Must Have Travel Gadgets

A friend recently asked about my recommendations for must have travel gadgets.  What did I bring with me on the plane?  How did I think about my phone plan?  What couldn’t I live without? 

My answers surprised her – nothing…. 

To be fair, I am not a gadget person, and I am a bit of a minimalist.  But more than that, travel is exploring another destination where millions of people live every day.  It is not going to the moon or Antarctica.   Flights are long, but not so long that it isn’t nice to have free time to read or watch a show. 

But because it comes up a lot, below are several categories to think about travel and what I live by….. 

The Plane:  I find planes very uncomfortable.  Despite being very short, the seats hurt my back and my legs.  I have a history of bloods clots, so I worry about sitting too long.  And I run very very cold.    

• For the plane, I wear the same thing – or near the same thing – every flight.  Sandals, a pair of light flexible pants and a t-shirt.  I then bring a long sleeve shirt, a pair of socks, and a puffy jacket that fits into a small bag.  This makes security easy and provides layers for a cold plane. 
• Book(s).  I used to use a Kindle but I find keeping it charged stressful.  Throughout the year I collect paperbacks from favorite authors and keep them for a trip.  I leave them in hotels and airports as I travel leaving a little extra space to shop along the way. 
• Phone with cords, headphones and a battery back.  I’ll download a few shows before the trip so I am not reliant on plane WiFi or my in-flight entertainment system. 
• Water bottles:  Air travel is dehydrating and I never count on getting enough water from the flight attendants.  Even in Business class they can’t keep up with my water consumption.  I bring enough reusable water bottles to have at least 4 oz per hour of flight time.  Ironically, if it is a crazy long flight (over 10 hours) then I can usually reduce the amount because there will be enough on board and they leave it available in the galley, so I don’t have to ask for a refill. 
• If I’m flying domestically, I’ll sometimes bring a computer to catch up on work or I’ll bring some correspondence to write… but really that is it.
• I have some sort of cross body bag with just money, passport and phone.    

If I’m traveling with a backpack, then these items are in a tote bag / shoulder bag.  If I am traveling with a roller board then this might be a small backpack. 

Luggage:  95% of the time I am carry-on only.  I also prefer a backpack for several reasons that I’ve explained in an earlier post here.  In the times that I don’t use a backpack I use just a standard roller board. 

Clothes:  You may notice that I wear a lot of the same clothes when traveling.  That is because I find what works for me and I stick to it.  I’ve given packing tips before here. 

• I’ve written before about why I love my Rip Skirt.   I would also add that I have a light jacket and a puffy jacket from Uniqlo that are easy to pack and go with me on almost every trip. 
• I rarely travel with jeans.  They are bulky, get stretched out and are useless once they get wet. 
• I prefer dresses in the summer months as they are much cooler and easy to pack.
• You need half as many bottoms as tops.  And a scarf can dress an outfit up. 
• A hat and scarf can help significantly with unexpected cooler temperatures. 
• “Adventure” clothes, hiking clothes or workout clothes make great travel clothes.  They are light, temperature regulating, and easy to wash/dry on the go. 
• If traveling in winter months, I’ll pack for layers and wear the outer layer several times.  Obviously a sweater takes up a lot of room, but if I wear a different shirt under it every day I am still clean without taking up a lot of room.  And I know it feels boring to wear the same thing every day but frankly nobody cares and most of your photos will be of your coat. 
• Have options for it to be 10 degrees warmer or colder than you think it will be. 

Shoes:  Shoes are some of the most important items you will pack.  They are harder to replace in an emergency and you want something versatile that can carry you a lot of miles. They also take up a lot of room, so you don’t want more than 1-2 pairs. 

• I always have go-to sandals.  For over a decade it was Merrills but they stopped making the ones I love and so now it is Vionic.  Regardless of your travel style, I’d say you need something that works for 5 miles a day, in my case I need 10-12 miles. 
• I always bring cheap flip flops. These are my shower shoes, slippers, beach shoes and in a pinch, I have worn them out when it is raining crazy hard. 
• I love my Tevas if it’s appropriate.  And I love my Solomons for hiking or winter walking. 
• If I need dress shoes, then I’ll pack a pair of Teik flats. 

