While people can tend to be a little elaborate with their packing arrangements, the actual travel essentials are not that many. They are the things that you absolutely need during your travel.
In this blog post, let’s take a look at some of the main things that you should always carry with you while you’re on the move.
Quick Headlines
1. Clothes
First things first and that is clothes. Clothes are an important entry in our list of travel essentials.
Whatever type of journey you may be undertaking, you can’t do it without a few changes of clothes on you.
Even if you are just going over to the next town, you need to carry at least one spare set in case of emergencies.
However, while clothes are essential and everything, some folks can go a little overboard with them. If you are going on a 10-day trip, you don’t need three suitcases just for your pants.
Here are a couple of pointers you can stick to in this regard:
- Consider the fact that your destination will most probably have laundry arrangements.
- For every 2 days of your trip, pack 1 set of clothes. But once you cross the 10-day mark, you can stop at 5 and just think about cycling through them.
- Consider the climate of your destination and pack likewise. You may be wearing sweaters in the States but if you’re going to Australia (or somewhere else in the other hemisphere) pack some light stuff.
Actually, the point about the number of clothes isn’t that explanatory. Let’s chalk it out properly here. And yes, please remember that this is not a standard that you HAVE to stick to or anything. You can carry as many clothes as you think you’ll need.
| Number of days | Changes of clothes |
| 1 – 4 | 2 – 3 |
| 5 – 12 | 5 – 6 |
| 13 – 30 | 10 – 12 |
| 30+ | You’re probably just doing a move so pack your whole wardrobe. |
2. Toiletries
When you’re traveling, you’ll get your hands on some toiletries when you check into your hotel room at the destination. But in the interim, you may need to make different stops. Not having things like soap, toothpaste, etc., can be a tad worrying.
Plus, whether or not you get toiletries from your hotel depends on what type of hotel it is and what type of room you’re getting. It’s safer to just assume that you’ll get the basics (soap, handwash, and the like) so that you can take the rest of your stuff with you.
Here are some tips that you can keep in mind when packing toiletries for your travels:
- Since we’re talking about travel essentials, be sure to take along only the things you need. Don’t put in three different types of soap and four different bottles of conditioners. Remember that you’re traveling, not moving houses. If there is a need, you’ll be able to buy more stuff at your destination.
- Pack all your toiletries in a separate bag. Don’t put them in with the rest of the stuff. In case of any leaks or breaks, you won’t have to worry about your other belongings.
- Pack your toiletries in a small bag that you can easily carry on your person. Don’t put them in a big suitcase or something that you can’t access quickly.
3. Electronics
When it comes to electronics, your phone is one of the travel essentials that you never want to leave behind. Other than providing the basic benefit of phone calls and messages, etc., phones are also necessary during traveling because they can help you book accommodation, transportation, and so on.
Mind you, if you are purposely taking a vacation or a trip to do a “digital detox,” you can make do without your phone only if you make arrangements for yourself to be contacted in cases of emergencies.
Moving on, when you have to carry your phone, you likewise have to carry concomitant accessories like chargers, earphones, etc. Carrying a power bank is also a must since you could always run out of battery somewhere with no electricity.
Other than your phone, there are other electronics that can come in the category of “travel essentials” if the situation demands it. For example, if the trip you’re making is work-related, you may have to carry your laptop along as well.
But once again, you should stick to the “essentials.” You really don’t have to travel with a 12-inch tablet or, say, a desktop PC now, do you?
4. Hidden Cash Stash
Accidents happen and you can end up losing your wallet/bags when traveling. But, once this type of unfortunate incident does occur, what then?
It’s a good idea to always keep a bank card (if you have multiple) as well as some cash in a hidden pocket in your clothes. Even if you don’t end up having your bags or wallet stolen, you could still end up in situations where you may not be able to access them.
For situations like these, a hidden cash stash can be very useful.
5. Your Travel Documents
These are yet more things that you should always carry when traveling – and that too in an easily accessible place such as your carry-on or backpack, etc.
Mind you, in most situations, you may not be able to go far without having your documents on you. But instead of facing different sorts of trouble later on, you should just make sure that you have everything already right from the get-go.
There are three main documents that you have to carry when traveling:
- Your passport
- Your travel visa (if applicable)
- Your ID (National ID Card or Driver’s License)
Final Thoughts
So there you have it.
In this post, we’ve skipped some of the more obvious stuff like wallets, car keys, wearing glasses, etc. These types of things are more or less carried even during normal days.
We hope you learned about must-carry travel essentials in this post. The next time you want to leave on a trip, check back on this article to make sure you’re good to go.
