Important Travel Products: Packing Itinerary for A World Trip
After travelling for many years now, over 30 to be exact, I have realised that there are certain important travel products that I can’t leave home without. Whether it’s a week break or a trip around the world, a selection of my essentials will always come with me.
Here is my list of all the items I packed for my epic round the world trip, but keep in mind that not everything may be necessary for your own journey.
I haven’t listed a mobile phone or a camera as I can’t imagine anyone travelling without either one!
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Update to post
Travel has changed in the most unimaginable way in 2020 and so the most essential item that you must have to travel with is a mask. Protection for you and protection for others.
This mask has space for a filter to be popped in and it also has a piece of metal to shape around the bridge of your nose – great to stop glasses getting fogged with condensation from breath.
Important Electrical Products
1. Portable Phone Charger
If like me you take way too many photographs on your phone then you will truly benefit from a portable charger. The last thing you want to happen is your phone to die with no way to charge it until you return to your accommodation.
Although the battery on my iPhone is really good, it always makes sense to bring a backup. This portable charger is amazing, has got me out of a few sticky situations and is taken on every trip.
Another really good charger is this one:
2. Octopus Multi-Charger Adaptor
This time-saving device is perfect to charge all your gadgets at the same time. The unique 4-in-1 apple and android adaptor allows you to charge your phone, camera and tablets on the go.
No longer will you have to wait for one of your gadgets to fill up on juice before you can revive the next one. This great little travelling companion scores high on the list of important travel products.
3. Universal Travel Adaptor
Never assume that your hotel room will come complete with a travel adapter as it usually won’t and asking to borrow one from reception doesn’t always work. Instead, add this to your list of important travel products and make sure that you go on your trip with a global travel adaptor that can re-charge multiple appliances all at once.
4. Phone Camera Lens Attachment
I love taking photographs to capture my journey and I only use my phone to take my photos. I have an iPhone 7 and to be honest, the photos are easily equivalent in quality to using a professional camera.
The bonus is that it slips easily into my pocket and I don’t have to drag a large camera around with me. A photo camera lens attachment allows me to manipulate my photos and take high-quality images.
5. Portable Speaker
Music on the go is what we all want when we are travelling. Your favourite tunes playing while you lie on the beach or chill out in your hotel room and this portable speaker is a great one for sound and quality similar to some of the high-end audio brands. It is a luxury if you are travelling light but to be without music is like being without sunlight.
6. Selfie Stick
Love or hate a selfie stick they are handy in certain situations. Small to carry they don’t take up much space but do give you the chance to capture some aerial photographs without other people in them.
They also change the composition of a photo from close up to distant and are perfect if travelling alone to capture great memories.
7. Luggage Scale
Never be told by airport check-in that your suitcase is too heavy. Invest in a luggage scale and find out if all those travel souvenirs have taken you over your weight limit. It is so much better to weigh your case and sort out content distribution in the comfort of your own home rather than on the floor of the airport.
8. Beats Earbuds
The perfect buddy for your portable player, these easy to store earbuds make music on the go so easy to listen to. These are an important travel product and mine have been around the world with me and are still going strong.
Important Fashion Essentials to Pack
9. Havaianas Flip Flops
This global Brazilian brand is the go-to company for the perfect holiday flip-flop. Use them in the shower, on the beach and to slip-on in your accommodation. In tons of different designs, my personal favourite is the butterfly graphics.
10. Leisure Suit
As a traveller, I know that with the number of long-haul flights I take what I want is an outfit that is comfortable and breathable. When I travelled around the world I became a familiar sight in my slouchy tracksuit and comfy trainers. Once on the plane, I felt comfortable and free, no jeans and tight tops restricting my movement and when the lights dimmed I was already in an outfit designed like a pair of pyjamas!
11. Walking Shoes
A good pair of walking shoes is one of the most important travel products you will need. With the amount of walking, you will be doing on your trip, you must have a comfortable and supportive pair of shoes to see you through.
Make sure that your shoes have been worn in, don’t buy a brand new pair only to discover they are the most uncomfortable things you have ever worn. Take more than one pair with you to give your feet (and shoes) a chance to breathe. White trainers are a great choice to go with any outfit.
12. Walking Socks for Trainers
No-one wants blistered feet and so a good pair of walking socks are high on the list of requirements when travelling. Cushioned at the toe and heel will be your best choice as this will protect the most vulnerable parts of your feet against rubbing and chaffing.
