The Essential Travel Packing Guide

You’ve booked your trip and it’s time to start packing your bags! As a frequent traveler myself whether it’s near or far, I have become quite savvy in the art of packing! For some this task can be quite daunting and there is always that fear in the back of your mind, “Did I forget something?” That’s why I’ve decided to share my essential travel packing guide to help you travel smarter. 

Whether you are packing for a short term domestic trip or a long term international vacation, the travel essentials listed in this packing guide will make sure you are perfectly prepped for every adventure. It really is the Essential Travel Packing Guide for practically all situations!

Take a look at our Essential Travel Packing Guide below!

Step 1: Find the Right Bag

There is no travel packing guide without starting with the right bag!

Hot tip: 4 wheels is better than 2! Consider purchasing a case with 4 wheels that will reduce the pressure required on your wrist from pulling it along behind you and can effortlessly glide by your side.

Travel Backpack – There isn’t anywhere I would go without my backpack (even work!) We travel with 2 different types of back packs- one that carries all our camera gear and the other is our day bag/my carry-on bag when flying.

Step 2: Pack the Best Travel Tech

Smart Phone & phone chargers: Everyone has one. Perfect for keeping up with your friends and family back home via social media, using maps to navigate around your destination, and taking quick photos.
Our recommendation: Apple iPhone Xs Space Grey 64GB SIM-Free Smartphone

Cameras: Depending on your photography skill level a good camera is entirely subjective. However, we always tend to stick to Sony branded cameras as we find the quality of the images always turn out quite beautiful.
Our recommendation: Sony A7 Series Reliable, Durability Alpha 7 III with 35mm Full-Frame Image Sensor
Or for a more budget friendly beginners camera-
Sony RX Series Digital Camera

Click here for more about the camera lenses we use.

GoPro Hero: For all our action shots and underwater shots, we use the Go Pro Hero—It’s small enough to always carry around in the backpack because you’ll never know when you need it. It’s great to use for underwater photography and videos, selfies and hyper-lapses.
Our recommendation: GoPro HERO8 Black Action Camera Holiday Bundle (CHDRB-801)

SD Cards: We use Sandisk SD Cards for our camera and drones. Our main one is 64GB and the spare is 32GB incase we ever need extra. 64GB is plenty and it should last a few days of shooting.

External Hard Drive: Our Samsung T5 1TB External Hard Drive give us a bunch more storage space rather than cramming everything onto our laptops and slowing them down. Hard drives are essential for organising all of our footage and it speeds up work flow as we know where everything is stored.

Drone: We use our drone to capture amazing landscapes and photos from a unique perspective. It folds up, making it super compact and easy to fit into our travel backpack. The quality of this drone is great for both photography and video.
Our recommendation: DJI Mavic 2 Pro or for a slightly cheaper option the DJI Mavic 2 Zoom

Noise cancelling ear/head phones: A must have item when travelling! Both the Airpods and Bose Headphones we use are noise cancelling which is great to use on flights and public transport.
Our recommendation: For iPhone- APPLE AIRPODS PRO
Headphones- Bose QuietComfort 35 (Series II) Wireless Bluetooth Headphones, Noise Cancelling

Laptop: Due to my job revolving around my website, a laptop is an absolute necessity for me. It’s also great for watching movies/tv series while relaxing in your hotel room, checking emails and researching our next destination!
Our recommendation: Apple MacBook Pro with a Type-C Multi-Port Adapter

Universal Adapter: Different countries = Different power adapters required. Grab a Universal Travel Adapter and make sure you’ve got all bases covered. There’s nothing worse than having tech you can’t charge!

Power Bank: Our Ultra High Capacity Power Bank charges all of our batteries on the go and lasts around 10 full charges before the power bank needs a charge itself! 

Kindle: Save trees and invest in a Kindle Paperwhite – Now Waterproof with twice the Storage (8GB). These are fantastic not only because they are a digital book but they also are really lightweight and don’t take up much space at all.

Hot tip: Never pack any tech/electronics in your checked in baggage. I mean it NEVER! I made that mistake once and I had a camera stolen that I used during my Inca Trail hike to Machu Picchu and lost a ton of photos and footage! Always pack valuables with you in your carry-on no matter what.

Step 3: Carry-on Essentials

My travel packing guide list leaves nothing out! The following items will keep you comfortable in every potential mode of transport whether you’re flying, driving or on a train.

