>[!note] Description: >I'm often asked about gear for travel. The following is a list of items I either currently use for most trips, or it's gear I've used and would recommend. I've aimed at affordable options for most items. If you search around on the internet, you become convinced that you need premium travel gear that costs hundreds of dollars. It's simply not the case. Instead, the packing list below provides a good travel experience on the cheap. ## Packing Supplies - My Pack - [Tomtoc Travel Backpack 40L](https://amzn.to/3M0mZIB) - I've used this for several international trips now, and I believe it's the perfect size. It holds everything I need, and nothing more. It wears light, and it is thoughtfully designed with pockets in the right places. It will definitely fit in an overhead bin. - A Cheaper Pack Alternative - [Amazon Basics Travel Backpack](https://amzn.to/43Majh7) - I also own this bag and it's surprisingly good for the money. It also holds more than the one I normally use, but it's a little bulkier. It's a good design, and it's pretty durable. For most students, this is the backpack I'd suggest first. - My "Personal Item" Bag - [Ozark Trail Asheville Backpack](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-Asheville-Dual-Carry-Backpack-Black-Everyday-Polyester-Adult-Teen/5020133524?classType=VARIANT&athbdg=L1100&from=/search) - I use this bag in conjunction with the above backpack as my personal item bag. This is the one that rides under the seat on the airplane. It's the perfect size to maximize that space and still feel like you have a small carry. In fact, I often use just this bag for a 2-3 trip domestically. It has good pockets for bottles, a nice laptop compartment, and it's made of a durable, water resistant material. - Packing Cubes - [Compression Packing Cubes Set](https://amzn.to/4mOyFzs) - There are many different brands of these, and I've found very little difference. However, they are indispensable for longer travel (5+ days). These cubes keep your clothing organized, minimize wrinkles, and compress down to reclaim a lot of space in your bag. They are well worth the money. --- ## Clothing - The Shoes - [Merrell Men's Jungle Moc](https://amzn.to/46CA9oV) - If you can only travel with one pair of shoes, I recommend something like this. These are sturdy but all-day comfortable. They're not the fanciest shoe, but they will work with just about any pair of pants. They will dress up just enough to not look inappropriate in most settings, but they also wear like a hiking book when you need those. They are basically waterproof, and they're tough. If you're on a trip where you will wear shorts, then you will need something else. - The Belt - [Mens Nylon Tactical Belt](https://amzn.to/46Ifj7x) - This may not seem helpful, but travel with a plastic belt buckle is nice. Get one that dresses up and down. The one above is what I use, and they are dirt cheap on Amazon. It won't win any fashion awards, but it's not going to get you stopped in airport security when you forget to take it off. - Sun Hat - [Sunday Afternoons Charter Escape Hat](https://amzn.to/4kQAOc7) - I do not take this hat on every trip, but it's really handy when I'm in the desert. It's not pretty, but it's very functional. It breathes well, and it keeps the sun off of me. It also packs flat. --- ## Toiletries - The Bag - [Osprey Ultralight Clear Liquids Pouch for Travel](https://amzn.to/443OSJG) - This is a recent addition to my travel kit. I like that it's both small and clear. If you pack your toiletries well, this will serve as your whole travel bag for them, and if you've required to show your liquids in a clear container, you can just pull this one out. It's simple and utilitarian. You need to pack small, in order to do it, but you can do so by using bottles like the ones below. - Reusable Travel Bottles - These come in real handy. You can use whatever shampoo or product you want, and you can ensure that your toiletries fit together well, because they're the same size. Below are two examples that work well, depending on the kinds of bags you use. - [Travel Pouches for Toiletries](https://amzn.to/43IKb6D) - A clear design that rolls up and takes very little space when empty. - [Travel Bottles for Toiletries](https://amzn.to/43KRjzt) - A more traditional bottle design. They're silicone, so they work well to refill with your toiletries. - [Castile Soap](https://amzn.to/3Tj0zWU) - This soap was a game changer for me. Castile soap is a special kind of soap that works equally well for use on your body and on your laundry. In bar form, it's much lighter and easier to carry than a body wash or a laundry detergent. One bar is usually too big for a 10-day trip, so I cut these in half and take it in a small Ziploc bag. It's also cheap. - This is now my shampoo, my body wash, and my laundry detergent for travel. Of course, you'll want to grab a bar and try it at home before you decide it can replace all of those things for you. I can attest that it works well as a laundry detergent for hand-washing travel clothes. You can read more about what kinds of clothes to pack in order to hand wash easily in my [[Travel Tips]]. --- ## Tech Gear - The Tablet - [Lenovo Chromebook Duet](https://amzn.to/3Syrqhg) - I rarely travel with a laptop, even on business trips. Instead, I opt for a lightweight (and cheap) tablet that functions as a laptop when needed. I enjoy a Chromebook for this purpose. It has a desktop browser experience, which means it does most everything I'd need from a laptop when traveling, but it also runs Android apps well in tablet mode for reading and other purposes on the airplane. It is small, fast enough to use, and cheap enough to lose. - Alternate Tablet- [OnePlus Pad](https://amzn.to/3YAJWK9) - This was my daily carry tablet before getting the one above. This Android Tablet does everything I need when traveling, and I've really enjoyed having it as my daily driver while traveling. It's plenty fast, much more customizable than an iPad, and about half the price. To serve as a laptop replacement for travel, you'll need to pair it with the active stylus and keyboard cover. The whole package is still reasonably priced for a tablet with this performance and build quality. - Travel Charger - [Anker 65 Watt Travel Adapter](https://amzn.to/4j27cap) - This is my go-to travel charger. It has three ports, two of which are USB C fast charging, and it's powerful enough to charge a laptop or multiple mobile devices at high speed. It's also compact and cheap enough I won't lose sleep if it get's left in the outlet at an airport. - Universal Adaptor - *I don't carry one usually.* - This may sound off, but I dislike universal adapters for international outlet configurations. They are always bulky, and in order to make them work with every wall outlet, they usually don't work well with any wall outlet. - Instead, I research in advance of travel the specific outlet configuration and take a single adapter that fits that configuration. It's always smaller and much easier to use, and they're usually rather affordable. In fact, you can often find them in country upon arrival. But, I wouldn't suggest someone new to travel risk that. - [Here is an example](https://amzn.to/3EMLOYP) that gets through many places in the world. - Battery Pack - [Anker Power Core 10k](https://amzn.to/3EKScji) - There are so many different varieties of power bank that I don't have a particular one I recommend. Anker is a good brand, and this particular pack is slim, great for a day pack, and carries enough charge to get you through a day or two before you need to recharge. - Often, we rely on international esims in our phones as a team to stay in contact throughout the day. This means you often need your phone charged up with little hope of finding a place to sit down and plug in. - Tech Bag - [Generic Electronic Organizer Bag](https://amzn.to/3yKAbye) - This bag is a great way to make sure you have and do not lose all the little cords, chargers, dongles, and connectors you can't live without. It holds several USB cords of different lengths, a couple of wall chargers, and a pair of ear buds. If you're clever, you can sneak in a travel mouse or other gear as well. You will find name brand versions of these bags for many many more dollars. They have better zippers. The stitching is more solid. But you can wear out and buy 7 of this cheap bag here before you've spent the same amount of money as one of those. I've been using this generic version for a couple of years now. It is my daily driver both when traveling and in my work bag I use every day.