Things I won’t travel without anymore

I have been solo travelling for 5 years now, usually only with carry on luggage and to different countries with different climates. Now I know which things I will always bring, no matter where I go. Some travel gear is cheap, easy to come by and lasts a long time, other gear is worth investing in to get quality that will last.

• Travel Essentials
• Clothes
• Essentials for the backpack / suitcase
• Travel Medications
• Common Sense
• Travel Insurance
• Local SIM or eSIM
• Credit Card
• International Drivers Licence

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Travel Essentials

These are the things I take on every trip! I usually travel with a small suitcase and a middle size backpack.

Backpack

I am not a backpacker and never will be, but a 35L trekking backpack is allowed as carry on luggage on most airlines. The one from Mardingtop* has comfortable, mash padded shoulder and hip straps which keep your back dry and can easily be transformed to be mostly waterproof as well. It has many loops to affix things to.

Suitcase

I use the Samsonite Airea Spinner*. It fits with most airlines carry on measurements and is extremely sturdy. The 360 degree spinning wheels make it easy to roll everywhere as well. I wasn’t sure, because it is expensive, but at this point (July 2024) it has been with me three times around the globe in total and has survived two motorbike trips and being drenched completely in the back of a speedboat, so it is more than worth its price. And yes, it was the only suitcase I brought for my two month Vietnam trip 2024.

Suitcase organizers

I never saw the point of suitcase organizers*, then I got gifted a set for my birthday and I will never pack without them again. They make unpacking and quick repacking, especially on the fly, so much easier and more convenient.

AirTag

I have an iPhone and with apple products you can easily track your stuff by putting an AirTag* into it. An AirTag is a small coin shaped object that shows it’s location in your “Find My” App on your phone. It helps a lot if you have luggage with you and it is lost, as it shows the last known location. And it saves you time when looking through a warehouse of “lost” luggage later.

Clothes

I pack clothes depending on the location (and the weather conditions there), but there are three things I always take, from travelling to Ireland in November to Vietnam in April:

Rain Jacket

As a typical German I am a big fan of Jack Wolfskin Rain Jackets*. This is a running joke in the international community, but you can’t beat the quality. I choose the “Go Hike*” version for women, since it has a high water resistance while being super lightweight and you can easily ball it up to fit better into your luggage.

Trekking Pants

I like wearing Trekking Pants when travelling, especially in warmer countries. For this reason I chose a pair that can be zipped off into a comfortable short length (the Jack Wolfskin Glastal Zip Off Pants*). The Jack Wolfskin* pants have a cover between the zipper and the skin, making it more comfortable to wear than most other zip-off pants. They also come in various colours and a wide variety of sizes.

Five finger shoes

I actually have several pairs of the vibram five finger shoes, as they are the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn, but usually I take the Kso Evo Sneaker* in red or black everywhere with me. They aren’t unisex, but there are many versions*, have a look which ones would be the best for you.

Sunglasses

I don’t know about you (the person reading this right now) but I can not deal without my sunglasses. Not just during bright summer days, even in winter I wear sunglasses outside. It took a while to find a pair of polarised sunglasses* that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, fits well and still looks good and not like I am from the Matrix.

Essentials for the backpack / suitcase

Now the easy things, meaning everything you can pack into your backpack or suitcase.

Bug Spray / Moskito Spray

While you can buy bug spray for the room in most countries where you’ll need it it’s harder to find good mosquito spray. I recommend ordering some insect repellent online containing DEET, Icaridin, or IR3535 (to protect against the mosquitoes that transfer Malaria, Zika and/or Dengue). You only need a few sprays and are protected.

Water Filtering Bottle

The tap water in most countries in the world is no joke, even a spoon full of it can make you sick. That is why I started carrying a filter bottle with me. A lot of people advocate for a straw, but that means you have to be actively sucking / drinking the water to use it. With a bottle you can fill it, turn it upside down and filter the drinkable water into another bottle, then fill it again and have more clean water.

I am using the Katadyn BEFREE FILTER* in the 1 litre size on my travels, since it is a filter attached to a foldable bottle it doesn’t take up much space. It works for 1000 liters and when the time comes you can replace just the filter*.

A good travel pillow

I started taking my own pillow while travelling. Nothing ruins a day more than not being able to move your head because your neck hurts or having a raging headache from aching muscles because you slept somewhere without a good pillow. And I am not talking about a neck pillow.

The VOLAR travel pillow from Third of Life* is the fourth one I bought and the first one that survived a trip without loosing shape or completely unravelling.

It is made from memory foam, expands three times it’s compact size, comes with a temperature regulating cover that is robust and easily washed and dried. It’s also super light and you can take it on top of your carry on luggage and personal item onto the plane.

Tissues

I am serious. While a lot of countries offer a bidet / toilet hose to clean yourself after going to the toilet (and no toilet paper) I personally prefer to also dry myself afterwards. Especially if you bring light clothing, otherwise it will look like you just wet yourself.

Power Bank

This is just logical, but I will still spell it out: Bring a power bank and the fitting cables to charge it and also your phone with it when you are travelling. You don’t want to run out of battery in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language and don’t know where to go next. Some powerbanks are heavy, this one from LKOUY* is lightweight and small, taking up as little space as possible in your luggage. It also has a battery indicator so you’ll never run out of power.

Travel Towel

You won’t get a towel in every accommodation. So you’ll want to bring your own. And if you go to a spring, a waterfall or the beach you want to have a towel as well. I recommend one with charcoal in it to prevent mold and kill bacteria and preferably also one made from a material that dries quickly. My favourite is the Bamboo Travel towel* from pandoo in size L (160 cm x 80 cm). It comes with a packing case you can hang on the outside of your backpack until it’s dry.