Phone:

• I bring my phone with the appropriate cords and plug adapter for the country. 
• I subscribe to a VPN and use it on an as needed basis.
• I’ll download a few podcasts, shows or a movie for the plane ride. 
• I don’t get a sim card.  I know this is a little controversial and probably costs a little more money but think I get more out of my trip.  Read here why I prefer not to have data.  I want it to be a conscious decision to pay $12 for the data.  I have it if I need it but not for idle scrolling. 

Apps: Here is a roll up of some of my favorite apps.

• Having all of the hotel, airline and lounge apps downloaded makes things easier. 
• CBP MPC is probably my best app.  I have global entry but have never used it because this is so easy and fast for returning to the U.S.
• Splitwise is my go-to for tracking expenses in a group. 
• A currency conversion and a language translation app that work off line.    
• Ride Share app for the destination visiting.  In the U.S. this is Uber and Lyft.  For much of Europe this is BOLT and for Asia it is Grab.  African regions each have their own. 
• Been app is how I track my country count. 

Bags:  After shoes, I think bags are one of the most consideration.

• As mentioned, I almost always carry-on with a backpack.  My personal item is then a tote bag.  My last several tote bags have actually been a beach bag which I prefer as they are durable, water resistant, have a zipper and very roomy. 
• In the rare instances there is room for my personal item in the overhead compartment, I have a tiny light collapsible backpack that I can transition a few things to for the flight.  I usually don’t sleep well on a flight, but if I’m exhausted, I can also load this pack up with my layers and use it as a pillow. 
• This bag is then used as a day pack for useful but non critical items like layers, a rain coat or umbrella, water bottle etc…
• And I’ve written often about my love for a cross-body bag.  As a note, you want this to be small so it doesn’t get too heavy.   You never want to take it off. 
• There is a place for packing cubes and I think they are useful, but using the same logic, I actually prefer stuff sacks and other smaller bags.  I can pack by day or each stop to minimize getting in and out of my bag.  I’ve also started bringing a small diaper bag which is great for wet or dirty clothes. 
• I try to have no loose items in my bag.  Everything has a place in a smaller bag.  This makes finding things easier and it less likely that I’ll forget something. 

Keeping Organized at home:

• I have a second set of toiletries that is always ready to go.  When I unpack from a trip I refill and replace as needed and then set it aside in a designated location.
• In this same basket, I keep my left over foreign currency, change purses, my travel flip flops, a hook that goes over the door for wet towels, hand sanitizer, and plug converters. 
• Likewise, I keep all of my swimming suits / items together and my hiking clothes together. 

Important Papers and other items:

• Passport and a copy of my passport. 
• Vaccinations if required. 
• International Drivers License whether I plan to rent a car or not (you never know)
• Two Different Credit Cards in case one gets stolen, doesn’t work or I have an emergency
• Debit Card from a separate bank account with twice the amount of money I think I need but nothing I can’t afford to lose.
• Currency quick reference because even though I have the app, you don’t want to be fiddling with your phone in a busy market place. 
• Trip Details & Flight info depend on if I think there will be language, process, or technology barriers.  Sometimes old school print outs help overcome these challenges. 
• A Pen

Miscellaneous:

• Sleep Sack:  I have a small light silk Sleep Sack that I use for camping, hut to hut hiking, hostels and anytime I think I’ll be colder than the person I am rooming with. 
• Whistle for safety.  When hiking (alone or in a group) and when traveling alone I have a whistle that I keep on me.   
• Travel Journal:  Even without Life Kinetic, I would want to record the details of a trip to help remember it. 
• SteriPen is a great tool for anytime the water is not potable instead of buying non-reusable plastic.
• Towel anytime I am going to a beach, have a boat trip or a sketchier hotel. 

Final Thoughts:  There is a balance between “just in case” and overpacking.  For the most part, you are going to a place where people live and have everyday lives.  They have the daily problems and concerns that you do.  I recently ran out of toothpaste in Tunisia – and I bought some at the local market.  It took less than 30 seconds.  There are of course exceptions but those are fairly rare and should be deliberate.