Travel Gear List – What You Need to Explore the World

You’ve heard the call to adventure. You’ve plotted a course and purchased the tickets.

Excitement and trepidation overtake you. Only a few days until you embark.

But before you leave, you need the right equipment.

This is an essential list of gear for serious adventures.

Must Have

Heavy Duty Backpack

Your mobile base of operations. Internal frame, weather-resistant, preferably with lockable zippers.

Weatherproof Jacket

Lightweight, breathable, and actually waterproof (not just “water resistant”).

Don’t bring a $500 puffer jacket. You’re not aura farming here. The goal is to keep any and all weather from your body. It should be warm, but not so warm that you can only wear it in the cold. After all, hot and rainy is standard in the tropics.

There are many great options for this, but I recommend North Face or Super Dry.

Find a way to attach it to your backpack to save extra space. Or just wear it permanantly so it becomes part of your identity.

Battery Pack

Minimum 20,000 mAh, fast charging is nice but optional. Don’t rely on finding outlets.

Canteen

Double-walled stainless steel is ideal. Not only will it keep liquids at the right temperature, but it also doubles as a blunt force weapon if you ever need to fend off pickpockets or aggressive wildlife.

And since nobody is willing to admit they got beaten up by an overpriced waterbottle, you won’t even have to deal with the legal repercussions. Allegedly.

If you would prefer to save space and you’re okay with drinking microplastics, collapsible water bottles are also an option. However, they are far less resilient and make terrible weaponry. YMMV

I recommend Hydro Flask, they are on the pricier side, but you get what you pay for.

Like the jacket, you should find a way to attach it to the exterior of your backpack.

Smart Phone with International Data

This is your lifeline. It will be your communication tool, wallet, travel agent, and your map.

Speaking of which: Offline maps and translation apps are mandatory. You do not know when your data will fail you. And it will eventually.

Download a dictionary and phrasebooks for any language you know you will encounter. In many countries, saying a few basic words will earn you a bit of respect and trust, even it it is just “Hello”, “Do you speak English?”, or “Too Expensive”.

Multitool

For cutting apples, opening wine bottles, performing minor surgeries– the possibilities are endless.

Practical, compact, and infinitely more useful than a hunting knife (see below).

Universal Travel Adapter

A lot of people forget this until they’re staring at a dead device in a new country. I highly recommend bringing at least two. And I want to emphasize this:

DO NOT BUY THEM AT THE AIRPORT

I paid $40 for a single universal travel adapter at an airport kiosk once. The second time I used it, the fuse blew out and it became an expensive brick. So I was stuck in a foreign nation with a dying phone and no way to charge it. Find a good adapter and buy two of them.

Passport + Digital + Physical Copies

Can’t emphasize this enough. Keep backups on the cloud and hidden physically.

Nice To Have

Laptop

Necessary if you want to get some work done while travelling. It’ll also keep you entertained. Make sure to download some of your favorite content before you embark. Or wait until you’re in a country that has a soft spot for digital piracy.

I hate to admit it, but MacBook Pro is surprisingly reliable. Plus there are Apple Stores all over the world that can help you if something goes wrong. The biggest downside is that it costs 4 times what it should.

I personally travel with a gaming laptop because nothing says “grizzled adventurer” like ray tracing.

Analog Compass

I used to use AllTrails religiously on hikes. But you can’t trust it anymore. The map showed that I was in the ocean off the coast of Africa. Problem is, I was actually in the Lake District of England. It tends to behave erratically when you are outside the range of cell signals, which is when you need it most.

If you want to be an adventurer, you have to know how to navigate with a compass. They’re stupidly simple to use. Are you lost? Were you heading south? Then you came from north. Go back that way and you’ll end up where you started.

First Aid Kit

I’ve never carried one, but Murphy’s Law is cruel. I saw other many other travelers get minor injuries. And minor injuries can become major injuries without treatment.

When you’re outside the western world, you may be able to buy antibiotics or the good painkillers for emergencies or to seem cool at a party. Start with essentials — band-aids, antiseptic, ibuprofen, and maybe some compression tape. And if you like to eat street food in third world countries, maybe some loperamide. That would have made my stay in Istanbul much better.

Kindle

Light, long battery life, no distractions. Download your books before you embark.

Make sure to stock it with both easy and challenging content.

No one ever picked up girls by reading Dostoevsky.

Earplugs

Unless you’re one of those people that immediately goes comatose when they get in bed, you will get woken up occasionally.

Alternative: White Noise Machine

This is what I had instead. On the downside, it does take up more space. But it’s worth it to fall asleep to whale sounds and rain instead of noise pollution.

Lacrosse Ball

After a long day of carrying a heavy backpack, you will be sore. You’ll need a massage. And it’s hard to find a spa in the middle of nowhere.

A lacrosse ball is the perfect tool for a quick self massage. Loved by athletes for its simplicity, these balls are hard enough to roll out the tightest knots you have, but soft enough that they won’t hurt. Throw one in your bag and thank me later.