Sunscreen

You’d be surprised how many countries don’t sell sunscreen, or at least not the ones we are used to in the west. SPF 50? Never heard of it. Especially in South East Asia I didn’t find sunscreen that wasn’t a) just moisturizer or b) had bleach in it.

I actually bring two types of sunscreen: NIVEA SUN Sensitive Protect SPF50* for the face and a transparent SPF 50 spray* for the body. The first one because I have sensitive skin and the second because very few things irk me more than being all sticky from sunscreen.

Adapter

Bring an adapter to charge your electronics if necessary. Check the Website Worldstandards.eu to see weather your countries plug is compatible with the place you’re travelling to. Or invest in a multi use adapter like the one from JSVER*.

Mosquito Nets

Depending on the location I bring my own mosquito net(s):

One for the bed, that only has one necessary attachment to the wall. The Care Plus MOSQUITO NET* has a very fine mesh that protects you from mosquitos and most other insects. It’s especially helpful for tropical countries.

One to protect my head: the face, ears and neck while hiking in Scotland, near swamps or through the jungle in tropical countries. The FRILUFTS HEAD NET* can be worn over any hood, hat or cap and stuffed into the collar of your shirt or jacket. It can be rolled up into a tiny ball and is relatively cheap for the quality.

Travel Medications

In my experience these are most important:

• Ibuprofen* (pain meds that also reduce fever and inflammation)
• Loperamide* (against diarrhea)
• Electrolyte medication like HIGH5 ZERO* (after the diarrhea) in tablet form

Additionally: Bring a list (business card sized) in English and the local language of any and all medications you regularly take and your allergies. Take it with you everywhere you go.

Common Sense 

You’d be surprised how many people leave theirs in their homes country, if they ever had it to begin with.

To avoid food poisoning only eat something you saw die (fresh meat), you saw being peeled (fruit and veggies), something that has been boiled, fried or grilled thoroughly. Rice and steamed veggies are generally okay, piping hot soup as well.

An up to date Tetanus vaccination. I am not kidding. This is common sense even while you’re not travelling, but especially in countries where there is no “code” for building things or upkeep you don’t want to slip, slice your thumb on a rusty nail and die from Tetanus. Get your shot every 10 years.

Adhere to the local laws. Don’t drive without a helmet to look cool. Don’t drive without a licence, insurance won’t cover you. Don’t enter a religious place half naked or fully naked. If police is stationed somewhere to tell you it is too dangerous to go there don’t try to find a way around.

Visa or eVisa

ALWAYS check if you need a Visa to enter the country you are travelling to BEFORE you book the flight. Some visas take weeks to arrive or even include a visit (or two!) to the local embassy, which will most likely be in your countries capital.

The higher your passport ranks on the global passport index, the less likely it is you need a visa at all or can get a visa on arrival, but it still doesn’t mean you can stay indefinitely. I have seen people be (justly) turned away at the immigration desk because their return flight was a day after their visa-free stay period was over.

In some countries, like Vietnam, you can apply for an eVisa, which is quickly processed (3 days) and comparatively cheap. Just make sure you are on the official website.

Passport

On the topic of visas: OF COURSE YOU HAVE TO TAKE YOUR PASSPORT WITH YOU! I have seen too many people at the airport or at a border crossing without their passport it’s honestly mind boggling.

Local SIM or eSIM

To stay connected (to use navigations, translation and ride hailing apps) getting a local SIM or an eSIM makes sense. It is also much easier to stay in contact with people, since almost everyone uses WhatsApp. In most countries you can get a local SIM card directly at the airport, but that also means an up-charge most times for the convenience of being connected immediately.

You can get cheaper versions of local SIM cards in stores of every bigger city, but not all of them will work in every phone. Especially European and phones from the USA might reject the “foreign” SIM card.

If you want to arrive fully prepared and keep your current SIM in your phone, look into getting an eSIM*. It works like a virtual SIM card on your phone:

Until the 31. December 2024 you can use the code NEWTOAIRALO15 to get 15% off your first Airalo* eSIM order!

Credit Card

While travelling it’s essential to bring a credit card with you. Not only do a lot of hotels and car / scooter rental places only accept bookings with a credit card (to make sure they will get their money), most credit cards also have better deals on ATMs and conversion rates than debit cards or EC cards.

Which credit card is the best for you depends on your travel style, your country of origin and your travel destination. Most guides I have seen are for US citizens, which don’t really help anyone else.

I use the basic credit card from Miles and More, a German mileage-points collecting service that is connected to almost 40 airlines and many other partners such as hotels, car rentals and even GetYourGuide. It also includes travel insurance. It is not free to use, but you can pay with some of the miles you collect while using it instead of using separate money from your bank account.

Also bring a backup card in case an ATM eats the first one or it gets stolen or your bank deactivates it for “suspicious activity”. A good option is the basic credit card from Barclays, which is connected to your bank account. As long as you don’t need direct debit it is free and you can pay in all countries for free and also get money from the ATMs for free. You also get 2 months to pay back your expenses without an increase.

International Drivers License

You can get an international divers license from every drivers license office of your commune in Germany. Of course you will need a German drivers license first. Then you make an appointment at the driving licencing office, bring the paperwork they tell you to bring and you get an international drivers license for 15€ to 20€.

Most countries will not accept your local drivers license. An international one can help you prevent trouble, fines or even jail time in a different country, as well as ensure that your insurance will cover any accident.