16 Oct Travel Accessories You Absolutely Mustn’t Forget
We all know that one of the best things that you can do (outside of a global pandemic, of course) is travel. The world is a very big and beautiful place, with so many things to do and see. When travel becomes safe again, and you’re ready to pack your bags and head out, allow us to be your guide to remember what travel accessories and items you need to take with you.
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The OGs might remember our “127 Things To Pack When Taking A Sabbatical” post – it’s a great starting point for how to compact your entire life into 4 bags – but today we’re going to be sharing our travel-trusted tips on a few items that you simply cannot leave behind (no matter how long your trip). So whether you’re ready to pack your car for a short road trip close to home, bringing things like sunglasses (from https://www.eyeglasses.com) or a cute hat (from https://lackofcolor.com), or you’ve just purchased our ‘Travel Around The World’ online course and you’re planning to change your life, thinking about the best suitcase or backpack to take (like ours from https://douchebags.com), read on for our list of travel accessories you absolutely mustn’t forget…
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Travel Accessories You Absolutely Mustn’t Forget
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Your Camera
Ok, as travel photographers we may be bias here to place this at the top of the list, but let’s be honest – how can you snap those Insta-worthy pics without a camera?! Sure, your phone may have been your photography go-to in the past, but if you’re traveling to places you might never return to, it is totally worth getting a proper camera (like the range from Canon) that takes beautiful photos. You can also save your phone battery by using your camera for the photo taking.
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Refillable Bottle
When you’re on the go (which you will be), it’s so much easier to refill a bottle of water over and over, rather than purchase expensive soft drinks or mineral waters along the way. Many places will fill a water bottle for a nominal cost, and in some countries you can simply fill up from the tap. Plus, if you plan to do any hikes at all, you can ensure that you are hydrated while you do it. Fillable water bottles are also great for the environment, so they’re definitely on our must-have travel accessories list.
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First Aid Kit
Every traveller should have a First Aid kit in their pack. Whether you’re up in the air and potentially need sickness tablets, or you’ve suddenly been stung by a bee on your hike, you’ll need to have a few essential items – and these will vary depending on you and your needs. Take note that you may need to declare any medicines before you get on a plane, but just make sure that you have them in the right doses, and you’ll be fine. Also good to go past a travel clinic ahead of your trip as they might recommend some medicines to have depending on where you’re traveling to.
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Pillow Case
Ok, this one might sound a little random, and this should probably belong on a nice-to-have travel accessories list, but we’ve found that the best way to “bring home with you” is to always have your own pillow case. If you’re off to a spa retreat or treating yourself to a luxury lodge or resort, you probably won’t need a pillowcase (although it does make a good carry bag for dirty clothes, as well), but we found that between dodgy airport hotels and hostels, and hopping between various Airbnbs, having our own pillowcases was just a simple way to make any place feel like yours (this might just be the 5 years on the road talking).
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Luggage Locks
Some people use cling wrap to wrap up their bags and prevent theft (we have when we knew we were passing through some, um, interesting airports), but we’ve found that having a padlock or combination lock to keep our bags safe from break-in has worked wonders. These aren’t just for the benefit of peace of mind when you’re on the plane, but when you’re in the hotel, you can also ensure that you don’t have hotel staff going into the clothes and rummaging through your things.
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Mini Toiletry Bag
While you may have a larger toiletry bag in your suitcase, you need to have a smaller one in your carry-on or handbag, that has wet wipes and hand sanitiser (now more than ever), and other goodies like lip balm, toothbrush and toothpaste, and a small roll-on deodorant (remember, aerosols aren’t allowed in the cabin). We’ve found having these things close by at all times to be very handy.
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Luggage Scale
It’s lovely to buy souvenirs when you are going to be overseas and travelling, but they can sometimes, um, weigh you down, when they cause your suitcase to be overweight. If you bring a luggage scale with you, you’re able to be well prepared in your hotel room, ensuring you meet al the right weight restrictions with your bags (and you won’t have to do the dreaded repack at the airport – we’ve all been there and it’s not fun).
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Passport
The ultimate item on our travel accessories list (if planning a trip abroad) – your passport! We weren’t sure if we should include it in the list or not, but it’s one of those things that unless you consciously remember to take it with you, you might end up leaving it behind. A small tip – add a sticky note to your carry-on bag to remind you to bring it with you on the day you travel.
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Eye Mask
Planes can be noisy, bright places, so it’s obvious to have an eye mask with you. But what about if you’re planning a long road-trip and you’ll be sharing the driving and need to catch up on your zzz’s in-between? It’s good to have an eye mask for that kind of trip too. You also won’t know if your accommodation will have the right amount of window shades (hey, we’ve slept in some interesting spots in the middle of an Arctic Summer where the sun didn’t go down, so please excuse our paranoia). The only thing you ned to know – pack an eye mask, no matter where you’re headed.
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Earphones
Whether you pick larger over-the-head headphones, or you have your standard earbuds, you can often find a good use for them on the plane, or even when you’re out walking along a beautiful beach promenade. If you bring earphones that have a microphone attached, they’ll even act as a handy hands-free talking accessory for when your boss or client calls and you’ve decided to work remotely on an island for another week.
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Hobby Enhancers
We weren’t quite sure what to call this group of travel accessories, but we wanted to mention that your personal passions will only enhance your trip, no matter how big or small they are. If you’re an avid fisherman and you happen to come across an amazing lake or river on your adventure, you’ll be kicking yourself for not bringing your gear with. Same can be said for yogis, skateboarders, surfers, golfers, and even scrabble players. Make space in your suitcase to bring along the things that will make your trip even more amazing. For us, it’s all about the photography and filmmaking, so we ensure to have all our gear with us at all times – lenses, lens cleaners, tripods, drone etc.
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We don’t need to tell you that travelling is one of the most exciting things that you can do for yourself and for your family. You’ll enrich your life, give yourself some new, exciting experiences, and hopefully walk away learning something new about yourself. With the right travel accessories, you’re going to have an even better time so use our guide, and getting packing!
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If you enjoyed this blog post, you may want to follow our journey on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, browse our online photography shop, or get yourself a copy of our TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD eBook.
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