OUR FAVOURITE TRAVEL GEAR
A big part of planning a trip is making a list of all the things you might need to bring. We usually do this ahead of time. This avoids that unnecessary panic when you discover that you are missing some essential items whilst packing the day before your flight.
Whilst what we pack varies depending on the destination, length and type of our trip, there are certain items we take with us on almost every holiday.
This page is an expansive list of our favourite travel gear and tech. We have also included links to detailed reviews of certain items and comparison lists for certain product categories. We love finding the best product on the market. Obviously, we always recommend that you invest in the highest quality that you can afford. We always make sure that the items we rely on whilst we travel are lightweight but durable.
We hope this list will help you decide what to take with you on your next trip. If you need more help figuring out what to take and how to pack it, check out our individual packing guides.
TRAVEL PLANNING RESOURCES
Find out what resources we use to plan our trips, create amazing itineraries and find great deals on hotels and flights.
PACKING GUIDES
Browse through all of our packing guides by season, by type of adventure, and even by destination!
OUR FAVOURITE APPS
Check out all the apps the apps that we have installed on our phone or tablet to make our travels easier.
GIFT GUIDES
Find the perfect present for any occasion — not just for others, but for yourself too with these top gift guides!
Picking the right luggage to contain all your precious items is more important than you might realise. After all they keep all your items safe and organised.
It is really important that you choose luggage that is durable. From all the travel gear that you might purchase, suitcases and bags probably take the biggest beating whilst abroad. They get dragged around various destinations and tossed about by the airport staff. You should also choose suitcases and bags that are lightweight. It is frustrating when the weight of your suitcase reduces your overall luggage allowance. Better use that weight for additional items.
Furthermore we love luggage and gear that helps us stay organised whilst we travel. Being able to quickly find exactly the item you need considerably reduces stress at the airport and helps us leave the hotel early in the morning.
Other than that what type of luggage works for you will come down to personal preference, the type of trip you are planning, and how many items you want to take. We can’t really answer the question whether a backpack, suitcase, or rolling duffel is better suited for you. All we can tell you is what we personally use.
The following are the travel containers that work for us. We don’t tend to take all of these on one single trip, but they cover the various travel situations we have found ourselves in.
LARGE SUITCASE
If we are taking a longer trip abroad, we will usually take at least one large rolling suitcase that needs to be checked in at the airport. The biggest factors in choosing a good suitcase are it’s weight and how much we can fit into it. We personally prefer hard-shell suitcases that have four wheels.
CARRY-ON SUITCASE
Our carry-on suitcases are our most used item of luggage. We usually take one carry-on suitcase along with us on larger trips. If we are heading off on a city break in Europe on the other hand we will take a carry-on suitcase each. In contrast if if we are off on a weekend break in the UK, we require one carry-on suitcase at most.
CANVAS RUCKSACK
We usually take a canvas rucksack as one of our carry-on luggage items for longer trips abroad. It is roomy enough to fit all those additional items we want to take on the plane but can easily be folded up into our suitcase. Plus the canvas material make its super durable.
MONEY POUCH
If we are travelling abroad, we almost always take a money pouch that we hang under our clothes, to keep our valuables safe. We will usually fill it with enough cash to last us the day and leave the rest in the safe at the hotel. We will also take our cards and passport with us, since you never know if you might need them.
DAYPACK
If our trip abroad includes one or several adventurous day-excursions, we make sure to take a daypack. We also use this daypack if we plan to go hiking in the UK or Europe.
BACKPACK
It is never a bad idea to purchase a high quality backpack if you are a keen traveller. A proper backpack simply lends itself better to certain types of holidays, such as a safari in Africa or a trek through South America
DRYBAG
If we are planning to take part in water activities, such as canoeing or kayaking, we make sure to pack a drybag that is big enough to contain our DSLR camera and valuables. It would be a disaster if these got wet on an adventurous excursion.
WATERPROOF PHONE POUCH
A waterproof phone pouch for our mobile phones is useful for holidays that involve the beach or a swimming pool. We made sure to pick ones that are transparent and allows us to use our phones whilst in the pouch.
CAMERA BAG
If we are planning a photography heavy trip and need to pack a lot of equipment, we will usually take our camera bag instead of the canvas bag.
CAMERA TOTE
Our camera tote is one of our most essential luggage items and accompanies us most days. It needs to be small enough to fit into our carry-on luggage but roomy enough to fit our camera and at least one spare lens.
PACKING CUBES
We like our suitcase to be neatly organised, so that we can easily find the outfits we want to wear that day. This saves time in the morning. This is why we love packing cubes. We tend to roll our clothes and then use the packing cubes, to organise them by category.
