really useful stuff (by Luke, May 2024)

During our travels we’ve built a list of really useful stuff. Most of it is not rock and roll but it really does make life easier. Some of it is pretty self explanatory, other bits maybe not so much.

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The products we recommend below are based on personal experience of the actual product.

Ocean Bottle

We love these! They are so good at keeping cold drinks cold and hot drinks hot. And are great for the planet too. Made from recyclable and recycled materials the purchase of each bottle funds the collection of over 11kg of ocean bound plastic. Not only do you do your bit by having a reusable bottle, your purchase also directly helps to reduce the amount of plastic that finds its way into the ocean. Each Ocean Bottle comes with a 10 year guarantee for peace of mind.

Worldwide Travel Adaptor

Such a useful bit of kit. These can be used for any type of wall outlet across the world and comes complete with USB sockets for charging multiple devices. I bought one for myself and there was a little tension when Gill saw it and realised how useful it was! We’re past that now she has her own!

Drybags

We have quite a few drybags in our holiday box. They are great for the UK and abroad. Drybags are designed to keep kit dry when out in wet conditions. They are also really handy for popping any wet items in to keep everything else dry – meaning you can have that last swim before the flight without worrying about soaking your other clothes in the suitcase. Sometimes when away we go out on rickety old boats that may not quite meet the health and safety standards that you’d expect in the UK. A drybag doubles up as an emergency floatation device so is really useful from this perspective. All in all these are a must pack.

Packing Cubes

Packing cubes are so useful. They are really handy to separate types of clothes and to split clean from dirty as the holiday progresses. I find packing cubes and the accompanying zippy pouches a really good way of being organised in hotel rooms where storage space may be limited. The compression version is really useful when you are tight for space.

Adidas Terrex Trainers

We have so many pairs of these trainers between us and have used them on nearly every continent. They are supportive, light and waterproof as well as having grippy ‘Continental’ soles. Within the range there is even a watershoe. These are lightweight and complete with drainage holes to avoid filling up with water!

Pacsafe Travel Safe

These are really useful when security might be an issue. The Pacsafe Travel Safe is made with an internal wire mesh arrangement which means it can’t be cut through. It also has a thick steel wire to anchor it to an unmoveable object. This gives you peace of mind that your valuables are safe while you are out exploring.

Travel Wash

Gill has packed travel wash for every trip we’ve been on and I’ve laughed at her each time! However, it is actually really useful in an emergency – and so much cheaper than using a hotel laundry service if only washing the odd item or 2.

Insect Repellent Spray and Plug In

We always have to have a decent supply of insect repellent for pretty much everywhere we go. We’re both irresistible to mosquitos and insects so have spent a while working out how to stop that. We have a selection of bands, sprays (Gill absolutely swears by this one) and plug in repellent that we use – they generally do the trick.

Towels

Our Dock and Bay towels are great. These are a new edition to our list of really useful stuff! They are packable, quick drying and come in a fab range of colours. They’re ideal for every adventure.

Sling Bag

Really useful for keeping items accessible but secure while out and about. I bought a Bellroy sling bag mainly to put my camera in, but it’s developed into a handy way to keep my pockets free too!

Organiser Pouch

Bellroy again – I also have their wallet, phone case and a couple of holdalls! The Bellroy Tech Kit is great for storing adaptors, charger cables, a power bank, spare tablet pencil etc. Sturdy enough to not get crushed but light enough to pop in your hand luggage. This is a really good storage solution.

Power Bank

An obvious item, but so useful to recharge tech while on the go. Mine is relatively cheap and cheerful – it does everything I need it to though. It is small enough to take everywhere we go, safe/permitted to take on a plane and powerful enough to keep everything I need charged.

Travel Wallet

Useful for keeping travel documents safe and in an easy to find location. Having a well organised travel wallet takes a lot of the stress out of travelling. It’s a handy place to pack a pen too. At home, you always know where a pen is, on holiday you don’t – I like to have pens in as many places as possible to make sure there’s always one nearby.

Headphones

Talking on the plane has its place, but so does shutting out the world. I got a pair of Sony WH-100XM5 headphones a couple of years back. These aren’t cheap but they feel like such good value every time I use them. Light and comfortable to wear, with great sound quality – the noise cancelling is remarkable too. Another bonus is the battery life, even on the longest flights they don’t need recharging. Gill has the WH-100XM4 and loves them as much as I do mine.

Torch

I always take a torch when we travel. There’s probably less need now, with having one on every smartphone, but I still carry on packing it. Having a separate torch helps to preserve your phone battery in the case of a long power outage. Mine is lightweight, water resistant and USB rechargeable.

Digital Camera

I’m not sure if a camera can be considered ‘stuff’ but here’s my reasoning. I really like using a ‘proper’ camera; the quality of the photo is much better and it feels more authentic than using a phone camera. Not having your phone out every minute to take pics also means you aren’t distracted. You don’t feel the need to check that work email, or see what notifications you have… you can just enjoy your adventure! Our Canon PowerShot G5 X Mark II is a great all rounder, it’s really easy to get decent pictures with and has a decent battery. It has optical zoom so is much better than using our phones – the picture quality is amazing. We also have a RICOH WG-6, this tough camera is shockproof as well as waterproof which means it can accompany us anywhere.