I learned what travel essentials to pack when planning my first round-the-world-trip back in 2017. Since then, I have a very good idea of what products work best and which don’t. Some of the items listed are ones I never leave behind and others are some I use from time to time, such as my camping and hiking gear.
I hope this list helps you prepare for your next big trip! Here are my favorite travel essentials to pack in your luggage:
Travel Essentials
Many of the following travel essential products listed are affiliate links. This means that I earn commission at no extra cost to you click the link and make a purchase. The following are all items I use and my personal opinion of them.
Organization
Some items are marked with an asterisk **. This means these are essential travel products to pack that I never leave behind.
Being organized is key when traveling and it will make your life easier when packing. I believe in purchasing good and durable products that will last so you don’t find yourself replacing repeatedly. My all-time favorite product is my Osprey backpack and I will not travel without my packing cubes. I also travel with a handbag that fits my laptop and the valuables I hold on to, such as my cameras and external hard drive. Here are the best travel essentials to pack for staying organized:
**I LOVE this backpack so much! It’s the best investment I made for my travels. It opens up like a suit case, has lots of compartments, is comfortable, and comes with a great warranty. The daypack I use to go hiking is the REI Co-OP Flash 18 Pack, which also holds 2 liters of water and rolls up compactly in my backpack. However, this Osprey Daypack one is a great option. I also have regular luggage for when I want to skip the backpack.
** Packing cubes are life savers! It is my number one recommended item if you want to fit the most clothes possible and keep it organized. This packing cube set comes with different sizes. I used a medium one for clothes, one for gadgets, one for my undergarments, and I keep an extra for dirty clothes.
**As a handbag that fits under the airplane seat, I like to carry one that has comfortable straps, fits my laptop, and looks cute to go out and explore the city. This hand bag fits the criteria. It fits my Lenovo laptop and valuables.
I carry just a few pieces of jewelry with me for looking cute, most of which are pieces I’ve bought from locals in the countries I visit. I don’t carry any expensive jewelry with me because I’m too worried to lose it. This small jewelry organizer is the perfect size for a carry-on.
Photography
At the moment, I don’t travel with any big DSLR cameras because I travel with just a backpack and daypack. So, instead, I use a compact mirrorless camera that works wonders, my Samsung phone, and a GoPro for all my underwater activities. Lastly, I carry a medium sized external hard drive because I take a lot of pictures. I always back up my pictures in three distinct places, Google Photos, a hard drive I travel with, and a larger 10 TB hard drive that I keep at home. I learned my lesson after loosing photos to eight countries while backpacking Asia. In the photography area, here are my favorite travel essentials to pack:
**I highly recommend having an action camera if you plan to do any water or action adventures. My GoPro has worked perfectly for me while snorkeling, diving, sandboarding, snowboarding and more. It’s one of the best purchases I’ve made for my travels. If you want to capture bird’s eye view footage, I recommend the compact DJI Mavic 3. I have the Phantom, but it’s too big for traveling.
**I’m a Samsung girl since I can remember and can no longer go iphone. Let me tell you, I LOVE the camera on my Samsung S21 Ultra 5G phone. Most of my pictures and videos are with this phone instead of my camera. The zoom is insane and I can take the best pictures of the moon. It’s seriously worth it!
**If you take a lot of pictures and videos like me, I highly recommend getting a 5TB memory external hard drive. However, you can also be fine with a 2TB if you don’t take as many. I carry mine in this case. I recommend using a case to protect your hard drive from any accidental damage that can cause the loss of all your pictures.
Electronics
Aside from my photography items, I carry other small electronics that are essential for my travels. The number one electronic I advice you to get is a power bank. It will be a saver when your phone’s battery level is low. Here are my favorite travel essentials to pack:
**I One thing every person traveling should have is a power bank. I have the Anker brand and it has helped me charge my phone on long bus rides and has kept me connected when I’m out and about taking pictures and using my Google Maps. If you want to avoid your phone dying while traveling, make sure to get this. Plus, it charges other electronics too.
**I’ I love reading and Kindles are made just for that. My Fire 7 Kindle goes with me everywhere. It might not be the greatest tablet out there, but it has a great price, is compact, and works perfect for reading. Don’t forget to protect it with a case.
**If you’ll be traveling outside the country, check the power outage they use. It’s very likely you’ll need an international power adaptor. This is not a voltage converter, so be careful when using high heat products like a hair straightener and hair dryer. These adaptors match local voltage, but they have various port entries for your devices.
If you love listening to your music everywhere you go, a compact and lightweight speaker can easily be fit in your luggage. This Bose is one of the top recommended speakers.
Hiking Gear
I love hiking because it gets me out in nature. Before I started loving it, I’d hike in regular sneakers. However, when I trained to hike Havasupai, I went to buy quality hiking shoes and I discovered the significant difference hiking shoes make. Eventually, I got into hiking and discovered some great gear that I used throughout my trips in Peru, Guatemala, Arizona, and other places. Here is some of my hiking gear:
**I LOVE my Columbia hiking boots. These ones are not only stylish, they’re also comfortable and have great protection of my ankles. This brand is expensive, but it’s definitely worth the value. I also have these High Sierras that are cheaper and also comfortable. If you prefer less heavy shoes for easier hikes, these lower ankle hiking shoes are a good option.