13. Scarf
A scarf might not seem like one of your important travel products but believe me, it is. This one piece of seemingly unassuming material holds down a multitude of purposes.
Fashion accessory (obvious) to use around the neck, in the hair or as a sarong and a disease barrier (so now you are interested), yes many times I have taken flights where other passengers are coughing and sneezing and I have sprinkled some lavender oil (or perfume of choice) on the scarf and wrapped it around my mouth and nose and hey presto! I am protected.
Scrunch it into a ball and it can be used as a headrest, in partnership with your travel pillow.
14. Waterproof Packable Jacket
Weather is unpredictable! Pack a jacket!
Important Personal Comfort/Care Essentials
15. Eye Mask
Who can sleep with the lights on? Well not me, that’s for sure and so I always take an eye mask with me. Plane travel can be made more bearable if you can make your environment dark rather than the glare of overhead lighting keeping your mind active.
16. Ear Plugs
This is my most important travel product and for a good reason, the world is a very, very noisy place. Without earplugs, my life when travelling would be miserable. I am such a light sleeper that the tiniest noise will wake me up and even more so if I am in an unfamiliar setting.
These earplugs are so inexpensive but make a world of difference to me.
17. Travel Pillow
Sleeping on a plane is an art form in its own right. Positions and manoeuvres are tried out to allow a comfortable sleep but for me, nothing works. The TravelRest ultimate travel pillow might just fix that with its ergonomic shape and ease of use. To arrive fresh and alert after an international flight is worth taking a chance on one of these important travel products.
18. Hand Gel Sanitizer
With one squirt of this anti-bacterial germ killer, you will be able to enjoy your travels without transferring hand bacteria into your mouth. Bacteria live everywhere and in foreign climates and at home love to multiply and attack.
Currency notes, door handles, elevator buttons and any unhygienic surface could mean the difference between having a great holiday or ending up with Delhi Belly.
On my travels, I can get through several bottles of this and I know that if there isn’t a place to properly wash my hands before eating finger foods, such as sandwiches, I can always be assured that my anti-bacterial sanitizer will kick into action.
19. Essential Lavender Oil
I love to use lavender oil at home and while I am away and as a qualified aromatherapist, I would say that if you buy just one essential oil then get this one. You might wonder why it has made it on to the list of important travel products but lavender oil properties are endless for travel.
You can use it on insect bites to stop the itching, on sunburn to calm the burn, as a room fragrance when you turn up to an accommodation that smells musty (believe me I have had to use lavender many times when renting private properties)and to inhale from wrist points or on a scarf or handkerchief to alleviate anxiety and stress.
A few drops in a bowl of steamy water will also fill your environment with a beautiful and delicate aroma and if done at night will ease you off to sleep.
Tisserand Lavender Organic Essential Oil 9 ml
20. 15-Piece Sewing Kit
It’s so useful having a sewing kit with you and can get you out of some scrapes. I’ve ripped my trousers and shorts while hiking and have managed to repair them to a usable point thanks to a sewing kit. Of course, a needle also comes in handy for removing any unwanted splinters from the body if the situation arises.
21. First Aid Kit
I always travel with far too many items to keep me fit and healthy and normally come home with everything still intact, however having a tiny first aid kit that you can pop into your rucksack on a day out exploring makes sense and is one of my important travel products.
This one is compact and even has a tiny pair of scissors in it (remember don’t pack it in your hand-luggage as scissors have to be placed in your hold luggage as they are classed as a weapon)
22. Mini Hot Water Bottle
Stop laughing as for me this is a must-have travel essential! Hotel air-conditioning can bring the temperature of a room to almost arctic conditions even though it’s 40 degrees outside. A hot water bottle ensures a good night sleep with warm feet and no shivering during the night.
23. Mosquito Milk
Mosquito Milk sounds alarming but it is, in fact, an insect repellant. It comes in a handy roll-on bottle so you haven’t got the normal mess of spraying deet all over you, your clothes and everything around you. Mosquito milk smells of citrus and unlike the foul smell of deet which gets right up your nose.
I was introduced to this by another traveller and have trialled it in Asia, Australia and the Caribbean and am pleased to report it worked perfectly. The only time I was bitten was when I forgot to use it!!
24. Anti-Mosquito Plug
Double up on safety in your hotel room with an anti-mosquito plug just incase those critters try and take a chunk out of you in the night. Silent and compact, this will just plug in a normal socket. If you don’t get one yourself, always check with your hotel to see if they provide them. In countries where mosquitos are prevalent, many hotels and resorts already have them in the rooms.
