You can pretty much guarantee that every adventure will come with it’s bumps in the road, but with careful planning and a few handy travel accessories you can be prepared for anything.
We’ve all been there – you’re having the holiday of a lifetime ticking item after item off your bucket list and then something you hadn’t planned for happens. With travel it’s the nature of the beast, and it wouldn’t really be an adventure if everything was easy.
When you’re heading out into the wild it’s important to plan for 4 crucial things; shelter, water, food and safety. Whether you plan to be gone a weekend or a week, you won’t last long without a place to sleep away from the weather and creepy crawlies, safe drinking water, some food to refuel, and some safety equipment to treat bites, scrapes and bruises.
With these four crucial elements in mind, here are 5 essential travel accessories so that you can stay safe and enjoy your travels.
5 Travel Accessories You Need To Be Prepared For Anything
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Compact Travel Hammock
Easier to pitch than a tent and safe away from all the creepy crawlies on the ground, a compact travel hammock is a great piece of travel gear to ensure you shelter and a safe nights sleep on your travels.
Perfect for woodland and rainforest adventures, simply pair with a mosquito net and your favourite sleeping bag/blanket and you’ll be sleeping like a baby. After shopping around, Hobo Hammocks have proven to be by far the best value for money, with a few fun added perks thrown into the mix.
Click to Compare The Best Camping Hammocks
A Good Quality Watch
Don’t rely on your smartphone when you’re in the outdoors, and especially if you’re heading out on a long trip without power (camping, hiking, trekking etc). Once your smartphone runs out of batteries, breaks, or gets carried off by a bear (we’re being prepared for anything remember!) you’ll need something reliable to help keep track of the time.
Tag Heuer watches are synonymous with precision, high-quality, and an adventurous spirit, and the watches stay true to their motto: They “don’t crack under pressure.” If you’re on a budget, you can actually find cheaper, second-hand models from sites like this.
Camelbak All Clear UV Water Purifier
Whether you’re exploring hot or cold climates you’ll need clean drinking water to fuel you for long days of adventure. It’s not always practical to carry large quantities of the bottled stuff, so a water purifier is a great investment.
Whether it’s integrated into your bottle like this Camelbak All Clear UV Water Purifier or simple sachets that you can use as and when needed you’ll be glad when you have safe water to keep you refreshed on your travels.
Huntsman Red Swiss Army Knife
A multi-tool is a great accessory to take on your travels, just make sure you’re not carrying it in your hand luggage to avoid getting it confiscated at the airport.
As the name suggests, multi-tools have several attachments making them handy in a variety of situations. Most multi-tools will include a corkscrew, a knife, screwdriver and bottle opener which can prove lifesaving if you need to cut up some firewood to cook any food you’ve taken with you or foraged.
Lifesystems Traveller First Aid Kit
You’d think that taking a first aid kit along when you’re travelling to remote destinations would be a no-brainer, but in fact it’s something that people often overlook. Whether this means re-stocking an existing first aid kit or buying a new one make sure to take one with you on all of your travels.
Sometimes in a new country it’s easier to supply yourself rather than try to find the word for ‘pharmacy’ or ‘emergency room.’ Make sure you have some painkillers, bandages, antiseptic, scissors and antidiarrheal medication. (New cuisines aren’t always gentle on the stomach.)
Travel Prepared
So there you have the top 5 travel accessories to be prepared for anything. Get kitted out with the right travel products and you’ll be ready for anything wherever your holidays take you.
We also recommend traveling with tweezers, duct tape, toilet paper, a toothpick, and a couple of spare plastic bags.
WE RECOMMEND YOU TRAVEL WITH A FIRST AID KIT: CLICK PHOTO ↓
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24 Comments
May I also add to your list the ever reliable and ever convenient wet wipes. I use it for eating, the toilet, for when there’s no time to wash my face or my hands, removing makeup, and just about anything. It’s really useful when travelling.
Get tips on the wet wipes Carla … I’ll have to add them to my bag for my next trip. Can definitely see how they would be useful for just about everything … we always travel with hand sanitize in a squeeze bottle, but perhaps wet wipes would be even more multi functional :)
We recently added a thermometer to our travel pack after one really long night with a high fever in a hotel. We had to borrow the hotel’s thermometer just to see if the fever was high enough to worry about. You never know what situation you’re going to find yourself in – it’s best to be prepared!
