Travelers Backpack: there are tons and tons of gadgets. And then there are those, who do not think at all times, that we congratulate each day of taking pris. These indispensable accessories in travel, the voicemail.
We have selected the objects that we have personally tested and approved, or that we have particularly lacked during our various perils. Here are our top 20 essential accessories for a PVT / WHV or a big trip.
5 Travelers Backpack Items to always have when traveling
1 – TSA padlocks
Small accessory that is always useful at some point during the trip, in transport to secure your suitcases and travel bags or to take advantage of the lockers in youth hostels on your arrival.
2 – An international adapter (with USB plug)
The little friend of your power strip. You can absolutely buy it at the airport, but you will certainly pay a high price! The models are numerous and the qualities various. Try to get one with USB outputs (with sufficient output amperage if you have an iPhone or iPad.
3 – A headlamp
Whether it’s to start the barbecue or the wood fire, find your van or your tent, read a little book at the end of the evening or satisfy a pressing desire in the middle of the night, it can be useful to have access to your two hands, while seeing something… And for that, there is the frontal.
We can’t even imagine a trip without it, you’ll see, it will surely be the same for you. We recommend the Petzl brand which has never failed us.
4 – A quick-drying towel
Light, ultra compact, soft and almost instantaneous drying: sometimes we would like all our clothes to be in the same material as our microfiber towel (by changing the color though).
These towels are ideal for travel and are also quite affordable. You can find them at all outdoor equipment retailers online or in Decathlon stores.
5 – A collapsible gourd / filter gourd
The first object to put in any backpack is perhaps this one: a good water bottle! But in the race for weight and volume, it can be infuriating to carry around this big metal gourd which, moreover, contains almost nothing.
The solution: a collapsible water bottle to keep permanently in your hiking bag.
8 essential accessories for the backpacker
In addition to the 5 previous accessories, here is a kit of 8 particularly useful accessories when traveling only with your backpack. Fans of youth hostels and transport by bus or tuk-tuk, this selection is for you!
1 – A pillow (inflatable or memory foam)
Here is the one that could become your best friend during any long flight, but also bus, tuk-tuk or slow-boat trip on the Mekong. For a few more grams in the bag, this accessory can save you a lot of hours of sleep, or prevent you from having a bad torticollis (or sore buttocks). A must, I tell you!
2 – A pair of earplugs
The little sisters of the airbag. We can’t necessarily bear to put them on at the beginning, but if it can save you from enjoying the nocturnal madness of your youth hostel, or the Vietnamese film playing at full volume in the Hanoi bus, well believe me, we adopt very quickly!
3 – A double jack
The ultimate sharing accessory! You do not need to purchase two MP3 players or two iPads. This little accessory will offer you all that for less than 10 €. Okay, if there is a rock fan and another electro fan, that won’t work… Very useful for sharing music, films and series during long journeys without necessarily bothering the neighbours.
4 – A power strip
We frequently forget and immediately regret it! The one that helps us every day at home will be particularly useful when traveling, whether you decide to go on a roadtrip with your van or settle down quietly in town or in the countryside.
Yes, we have a host of accessories to recharge! To be combined with a good international adapter (see below) or an “invertor” in your van to recharge all your equipment while driving.
5 – A portable speaker
To accompany small aperitifs on the beach, card games with your new travel friends, or even fruit picking sessions under the burning Australian sun, a small portable speaker will be the essential accessory for a good (or less bad) time. There are hundreds of models, of very different quality and price.
The small Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 are a model perfectly suited to backpackers: ultra compact, but with good power, a battery life of more than 13 hours, an almost indestructible construction and even the possibility of floating (in addition to the waterproof side). In addition, the colors are quite nice! In short, it will suit the most adventurous as well as the most clumsy!
Less transportable, but with a rather crazy sound level for their size, we also highly recommend the Ultimate Ears Boom 2 and Bose Soundlink Revolve speakers (of course, it’s not the same price).
6 – A backup battery
The portable battery is an accessory that may save you multiple times by giving your laptop, iPad, or other electronic device a second or even third life (while waiting for a phone call from your future employer, for example).
