What Should Be On My
Travel Essentials List?
There are a few things you should never leave home without. Creating your check list for traveling depends on the type of vacation you are taking. Below, I’m going to detail my “travel essentials list” for hiking, camping, traveling with dogs, general travel and international travel.
These are just my general “must have’s for travel”. If you are looking for full detailed packing lists, I have a set of 7 that includes a fully detailed packing list for camping, packing list for hiking, packing list for beach vacations, packing list for winter vacations, packing list for dogs, packing list for families and a general packing list; You can purchase all 7 here for only $2.
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Hiking Essentials When Traveling
Hiking Boots
If you are doing any serious amount of hiking, do not skimp on the hiking boots. You need a good pair as they make a huge difference for support. Speaking as someone who grew up with weak ankles, I am not kidding you when I say my hiking boots make the biggest difference for me. I love my Merrill hiking boots, but I do suggest getting a pair of waterproof ones, as I learned the hard way that mine were not…
Life Straw Water Filtration System
It sounds like a crazy concept to sip water directly from a stream, but that’s exactly what you’re meant to do with the Life Straw. Life Straw is an advanced water filtration system that protects against 99% of bacteria and will work for up to 4,000 liters of water. If you’re doing a long hike, you do not want to haul liters of water with you, so the Life Straw is the perfect lightweight solution.
Camel Back Hydration Pack
Most people are familiar with a hydration back pack. It’s a really great way to carry a lot of water in an easier manner. You also don’t have to stop to hydrate, as you can hydrate as you hike. You can purchase a Camel Back brand name pack which are great, or you can opt for the knock off brand on Amazon, Unigear, that works just as well for about half the price.
Nalgene Reusable Water Bottle
We use our Nalgenes everywhere we go. I am usually a fan of the water bottles with a straw, but I kept going through so many because they would always leak, that I finally switched to the Nalgene water bottle and haven’t looked back. They never leak, hold a large amount of water and are relatively cheap.
Water Purification Pills
We used these on our trek to Peru to ensure our drinking water was safe. This isn’t always an essential, but when you’re planning on hiking somewhere where the water isn’t safe to drink, then these are an absolute must to make sure you stay healthy.
Hiking Socks
I know, I know, hiking socks seem like a gimmick because who doesn’t own socks?? BUT, when you’re on a long hiking trip you absolutely have to wear the right socks. My husband would be the first one to tell you from experience, that wearing the wrong socks causes blisters on form and tear up your feet, ruining the rest of your hiking trip.
Hiking Back Pack
We’ve learned out lesson on this one too. If you are trekking for a few days or on a very long day hike, do not just assume you can use any backpack, throw your essentials in it, and hike away. You. Will. Regret. It. We both did that on a trek we took and after the first day our backs were literally killing us. Needless to say, immediately after we got home we bought the hiking pack we should have had the whole time. There are different size hiking backpacks , so you can choose a size that fits you and your life style the most. I purchased this Gregory hiking pack that fits me perfectly.
Camping Essentials
Tent
Of course no camping trip is complete without a good tent. Tent sizes and quality will vary, but I would recommend going with a Coleman as they are always rated as the best rainproof tent time and time again. When it starts pouring during your camping trip and it seems to never stop, you’ll thank yourself for investing in the best waterproof tent.
Camping Chairs
You don’t need anything too fancy for a camping chair. We own these Coleman chairs and they do the job just fine.
Camping Pots and Pans
It’s always good to have a designated set of pots and pans to take camping with you. As someone who works in a kitchen, I would always recommend a cast iron set, as cast iron is durable and perfect for cooking over coals and open fires. You do need to know how to take care of cast iron though, so if you just want something cheap that you’ll only use once in a while, then go with this basic bundle.
Lantern & Head Lamps
Don’t be caught without a lantern or a head lamp on your trip. Lanterns are great for leaving in your tent or outside to light up a larger space, but head lamps are great for keeping your hands free when walking at night.
Camping Canopy
You don’t want to be the one campsite that didn’t come prepared and got caught in the rain…ohh wait that was definitely us. Instead, you really should prepare for bad weather by having a canopy to cover your picnic area. The Coleman Instant Screenhouse is for the legitimate campers who want to eat and relax in a bug free paradise. If you’re just looking for something to keep your stuff dry, stick with this affordable, waterproof sun shade canopy.
Fire Starter
If you can’t start the fire, it’ll be a rough trip…Don’t forget to pack the fire starter.
Cooler
Everyone needs a quality cooler; and while you could buy yourself the Maserati of coolers, we’re talking about you Yeti, you can also get this great affordable cooler option from Coleman.
Dog Essentials When Traveling
Long Lead
We use our long lead for just about everything. Our dog is not a great off leash dog, so her long lead is her greatest chance at freedom. We have a 65 foot and a 40 foot that we will use to allow her to hike farther ahead of us and swim in the rivers. It’s also a great tool to tie them to a tree in your campsite and allow them room to roam around.
