As a budget-minded traveler who typically travels with only a carry-on, I am very picky about what gear I travel with. I usually limit myself to the must-haves, and I’m super conscious about how much I spend on my travel gear. The following is a list of the travel gear I always bring on trips with me. You can be certain that all these items are quality, highly useful, and at a great value for the cost.

If you choose to purchase any of these great items for your own travels, you can do so through the links provided. Full disclosure, they are affiliate links, meaning that when you use them to purchase your items, I get a small commission at no extra cost to you. This means I am able to continue my travels, and inspire your travels as well!

Essentials

Backpack

Using a backpack when traveling is so convenient. You don’t have to worry about lugging a suitcase around wherever you go. All your belongings simply sit on your back, and you’re ready to go. The backpack I use is a Women’s Trail 40 pack from REI. This one is specifically made for my ungodly high hips womanly figure, and has nicely padded straps. It also comes with a rain cover, which is super important to have, if you like dry clothing.

Packing Cubes

Eagle Creek Packing Cubes are an amazing way to save space in your backpack, and to keep your clothes organized. I used to think I was above such practices, but I gave them a try and now I may or may not be addicted. There are lots of different companies that make packing cubes, but Eagle Creek has been the most high quality I’ve used. In addition, they are amazing at compacting your clothes. I can fit a whole week of t-shirts into just one small sized pack.

Packable Backpack

Sometimes you want to carry around a little more than fits in a purse, but don’t want to lug your whole pack around with you. Enter: the packable backpack from Eddie Bauer. This 20 liter soft backpack is lightweight and can carry all I need for a day out. I also use it as my personal item when I carry on luggage. When I don’t need it, it folds into itself so it easily fits inside my larger backpack.

Anti-Theft Purse

This purse helped me feel so much more relaxed while traveling in Central America. The cross-body strap is slash proof, the zippers lock closed, and the interior cards slots are equipped with RFID-blocking material. It also comes in several different colors (mine is green)!

Locks

I’ve found it insanely useful to carry around at least one small lock when I travel. I use it to lock together my backpack zippers, to lock a hostel dorm locker, or even to lock my belongings to the bed at night. I’ve found the most useful locks are the ones with flexible cords, so you can bend the lock and see it better.

Accessories

Secret Pocket Scarf

This infinity scarf looks like a regular old scarf. But hidden within the folds is a small pocket you can use to hold things like credit cards, a passport, cash, and even a smart phone. Keep your hands and pockets free of easily-nabbed items by storing them in your scarf!

Seabands

I am super prone to motion sickness. Like I pretty much can’t do anything on planes because I get sick. But with my Seabands, my chances of getting sick are much slimmer. These are clinically proven to help with motion sickness. These bands put pressure on your P6 pressure point, which helps relieve nausea. These, along with a tablet of Bonine almost always keep me from getting sick when I travel.

Microfiber towel

When staying in low-budget accommodations, it’s sometimes hard to tell whether or not you will be provided with towels. Microfiber towels are amazing to travel with because they can fold up pretty small, but absorb a lot of water. I travel with a Norwex towel that was gifted to me, but I’ve heard great things about Sunland towels too.

Technology

iPhone

Having a smartphone seriously makes a difference in my travel. The ability to send texts home is amazing, and it’s so useful to have access to maps and wifi through my iPhone 5. Now, my cell service is through Sprint and so far I’ve been pretty satisfied with their global plans (which are free, with my current service plan). However, if your phone service does not cater well to international travel, I recommend purchasing an unlocked smartphone, and buying local SIM cards.

Sandisk iXpand Drive

I have a whole post about the Sandisk iXpand Drive and how much I love it. One of the biggest issues that traveling iPhone users face, is running out of storage space. This handy-dandy doodad totally gets rid of that problem. They come with several different amounts of storage and can seriously be a life saver while you’re traveling.

A Camera For Normal People

You DO NOT need an ultra expensive crazy advanced camera when you travel! It drives me crazy when bloggers suggest that people need them. No. I travel with my point-and-shoot, Nikon Coolpix and it does me just fine- Maybe even better. This bad boy is waterproof up to 100 feet, and shockproof for drops of up to 7 feet. Try that with your fancy DSLR… In addition, it is wifi enabled, which seriously improves your selfie game.

External Phone Battery

Another issue with using your phone abroad is keeping the battery well charged. When you’re out exploring a city, you can’t necessarily get to a charging port to juice up that battery. External phone batteries are great, because they essentially give you an extra battery’s worth of charge. These come in all different forms. You can pick up a basic one for just $5, or more advanced ones for more money. I suggest picking a mid-range one.

Wall Adapter

There are so many different types of outlets around the world it can get really annoying to have to keep track of all your adapters. Luckily, this little gadget takes the hassle out of trying to remember to bring all those adapters. This universal adapter includes plugs for US/EU/EK/AU and works in over 150 countries around the world.

The more I travel, the more I discover travel gear that I can’t live without! Pin this post and check back to find out all the latest, greatest, and Archives-Approved gear!

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