The Essentials We Always Travel With

Now that we have been fortunate enough to spend a fair bit of time exploring the world, we have gotten to a point that we have been able to figure out what is essential for us and what we want to prioritise precious bag space with during our adventures. Over time, we have been able to build up some quality essentials that today go with us on every kind of adventure imaginable, whether it is a diving getaway to the coast or a three-month-long stint in Asia. And these essentials might not be the same list that you would think of (which is okay, man, you do you). Regardless of what they actually are, your essentials are the bits and pieces that, if you had ten minutes to pack a bag with everything that you absolutely needed to be comfortable - even in typically uncomfortable situations - you would reach for first.

For us, a lot of our essentials are based around quality solutions and durability because whenever we can be, we are travelling. So naturally, spending so much time in different places means that we wanted to invest in high quality gear because we use it so often and buying cheaper, more likely to bend or break options, inevitably would mean that we would be replacing them more often and spending more money on them overall. This blog sheds light on some items that you might know and use yourself, that you are planning to invest in or that you want to add to your gear over time.

Copies of all important info

You never want to be stuck without your passport or trying desperately to get home but not having your travel insurance customer code on you. With this in mind, we aways have scanned copies of our passports, medicare cards, travel insurance and emergency contact numbers. While we generally go with the flow on all of our trips, we do take the time to prepare adequately for them and make sure that we have our backups on us at all times. If it is going to make your life easier in a potentially frustrating time, why not do it?

Portable batteries

We each have a portable battery and trust me, this is one of the most important essentials when you travel. There is nothing more frustrating then using your phone on the back of a scooter while your partner drives and your phone suddenly dying in the middle of nowhere, quite literally surrounded by dense jungle and not a soul in sight around you (this has actually happened to us). Portable batteries come in handy everywhere, from long layovers to needing to make an emergency call and needing to charge your phone to get the call out at all. I can’t even count the amount of times that our portable batteries have saved us. Josh has a Mophie (insane battery life - highly recommend) and mine is a little Belkin (being smaller etc, the battery does not charge as much as Josh’s does, however it does get the job done if you are on top of charging it overnight when necessary for next use).

Our tech gear

We bought our first GoPro in Vietnam. Now, we take our GoPros everywhere with us. GoPros are fantastic because not only are they the best on-the-go cams for even the most extreme adventures but they also function in such a way that you can just loop the strap around your wrist and let it do its thing. You can actually immerse yourself in your surroundings rather than looking at it through a screen while the real, much better thing is right in front of you. And recently we invested in a DJI Mini 2 and wow. We will never go anywhere without it now. Not just for updating our private travel videos for ourselves but because you can check out the depths to see what is happening before you dive into the ocean and you can pan over landscapes from an entirely new perspective. Because we work remotely, we also have our laptops (and given that I do illustrative work quite a lot, my iPad) with us, too. It might seem like a ridiculous number of devices but for us and the way that we travel, these are core components for us. 

A hat and sunscreen

I am the first to admit that this is not one that has become second nature to me. Even so, we do always pack reef safe sunscreen and hats. And Josh is great at actively and consistently topping up and reminding me to do so as well (Mum and Dad, if you are reading this I promise that I am getting better at it!). We typically pack one hat each and one or two bottles of the sunscreen that we use. Even if you think that it is not an especially sunny day, or that you will only be out and about for an hour or two, pack the hat and the sunscreen. No matter who you are or what your circumstances are, if you have access to them, use them. They can (and so often do) literally do their part to save people's lives.

Reliable luggage

Nothing is more frustrating than thinking that you have done your due diligence and chosen the perfect travel bag, only for it to rip open halfway around the world. No one likes having to shop for a new bag when they were not expecting to have to (especially in an airport...price hikes, what's up?). Your luggage is literally going to protect everything that you take - which, on the go, is everything you have. We use Tortuga and, if we are also going to take the little suitcase, Fly Lite. Tortuga is exceptional. When I say that we have put those bags through the ringer time and again for years, I mean it. These bags have gone with us into -30F degree winters in Canada and to scorching days in Indonesia. They hold up fantastically well and they have designed them not just to be minimalistic but to be super functional. Win-win! And I bought my set of Fly Lite suitcases before I left for NZ with one of my best mates years ago and it is still holding strong despite being wheeled through slushy snow and being hurled into plane after plane.

A Water Bottle

This one is an essential for me that might seem a little silly to you. I am a bit OTT with staying hydrated so I would never leave for a trip without a water bottle. Especially in parts of the world like Asia, clean drinking water is so often a luxury (if you even have access to it at all) and while you might still have to buy plastic water bottles, it means you always have clean water with you. For example, I can easily pour four to six of them (depending on their size) into my own huge water bottle. When we lived in Bali for a month, our villa had a water dispenser that, when empty, we scooted to get a refill container. This significantly cut down our (otherwise necessary) use of plastic water bottles - and it also meant that we had over a litre of water with us every time that we ventured out on the next adventure into the rice fields or to the nearby Nusa Islands. You do not want to give yourself heatstroke trying to hike down the beach at Nusa Peninga in the midday heat without one (another not-so-fine moment of mine...oops. Thanks kind stranger for letting me have one of yours!).

Travel essentials are more than anything else about giving you peace of mind. The essentials that you choose to invest in have a distinct impact on the convenience and efficiency of any and all kinds of adventures around the world. Invest wisely and have fun!