Investing in Quality Travel Gear is Always Worth It

Anyone who is an eager traveller themselves knows all too well the struggle of trying to make sure that you have all the right gear ready for your upcoming adventure, that rush to make sure that that you haven't forgotten anything. While packing is an exciting, anticipation-filled experience, it also takes energy, time and sometimes money. You can make all of the packing lists in the world. You can check as many boxes as you think you need to. Nothing is ever going to make more of an impact, however, than the overall quality and functionality of the gear you choose to invest in. Great news! You can definitely get high quality gear a little cheaper than you might think. Whether it is through birthday or Christmas gifts, secondhand buys or end-of-season sales, you do not have to cough up a huge amount every time you want to add another piece of (hopefully) lifelong gear.

It can be a bit of a process to filter things out and bring in high quality assets to your travels. For us, it has taken until now (four years after we started travelling more) to get to the point that we have invested in quality travel gear that we know we are going to have forever (or at the very least, for decades) or that we can easily upgrade if we wish to, having the peace of mind that we know the brand is going to last for however long we want to use that specific item - and that is going to survive whatever we put it through. Trust me, I know that this stuff costs money and that you just want to spend money on the trip and not necessarily on different products and the like that are just going to be an added cost on top of the adventure itself.

Evaluate your options first and foremost

In fact, I can almost hear it now. The comments and thoughts of, “but I can just get a cheaper backpack” or “the price of that is obscene!”. And sure, in some cases that is true. But this is why you have to research (or in this case, come to a blog like this one to make it easier). Say it with me; quality travel gear is always worth it (and to be clear, you do not have to fork out a tonne of money or even have high quality everything on your trips). If buying your own high quality gear is not something you can do currently, you can hire gear on site at a lot of places, but it is important not to count on that being your go-to option. You never know. And again, if you do your research, you can figure out your options quite quickly and go from there. You can also borrow pieces from loved ones if you have that option. I did this with a few bits and pieces for our first big trip and it was a life saver when I had limited savings and no reliable income. With all of this in mind, how can you easily and realistically build up your travel gear haul into high quality pieces that can last the distance?

Consider the essentials for your trip

There is quite a lot to be said about being aware that it is not exactly reasonable or realistic to assume that everyone can afford to deck out their travel gear with the highest quality products right off the bat. In our case, we are still adding these bits and pieces. I do generally think that there are certain trips that you have to spring for quality for (i.e. snow trips - don't tell me that you have enjoyed the feeling of wet, freezing snow soaking through your "winter proof" jacket that you got for $20 on marketplace. Sorry, but it's true). Think about what the essentials are for your trip. For a month-long trip to Canada, for instance, make sure that you have a quality waterproof jacket, thermals, beanie, gloves and at least one pair of shoes that can hack the snow. Snow is epic...when you are not soaking wet and lowkey nervous that you are going to get hyperthermia (no, that is not a joke).

Scour the sales and look on marketplace

One of the biggest blessings in the age of the internet is the rise of platforms that allow for easier sale and purchase of secondhand items. Ebay and Facebook Marketplace are excellent examples of platforms that allow individuals to sell what they no longer want to those who need it. You can find some great items there! This approach means that you can often get higher quality travel gear at a lower cost (sometimes much lower!) than retail value. If you have the time to wait it out, you can also be quite selective on the pieces that you ultimately end up buying which means that you have more time to look for exactly what it is that you want, rather than compromising for the next best thing (and even that is better than nothing!). Another epic little benefit of getting your pieces on these platforms is that you are buying pre-loved items. Pre-loved = less waste in landfill.

Invest in long-term solutions rather than quick fixes

Just like any other aspect of our lives, if you are going to knowingly buy cheap versions of whatever it is that you need for an upcoming trip, then it is likely that the products are going to break down quicker and not last as long as higher quality versions. This means that you eventually end up spending more money than you would if you just bought that higher quality item. If you can (and I cannot stress that enough...if you are in a position to be able to do so), investing in long-term solutions not only gives you peace of mind of their quality when you buy them, but it also means that you don't have to constantly stay on top of quick-fix items that are just going to bend or break soon enough anyway. It is also important to note here that if you are only going on trips for a week or two at a time, once or twice a year, then buying the highest quality travel gear does not make as much sense as it does for someone that uses them constantly (wear = tear).

It does not have to be an uphill battle to invest in quality pieces for your travels. I hope that this blog has given you more insight into the genuine advantages of investing in high quality travel gear (or items in general, for that matter) as well as highlighting some of the alternative routes that you can take to adding these pieces to your own haul without necessarily breaking the bank to do so. Happy travels, guys!