Deciding what to bring and what not to bring can be a tricky task and with a million and one packing guides out there we wanted to make your life easier by compiling a list of our travel essentials as well as some tips and tricks for packing and staying organised!
P.S remember to pack patience because you’ll definitely be needing it throughout your travels!
An Overview
The Best BackPack's
It may sound obvious but it is something we have never regretted traveling with (Don’t bring a suitcase if you are moving around lots!!).
There are hundreds of brands of backpacks out there nowadays, we did lots of research and although they are on the more expensive side Osprey backpacks are so comfy and will stand the test of time.
As for the size of your backpack it is very controversial, some people say stick with 30L as it then means you don’t have to pay extra for check in baggage when flying.
However, personally I went for the 50L as I wanted to be able to fit everything I wanted to bring as well as have room for souvenirs and purchases along the way! What I would say is I wouldn’t go bigger (as a female) than mine as I feel it would end up tipping me over! Tyler has the Osprey Aether 65L bag so he can carry some extra stuff, this is a perfect size for him.
Do you need a smaller day backpack?
This is a personal choice and may depend on how long and where you are travelling to.
We personally choose to carry a small backpack as it means we can keep all our valuables on us at all times. When travelling with both we have this on our front and our big backpacks on our back.
This is the Osprey Daylite. Again we LOVE our Osprey bags.
How to stay organised
Staying organised when travelling around all the time is vital for saving time, these are some useful items which help keep things organised.
Plastic wallet
A perfect tool to keep all of your important documents together and safe. Me and Tyler carry one each in our small backpacks so we have our own important information. These are some documents which are handy to have a physical copy of.
- A copy of your passport
- Travel insurance policy
- Travel vaccinations
- COVID Vaccination proof
- International driving licence
- Visas
- Important numbers
Packing Cubes
They really are revolutionary to the packing game for any kind of travel! There are so many out there and all with the same purpose, we liked these because you can see what’s where without opening and it came with a handy toothbrush holder and shoe bag! However we did realise the biggest one is too big for a backpack so we don’t use that one.
Zip Lock Bags
These are so versatile whether it’s extra packing cubes to keep pants and socks or keeping any liquid toiletries separate just encase any spillage occurs! They are lightweight and take up barely any room, so handy to bring in your bag!
Electrical Gear
A GoPro
A GoPro Hero 8 although not exactly essential for everyone, had to go in our essentials due to all of the incredible memories we have been able to capture and re-live because of it! This is one of the older GoPro so therefore not as expensive and for us it’s been perfect and still has great quality!
A Drone
Another non-essential but have no regrets purchasing, is a drone. This is the DJI Mini SE, and it makes such a cool addition to all of our adventures. Again, we have taken some really amazing footage on it and it’s awesome at visualising the most beautiful places in the world from high in the sky! This one is super light weight and compact (less than 250g!), we purchased this as a combo deal so it came with spare propellers, more batteries, a charger, and also a case which makes it great for travelling around.
A Portable Charger
Another obvious contender but this one can also be charged via solar power! Super handy when travelling in sunny places just leave it in the sun and it will charge up!
A Spare Phone Charger
I can’t count the amount of phone chargers I have been through or lost, and it’s not always easy to find decent ones in other countries. These iPhone chargers are good as they are extra long and I also find these cord ones last longer.
Universal Adaptor
These are so handy if you are travelling around different countries with different plug types! They also have lots of USB ports so super handy to charge multiple items at once.
A Tripod
Whether you’re a solo traveller or a couple it’s always handy to have a tripod to be able to capture some epic moments. This tripod is compatible with phones and a GoPro.
Toiletries
For some reason it always feels like you need to bring everything when it comes to toiletries and unfortunately they tend to be the heaviest thing in your backpack. Depending on where you are going obviously (do your research!) you’ll probably find a lot of your commonly known branded products. However here’s a list of our top toiletries you should consider!
- A Small shampoo and a leave in conditioner– I personally can not get to grips with a shampoo bar, give it a try and if you like it then great, if not, just a small liquid shampoo as you can always buy more! I like to bring a leave in conditioner as foreign water can really dry out your hair.
- A bar of body wash/soap– Make sure to buy a container to store it in!
- A razor
- Roll on deodorant– I love the Wild refillable roll on deodorant. They smell great too!
- Toothpaste and toothbrush
- Sun cream– Sun cream can be very expensive around the world and also difficult to find in some places so definitely bring a couple of bottles with you.
- At least 50% Deet Mosquito repellent– From experience the natural stuff never works as well and when you’re covered in bites you’ll thank us for adding the Deet to your list. In some places 50% Deet is not allowed so make sure to bring enough depending on where you go.
- Hand sanitiser
- Sanitary products– One for the ladies. Whatever floats your boat, bring some! It can be very difficult to find and you never know when you might need some.
- A stain remover bar– You never know when something might stain so a quick and easily accessible bar will keep clothes for longer!
Extra's
A Reusable water bottle
Please don’t be a traveller who constantly buys plastic water bottles everywhere! Not only is it bad for the environment it adds up after a while! We love our Chilly’s water bottles especially traveling in hot countries as they keep it super cold all day! We have a 1 litre bottle each but they do also sell 500ml ones too.
A Micro Fibre Towel
Another well suggested item. These towels are lightweight and dry super quickly so perfect for travelling around with. We have the Dock and Bay ones in size extra large and we love how big they are for lounging at the beach and using as an everyday towel.
Padlock
A combination padlock is always useful and means you don’t have to worry about losing the keys for it. It’s a good idea to bring more than one especially if you’ve got multiple bags and you’re staying in hostels.
So that’s the essentials we’re bringing on our trip! Our biggest top tip is to research where you are going, as the world is developing you often find a lot of similar items in shops wherever you go so therefore don’t need to pack everything!
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