed that day.
You never know so after that I always make sure to lock my bags together and if possible, lock it to something as well.
Phone Leash
This really depends on where you’re travelling to. I used it all the time while traveling through South and Central America just because everywhere I went the locals kept telling me to keep my stuff safe and be aware of pickpockets or people snatching my phone out of my hand. It never happened to either me or Adrian and we felt pretty safe most of the time, but it's a nice precaution to take.
I have it with me at all times but I don't always use it. For instance in Asia I haven't used it as much, but in some major cities it's a nice ting to have. So base it on where you want to travel.
I recommend this phone leash for ultimate safety
AirTags
This is another thing I didn't use to begin with, but absolutely love. I have yet to experience my bags being lost with them in, but just knowing that I have full control of my belongings at all times makes me feel in safer when I'm travelling.
You can get AirTags most places, but I recommend this pack with 4 AirTags so you can put one in all your bags.
PacSafe Travel Safety Bag
One thing we've started using more and more while traveling is a PacSafe anti-theft bag, especially in busier cities or when carrying valuables. We have it with us at all times now that we're travelling full time. It gives me a bit of extra peace of mind and it doesn't take up that much space.
Sometimes we travel to some more questionable places and cities and you honestly never know what can happen. Since we're traveling with lots of valuables in terms of camera gear and important documents we always lock it in the PacSafe safety bag in our room. It works as a personal safe and we love it
I've never used it outdoors, but you can also do that if you for instance are travelling alone and want to lock your things to your chair or something while swimming for example.
Practical Essentials
Below you'll find all the practical gadgets Adrian and I bring with us on all our trips and the stuff we have with us now as we're travelling full time.
Compression Socks
I didn't start using compression socks until I was around 30 and I honestly don't understand why I didn't start sooner. I thought it was an age related thing, but I highly recommend everyone traveling for long stretches to get a pair.
If you’re sitting on a plane or a bus for 7-14 hours it makes perfect sense that it's not good for your legs. They get swollen and start to hurt and it's one of the reasons I dread long distance travel.
After I started using them I feel so much better when travelling. Every time I know I have a long travel day I put them on in the morning and leaven them on for the full day. It keeps the blood flow going which is good for your whole body.
Yes it might look silly, that's why I usually travel in pants and sneakers so nobody really sees my socks going all the way up to my knees.
This isn't something I recommend buying online. Everyone has different sizes and widths to their feet and it's important to get it right. I got mine at a pharmacy in Norway where they took various measurements of my foot, ankle and leg before they found the perfect ones for me, and I recommend you do the same.
Quick Dry Travel Towel
This is a debatable one because Adrian and I disagree. He thinks it's super practical, but I prefer to just bring a sarong that I can both wrap around me and sit on the beach with. I really just air dry and don't need anything else.
However, since we're two he brings the quick dry towel and I bring something we can sit on so technically we use both. If I had to choose only one it would be the sarong, and he the quick dry towel, so I guess it's a personal preference.
Yoga Mat and Resistance Bands
One of the things I think is hardest while traveling for a long time is to have some sort of workout routine. Yes you can go on runs in the morning before the heat gets to intense, and yes some places do have a gym. However, I've found that the thing that works best for me is to have something in the room with me so there's no excuses.
I alway have two resistance bands with me and a yoga travel mat. You don’t need a yoga travel mat, but I love doing yoga and don't want to lay down on a dirty floor. If it’s not a big thing for you then of course don't waste space on it, but for me it's an absolute must and the travel size mats don't take up so much space.
I also have a running belt with me at all times so I can have my keys and phone in it while I'm out running. It also works as a safe storage for my money if I'm traveling and want to have it on my body, so no need to have two different ones.
I love this Yoga Travel mat, these resistance band loops, these resistance bands and this running belt.
Scarf to cover up when needed
This might sound unnecessary, but I've lost count of how many times I've used it. I mean both as a cover up, but also to stay warm.
In so many countries you have to cover your legs and shoulders, especially when visiting religious sites. If I'm travelling somewhere like that I always have a thin scarf on me in case I need to cover up my hair or shoulders.
It's also super practical on flights because it can get quite cold sometimes, and different hotels have different air-conditions. Sometimes I'm roasting and sometimes I actually have to wear a scarf at night. Adrian takes it even further and sometimes sleep with a small beanie to avoid getting sick.
Water shoes
This is another than you might need or not depending on where you're going. I always have them with me because they take up so little space, but I don't use them everywhere. However, when they come on handy they are super handy.
I've for example used them on more rocky beaches in the Pacific and the Caribbean, climbing up waterfalls in El Salvador, rafting in Honduras or kayaking in Thailand.
It's not a must for everyone, but I absolutely love them every time I use them.
You can find the ones I use and love here.
Packable Poncho
When I first started travelling full time I always had a lightweight rain jacket with me. But after spending a long time in Asia I switched it up with a packable poncho because usually when it rains in these tropical climates it rains like crazy. So much so that my rain jacket proved pretty worthless both in Central America as well as Asia. A poncho covers more of your body and is super easy to just pull on when it starts pouring down.
Cuttlery
Yes I know it sounds strange, but it's something we use surprisingly often. Sometimes we'll stay long in a hotel and go out for dinner but have breakfast and lunch in our room, either just some bread and cheese or some yoghurt and fruit. Most hotels offer a fridge and coffee, but that's it so for this to work we use our own cutlery and it works perfectly every time. It's also super handy if you just want to buy and cut up some fruit to bring to the beach for instance.
