Travel is one of those things that consumes me. I love it so much, I think about it all the time, and I’ve been fortunate enough to do a whole lot of traveling in the last 2 years.
That travel has given me the time I needed to refine my approach and gear, and this feels like a good place to document where I am in my approach to travel gear- specifically, what I consider essential.
This list is broken into 5 categories: Bags and Organizers, Health and Toiletries, Small Items, Technology, and Other. This is intended to be consumed in tandem with my Making Travel Easier piece.
Bags and Organizers
Travel bag. Bags are such a personal thing, and there are a seemingly infinite number of variables when it comes to defining a good bag. Travel complicates things even more, especially depending on your mode of travel and length of stay. I’m still using my beloved Tumi Alpha Bravo Annapolis Zip Flap Bag in Hickory and I don’t see changing anytime soon. I still can’t believe Tumi discontinued that bag!
If not using the Annapolis, my second choice would probably be either the Maxpedition Lunada or the Hazard 4 Kato. Before buying the Annapolis, I’d say these 2 bags were tied for the best bags I’d ever owned, but I prefer the Annapolis in part because it looks less tactical than they do but is just as tough. I love the tactical look when tastefully done, but it isn’t appropriate for all settings, it can bring unwanted attention, and I’ve found it can sometimes scare people. The Annapolis fits in everywhere.
Reusable Bag. One of the things about travel is that you seemingly always accumulate things, and having nowhere to put those things complicates matters. I’m a big fan of reusable bags that fold into their own little pouch, but there are a million different kinds. I’ve been using ChicoBags and Reuseit Workhorse Original Grocery Bags for over a decade now, and both have performed perfectly the entire time.
Change Purse. You don’t want a lot of loose change jangling around in your bags or pockets. This is another of those items that there are a million different kinds of, but I’ve been using this little leather coin bag for 4.5 years now, and absolutely adore it.
Organizer. There are a lot of small items on this list, so many that I had to devote an entire section to them. They add a lot of functionality, but when you’re actually carrying them around with you in your bag, it is often difficult to secure them, and attempting to dig around for them is a time consuming drag.
The best option I’ve found to address that is Maxpedition’s line of Pocket Organizers. They come in varying sizes, I use their EDC model for nearly all my small items, and their Micro model for my camera, its charging cord, and its batteries. I love everything about them, but one of my favorite parts about them is that they all have a grab handle that makes them easy to find and remove from your bag quickly, making it easy to grab whatever you need and get back to what you’re doing.
Fanny pack. I can hear the wailing and gnashing of teeth now, down those pitchforks. I don’t regularly use fanny packs, with the way my system is constructed and the places I tend to frequent I’ve found that I don’t need to, but fanny packs fill a critical space in the travel arena- times you need to have a few key items handy but don’t need or want to carry around a full bag. Amusement and water parks, day hiking, or even walking around for exercise are the best examples I can think of.
Fanny packs have a bad reputation because nearly everyone uses them incorrectly, but you don’t have to be one of them! To use them correctly, there are only a few basic guidelines:
- Get the smallest one you can find, avoid the big heavy expensive leather ones.
- If it has wings on the sides, don’t get it.
- Only put the very bare minimum in it, the key is for it to be light, svelte, and unobtrusive. If it pooches out, you have too much in it.
- Once you have yours, wear it with your shirt untucked and draped over it.
If you do these things correctly, few will even realize you’re wearing a fanny pack. Before it was discontinued, my favorite was the Mountainsmith Vibe 2, but there are many more good ones out there.
Remember: don’t overfill it. If you genuinely need to carry that many items, a fanny pack is not the right solution.
Health and Toiletries
Essential Medications. I get migraines from time to time, so I try never to be without my migraine medication. Stress, lack of sleep, going too long without stopping to eat, and changes in barometric pressure are all migraine triggers for me, as are screaming children such as the one sitting directly behind me during my flight to Las Vegas 2 months ago.
That situation was pretty terrible, especially that we were an hour late getting off the ground as it was. Not having my medication would have made that bad situation even worse.
Earplugs. I’m still a big fan of the Howard Leight Max Lite Low Pressure earplugs. I don’t know how I would have made it through that flight without them.
Tissues.
Wet wipes. Travel gets messy in unexpected ways.For the last several years, my preferred wet wipes have been the Big Ones variety of the Wet Ones brand.
Wrinkle Releaser. No matter how carefully you pack, sometimes it seems impossible to avoid wrinkles. This is one of those items that you somehow always need if you don’t bring it with you.
Tide to Go. This is one of those items I carry with me even when not traveling, and there are few weeks that go by that I don’t have to use it at least once.
Lens Cleaning Cloth. If you use glasses, sunglasses, or cameras, or even want something to remove smudges from your mobile devices that won’t scratch their screens, you’ve got to get some microfiber cleaning cloths.
These days I’m usually using Casabella microfiber cleaning cloths I picked up at The Container Store last year, but there are a million different varieties.
Small Items
Monocular. A monocular is essentially a binocular, but only for one eye. These days, I don’t always carry this, but if I’m going somewhere I think I’ll need to see something from far away, I bring it with me.
Multitool. Not everyone will have a use for a multitool, and I absolutely don’t take them along when flying, but I’m a big fan and user of multitools. My absolute favorite is the Leatherman Squirt PS4, its pliers, mini-scissors, nail file, and mini-screwdriver have gotten me out of countless jams in the 6 years I’ve owned mine. I also own a Leatherman Juice S2 that is also good, but it lives at home because it is bigger and heavier.