COMPRESSION SACK
If we are travelling somewhere that requires particularly bulky items such as down jackets, we will use a compression sack to save space in our luggage.
TOILETRY BAG
We like to keep our toiletries contained in one, durable wash bag – it prevents us from purchasing items we don’t need and keeps the weight down to a minimum.
LIQUID POUCH
If we are only taking the carry-on we use a toiletry bag that is considerably smaller and contains a removable transparent pouch for all our liquids to make airport security a breeze.
JEWELERY CASE
I like to organise my jewelry in a travel case so that it doesn’t get tangled and knotted during transport.
SHOE BAGS
We prefer to pack our shoes in lightweight canvas shoe bags, to keep our suitcase clean
Toiletries and a few small laundry essentials can help keep your luggage organised throughout a trip. Think about what you will use each day, what your accommodation provides and whether you will need to wash clothes whilst you are away.
Below you will find wash bags, refillable bottles, a travel towel and other items to consider for your packing list. What you take will depend on your destination and the type of trip you are planning.
SCRUBBA WASHBAG
One of the best ways to save space in your suitcase, is to pack this portable washing machine rather than additional clothes. The Scrubba Washbag lets you clean your garments no matter where you are. You simply fill it with water and a little detergent and then scrub your clothe son the inner washboard.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT
Soak is a great laundry detergent for those who want to wash their clothes whilst travelling. It actually doesn’t require any rinsing, you can simply add a drop into the water and let your clothes soak for a while. Note that shampoo also works pretty well for cleaning garments in a pinch if you don’t feel like bringing laundry detregent.
WASHING LINE
If you are planning to wash your clothes whilst you are on the go, then it’s not a bad idea to have a washing line to hang your garments up on. This is a useful tool that doesn’t take up too much space in your suitcase or backpack.
MICRO FIBRE TOWEL
If your trip involves water based activities or the beach, you might want to consider bringing your own towel, since hotels don’t always allow you to take theirs. But regular towels are far too bulky and heavy to pack into your suitcase, which is why we recommend you get a lightweight, quick-drying microfiber towel instead.
TRAVEL BOTTLES
Small refillable bottles let you pack a manageable amount of shampoo, conditioner and other toiletries. Label each bottle so that you can easily tell them apart, and check that the lids are securely closed before packing.
SUNCREAM
Keep suncream with the toiletries you pack for time outdoors. A securely closed bottle in a separate pouch helps contain any leaks in your luggage.
MOSQUITO REPELLENT
Insect repellent is another item to consider when packing for destinations with mosquitoes. Keep it in its labelled container and follow the instructions on the packaging.
FIRST AID KIT
There’s no harm in carrying a mini first aid kit – it takes up little space, and you never know when you might need it. It’s a particularly good idea if you aren’t sure of the standards of hygiene of the country you are travelling to, and are planning to go hiking, backpacking or camping.
Travel tech can help with reading, entertainment and keeping your devices charged whilst you are away. Choose the items that suit your journey, and check which cables and adaptors each device needs.
Below you will find e-readers, headphones and charging accessories to consider for your packing list. You do not need to take every gadget on every trip.
E-READER
When I was a kid half of my suitcase would be filled with books. These days, I like to bring my E-Reader instead. Reading a e-book is the perfect way to fill your time on a long haul flight or relax on the beach. I personally love my Kobo, as it is waterproof, allows me to load pretty much any format of book on it and can handle multiple press-for-definition dictionaries.
TABLET
A tablet can keep reading, films, games and travel documents in one place. Download the things you want to use before setting off so that you do not have to rely on Wi-Fi during the journey.
HEADPHONES
Headphones let you listen to music, podcasts or films during a journey without disturbing the people around you. Keep them in a case, and remember to pack any charging cable or adaptor they need.
HEADPHONE SPLITTER
A headphone splitter lets more than one person listen to the same device through wired headphones. Check that the plug fits your device, or pack the appropriate adaptor.
UNIVERSAL TRAVEL ADAPTER
An all-in-one travel plug adaptor can be used in over 150 countries worldwide. Most now come with extra USB charger hubs.
PLUG EXTENSION
There’s always only one plug socket in a room when you need to charge multiple technologies. This space-saving, multi-socket extension is the ideal solution to those regular charging woes
POWER BANK
Anker is our go-to brand for portable chargers that are lightweight and hold a lot of juice. A saving grace for when your battery runs low while you are out, prevent your phone from dying by carrying one of these. You’ll get around two full extra charges from one of these fully charged devices.
CHARGING CABLE
Check which connectors your phone, tablet and other devices use before packing a charging cable. Keeping the right cables together in a small pouch makes them easier to find when you need to recharge.