Ten years ago, I wrote a post covering ten things always bring with me when I travel. Somethings have changed. Somethings have not.
The list below covers ten items that come on every single trip I undertake, be it two days or two months. I have divided them into several sub-sections for your ease of reading.
Raincoat.
This is my K-Way packable raincoat. I used to use a larger blue rain jacket that would double up as my coat, but it is currently on long term loan to a friend in Scotland. Regardless, I transitioned to the K-way as my sole raincoat years ago. It is blue, folds away into a tiny bag that can either be stored in my bag or, if quick access is needed, can clip onto the outside of the bag.
In the cold winter months, instead of my K-Way, I opt for a quilted Barbour travel jacket, which is waterproof and incredibly warm. This fits well in my bag, but I rarely go out without it in the winter.
Levi Jeans. 502, navy blue.
The nice thing about Levi’s is one word over all others: practical.
They can be worn for day exploring, dinner occasions with a decent jacket, meeting friends for coffee or just for lazing around on your sofa at home. Whatever your preference is, these jeans are ideal for travelling. They look good, are long lasting and can be used in most situations or outings. I own two pairs and always take one pair with me when I’m travelling, be it with work or on a personal trip.
In a few rare cases, primarily in the height of summer, a smart pair of linen chinos usually work just as well as a stand-in, although be aware they are not as durable.
Worldwide Travel Adaptor.
All I ask here is why stress about which plug sockets your hostel or host’s house takes when you are hopping from country to country? The worldwide travel adaptor is a neat little pocket device which contains access to any plug socket in the world. I have upgraded mine several times to account for this USC-to-USC world we are moving into.
My current one is perfect for my needs.
A kindle.
Once upon a time, I was not a fan of these and reluctantly brought one along. I used to pack two-three books and buy several more on the road. One word describes this – fucking weight (okay that was two.) These days, if I find a book whilst travelling, I’ll photograph it and decide later if I want to buy it (or download it to the kindle.) I love books.
I’m a writer and avid reader. But this is not a matter of suffering. This is a matter of travelling smart.
Havaiana flip-flops.
Cool, fashionable (unless you dare to wear socks with them) and also surprisingly really useful. These can be tailored to suit the Levi’s, are great for the beach and hot days but are also really good for matters of hygiene. Places like hostels can sometimes be unsanitary, depending on where you stay and the condition of the place. Therefore, you won’t find a more invaluable asset when you are using the showers, which can team with bugs and the like.
Sandals are light, easily manageable and quite cheap to replace should they experience wear and tear. Perfect to slip on in hotels to quickly run errands instead of suiting up in the boots.
A seasonable shirt.
Again, this comes back to being practical. You will travel at times when the weather is changeable. Unpredictable. Bizarre. Funky. Outright unusual. I’ve found that one of the best ways to cope with this is to have practical clothing that encompasses all the basic needs. Long sleeved, seasonable shirts that are warm but adaptable are quite important. It helps to keep one of these on hand at all times in the carryon bag and it ties in very nicely with the Levi jeans that you’ll keep with you on your travels. Can be used again for social occasions, the cooler days and for general purpose use.
Taylor your shirt to your tastes and fashion but make sure it fits the above. Your personal taste and needs will be different to mine – this is not a fashion contest. It is, however, about travelling smart. My personal seasonable shirt shifts between a cotton oxford or a turtleneck, again depending on the seasons/weather.
A back up of all your travel information.
On my phone and accessible at all times to any device via wifi and the correct log in codes; contains copies of my passport, travel visas, emergency phone numbers of places and of people I’m staying with and pretty much anything else I think I might need quick access to. As technology has become more advanced in the last ten years, this system has become streamlined and carrying paper copies is seldom necessary. I usually keep this information on both Dropbox and Google, in case one bugs out.
As always, I do urge you to be very careful with your password information and who you share these details with. Not everyone is a friend.
Different cash cards and IDS.
Right this one is really important.
And I’ll start by saying I have a dear friend who travels with just his phone for money and his passport for ID. This is extreme minimalism, but I also think profoundly stupid. Drop your phone in the toilet? Bit fucked, I’d say. Lose your passport? Well not the end of the world, but very probably the end of the trip. I have given up trying to reason with him on this one.
These days we can literally pay with our phones (something I have recently – or finally, depending on who is reading this – started doing.) Welcome to the 21st century, Andrews.
But, regardless of your first choice, keep back up cash and different cards/forms of ID in separate locations. On my last trip, I was required to present the card I used for payment at the check in desk of the airline we used. Glad I had it with me, eh?
I have been robbed before. Twice. It happens. Not everything was in the same spot. I was young (twenty years old), but not stupid and I was able to recover the trip very quickly. It was bloody horrible. But not unrecoverable.
I’m a keen cyclist; when we travel, we sometimes hire bicycles to cover more ground. You’ll often be asked to hand an ID card over as insurance. Don’t want to risk leaving your passport behind in a shop? Take the driver’s license. Sometimes we hire a car. Sometimes we want to use a motorbike. Having a full license instead of that previous passport in your day bag is a no-brainer.
Finally, keep cash separate from your cards is a sensible idea as it reduces the damage if things go missing. Lock these items up in a secure location in your hotel and go see the place you’ve travelled to.
The bottom line; take care of your things and they will take care of you.
A padlock.
Not all hostels give out padlocks nor are they safe. In addition, not all airports are 100% secure when placing a larger bag into the cargo hold.
You just never know. Most people in this world are lovely and decent. But occasionally a thieving bastard looking for an opportunity comes along. Do not offer them the opportunity. Trust me, they’ll take it if they can.
When I backpacked through San Francisco in 2013, the hostel I stayed in was a dump and in no way did I feel safe leaving my money and my passport there. That was, all the time they were not under lock and key in either a locker or in my bag. I was fortunate to carry a padlock on all during my travels. It was my first major trip.
My friend, Matt, did not have one (and you could see the initial stress on his face.) We were able to share a locker, keeping the essentials safe from harm, but this ate into my personal storage. I’m not an asshole, so I helped him.
But guys, seriously. Look after number one. You. Bring a padlock.
They are simple, light and take up a tiny footprint in your backpack. I never travel without one, even if I go for several consecutive trips without using it. Once again, it comes down to having a stress free, secure approach.
This one really is common sense. Again, being robbed is fucking horrible.
Bluetooth Earphones.
These days, everything is wireless and small. Awesome, isn’t it?
I personally don’t use large headphones as I find them clunky, unnecessary, take up far too much room in my bag and that they attract too much attention.
I need something that is pocket size that does not get in my way. Earphones are vital for the dull moments on planes, great for private calls to loved ones but also really useful when you just fancy watching something online late at night when you have nothing else going on in a crowded hostel dorm.
Most of us carry them so I won’t go on here. It makes sense to have them.
The final word…
I wrote this list originally in my mid-twenties. I’m in my mid-thirties now and not much as changed with this setup. A few things have been adapted to match the changes of technology, but even when I wrote the original list, I had been doing this for some time.
You will discover what suits your needs and what will not work for you via your own experiences.
Having said that, this list is intended to help anyone looking for a seamless experience on the road. I do not always get it right, and much of what I have learnt is through experience.
With this list in mind, go and build yours,
Best,
Charlie