They have become widely democratized and the prices are now relatively attractive, you have to take advantage of it!
7 – A meat bag
Ok, his name is not really sexy. Nevertheless, this camping accessory as old as the world is just brilliant: it allows you to raise the temperature of your duvet by a few degrees, to provide a little extra comfort, or even to sleep in a more “reassuring” environment. » when the cleanliness of the sheets or duvets of your guesthouse seems doubtful to you. 😉
8 – A front ticket pocket
In all our travels, we have never had a single problem with mugging or theft of any kind. But, let’s face it, it can happen…
To avoid losing everything, or even tempting thieves, these little belly pockets are super practical. You can slip in your money, wallet and other important paper. Then, it’s the exact opposite of dad’s banana, you hide it discreetly under your t-shirt or pants and you’re done.
3 very useful accessories for packing
1 – Compression bags
The backpacker’s two enemies are weight, followed by large volumes. If this accessory does not save you a few grams, it will allow you to save several cm3 in your bag by eliminating the air contained in your belongings.
Another utility often associated and appreciable: a waterproof construction to keep underpants and other socks dry!
2 – Waterproof bags / freezer bags
Those who have experienced the monsoon in Asia or the torrential rains in the middle of the outback know very well that travel does not necessarily rhyme with sunshine. And, sadly, there is not always a shelter to shelter you and your stuff in these situations. To at least protect your spare belongings or your precious objects and electronic devices, you can get waterproof bags to sneak into your backpack.
Many travelers also adopt small freezer bags that can store everything: food, toothbrush, mobile phone, etc. Finally, if you are a fan of nature sports such as kayaking, rafting or hiking in the tropics, this accessory will quickly prove essential!
3 – A portable luggage scale
To leave quietly at home, this little accessory will quickly bring you back to earth when you see that you are leaving with more than 40 kg on your back! Your back and your legs will thank you for that matter. The luggage scale also avoids the scene of discomfort at the airport when you are told that you have five extra pounds in the suitcase.
Moreover, if you regularly use domestic flights and other low-cost flights (particularly straddling excess kilos), do not hesitate to take this accessory with you to avoid very high bills!
4 great accessories for health and hygiene while traveling
1 – Dr. Bronner’s Soap
This little bar of soap is the best weapon for travelers worried about their personal hygiene while on the road. Indeed, he knows how to do everything, and in an efficient way. With it, you can wash your body, your hair, you can use it as a shaving foam, as a toothpaste (we didn’t dare try that), as a deodorant and it finally allows you to wash your clothes. Brilliant I tell you.
Everything is 100% natural and biodegradable and icing on the cake, can be taken with confidence in your hand luggage on the plane (it’s a solid format).
2 – Tiger Balm
For the medicinal part, you must bring the miraculous product that is Tiger Balm. It is an ointment that is used to cure almost all ailments: from headache to back pain, joint pain and other inflammations, beginnings of colds and even mosquito bites.
Basically, it is practical in almost all the little sores that the backpacker is continually confronted with. It is also very economical, a pot will easily last you a trip of several months!
3 – A Moon cup (for travelers)
This one, we admit it right away, we have not tested it for ourselves! What is it about ? From a reusable silicone menstrual cup to each of your monthly periods.
Many travelers have adopted it for its hygienic side, but also because it quickly becomes very profitable and much more ecological than tampons and other pads. Many are those who also use it on a daily basis.
Moreover, for those (and those) who are interested, we have written a complete article to talk about the management of menstruation while traveling, a subject that is too rarely discussed…
4 – A travel mosquito net
If there is one thing that drives you crazy when traveling, it is mosquitoes and other flies. Not content with being unbearable, the former can also be quite dangerous in many countries (mosquitoes kill 80,000 times more than sharks, to think about).
Even if there is no miracle solution yet, the best protection against these vermin from the air remains the mosquito net. There are many models specially designed for travel [compact and treated]. A particularly essential accessory if you are stopping off in Asian countries.
Bonus – Your travel diary
Timeless, the little travel diary will allow you to immortalize your adventures in writing or in drawings, or even to write down all the tips, numbers and good addresses that travelers love to exchange.
You can read more about travel tips and tricks.
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