August 2023 update: We have added a couple more essentials at the end of the original 7 essentials. Come check it out.
After traversing the world with nothing but our backpacks for the last 4 years. We know that when it comes to essential travel items it can be a little daunting to think about everything you will need. Especially if you are planning to travel for a long period of time. Which is why we have put together this guide for you, with everything we consider to be an ‘essential travel item’ for every full time traveller, these are items we wouldn’t leave without. They also totally relate to any of you planning to travel for an extended period of time, maybe not full time.
psssst this blog post contains affiliate links. By purchasing items through these links, it costs you no extra. But it means we will earn a small commission on that sale. Which will allow us to continue doing the things we love. Such as sharing all these travel tips with you. Please do reach out if you find this post helpful, or buy anything because of it. We would love to thank you personally for your support. Link to Instagram here.
- Portable Charger
This one is taking first place because I am honestly not sure how we would have survived the last few years without it. Even if you are not a full time traveller, having one of these will save you a lot of hassle regardless. But for all you want to be full time travellers, you’ll need this!
Being able to charge your phone or any USB device on the go, is always going to be a game changer. Especially when you work online like us & often need to be on the phone. It will greatly help you in the long run when you won’t have to find a plug socket to connect to wherever you are.
They are especially handy for flying or travelling by any other means. As sometimes for us on budget airlines, USB ports aren’t always a given. So make sure you have one of these.
You can find the link to the portable charger we have here. It is really robust, which has been tried & tested by us who are always dropping devices. Plus it has an unbeatable price & has lasted us so long, definitely worth every penny.
2. Microfibre Towel
If you are backpacking & staying in hostels having a microfibre towel will be very useful to you. Sometimes, hostels won’t provide you with a towel, so having one of these handy will make your life easier.
The reason we are recommending a microfibre towel is because they dry much quicker than a normal towel. Meaning that if you’re in a rush, likelihood is that you can just throw your towel in your bag & it will already be dry. Moreover, they are much thinner than usual towels & take up much less space in your backpack. We take ours with us everywhere we go, even of shorter trips, just in case.
They also double up as a great beach towel or something to sit on. As the sand doesn’t stick to them quite a much as a normal towel. No one likes a sandy towel, so treat yourself to one of these.
You can find the link to the ones we have been using for years, here. These ones also come with a little bag, so they go down even smaller & keep it compacted. Very easy to pop in your bag.
3. Reusable Water Bottle
Not only are they more sustainable, but they will save you a hell of a lot of money in the long run. You’re always going to need water right? So, having a reusable bottle just makes sense.
They really are a lot more convenient than having to either use a horrible plastic bottle, or even worse buying a plastic bottle of water, let’s help save our planet people.
The bottles we use are really incredible! They’re from a company called ‘Ocean Bottle’, who’s aim is to eradicate single use plastic from our oceans & waterways. Every water bottle that is purchased, contributes to 1000 plastic bottles being removed from the ocean. They also have an app, that you can connect your bottle to, via a code once you receive it. In the app you can record each time you refill your bottle & this will contribute to a further 5 plastic bottles being removed from waterways.
By purchasing their products you are actively participating in improving the sustainability of this planet & we think that is just wonderful. The cost you pay for the purchase of the water bottle, is a small price in comparison to the survival of this planet.
You can find the link to the Ocean Bottle here. They’re made with hot & cold stainless steel vacuum insulation meaning not only can you keep hot drinks cold, but you can also keep hot drinks hot. Perfect for those long hikes, when all you need is a cup of tea or coffee.
4. Packing Cubes
The biggest headache when it comes to packing for an adventure, is where you are going to squeeze everything you need into. Packing cubes are your best friend & will make packing your backpack or suitcase a lot easier.
If you haven’t used them before, they are essentially little bags for all your clothes, that then sit nicely in your main bag. We like to use them because it keeps everything tidy in your bag & easy to access. When you live out of a backpack, it can become such a pain having to root through your bag every day, to find that one top you need.
With packing cubes you can divide everything up into where you need them to be & it just wastes a lot less time & energy. You will thank us later for these!
You can find the link to the ones we use here. Again an awesome price.
5. Travel Padlock
They’re such a small & often insignificant item that many will forget. However, we have found them to be extremely useful & in many ways. For instance, you will likely use it to lock your suitcase or backpack, which is great for when you’re flying in case you have any valuables sitting in there. Although we do highly recommend that you place valuables in your hand luggage for safe keeping.
But the main reason we use them is when staying in hostels. If you are in a shared dorm room & there are storage areas for your luggage. It’s a good idea to use a padlock on them to keep your gear safe. You can’t trust anyone these days & for peace of mind it’ll be worth it. Plus, not all hostels will provide you with a complimentary padlock.
The last thing you want ruining your adventures is someone stealing your stuff. So keep it safe & make sure you get one or two of these. You can find the link to the ones we use, here. They are great, very reliable, easy to use & again robust.
6. Universal Travel Adapter
These little things are genius! You won’t need to fumble around to find the right adapter anymore, just plug this into the socket with the correct prongs that you can change up & you’re good to go. They often come with USB charging sockets on them too, in case you’ve lost your plug head.
Not only are they super useful in this way, but they will also take up a lot less room than multiple adapters floating around in your bag. I don’t know why we only recently got one of these, but it’s been a game changer.
You can find the link to the one we use here.
7. Osprey Backpack
The final item on this list, is probably the most important. As you’ll need something to carry all of this kit in right? We can’t rave about Osprey enough, their range of backpacks have to be the best in the business, with their amazing quality.
The best thing about the Osprey backpack that we use, is that not only is it a backpack but it also has wheels like a suitcase. Making it super versatile for whatever environment you are in. If you are like us & sometimes get fed up of carrying all your luggage om your back, this is the perfect travel bag for you!
These backpacks last for years, they are so rugged & have made backpacking a whole lot easier for us. You can find the link to the one we have here.
8. Laptop Backpack/Pouch
If you are a digital nomad like us, the likelihood is that you will require a durable laptop bag to take with you on all your adventures. Over the last couple of months we have been using this Brown Laptop Backpack from Alaskan Leather. For added protection you could also consider purchasing a Laptop Pouch too.
We really like the stylish design of these leather bags, they’re great for travel as they also have a lot of different pockets. We recently took the Brown Laptop Backpack on a quick trip to Switzerland & it was perfect as a carry on bag.
You can find more Alaskan Leather quality backpacks through this link here.
9. Passport Wallet
We have also recently started using passport wallets & can finally understand how useful they really are. With the multiple pockets to keep all your important documents safe when you travel.
We use the Alaskan Leather Passport Wallet, to keep all our documents together & we love how they make our passports look a little nicer, with the beautiful leather cover over them.
We hope this mini guide has been useful to you & we wish you all the best on your adventures. As always, if you have any questions either drop them in the comments section below, or reach out to us directly via Instagram, that is linked at the top of this blog.
You can find our entire Amazon Storefront via this link. With the full list of travel essential items & much more. Again if you purchase anything through these links, it costs you no extra, but really helps us out. Thank you for your continued support team!
If you are someone who is looking to get started on your full time travel journey, check out our post ‘How to start travelling full time with as little as £3,000’ for a helpful budget guide on surviving full time travel.
Happy Exploring 🙂
A great read and very useful.
Thanks Rach, glad you think so!