Thermometer is definitely a clever thing to have with you in a first aid kit … sorry to hear that you came down with a fever while away, that’s never fun. Glad that the hotel was able to come to your aid though.
Definitely always better to be prepared for as many situations as possible!
Nice round-up of travel essentials. We bring a water filter, but I like the idea of the all-in-one Camelbak All Clear UV Water Purifier. A Swiss army knife saved us from starvation when we visited Tahiti in 1994. (which I just realized makes a great blog post title for that post I have yet to write.)
I also carry Immodium, Benadryl, Sudafed, a prescription decongestant, and a Zpack.
Wow, a Swiss army knife saving you from starvation really would make for a great blog post title! Glad to hear that it served you well … sorry to hear about the starvation though
Great tips on Immodium, Benadryl, Sudafed, a prescription decongestant, and a Zpack. Sounds like you’ve got a really comprehensive medical kit.
Safe travels Debra X
How do go with getting a swiss army knife through customs especially in this day and time? We always carry a first aid kit because when travelling with kids its only a matter of time before our Willow and Marley will need a band-aid, bandage, stingo’s or something similar lol
Need to travel with it in your checked luggage and not carry on, otherwise they confiscate it. I’ve never had any trouble with getting through customs with a swiss army knife though – I guess it would depend on the country you’re entering and what they class as a weapon.
Glad to hear you’re all decked out with a first aid kit – yes, I can see how it would come in handy quite a lot when you’re traveling with kids!
This is a really great list Megan! Personally, I can’t live without my Swiss Army Knife and water purifier especially when I’m out on hikes or nature treks. They’re really such helpful items that are not to be missed.
Thanks Aileen! Totally with you on the army knife and water purifier being even more essential when you’re out on a nature trek. Never know when you’re really going to need them, and in some instances they can definitely prove life saving!
Nice post very useful. Im a big fan of wayer purifiers especially when in Asia.
Thanks Lily – water purifiers are probably the best thing you can travel with when you’re heading overseas. Half the time it’s not necessarily that the water is unsafe per say, just that you’re not used to the different levels of chemicals they use in other countries.
Am interested as to why you chose the Huntsman Swiss Army Knife. I prefer the champ. it has everything you may possibly want.
Hi Bruce, true, the champ is pretty extensive! I like the Huntsman because it’s got everything I’ve personally ever needed but simplified – Champ will more than have you covered for any situation too though!
I got a kick out of reading this because for you adventure kids, these are some “don’t leave home without it” things. For myself, I would never even begin to know how to use any of them. LOL My list (lame old travelers) would be like credit card, charger cords, sunscreen, sunglasses, and lip balm. lol BTW- cute photo of you in the hammock!
Haha well hey, maybe you can start with one or two of these and see how you go … I actually love stringing up my hammock even just in the backyard when I want some time out of the house Feels like an adventure in itself!!
Great List !! I had not heard of the UV Purifier which seems to be amazing !! Regarding Swiss Military knife, I too had it and its very useful
Thanks Sumti! A UV Purifier is a really smart travel essential to have – so many countries have unsafe drinking water, and most of the time it’s not necessarily that the water overseas makes you sick because it is unclean, but just that you’re used to different levels of chemicals where you live. So I love having it on hand even when we’re not out trekking in the wild :)
Great list! I definitely agree with the multitool swiss knife. I was so gutted because I just got one and was so excited about it…then I realized that I had accidentally packed it inside my carry on bag. We had already checked in our bags so the airport staff took it away from me! I also always carry some electrical tape with me! You never know when it would come in handy.
Thanks Anna – ah, yep that sucks!! I’ve been there once or twice too actually … you never forget putting in your checked luggage after they’ve taken it away from you once!
Electrical tape is fabulous to have on hand too … has gotten me out of a few binds before :D!
Loved these suggestions. (Not sure I’d use the hammock, though…)
There’s a vital item off the list- that too many lack (and therefore can’t bring along)- common sense!
Totally agree with you there on traveling with common sense! Sadly not so common anymore, but yes, absolutely vital to survival in any situation abroad (or at home for that matter!!)
Absolutely correct on the travel hammock. Got mine last year and can’t live without it. Easy setup, super comfortable, away from the creepy crawlers…and packs up so small and light. I use a bivy sack over my sleeping bag and its good in most climates. Great article Megan!
They’re fabulous aren’t they!! So glad you enjoyed the article :) Happy new year!