Each person has items they will always bring with them when they travel. It really depends on your personal preference. There are a few items I consider staples for my travels, because they receive so much use. Most of these items are really well priced, as I am a frugal person and prefer to use my money at my destination.
Travel Items I Always Take with Me
G4Free Backpack
We’ve used a few of these over the last couple of years and we love these bags. We’ve had shoulder strap bags and most recently we bought a backpack style. I have come to like the backpack version more, because I find it more comfortable.
I typically use this bag to carry items for my carry on item and when exploring new destinations. I’m able to pack items (like snacks) or store purchases and not worry about making a pit stop to drop off items we’ve purchased.
The reasons I love this bag:
- It is water resistant
- Wearproof/scratch resistant. I haven’t had any issues with this bag tearing when I catch it on anything
- Extremely light
- It folds into itself making it very easy to pack
- This bag is only $11 on Amazon and it is worth every penny
There are plenty of pockets and area’s for storage which is great with any bag.
I also use this bag daily outside of traveling and it has been receiving plenty of abuse. The G4Free Backpack is a quality product without breaking the bank.
It becomes so compact!
If you decide to pack this bag, it folds into itself in a small compact package. This bag takes up minimal space and offers a sizable amount of storage.
RavPower Power Bank
I have used many battery packs, many of which have failed. This is actually a newer product for me, but I have been using it frequently to see if it is dependable.
When looking at a battery pack, I decided to go with a RavPower Power Bank 22,000 mAh version. The main reason for a battery pack that size was so I wouldn’t have to worry about running out of battery for a while.
I actually pack this in my G4Free back back because I use my phone for quite a bit. Usually causing me to run my battery down fairly quickly. This provides an easy way to charge my phone while we are out exploring.
Outside of traveling, it’s great to have a battery pack that can last up to 7 full charges. If I lose power at home, or if something happens where I am unable to access an outlet, this is a great back up. I have noticed I receive about 6 complete charges (of my Google Pixel) before the batter pack requires charging.
You can charge multiple devices at once
Things I like about this battery pack:
- Large storage, so I can use it many times without recharging it
- Not too large. It is about the size of an Iphone Plus.
- Multiple charging ports.
My biggest complaint about this back and it could all larger sized battery packs, is the time it takes to recharge. Their website says it takes around 11-12 hours for a full charge, but in my experience the RavPower Power Bank 22,000 mAh takes around 24 hours to be fully charged. I’m not sure how I feel about that, but if I can charge my phone 6 to 7 times, for a 1 day trade-off, I think I’ll be ok.
The price on this I think is quite reasonable at $40 over at Amazon. You might catch this on a lightening deal and grab it for around $30-$35.
Google Pixel
I have gone through many different phones over the last couple of years. It’s not that I keep breaking mine or losing them, although I have had my phone stolen when traveling before. I’m a fan of trying out the new technology.
I’m not trying to get into an Android/Apple debate, as I have owned both of them and they are great. I think it comes down to the OS you are more comfortable with. That said, the Google Pixel is definitely my favorite phone I have owned.
I do everything through my phone, so it really is an important piece of equipment for me.
Probably the biggest reason I plan to keep my Google Pixel, is the camera. The camera on my Pixel has been by far the best camera I have ever had on a phone. I don’t carry an extra camera when I travel for articles on the blog, I actually take all of them with my Pixel. The quality, in my opinion, is top of the line. I’m also not an expert on camera’s, but I think others would agree with me the Pixel has a top notch camera.
When I bought the Pixel, there was unlimited picture storage on Google Drive. It’s a great way to store photos, without taking up space on your phone. This perk is a great benefit because I do take many pictures on my phone..
The battery life on the Google Pixel has been really good. I did recently update my software to Oreo and the battery seems to drain a little faster.
In the next couple of weeks the Google Pixel 2 will be announced, meaning the Google Pixel will most likely drop in price. It might be a year old phone, but it is still a top of the line phone.
Brooks Jacket
I actually bought this jacket years ago for running, but it has made it’s way to my travel attire as well. Brooks is my running shoe company of choice and their running jackets are of great quality.
The reason it made it into my travel bag was the fact it is extremely light, water resistant, and comfortable. It even has a hood that can be rolled into the neck. I’ve always seemed to have a difficult time finding a good jacket. My Brooks jacket has been a solid product for years.
The hood inside the collar
Although the color might be too bright for some people, I like bright colors. In addition, it has reflective pieces on the jacket, so people will be able to see me in the rain or at night.
There are a couple of draw stings on the inside of the jacket so the jacket stays closer to your body on windy/rainy days.
I honestly can’t remember how much it was when I bought it. When I did purchase this jacket, I was in pharmacy school and I wouldn’t have spend more than $30-$40 on it.
Other Possible Items
I actually just bought a few items to try out. I have a few international trips to close out my year of travel and I recently bought 2 new items for it. We’ll see if they make the cut.
The first item I bought was the TRTL travel pillow. I tried it out on my short flight from Columbus and it seemed to work out really well. I’ll have a better idea next month when we head to Italy.
Another item I am hoping works out well is the Andyer Foot Rest. One of my largest complaints flying in coach is the lack of a foot rest. Well it seems I may have found solved my problem. This had some really solid reviews and for $9, I think it is worth a try.
Maybe these 2 items will become more permanent in my travels.
Conclusion:
These are the few items that I bring with me every trip. Some of these are used for more than just traveling, but have worked their way into my traveling staples. I feel these are quality products that don’t break the bank and I like that, because I am a pretty frugal traveler/person.
What are the items you always travel with?
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