Bond and Co Rope Leash
We love our Bond and Co Rope Leash. People ask us all the time where we got it from. It’s a great leash because it has the option to hook to 2 different clips so that you can hook it around trees, tables, your waist etc; It’s a great leash for traveling, running and adventuring with your dog.
Collapsible Water Bowl
There’s plenty of water bowls to choose from, but these collapsible ones are perfect for traveling. We actually have a few of them that we will keep in the car and in our hiking bags, so we always have a water bowl for our Rosie.
Dog Backpack
Honestly, we got tired of carrying Rosie’s stuff. She drinks a ridiculous amount of water and has endless energy so we decided to get her her own backpack and now she carries her own weight. It’s great because we pack it with treats, doggy bags, water, and a dog first aid kit so we always have everything we need for her.
Travel Crate
We don’t crate Rosie anymore, but when we did we purchased this canvas travel crate and it was really useful. It’s pretty lightweight, sets up really fast and is sturdy. It is canvas though, so if your dog is a chewer and you know they would chew their way out, then this is not the crate for them.
Dog First Aid Kit
If you’re taking your dog on a trip, you should always have a first aid kit on hand for them. This is a great starter kit and you can fill it with any other additional items you may need, like hydrogen peroxide and metal tweezers.
Necessities for Traveling
Luggage
What you like to travel with can differ person to person. If I’m on a shorter trip, I prefer a duffle bag because you can almost always carry it on without paying. If I’m taking a longer trip, then I opt for a lightweight luggage set. Sometimes, I will even use my hiking back pack as a carry on as well.
Luggage Scale
A luggage scale seems like something you really wouldn’t use that often, but trust me it is worth the $10. I have been the one at the airport with my luggage open on the floor, throwing items away, literally, because I was 2 lbs over the weight limit. Now that we have a luggage scale we don’t have that issue anymore, as we can weigh our luggage before we leave and avoid the airport fiasco.
Carry On Bag
I love a wide carry on bag to place under my seat so that I can fit as much as possible in it. It fill that thing with my snacks, travel itineraries, purse, laptop, headphones, kindle, you name it. I love traveling with this weekender bag because I’ll use it as a beach bag or adventure bag on our vacation and at home as well.
Portable Chargers
Portable chargers are great for traveling, especially in more remote areas. We use ours for travel, camping and when there’s a storm about to blow through. They’re always a good tool to have charged and ready to go.
Rain Jacket
You should always pack a good rain jacket no matter where you’re going, as the weather can always be unpredictable. My husband loves this Columbia rain jacket I bought him. It’s super lightweight, slimming and easy to pack.
Space Saver Bags
If you’re cheap like me, then you don’t always want to spend the extra money to check your bags. I made my husband and I only bring carry on’s on our trip to South America and needless to say it was a bit rough. But, we did use these no vacuum space saver bags and they helped save us a ton of space.
Travel Cooler
A lot of times when we travel, we like to grocery shop and pack lunch to go. The only problem is when you’re away, you usually don’t have a cooler available. We finally bought one of these collapsible travel coolers and we love it. It fits snuggly in our suitcase, doesn’t take up much space, and allows us the flexibility we were looking for on our trips.
Travel Itinerary
Never leave home without a planned travel itinerary. If you want to travel stress free, you need to organize your self before you even step out the door. Use my detailed travel itinerary to plan out every detail of your trip, eliminating the frustration and the stress. You’ll find my Travel Planning Guides filled with an itinerary templates, packing checklists, guided planning and more.
International Travel Essentials
Voltage & Plug Converter
This is an easy thing to forget if you didn’t even know you needed it in the first place. If you are traveling to different countries, you will need to make sure you have a voltage converter and a plug converter. This one here is a 2-in-1, meaning it offers both of those things. American electronics tend to have a much higher voltage and different plugs then their international counterparts, so it’s best to be prepared with a universal converter.
TEP Wireless Device
I’ve talked about my TEP device a few times. I never leave the country without one. For only about $7 a day it will keep you connected wherever you are. You can link up to five devices to your Teppy. The company also has fantastic customer service and trouble shooting so you never need to worry about being disconnected.
Noise Cancelling Headphones
Sometimes, you can do all the research right and still end up in an area where it’s so loud that you can’t fall asleep. You can’t control every factor when you travel so you mine as well come prepared. If you have AirPods or another noise cancelling headphone, that will work, or you can opt for these noise cancelling ear plugs that reviewers swear by.
Passport Wallet
When you’re traveling internationally, the last thing you want to do is lose your passport or any currency you exchanged. I highly recommend buying one of these Passport Wallets so you can keep everything together in one place for the entire trip. I am constantly paranoid about losing our passports and currency so having everything in its place really eases the anxiety.
If you’re going over your checklist for travel and your list of what to pack, and you’re still afraid you might be missing something, feel free to reach out to me by email and I’d be happy to lend my expertise wherever it’s needed.
Happy Travels!
