Blog Post #14: My Packing Essentials for Travel and How I Keep Them Organized

Read time: 5-10 minutes

TLDR:

• The items below are part of my essentials for packing when travelling…hostelling or not
• When purchasing items to keep organized, ALWAYS choose one where the compartments are see-through or made of mesh
• Each of these I researched fairly thoroughly and those I’ve linked are chosen because they have extra utility over alternatives – please enjoy making use of my many hours of over researching!

*Note: I’ve provided links to the products that I personally carry with me while travelling. As an Amazon Affiliate, I may earn from qualifying purchases; however, all those that I linked below (underlined and italicized) are ones that I truly think are worthwhile. There’s no extra cost to you and it helps me keep travelling/writing about my adventures. Win-win! (Though honestly, no pressure to use my links!)

Preamble:

Why hello hello Readers!

I’ve been travelling for the past 9 months now with a 40L carry on backpack (i.e. can be brough as a carry-on and stored in the overhead compartment). These items below are the ones I think are most essential for me to carry especially if one is going to be hostelling. I didn’t include any clothing and such because I’ll leave that for another post.

For All Travellers:

What	Why
Laundry Drawstring Bag	Keep dirty laundry separate from your clean clothes. Also, useful as another daypack
Collapsible reusable food container	Make/keep leftovers to save money! I really like decreasing single use containers whether at home or on the go. The ones I linked didn’t leak, but I also didn’t put soup inside.
Universal Travel Adaptor	When travelling around the world, not all countries use the same style of plug. The one I use can be used in any country around the world. I splurged a little and purchased the Epicka branded one which has great reviews
Utensils	Some grocery stores don’t give you utensils if you buy ready made food…plus you have a reusable food container so you need to eat your food with something. I’d recommend carrying it in a ziplock bag as it’s smaller and easier to find visually.
Eyemask	Block light to sleep on a train, plane or your hostel room when someone turns on the hostel room light at 3am
Earplugs	Block out noise of snorers. I like the Loop earplugs because: – Environmentally friendlier than foam – block more noise than foam – super super comfortable even when sleeping on my side
TSA-Approved lock (2)	– Lock up your bag when travelling in airports or train stations – Some hostels don’t have locks to lend you These ones are chosen for these reasons: – solid metal: the cable loop ones sometimes don’t work with certain hostel locks – TSA-approved: when travelling through an airport, if security wants to see inside, but can’t get inside they’ll cut your lock. TSA-approved means they can open it with specific customs keys – 4 digit combo
Needle and Thread	So useful for little repairs or even adapting your gear to suit your needs (post to come!)
Powerbank	Useful whenever travelling, but specifically in some hostels, there’s no power outlet by your bed. Chosen because: – Built-in cables: more handy than fishing around for a separate cable – 10000mAh is enough for me to charge my phone twice…plenty for me
Mini Reusable shopping bag	Lightweight and helpful for everything. I specifically love mine when carrying clothing to a hostel bathroom (minimal counter space…and ???clean). The one I linked is an example of what I’d purchase for several reasons: – lightweight and small – handles large enough to sling over shoulder – pouch is attached (cannot be lost and when folded, won’t catch on other things) – has a loop so you can attach a hook and put it on your backpack
RFID Credit Card Blocker	Japan 2023 – someone tried to use my credit card online, card was blocked, back up credit card wasn’t accepted at some retailers, ATM gave me trouble. Had to rely on brother. …just do it. (yes it’s a pain at times, but honestly after that experience, I will always use them now. Also, the credit card I was planning on using has no foreign transaction fee! Could’ve saved so much money! Link here)
Money Belt	Pickpockets are super common in Europe. In other areas of the world, someone could steal your bag and wallet. Always keep a backup credit card and the equivalent of $100 in the local currency in this belt. It’s enough to get you a taxi to your hotel or to the hospital (some places won’t take you to the hospital unless you can pay right there).

For All Travellers – Keeping Organized!
I’ve come across some travellers who don’t use packing cubes or only use ziptop bags. Cheers to you! I can’t do it. Having my items organized such that they’re easy to locate, see what’s inside and grab help to keep me sane saving me time and energy.