**If you are going to hike somewhere cold, pack a good quality jacket that will keep you warm. Again, I recommend the Columbia brand. Mine is very similar to this one, but I bought it in Bogota to use in Peru. It kept me very warm throughout the country!
One of the best ways to cut back on plastic is using a refillable water bottle. The Brita brand is great because apart from being eco-friendly, it also filters water for safe drinking. You can take your water bottle everywhere!
Hiking poles can be annoying to carry, but they really do help you on hikes that are inclined, especially when going down. They take weight off your knees and help prevent slipping. I have these hiking poles that I take with me.
Camping Gear
Although I don’t camp on my own, I always go on camping trips with my family. Over time I’ve accumulated some items that come with me on my camping trips. Here is what I pack:
**Hiking backpacks are built different to regular travel backpacks. They have different compartments and are designed with more comfort for long hiking trips. Although it’s pricey, the Osprey brand is one of the best out there and they come with a great warranty!
If you go camping somewhere cold, a sleeping bag will be a life saver! This one in particular rolls up very nicely and compact. Perfect for attaching it to my Osprey backpack.
Sleeping on the floor is hard on your back. To help ease the back pain, I recommend a compact sleeping mattress when you go camping. Or, if you are driving and have more space, you can pack a cot instead.
This solar power bank is a useful little tool when you don’t have electricity to charge all your devices. Just hang it from your hiking backpack and let the sun do its job to charge it. You can also fully charge it from a plug before heading out.
Accessories
My backpack is full of small useful accessories. Honestly, I don’t know how all my stuff fits in my backpack but it does. Here are some of travel essentials that I pack.
**Although most hotels will have towels, most hostels wont. I suggest packing a travel compact microfiber towel that dries fast. Plus, you can take it to the beach or pool too.
This waterproof phone case is a great product I use when I don’t feel comfortable leaving my phone unattended. I’ll take it with me into the water. Although many phones can technically get wet, I’d rather not risk it.
Another product for going to the beach is a dry bag. It’s useful for when you don’t trust leaving your belongings behind. This has also been helpful when going to lakes.
The one thing in my backpack that annoys me, is all the cords that come with my electronics. This cord organizing tool helps me organize them a bit better. Then I keep all the cords tidy with these fasteners.
Accessories
Like I mentioned, I’m not sure how I can fit so many things into my backpack. Here are some more travel essentials you can pack.
If you enjoy photography, a tripod is great for stable pictures or for when you travel solo. This is a small compact choice but there are many to choose from.
**I carry three small travel locks with me. One is for my backpack or luggage and one for my locker at a hostel. The third one I carry as an extra.
**I travel with about 6 of memory cards. I keep one on my camera, the GoPro, tablet, laptop, phone, and extras for storage. They’re all different GB sizes. It all depends how much storage you want. I even have a 500GB.
This little luggage scale weight tool has been very useful. Although I’ve been lucky that airlines don’t check the weight of my backpack, I still try to stay as close as possible to the carry-on weight using this scale.
Toiletries
I don’t carry a lot of toiletries because I buy all my stuff like shampoo, body lotion, and toothpaste in the countries I visit. However, there are a few things that I love but I don’t easily find abroad. I buy these in the U.S and take them with me in my bag.
**I no longer travel without these toothbrush holders! They are designed with vapors that keep my toothbrush clean and fresh. I can tell the difference when I use these and regular toothbrush holders. They last 3 months, and then you switch them out.
I don’t use insect repellent often because I don’t normally have issues with mosquitos. But, I carry a travel-sized insect repellent in case I’m in a place where mosquitos are more viscous.
Over time, I’ve collected different bottles and containers for my toiletries. Here is an awesome set I found online that already comes with the different types of bottles you need.
I recently gave the menstrual cup a first try and I’ll be honest, it was hard to use. However, lots of female backpackers and some friends swear by this product. So, I’m giving it another chance. Plus, it’s one of the most eco-friendly things to do.
Beauty Products
Once upon a time I was young and didn’t worry about my skin as much. But, as I aged, I started paying more attention to my wrinkles and taking care of my skin. Because I can’t take everything with me when I’m traveling, I only take the products I love that have worked great on my skin. I don’t easily find some of these abroad, so I make the space in my backpack, take them with me, and use them until I run out. Also, I like having my hair looking nice and I carry my hair straightener with me everywhere.
**Ever since I hit my 30s, I’ve been more aware of taking care of my skin. The Regenerist Micro Sculpting Moisturizer is rated as one of the top products for fine lines and wrinkles. I always pack it in my luggage!
For when I’m out in the sun hiking or exploring the city, I use this moisturizer with sun protection which is light on my skin and also helps with wrinkles.
**I tend to not get enough sleep. I know, not good for preventing wrinkles. But, this cream works wonders. It depuffs my eyes and reduces dark circles after a night of staying up late.
**I know for many of you this item is unnecessary for many of you. But, my crazy wavy hair needs the hair straightener when it’s out of control. Chi products are some of the best, so I also carry travel size bottles of these other Chi products I love: hair oil & heat hair protector.
Travel Essentials
There you have it; a list of my favorite travel essentials to pack. Which of these will you be packing into your luggage?