Being on the road for 6 months full time, along with numerous other trips in Australia and abroad has given us a unique insight into some key things we think you should buy before your next trip! We stumbled upon some of these items outselves, whilst others were recommended to us from fellow friends and travellers. Please note these aren’t sponsored items. We have chosen to recommend things that we have found helpful and think you might as well.
We also love suggestions of other great travel hacks and gear we can add to our collection, so comment your tips below! We will continue to update this list in the future as we add more great travel items to our collection!
Top travel accessories and things to make your travel better & easier!
Packing cubes
Packing cubes are a game-changer for travel! No more messy suitcases which you have to work hard to close. Packing cubes are a serious travel hack and we think a MUST for your next trip! We have provided a few links to some packing cubes similar to what we used during our travels. You can also pick them up through retailers like Big W/Target etc.
Kathmandu Travel Packs
Prior to our 2022 6 month travels, we had always used suitcases for our trips. However, during our research we stumbled upon the Kathmandu travel packs. A hybrid between backpack and suitcase, they were the perfect size to allow you to stay on the move. The size allowed you stick perfectly to the <20kg weight limits that many airlines set. However, these aren’t for those travellers that love to bring way to much along. Take a look here.
Universal Adapter
Planning on travelling to multiple countries in Europe and abroad? A universal adapter is a MUST and a true lifesaver when you are country hopping. There are so many great options out there, and they are all quite affordable. Don’t wait, just buy one ready for your next trip!
Padlocks
Okay, this one is a little boring and simple, however important. You will likely need locks for you suitcases/backpacks, lockers in shared accommodation/hostels (if you stay there), and perhaps even to lock your bag during busy crowds in ‘edgier cities’ like we did. Our tip.. Get a good combination lock that you can reuse. Take a look at our pick here.
A good Backpack
Depending on what you decide to do with your suitcase or packs, we urge you to consider purchasing a good backpack. We used the Nordace backpack, and found it excellent for longer travel. It had sections for documents/laptops, sunglasses, and multiple different components to store things. Take a look at the Nordace backpacks here.
A travel E-Sim?
Let’s be honest, life is much harder without internet. When you are on the road all the time, getting internet is important. We chose to use an E-Sim through Airalo (an app) rather than a physical local SIM. The benefit of this was we could recharge whenever we wanted through the app, and weren’t limited to any countries (e.g. some SIMs only allow one country, or certain countries. It’s definitely worth looking considering before you go!
Take Underwater Photos with a GDome
Okay, this isn’t a must, but it definitely upgrades you travel content. If you want to document your travels, take photos and videos for reels or vlogs, then an underwater phone case is worth considering. We used the GDome after seeing advertisements online and found it reliable and great to take underwater or split shots. Interested? Take a look at our thoughts and some photos here.
Phone stand or tripod
This is a must for all travellers, but especially solo travellers. We have all had the experience of asking a stranger to take a photo, only to be seriously disappointed with the results. Or the difficulty of trying to find somewhere to lean your phone to capture a great moment when no-one is around. Take all of these issues out of the way by purchasing a phone stand/tri-pod to get the perfect shot every time. Have a look here.
A toiletries bag!
These make the process of storing and using your toiletries so much easier! We found our toiletries bags particularly useful in shared accommodation (e.g. hostels, shared apartments). There are a multitude of options available, so take a look here!
A Portable Charger
If you plan on longer hikes, day trips, and being on the road a fair bit, a portable charger is a must! Our phones and other devices are super important to our day to day life, and for our travel. You would hate to miss a photo due to your phone or camera battery dying. Or imagine your phone dies whilst needing directions home in a foreign city! We always make sure to take our portable charger with us on holidays and day trips. Have a look at portable chargers here!
A Drone makes your travel photos magical
Okay, a drone isn’t a must either. However, we have found it a seriously good travel companion. Drones a relatively affordable these days, easy to use, and provide stunning photos and memories from your trips. If you are planning a holiday and want to capture some of the moments, we urge you to consider buying yourself a drone.
- What we have – DJI Mini 2: This is a seriously powerful drone for how much you pay. A perfect starter drone for your travels.
- The new ‘travel drone’ – DJI Mini 3: The newer DJI Mini 3 has a few extra features, but also costs more.
A Lonely Planet book!
Tess absolutely LOVES her Lonely Planet books. We first used the Lonely Planet book to plan our Portugal trip, whilst we frequently used it as a reference whilst travelling Europe for 6 months. Okay, there’s aren’t “must buys” with the amount of great travel blogs around (did someone say 2 Cups of Travel?), however there is something special about reading a physical book. Why not get yourself a book to read on the train or before bed? Interested? Take a look at the Lonely Planet books here!
Country Flag patches!
Country travel patches are another fun but not essential item we think are worth considering. We loved collecting a bunch of patches to sew onto out travel backpack as a little memento. While you can often get these at tourist stores when travelling, you usually pay a “tourist tax” and can get them cheaper online. Take a look at travel patches here!
A polaroid camera
Okay, this is a fun suggestion.. it’s a cute way to remember your travels! We don’t recommend this option if you are short on space in luggage, or if doing a longer trip (e.g. 6 months like we did). However, we took our polaroid camera on our 3 week trip to Portugal and just LOVE the photos. We have a FujiFilm Polaroid Camera that has been super fun and useful for trips and parties for years now! Take a look here!
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Trish
January 19, 2023 at 9:20 pm
Just brilliant guys.. I love your practical real world advice for travellers, but especially nice to be enjoying advice from an Aussie perspective. Thanks!
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