The Best Travel Hacks and Must-Have’s For Any Adventure

There are some select items I cannot travel without – and just as importantly, I’ve learned how to cut back and not bring more than what I need. Here is my list of travel must-have’s and hacks that I’ve built over the last five years of international travel.

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1 – The Ultimate Adapter

[/vc_column_text]This adapter has been an absolute game changer. I have a bag filled with different AC plug types to change out for my laptop charger, and several adapter plugs that needed to be manually changed. Such an effing hassle.

When I say this is the ultimate adapter – I mean it. It comes with 4 USB ports, 1 USB-C port, for starters. I feel like that already takes care of a lot of problems.

You can plug any type of plug into it – whether you’re from Aus, US, Asia – doesn’t matter. And, it also converts to whatever type of AC plug you need. It’s honestly for everyone.

2 – Power Strip

This is, quite proudly, my first ever travel hack for myself. I’m absolutely tired of never having enough outlets. As a traveling writer and photographer, I also have a lot of gear with me. I tend to have a higher outlet demand than most.

This is also perfectly paired with The Ultimate Adapter. Why? Because you only need to worry about carrying the adapter for 1 plug. Plug the power strip into the adapter, and you can be using all of your local-to-you AC plugs on the power strip and reduce the stress of worrying about additional adapters.

3 – Vitamin/Supplement Case

I am the pickiest eater. I’m so awful about food, so I already take some vitamins/supplements to make sure my body is getting what it needs. I will never claim to be a foodie/traveling food blogger because my palette is such an oversensitive soul.

I try to branch out at home, and while traveling, I do my best to try traditional dishes, modern cuisine, fusion-esque things…. and I’m just so awful about it.

(I’m sorry to anyone this offends. I really do try!)

I remember before I did my first super long trip to Asia in 2018, I thought ‘I cannot be gone this long, try to reduce my baggage, and also bring along 900 different pill bottles’.

I got this useful travel gadget, and it’s a permanent part of the entire packing routine. Super easy to keep in my carry-on, and if I know I’m going away for awhile, I am not overwhelmed by bringing two.

4 – Fire Stick!

Yes – an Amazon fire stick.

Wait – hear me out for a moment!

I know I can already hear some of that pushback: But you’re on vacation! You should be exploring! or Aren’t you there for work? Don’t you have deadlines?

There have been times I’ve been stuck in a hotel for days because of bad weather. For example: October. 2019 – I landed in Iceland and they had declared a state of emergency. Dozens of cars were already stuck/abandoned on Ring Road, most roads were closed, and a blizzard blew through the country over the course of three days.

This has also become a Bear Family Favorite travel item. It’s great for the younglings. Most TV’s have an HDMI port anymore, and since the fire stick fits in your pocket, it’s not a hassle to bring along.

Even if it’s a glued-to-your-computer kind of day for the digital nomad, it’s nice to have that favored background noise.

And sometimes, a vacation for some can be comfortably in a hotel bed watching ‘The Office’ for the millionth time on a Tuesday morning just because you can.

5 – WiFi Hotspot

Skyroam is my most trusted WiFi company. I’ve been with them for a handful of years now, and they’re always making great improvements and upgrades to their services based on customer feedback.

You can get 24 hour passes, pay-as-you-go, monthly subscriptions, and so along. There are a variety of plans based on your needs.

VPN’s – which is super useful for a number of reasons. One of which is I utilize google services for a lot of my business, and in China, it’s really difficult to access my information and records because of their censorship. The VPN helps bypass that.

The hotspot device is password protected – the VPN helps add that extra encrypted protection.

The device an be used as a power bank in a pinch. I haven’t used it as a power bank – yet – but it’s nice to know that if I needed to power up my phone and connect with the world, I can easily do it with my Skyroam hotspot.

You can rent one to try it out, or you can buy one. I think this is a really great feature if you’re just not sure if it’s right for you.

6 – Google Maps

Pt. 1 – Google Maps houses most of my bucket list. It’s so easy to drop a pin on the map and save it, or save popular spots, trailheads, etc. If you didn’t know this was an option, I absolutely recommend using your app to help bookmark must-see places for your future trips.

Pt. 2 – Thanks to my dearest friend Luisa (The Born Wanderess) for this one! You can choose an area on google maps that you’d like to download. Instead of worrying about SIM cards or trying to stay connected to the internet in some way, the downloaded map alleviates that stress.

It is just like google maps, but offline. All of your bookmarked places, restaurants, attractions, directions, it’s all there. It can be a bit rough with public transit and hours of businesses as that information may not be available, or not entirely updated because you’re offline.

* Special note – this can quickly become a large file depending on the area you want to save. It expires after 29 days and auto deletes itself, unless you delete it before then.

7 – Power Banks/Battery Packs

For the longest time, I felt like the only dork carrying these around. I started with the small ones that barely charged my phone battery 50% and only came in the color options of hot pink or black.

I LOVE Mophie products. They’re one of my most cherished brands.

