The 4 Most Essential Items You Need to Pack While Traveling
by Rebecca Hollman
updated April 30, 2018
Every person travels differently and has different items that they would consider "the most essential", but based on my experiences traveling I have found the following four items to be freaking life savers and THE MOST ESSENTIAL things to have while traveling.
1. A TOWEL
I'm not joking when I say that the very first thing I pack when I'm going somewhere is a towel. If I'm feeling luxurious or have some extra space, I'll even bring two towels- thats how important I think they are. I hate to be a cliche of Ford Prefect in A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but it is my favorite book and he's not wrong.
"A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. Partly it has great practical value. You can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapors; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a miniraft down the slow heavy River Moth; wet it for use in hand-to-hand-combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (such a mind-boggingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can't see it, it can't see you); you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough."
-Douglas Adams, "A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"
Ok, maybe you won't need to avoid the gaze of a Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal but most of those other situations could apply. Use a towel as a blanket in a hostel with few sheets, a pillow on a 10 hour bus trip, a wrap around shawl on a cold plane ride, a beach towel while laying on the sand, a throw when laying around the grassy fields of a park, a wipe to clean the sweat off you during a hike, an umbrella when you get stuck in a rain shower in Thailand and have to run back to your hotel from the beach, and an actual towel to dry yourself off after swimming, going to the beach or actually taking a shower. Most hostels will not provide you with your own towel, or will charge you to use one. Airbnbs and budget hotels are never guaranteed to have decent towels or even towels at all. All I'm saying is that a towel is so much more versatile and useful than you realize and it should be the first thing you pack when going on a trip.
I like to use quick-drying, easy to pack towels like ...
2. BABY WIPES
Another SUPER crucial item to always have with you while traveling is baby wipes. I can't even count the number of baby wipe "showers" I have taken in my life. Sweaty after a hike- baby wipes! Sleeping in your car or a tent and have no access to a shower- baby wipes! Grossed out by the hostel shower and don't even want to get near it- baby wipes! Traveling in a bus or plane all day and feel super gross- baby wipes! Hygiene is one of those things you can't (and shouldn't) sacrifice while traveling. I always create a zip lock bag of all my hygiene essentials that I can quickly grab and take with me to the hostel shower, or campground shower, or truck stop shower, etc. along with my towel and a pair of water proof flip-flops that I can wear while IN the shower. In my zip lock toiletry bag I always have travel size shampoo and conditioner, a razor, a bar of soap/travel size body wash, a toothbrush, a face cloth, travel size toothpaste, a hair brush and my baby wipes. Your baby wipes can also double as makeup remover if you choose to wear makeup. Try to find baby wipes that are non-scented and non-irritating so you can use them on your face as well. Also, try to find organic wipes or wipes with as few chemicals/ingredients as possible since you will be putting it in direct contact with your skin.
If you want to buy before you go, try to find brands like Seventh Generation. Otherwise, you can buy baby wipes while traveling in most convenience stores or grocery stores and brands will be dependent on country and location.
3. SWISS ARMY KNIFE
Another extremely versatile and useful item is a Swiss Army Knife. Having a multi-purpose tool that is extremely compact and small is very helpful. There are so many random situations that could arise where having a knife to cut rope, cut tape, etc will be a game changer. On top of getting out of tricky situations or needing it for emergencies, having a knife is just useful for cooking and eating while on the road. Most hostels and hotels won't have many utensils to use, especially if you plan on cooking your own meals. And in my mind, its way more sanitary to use your own knife/fork/spoon than one that has been used by countless others at a hostel before you (just like why I like having my own towel). Try to get a knife that has other tools- specifically a spoon and/or fork, scissors, tweezers, nail file, etc. Having other tools like scissors will be extremely helpful! Just remember that you can't fly with a Swiss Army Knife or any pocket knife in your carry-on baggage so make sure its in checked baggage or the airport security will confiscate it. Consider getting a separate cooking tool with a knife, spoon and fork if you will be cooking your own food a lot or camping a lot. Also consider getting a separate specialized pocket knife if you will be doing a lot of camping/trekking. I would recommend having all three if you have enough space for them.
4. FILTERING WATER BOTTLE
Water makes the world go round- and in reality its probably the most essential item you need while traveling. While you are probably aware that water, food, and clothing are actually the most essential items to have while traveling, you might not be aware that sanitary and clean water is not easily accessible in most parts of the world. In most countries you will be traveling to the tap water will not be safe to drink. Even parts of some countries where you would think the tap water would be safe, it could still not be. So what do travelers do when they go to a country where the water isn't safe to drink? They buy plastic water bottles to drink from instead. Even at restaurants where you order a glass of water- that is coming from plastic bottled water as well. So to be a environmentally-conscious traveler, invest in a reusable filtering water bottle. Not only will filtering your own water save tons of plastic from being put into landfills, it will also help you save money by being able to drink the free tap water. It is also crucial to have while camping- allowing you to drink water directly from natural sources like rivers or lakes and not having to pack in all your heavy water with you. There are many options for filtering water including water bottles where the filter is built in to the bottle itself or into the straw component, a normal reusable bottle + iodine tablets, or a normal reusable bottle + a filtering pen that is stirred in the bottle. To me, having it all in one makes the most sense so you don't gave to worry about keeping up with multiple parts.
I like to use filtering water bottles like LifeStraw... The first option is the straw added into a reusable plastic water bottle (integrated into one unit) while the second is just the straw itself and can be used alone or added into a water bottle of your choice.
Other options include iodine tablets and other types of filtration systems. Make sure you do your homework and choose the brand/filtration system that is right for you. There are lots of options available, but not all of them actually filter out below 0.02 microns and so may not filter out all types of bacteria. In this area, cheaper doesn't mean better! Expect to pay around $40-100 for a decent filtering bottle and anything cheaper than this might be a scam.
Not everyone travels the same, but based on my experiences and the experiences of my friends- these are the four items you should alway pack whenever you travel. Regardless of where you are going, how long you are going or what you are doing when you get there- these four items will make your life easier and your time abroad better.
Check out my more comprehensive list HERE - I talk about essential items to have for long-term travel and mention many other tips and items that will make your travel experience better.
What is the one most important item that you always bring with you when you travel? Please comment below with what items you never leave behind!