It’s pretty intuitive to figure out, but here’s a healthline article on the topic.

Alternative: Massage Gun

If you have extra space, then I highly recommend a massage gun. These devices are made for athletes to give a high quality massage with little effort.

There are many different brands, varying significantly in quality. If you’re willing to splurge, I suggest trying the Theragun. It’s good enough to be of use to physical therapists. A more affordable choice is Hypervolt, which caters more towards athletes and weight lifters.

Lightweight Towel

Dries fast, doesn’t take up space, can double as a blanket or curtain.

Douglas Adams was seriously into his towels.

He basically wrote an entire book about how necessary towels are for a long journey. You’ll be better off if you have one. Occasionally, you will get wet. And when that happens, drying off will be your highest priority.

You Don’t Need It

Shoes

Okay, obviously you need shoes, but I’ve seen too many travelers go overboard here.

Aside from the ones you’re wearing, you just need one backup. I recommend two pairs of minimalist trail running shoes. This was sufficient for a year of traveling and they are still going strong. I got some for ~$30/pair on Amazon.

You don’t need dress shoes, hiking boots, slippers, crocs, or any other niche footwear.

And unless you’re constantly outdoors in sub-25°F weather, you don’t need cold weather shoes. Wool socks are enough.

Sandals are optional for hot climates. I never use them, but many other travelers I met swear by them.

Tons of Cash

It’s worth having a little bit of local currency. Although cards and mobile payments work almost everywhere, you can often get deals or barter if you have paper money. But it’s also a liability.

Many regions of the world have significantly higher crime rates than western countries, and westerners are easy targets.

Carrying too much cash is risky and unnecessary.

Toiletries (Too Many)

You need a toothbrush, toothpaste, and some deodorant. If you’ll be staying at hostels, you may need shampoo and soap, but they can be bought almost anywhere in the world. You don’t need sunscreen, face wash, moisturizer, retinol cream, exfoliating scrub, or anything of the sort. I met someone who packed an entire a backpack full of this stuff. On a HIKE. And they kept complaining their bag was too heavy. They tried to make me carry it for them.

Please don’t do that.

DSLR Camera

We’ve all met someone who enjoys LARPing as a photographer, and more power to them. But DSLR cameras are expensive, high maintenance, and they take up a lot of space. Phone cameras are extremely good nowadays. Just get yourself an iPhone, Galaxy, or Pixel and you’ll be extremely happy with your photography.

Travel Guides

I’m sure they were great in 2005. Now they’re outdated the moment they’re printed. Use Google Maps, Reddit, and ChatGPT. Or ditch the information altogether and follow your instincts like medieval sellsword.

Neck Pillows

Controversial take, but most travel neck pillows are more trouble than they’re worth. They waste space, rarely feel supportive, and are impossible to pack efficiently.

Unless you really need ergonomics, skip it.

Packing Cubes

People love these things. They love to play clothes tetris. But once you’ve pulled out the third one to find a T-shirt, you realize they’re just another hassle.

Unless you’re organizing for a specific purpose (like separating dirty laundry), they’re just fabric Tetris. Roll your clothes. Save the space.

Hunting Knife

I brought along a small Damascus steel hunting knife (holster included), and it’s by far the dumbest thing I packed. What the hell was I planning to do with it? Skin a gazelle? I had this vague idea that I’d eventually need a blade for something, and I was right, but any practical application of a hunting knife could also be done by a multitool with 40 other gadgets included. Absolutely ridiculous.

On the positive side, some other travelers I met thought it was cool, so at least it started a conversation.

Unless you are literally on a safari, you are not on a safari. Stick with a multitool.

This goes for most other survivalist gear as well, including paracord, flint striker, survival rations, flares, etc. Unless you’re planning to solo the Alps, they will go unused.

Bonus Suggestions to Consider

• International Driver’s Permit – You can rent a car or motorcycle without one in many countries. I know I did. But it’s an unnecessary risk. You don’t want to sideswipe a moped in Laos and suddenly become an international fugitive.
• Headlamp or Small Flashlight – Easier than a phone flashlight, and perfect for a late night hike or cave exploration.
• Dry Bag – As stated previously: you will get wet. I don’t know when. I don’t know why. But it will happen. Most electronics nowadays like phones or smartwatches will be fine in a downpour. Especially if they are in your waterproof jacket. But when your clothes get wet, you will want an isolated container to stick them in so they don’t soak your precious cargo. Consider keeping a spare change of clothes in this bag, and swapping them out in the event you get soaked.
• Traveler’s Insurance – Never had it. Never will. YOLO.
• Sunglasses - I brought a pair of Oakley’s that I keep losing and then magically find. Don’t bring designer shades unless you’re loaded. Buy three pairs for $50 and lose all of them in different countries. That’s the way.

Now go forth and conquer. And when you’re falling asleep in the middle of an east Asian jungle, just remember:

You chose this. And you packed correctly.

Mostly.