Important Packing Essentials
25. Foldaway Rucksack
I love this rucksack and I researched long and hard before purchasing this for my round the world trip. It is lightweight, waterproof and folds down into a small pack.
Front and side mesh pockets, and a zip pocket is convenient for a day out hiking and exploring. Breathable material eliminates a sweaty back if you are wearing it all day. This is one of my top must-have travel products.
26. Folding Bag
Just a really handy item to have within your rucksack for when you need to pop to the shops!
27. Money/Document/Phone Belt with RFID Technology
Travelling involves a lot of documents and gadgets and at the airport, it can be a real hassle keep getting stuff in and out of a bag. It’s on the list of important travel products for a good reason, it makes your life easy and secure.
Wear it around the waist, over the shoulder or around the neck in the knowledge that the RFID blocking technology in the interior pockets will stop any identity theft occurring whilst you are travelling. All your most important items are easy to access, making your life so much simpler.
28. Packing Cubes
This is so high on my list of important travel products and for a good reason. Packing cubes make life easy and when you are travelling for a long time that is what you need.
I used these on a 3-month trip and separated underwear, tops and jumpers, beachwear, dresses, shorts and skirts into the various sized bags. This worked because rather than rummaging in a large case for something, I simply went to the packing cube that I knew the item would be in.
The laundry bag that comes with the set is perfect for storing all your dirty items until you find that next washing machine!
29. Hanging Waterproof Toiletry Bag
Having a hanging toiletry bag eliminates the hassle of finding a space in a hotel bathroom to place it and also by hanging it up, the chances of the bottom of the bag getting wet are minimal.
Hanging Waterproof Toiletry Bag
30. Travel Towel
Tesalate is the one brand name to go-to for the perfect travel towel. This Australian company guarantees that their towels keep you dry and won’t attract sand and yes that claim is true. In a range of funky designs, my own is called the Alchemist and I wouldn’t travel without it.
Must-Have Travel Accessories
31. Waterproof Phone Case
Sea, Sand and Sun Screen can all affect your phone in disastrous ways so protect your phone with a waterproof case.
I hadn’t realised how essential this would be until I had to use my phone to take photos whilst in a kayak on the South China Sea! Without it, my phone would have got very wet and the consequences could have been dire.
Sand granules will also be stopped in their tracks if you pop your phone in the case while you are on the beach. Much better to be safe than sorry!
32. Travel-Size Perfume Atomiser
I love being able to take my favourite scent on my travels and this handy pocket-size perfume atomiser allows me to decant my perfume at home at always have it with me.
33. Rubber Door Wedge Stopper
It may sound crazy but have you ever stayed in a place where you didn’t feel completely safe at night? I am quite paranoid about hotel rooms and who has access to keycards.
I have been known to put a chair behind the door (when I forgot my doorstop!) so that if someone was to try and get in whilst I was sleeping it would fall and wake me. This is where your doorstop comes in, wedge it under your door when you are turning in for the night and you will be able to sleep soundly knowing that no-one is going to be able to open your hotel door in the night.
For those of you who have never even had this thought cross your mind, sorry for the paranoia!
34. Travel Sized Bottles for Toiletries
Travel-sized bottles will save space and weight in your suitcase. Decant your products into them and leave the heavy bottles at home.
35. ZipLock Waterproof Bags
An odd thing to take on a trip or maybe not! These bags come in so handy for storing wet items while you are on the move. They are also great for keeping food fresh between destinations.
36. Reading Book
I never travel without a book. Not a kindle, I might add but an actual paperback. The smell and the touch of those pages just make me want to start to read and not put the book down. I always buy 2 new books at the airport before my flight.
I use the confinement of the flight as a time to catch up with my reading and leave my books behind in my end destination for another traveller to enjoy.
37. Travel Journal
I like to write and so a journal is a must-have travel essential. I jot down feelings, ideas and plans so that I can re-read them at a later date and be transported back to a certain moment in time.
38. Passport Cover
A bright coloured passport cover is a must-have travel essential. It helps you identify it at the bottom of your bag and makes it obvious to you and others that it is yours. I have heard stories of people picking up the wrong passport and wandering off with it. What a nightmare that would be!
I hope sharing what makes life easier for me will do the same for you!
I would recommend investing in some of these must-have travel essentials and evaluating what else you would need on your trip – no need to take items if you’re not going to use them, it will only add unnecessary weight to your luggage!
What pieces are must-have essentials for you? Have you got any of your own to add to my list? Let me know in the comments below!
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