Great quality and always up-to-speed as our favorite gadgets evolve (such as wireless charging capabilities).

They’ve started incorporating AC plugs into power banks as well. This has been helpful a few times when I was trying to stay organized for a deadline, it helps throw some extra juice onto the laptop, or on cold nights when my DSLR batteries die quicker.

On a personal preference, I try to save my battery packs to give my GoPro camera a second wind and always want to make sure my phone is charged somewhat.

I use my phone to capture off-the-cuff photos and videos for social media, and I use it often as a remote for my DSLR and GoPro, so I’m always draining the battery pretty quickly.

And most importantly, since I tend to venture off alone, it’s important to me to keep my phone with some type of charge in case I need it for an emergency.

I have two of these XXL powerstations. Perfect for phones and tablets. Three USB ports. Holds a good amount of juice.

One of these AC powerstations for laptops or a DSLR battery charger.

There are certainly much larger battery packs, that basically look like tiny back up generators, but for the purpose of easily traveling with, these two types are great and affordable for what they provide.

8 – Car Charger

You didn’t think this road tripping enthusiast was not going to provide at least one of my favorite on-the-road gadgets?

This power inverter has 1 AC plug and 2 USB ports. This is one of my best friends on the road, truly. I road trip so frequently, whether in the US or other countries, and it can be used in any charging port in a car and I can use my local-to-me AC plug. (US AC plug)

9 – Silica Gels

This is another travel tip I’m incredibly proud of.

While traveling throughout Costa Rica, I felt like my clothes were just in a constant state of dampness. When I traveled home from Costa Rica, my luggage weighed about 6 pounds HEAVIER just because of the humidity. I knew immediately this needed to be addressed.

I now keep silica gel packets in my suitcase. I have a somewhat organized method for my clothes (see #10), and I keep a few packets in each space bag, organizer.

These are also great on snowy adventures. I bring two different hiking boots on most trips, and switch them out every other day, or based on the weather. On the days I’m not using a pair, I throw a few packets in each shoe. This helps with moisture and smell. (I just wait until I’m home to worry about properly cleaning out my boots.)

It’s super helpful with my winter boots when they might get a bit wet from screwing around in the snow or walking through creeks/rivers. I throw some packets in the shoes, keep them by the heater – if possible – and it’s been awesome.

These are also reusable. You can put them in the oven, or put them on defrost in the microwave to help rid of the collected moisture.

10 – Space Bags/Organizing Cubes

I have two space bags. I use one for my used bathing suit items and one for my dirty clothes. As mentioned in #9, I also have a handful of silica gels in each to help with moisture.

These work wonderful because you just need to press them down and push the air out. So easy.

I also have a set of organization cubes.

Organizing is absolutely not my forte by any means, but it’s become incredibly crucial to change my ways to make it easier to travel.

1 smallest cube – dedicated to toiletries, toothbrush/paste, traveling shampoos/lotions, etc.

1 cube – dedicated to socks and panties and unworn bathing suit items.

1 cube – dedicated to tanks and tops.

1 cube – dedicated to leggings.

1 cube – dedicated to jeans (if I bring them) and outer shell pants.

Anything that’s a bit puffy, gets smashed in around the cubes.

* It’s SUPER important to be aware: The organization cubes and space bags are honestly so wonderful, that it can actually make it seem like you packed less/you could pack more. I discourage from falling for this trap. Regardless of the room it does save you, the weight of the items is still the same.

11 – Microfiber Towel

I have three separate microfiber towels I keep with me.

Towel the first – is something I keep connected to my backpack strap. This is great for sweaty days, wiping my hands, and other random stuff like that. It fits in this tiny little pouch and weighs nothing.

Towel the second – Because of my solo adventuring and preference for roadtripping/car camping, having two microfiber towels on me has been a blessing. They dry quick, and I can alternate between them. They’re great for personal hygiene, and sometimes I’d roll up my wet clothes in them to help dry them a bit faster if needed.

Towel the third – This is my beach towel. It’s a really decent size, and not only does it dry fast, but it’s one of those crazy towels that the sand falls right off of it. Which is so great, because I absolutely hate sand. I’m not a huge beach person, for one thing, but for those rare times I am on the beach, this is the towel I’m using.

12 – Foldable Backpack

A few years ago, I started using a foldable backpack. This is especially great for a day around the city, or when taking a day hike.

The backpack can fold into a little pouch and is so light and easy to travel with. It’s waterproof and holds snacks, wallet, water bottle and can carry a couple souvenirs, or a great way to pick up trash you find on a hike and bring it back with you.

It can easily be washed out, wiped down, and refolded into a pouch.

I have a hot pink little number from Swiss Gear. It’s completely out of stock and I don’t know if they plan on bringing it back.

However, here is a comparable – and much cheaper! – one from Outlander. It even comes in two sizes of 20L or 33L.

I hope these help you on your next adventure!

Drop your favorite travel hacks or must-have’s below!

What Are Your Best Travel Hacks?

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