The Venturer’s Packing Guide
If you’ve watched Ten Tips to Pack Like A Pro or What’s In My Bag? Six Weeks In A Carry-on on our YouTube channel and are asking “Where do I find such goodies?” you’ve come to the right spot.
We’ve put together a list of items we have found useful in our travels. Scroll down to see them along with some of our favorite finds that make travel a bit easier. Take a look and see what might be useful for you, but by no means are any of them essential. We are simply sharing items that we have found useful.
Expandable bag that’s super useful.
This bag can be expanded as you find goodies along the way making it the perfect carry-on bag in our opinion. It isn’t meant to be a “lifetime” bag but at this price who can complain if it gets a bit beat up after a month-long trip? It also packs flat if you want to tuck it into your suitcase at the beginning of your journey.
Foldable Duffle
A foldable duffle is a workhorse! We never leave home without tucking one in our suitcase as we mentioned in the video. Use this lock if you do check it in.
There’s nothing worse than falling in love with that perfect travel memento and not having space in your luggage. Don’t buy one that holds more than 65 liters or your back may complain. Just sayin!
Smaller 40L Foldable Duffle.
This is a good alternative to the larger duffle above in case you’re looking for something a bit smaller. It makes a great weekend bag. We are known to use it to minimize schlepping luggage into a hotel room. We pack the essentials and lock up the rest in the trunk. Don’t be stupid though. Only leave stuff in your car overnight if you trust where you parked won’t be broken into.
Packing Cubes
You can find a lot of packing cube options out there but let us save you some time. You may find a cheaper set but they will break. Been there done that! Now we look for hefty zippers cuz let’s be real here you’ll be stuffing a lot of s*it in there. And these are compression cubes allowing you to pack your stuff and then yep you guessed it — saving more space.
Janelle’s Favorite Cosmetic Bag
After Janelle raved about how this bag saved her space Charlene got one too. Now she’s a convert. They have it in different colors of course.
It nestles perfectly in a suitcase while corralling all your personal care items.
TSA Approved Stand Up Toiletry Pouch
These refillable squeeze pouches are an answer to prayer! If you are like us you’ll be asking “Where have these been all my life?!”
We use them for any liquid. Lotion, face creams, shampoo, liquid laundry detergent. Doug has even been known to put a bit of Bourbon in the large size to help his drink at a restaurant have a bit more substance. But, please don’t tell anyone!
A Nearly Perfect Backpack
The best part of this bag is that it opens like a doctor’s bag making it easy to find your stuff quickly.
Ok, I lied. The best part about this bag is that it is so well-balanced that you literally don’t feel it on your back.
It’s the small things that make a difference when traveling and this puppy has tons of features you don’t think about. Two side pockets! I use one for a foldable umbrella and the other for my water bottle. And why is it that other companies don’t add a luggage strap on the back? Check out the reviews. We aren’t the only ones who love this bag.
15 inch version or the 17 inch version
pH On-The-Go Portable Water Filter
Charlene discovered these pouched prior to a trip to Thailand. Game changer! One packet can actually filter tap water, and it tastes good to boot!
Leave the pouch inside your bottle and when you get past TSA clearance fill it back up with water on the other side. Now you’ll know you’re drinking clean water on the plane.
Follow the link to learn more about how they work and then try them out. Just imagine how good you’ll feel not throwing away endless plastic water bottles. Healthy for you and the environment. Win-win!
Find them here and this Water bottle works best.
Leave things behind and use these instead:
Don’t pack a hairdryer. Most places you’ll be in will have them. Ok, they may not be the most up-to-date model but they’ll get the job done. Or, hey, no one is paying attention unless you’re at a business meeting so why not let your hair air dry? If you pack one of these they don’t take up much space and you can do touchups as needed.
While we’re talking about hair maintenance, using dry shampoo is super convenient and stretches further than a spray any day. Check this out
Leave full-size perfume bottles at home and use these instead.
Do you bring back wine or spirits while traveling? If so, consider packing these as well. They pack flat and come in handy on your return.
About those pesky electronics…
Your electronics can take a ton of unnecessary space so it pays to get creative.
In no particular order, these are some of our favorite finds:
This cell phone charger gets the job done without weighing a ton and will save your butt on those days you can’t get back to your hotel room to recharge.
If you are traveling overseas a travel adapter is a must. This is our favorite.
Charlene loves using this multiple USB C Charger Fast Charging Plug to plug in her laptop, phone, and iWatch. If you want to bring your laptop charger then this one might work better.
Janelle can’t imagine getting on a plane without this Bluetooth adapter so she can use her headphones to watch movies or listen to music. Have you tried using the ones the airline provides? ‘Nuff said.
Lastly, this dongle is a must if you need a card reader.
*Head’s up; these are affiliate links, but seriously, we think these travel raincoats are great. Be sure to check out our affiliate policy if you have any questions.
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