• A light cardigan/jumper- I like to have this on me in case it gets cold on a plane. Also great to roll up as a pillow or use as a blanket.
• Eye Mask- Block out any light when trying to catch some Z’s during the day. 
• Lip Balm- Keep your lips soft and hydrated through those long-haul flights.
• Face wipes- I always like to keep these in my bag for a long-haul flight to be able to ‘freshen’ up after a nap or before landing.
• Hand moisturiser- Prevent your skin getting dry when traveling through different climates, altitudes and time zones!
• Hand Sanitizer- It’s always good to have on you anywhere you go.
• Paracetamol- who wants to wait over 3 hours or more for a flight to land when you have a headache?
• A pen and small notepad

Step 4: Pack a Capsule Wardrobe

I’ll be honest- this can be quite tricky to master! I have over packed, under packed and forgotten things through out my travels but I find that if you stick with this travel packing guide list then you will have the bare essentials for any situation.

• Lightweight clothing that can be layered
• 1x Longsleeved shirt(s)
• 2x Sweaters or fleece jacket (for cold weather destinations only)
• 4x T-shirts/tank tops (take a couple that have sleeves to be respectful of the culture you are visiting)
• 2x pants/shorts (or 1 of each)
• 2x Dresses and/or skirts
• 2 x pair of jeans (good for travel days/airports and planes)
• 1x rain jacket and/or a mini umbrella
• 1x Sports Bra
• 1x Leggings/Yoga Pants & Sports Top
• 1x Pajamas/sleepwear
• Underwear, Bras & Socks – wool socks are best for hiking, pop socks for day to day wear.
• 3x Pairs of Travel Shoes: 1x pair of comfortable runners/trainers, 1x pair of thongs (flip flops) (great for shared shower facilities) and 1x pair of sandals/going out shoes. If you find yourself packing more than 3 pair of shoes, be ruthless and decide if you really need them!
• Sunglasses and glasses case
• Jewellery – use this jewellery organiser it is great for traveling!
• 1x Hat or sun visor
• 2x Swimsuit / Bikini- I like having 2 so while one is drying I can use the other
• 2x Scarf/wrap- a wrap is great to use to dress up/down an outfit and also for use when visiting temples/places of worship where you need to cover up a bit.
• 2x shawl- my signature piece, I would never travel without a shawl for taking photos in and love that they come in so many different colours!

Step 5: Pack your Toiletries and Medical Supplies

This is the essential travel packing guide list for toiletries and medical supplies that is generally the same for each and every trip you take.

Toiletries-

• Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Toothbrush Cover & Dental Floss
• Deodorant
• Sunscreen
• Shampoo & Conditioner (use these great ALINK Travel Size Toiletry Bottles Set, TSA Approved Clear Cosmetic Makeup Liquid Containers with Zipper Bag to save room & extra weight)
• Wet Wipes
• Face Wash
• Face moisturiser
• Make-up
• Tweezers
• Hair ties/Bobby Pins
• Feminine Hygiene Products
• Dry Shampoo
• Hairspray (if needed)

Medical Supplies-

• Prescription medication
• A small travel first aid kit: usually contains band aids, antiseptic wipes, bandages, gauze, small scissors and tape/pins. An invaluable addition to a travel packing list if I do say so myself.
• Imodium
• Insect Repellent
• Cold & Flu tablets
• Antihistamines/Allergy medication
• Motion sickness Tablets
• Sleeping Pills (if required)
• Antibacterial Ointment/Stingose
• Region specific medication (ie. prophylactics/anti-malarials if traveling to an affected part of the world) Check the malaria risk of a region here.

Step 6: Organise your Travel Documents

• Passport/visa(s) – Not sure if you need a travel visa? Check here.
• Cash and credit card(s) – Call your credit card companies before you travel to inform them of your travel and try to carry 1 debit card and 2 different credit cards in separate bags/pockets/travel wallet in case one gets stolen/damaged.
• Frequent flyer card(s) and other loyalty program card numbers (it’s best if you can find one program and stick with it instead of jumping between them – which is what I do!)
• Travel Wallet- a great place to keep all your travel docs organised in your carry-on
• Travel insurance information
• Reservations, itineraries or pre-printed boarding pass – try and keep an electronic copy of all documents too.
• Hotel and/or tour contact information
• Transportation tickets (plane, train, bus, car, etc.)
• Emergency contacts and important addresses
• TSA Approved Luggage Locks– Personal combination locks are perfect for locking up your bag before checking it in.

How useful did you find my essential travel packing guide list? We would love to hear your thoughts, leave a comment down below!

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