“What’s in my bag?” (Part 2. Gear!)

Through my travels, I’ve found myself with a growing inventory of travel gear that always make it into my bag(s). Either by friends, travelling companions or even TravellingMinions.com I’ve been asked about various items I travel with. So, I thought it would be great to share some of the items that have become indispensable to me whilst travelling.

I will preface that the style of my travel is not necessarily the same as yours. So depending on where and when you’re going and what you’re doing, its best to evaluate what will work for you!

The Gear!

There are a lot of different items that make travelling a little easier or more efficient. Below are just a few items which I’ve found to be super helpful on the road. While none of these things are “essential”, I’ve found them to help optimize my packing or make life just a little bit easier when out and about.

Mogics Donut – Travel Power Strip

Over the past few years, I’ve found my power demands have grown considerably during travel. I’d need to power my laptop (how else would I blog?!), Camera (with spare batteries), Phone, and power banks charged every night. And that doesn’t include extra items (goPro, Drones, etc) that I or my travelling companions bring. Depending on the nature of the stay, you may also be limited by the number and location of outlets, and how many adapters you have.

In the past, I would typically pack a universal adapter along with a portable power bar to service my needs. It wasn’t until I stumbled upon the Mogics Donut, that I found a solution that works really well for me. What I love about the “Donut” is that it combines the function of adapting international power and distributing it to multiple devices in one small package.

The “Donut” serves as a circular power bar and USB charger, allowing for multiple devices to plug in without blocking each other. Its a very cool design, packs small and is very functional.

Meanwhile, the “Donut hole” serves as the international adapter allowing it to plug into most (not all outlets). I’ve yet to find an outlet I haven’t been able to get it into yet, however I have read of some specific cases of it not working so doing some research on this would be prudent.

eBags Packing Cubes

Packing cubes are not something that are new or unique. They’ve been around for a very long time and there are plenty of different ones out there. The idea of using packing cubes can debated in some circles. And although I’ve tried other methods, I’ve found they work for me. I like the idea of compartmentalizing my wardrobe and the fun of “tetrising” them into whatever bag I travel with. They’re not bulky and they have some give as to not be so rigid you have to play “lego”. For longer trips, I’ve also found the compartmentalization helpful for sorting clean and dirty and its easy to grab should I have time to do laundry.

While I’m not married to the eBags Packing Cubes, I have used them for the past 4 years without issue. I like the bright colors they offer (mine are yellow!) and it helps to contrast any small items that may get loose in transit. What I will say is that its helpful to have different sized packing cubes that fit together (2 smalls = the size of 1 medium etc.). This makes it easy to “tetris” the cubes in your bag and helps to maximize space.

Packable Microfibre Towels

Just like packing cubes, packable quick drying towels are extremely when I travel. They tend to fold down small but are great when you hit the beach, pool or are showering somewhere remote. While most people will stay in hotels or airBnBs that supply linens, some trips, tours or expeditions don’t have these amenities. So having one in your bag is ALWAYS useful. I tend to travel with multiple sizes. A smaller towel for every day walkabouts and a larger one for when I need to towel off after a shower or swimming. They don’t take up a lot of room and dry quickly so they are a very functional addition to my pack.

Regardless of how you travel, finding small things that will make the travelling, easier, lighter or more efficient always feels like a win. Hopefully the above will help some. If you travel and have found things that have helped, feel free to comment and make some suggestions!

If you missed part 1, you can find it here, where I talk about the bags I travel with.

Up next, tech!