What	Why
Osprey Fairview 40L	– Large main compartment which is opened like a typical suitcase. Much easier to locate items than backpacks where you access from the top. Other reasons it was chosen: – INCREDIBLE back support with hip and chest straps – Straps can be zipped away and compression to make the bag look smaller when going through the airport
Hanging Toiletry Bag	This one hit the mark for me for several reasons: – multiple compartments with mesh or plastic so I can see what’s there – hook: so many washrooms don’t have the counter space to put a bag…but there is often a place to hang it! – waterproof material: if you do find a counter, often times it’s wet
Electronics organizer	Helpful for organizing cables, powerbanks, medications etc… The one I’ve linked is great because it’s got so many pouches but all have mesh so you can see what’s inside
Compression Packing Cubes	These help to keep my warmer clothes, summer clothes, shoes and undergarments separate. When travelling these are my drawer organizers. I personally splurged for these ones for several reasons: – compression: helps everything fit in a small bag – have reflectors: useful for finding in the dark (hostel) – have a handle: didn’t think this was so helpful, but I grab them this way all the time – can be used as a cushion when filled – mesh: easier to remember/see what’s inside
Clear ziplock bags – sandwich and large (at least 5 each)	While not so environmentally friendly, some are made of thicker plastic so can be reused many times. They’re necessary for me because it’s easy to see what’s inside and there’s so much utility. I’ve used them to store leftovers, separate cash, store my utensils, separate my art supplies…
Twist ties and elastic bands (5 each)	Useful for tying cables or closing food bags

Hostel Specific:

Item	Why
Flip Flops	To wear around the hostel…especially in the showers which might be a bit dirty
Reading Light	Many hostel rooms don’t have a reading light next to the bed…you can thank me later. This is the one I bought after using someone else’s (thanks Ariel!). Hotel, hostel or otherwise, it’s a life-saver and so small!
String (4 meters)	– Make yourself a privacy curtain (see pic below) on the bottom bunk  – Laundry line – feel like a hostel boss.
Clothing pins (5)	– To make a privacy curtain in dorm rooms with your towel – To hang laundry
Laundry Detergent sheets	– Do some sink laundry yourself and save some money – scented ones are also useful to keep smells at bay if kept with dirty laundry (thanks Veronika!)
“S” hook or one with a clip	Extra hook for your privacy curtain or to hang clothes
Active Noise Cancelling Bluetooth earbuds or wired earbuds*	When the snoring gets too loud, I use white noise and put it through my earbuds. It takes a bit of getting used to, but it helps a ton and keeps me from getting irritated by noise. Wired earbuds are smaller so they don’t hurt like bluetooth earbuds when I sleep on my side *Note: the wired earbuds I linked are not the ones I use, but are an example of what I have currently…
Microfiber Towel	Some hostels don’t have towels or cost money to rent. Microfiber is great for quick drying plus it’s lightweight! I love this one specifically for several reasons: – has a loop for hanging which can be open/snapped – carrying case: good for organization – comes with a face towel **if heading to a place with many beaches, I’d recommend 2…one for beach and one for showering

Items I Considered, but Excluded:

There are some items in the table below that I came across during my research, but decided against mostly due to space. Perhaps useful to you in your travels…

What?	Excluded Because?
RFID Blocker for Passport	While useful especially for holding backup credit cards, it was too bulky
Full Cutlery Travel Set with Case	Only need chopsticks and a spoon. Case too bulky and travel set too long
Waterproof Phone Pouch/Wallet	Originally purchased for going to the beach, but too bulky. Plus, I’d just find another solo traveller, make a friend and we could watch each others’ items
Pillow/Blanket liner	Some hostels aren’t very clean in areas of Southeast Asia and it’s nice to know you’re clean/keep bugs off you. Excluded because I didn’t have space plus I was only planning on Europe which has good hostels that are clean

Summary:

And that’s a wrap! A lot of these tips I got off many hours of researching (like anxiety researching of “I must be prepared for everything!), but others I learned from chatting with other travellers. Thus, if you’re reading this and have other items that are part of your essentials list that I didn’t mention (or you have questions), please post it in the comments below! The best way to learn is to learn from one another.

Happy travels!

Tracy