Technology
External battery. External batteries are the secret to my system, both for daily life and while traveling. Without them, nothing else in my system works very well for very long.
External batteries are exactly what they sound like! They’re devices of varying sizes, usually small and light, that you can plug devices such as phones, tablets, and cameras into to charge when their batteries are low. When the external battery has no more charge, you charge it by plugging a USB cord into it and plugging the other end of the cord into the wall via a wall plug, I usually use the wall plug that came with my iPhone.
I bought my first external battery over 6 years ago and have been using them ever since. Since then, they’ve become much more commonplace, they’ve gotten much lighter, and their price has come down. You can easily find ones of smaller charging capacity at places like Bed Bath and Beyond and Walmart for $15 or less. I almost always have at least one on me.
Phone charging cable. Pictures. Video. Internet access. Texting. E-Mail. Calls. Dinner plans. Transit. Social media. What don’t we use our phones for? I use mine for everything, and that goes double when traveling. You don’t want to be without the ability to use your phone, especially if you’re far from home. This is primarily what I use my external batteries for, for charging my phone.
USB cable. USB cables are so very versatile. I primarily use mine for charging my external batteries and Bluetooth earpiece (more on that in a sec,) but if you have a non-Apple phone or tablet you can likely use it to charge that too.
Wall plug. These are for when you need to plug your electronic devices into the wall to charge. I typically use the one that came with my iPhone.
iPad Mini 4 and Brydge 7.9 Backlit Aluminum Bluetooth Keyboard. This is still the best combination I’ve ever found for those who like to write while on the go. This piece was written on it.
Mobile Hotspot. Mobile hotspots are exactly what they sound like, they’re little units that allow you to have internet access virtually anywhere you go. They’re tremendously useful, especially if you’re on a mobile plan with limited data, and they’re particularly nice to have when traveling, especially when traveling to somewhere that you’re not sure how good the internet quality will be.
I bought mine on December 15th, 2009, years before they were common, and these days there are even more options. You can still buy those standalone units, but mobile carriers are increasingly offering hotspot capability as an option on your cellular plan. Last year I was offered that capability for free, and I didn’t think I would use it, but it turns out that I use it all the time, almost always for writing. I connect my iPad to my phone, the Mobile Hotspot capability displays to other devices as a WiFi network, and then you’re online. One thing to remember is that if you’re using your phone as a mobile hotspot, it will deplete your phone’s battery very quickly, so you’ll certainly want to have an external battery or other power source handy.
Extra batteries. In 2008, I went out west for 2.5 weeks in late May/early June to celebrate my 21st birthday. I spent a few days of it in Las Vegas with friends, and there’s so much of that trip that I don’t think I’ll ever forget. One of the things I doubt I’ll ever forget is taking loads of pictures at the Bellagio between fishing around for spare batteries; I’d taken so many pictures so quickly I’d depleted my camera’s batteries.
These days, devices tend to charge via USB cord, so they’re easily plugged into external batteries and wall outlets, but if your device does use removable batteries, make sure to bring extras.
When I returned to Las Vegas this May, this time I was armed with a much better camera and extra batteries. I took just as many pictures this time, if not more, but this time I didn’t miss any shots at the Bellagio or anywhere else because of depleted batteries.
Bluetooth Earpiece. I’m a big fan of using Bluetooth earpieces for cellphone conversations. They’re so much better than holding the phone up to your ear or using speakerphone. The Plantronics M50 units I bought 6 years ago are still kicking, but they’re so old they’re no longer sold; I’m sure the quality of modern day units is even better.
Other
Cooler. Don’t go on a roadtrip without a cooler!
I have 2 coolers, an Igloo Quantum that I put in my passenger seat floorboard, and a larger Igloo Super Tough STX that my father gave me last year for my 30th birthday right before I left for North Myrtle Beach.
One of my favorite road trip rituals is filling my cooler full of Cokes and waters and grabbing a bag of ice to fill it with as I’m leaving town. Even if you’re not going too far, coolers are wonderful for picnics. On a hot day, there’s not much better than a turkey sandwich with cold, crisp lettuce, Fritos, and a literally ice cold Coke.
Coolers save money, save time, and are basically the best thing ever.
Steering wheel desk. As of the publishing of this piece, I’ve owned this for all of one day, but I can already tell it is going to make me far more productive from a writing perspective while on the road.
This is another thing that’s exactly what it sounds like. It’s a little desk that you clip to your steering wheel, you can use it for a writing or eating surface. You can’t use it while your car is in motion, the steering wheel must be upside down for it to attach correctly. I haven’t owned it for long, but I already love it.
Paper Towels. Travel gets messy, and a Kleenex or wet wipe won’t always do. I keep a roll of paper towels in a bag hanging from these mini car hooks I got at The Container Store last year, you wrap them around the headrest posts of your passenger seat, facing into the backseat.
Trash Bags. Trash can accumulate in your car quickly, especially on roadtrips. I usually keep a few full-sized trash bags in my car, but I’ve seen numerous options for little trash cans and bags for cars.
AAA. I recommend AAA to everyone who has a car, especially women.
AAA has saved the day for me so many times- popped tires, running out of gas, jump starting cars that won’t start, being with people who have locked themselves out of their car, tows to mechanics, you name it, and their discounts on items like hotel rooms are also nice to have.
Consider getting AAA.