Headlamp
A hedlamp is also one of those things that I need to bring, but it might not be for everyone. If you're just out after dark the flashlight on your phone will be more than good enough. The times I use it is for example when biking on the Seychelles home from dinner when there's no street lights, or when I'm staying at a jungle lodge and I want to be able to see the area around where I'm walking while carrying my toilet bag, or if I'm hiking early to catch the sunrise or staying on the top to watch the sunset and need light on my way back down.
There are so many different ones to choose from, and they all pretty much do the trick, but you can see the one I use here.
Tech Travel Essentials
Even if you don't travel much, you might have some of these already. For us these are the ultimate tech gadgets that we use daily.
Kindle
I absolutely love reading books and I even made my own reading nook back home where I spent every evening before we left to travel . So if there's one thing I miss while travelling it's reading an actual book. No matter how much I would love to they're just too big and clunky to bring. Except Travel Guides which I also find essential.
Instead I’ve been either using an iPad (perfect if you also want to do some work, watch movies or plan your trips on something smaller than a Mac) or a Kindle.
If you know you’ll only use it for books my tip is to get a kindle. If you don't want to bring a MacBook but still have a device with you I recommend getting an iPad. I’ve done both and it works perfect for different purposes.
Tripod & Gimble
This pretty much only comes into play if you love taking pictures or if you’re travelling solo. We have a couple of different ones we use depending on the day.
We have one for our main camera which makes us take good pictures together or good pictures in the dark. I also have one for my phone that's a bit smaller that I use if I want to take videos or pictures of my self with my phone, and it's easier to just bring in a smaller bag.
I also have one for my GoPro, but I primarily bought it because it makes taking videos under water easier.
In addition to that I have a gimble I use to take steady videos on my phone. This is the one I use the absolute most, but it really isn't necessary unless you want to create or sell videos. It makes them super stable and I think it just makes everything easier. However, I think this is more of a get if you already know you think making videos is fun, not something you have to get before your big trip just in case.
Noise-Canceling Earbuds & Eyemask
Noise canceling earbuds or head phones is more a personal choice. I actually don't use it and have never felt the need for it. However Adrian swears by it and uses it all the time. Either while actually listening to something or when something is too noisy.
I might be old fashioned but I actually prefer the corded ones. Weird, I know. But they never run out of battery and work both on a plane and on my phone so I don't have to bring multiple ones.
These are the exact earbuds Adrian love.
I know there's a Bluetooth connection you can use for planes and I know so many travellers swear by it, but so far I've never actually needed it.
Another essential for me is a travel eye mask. Again here we're different. I can hardly fall asleep without one and Adrian never uses one. There is always a light from a TV, the air condition or if you're in a Hostel people coming in and out of the room. So if you need to have it dark when you sleep this is essential. I've tried som many different ones and found my favourite, it's comfy and keeps everything dark without leaving marks on my face.
Universal Travel Adapter
You can't really travel many places without a universal travel adapter.
It’s a tiny thing, but makes a huge difference. I always have one that works around the whole world because I honestly don't know where I'll be the next month, but if you know you’ll only be in a certain part of the world where they all use the same outlet you can choose to buy one that's a bit smaller and specific to that country or continent.
I personally prefer the ones from Skross, and you can get them easily on Amazon or any travel store.
Power Bank
I probably use this more than I would like to admit. When travelling you'll have so many days with long ferries, plane or bus rides where you'll be glad you had some extra battery. And not to mention never having to be lost in a city you don't know and not have enough battery to open Google Maps and find your way back to your Hotel. I always have one on me because even though I think I have a plan for the day, one of the best things about travelling is that it rarely ends up just like that. Maybe you meet someone who's going somewhere fun and you don't want to go back to your hotel just to charge your phone.
Go pro
Fot me this is essential, but it might no be for you. When I'm travelling to places where I know I'm going to be lots in and under the water I love to have my GoPro to shoot videos and take pictures. I don't dive so I don't need the most fancy equipment, but when I snorkel it's amazing to be able to capture some of the amazing things I see.
I use the GoPro Hero 11. There is a newer model out, but I think the 11 is more than good enough.
Travel Gear I Regret Buying
So above you'll find almost all the stuff I travel with and use on a daily basis. Most of it I think is essential for every traveller, but there might be things in there that you personally don't need. Everything is about where you're going and how you like to travel.
However, below are some things that I think many people recommend that I personally found to be a completes waste of money and space. We're all different, but in my opinion you can save your money on these things.
- Bulky neck pillows
- Heavy hiking boots
- Reusable water bottles
- Laundry hanging rope
- Unnecessary extra equipment for my GoPro
- Shampoo and conditioner bars (They make my hair super dry!)
- Travel size refillable soap in hard plastic (if you need it, make sure to at least get soft plastic so it's easy to squeeze your soaps out)
- Snorkel and flippers (you can always borrow this. Only bring if you plan to use it excessively)
I hope this helps you plan your upcoming adventure. If you have any questions about travel or what to pack in general, or just want to follow along as I travel the world full time, don‘t hesitate to reach out to me on social media. I would love to connect and help out!
-Ingrid