16 Truly Essential Travel Gadgets

These 16 practical travel gadgets and accessories are what I use. They will also ideally accompany you on your next trip and make it more enjoyable. I made sure that it doesn't matter whether you are a woman or a man. Whether you are heading to the beach or the mountains. Everyone will find something useful here, I promise.

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A good sleep mask is half the battle on long-haul flights or when traveling to the high north in summer, when the sun doesn't set. Buying this gadget was an absolutely worthwhile investment for me. I can only sleep well in darkness. This product ensures that I can sleep deeply no matter where I am, as the blackout is top-notch! No light gets through the mask and due to the deep eye sockets, it is very comfortable (even for side sleepers).

Here you can check out my sleep mask

Do you spill things as often as I do? I am really clumsy, a splash of salad dressing or a piece of fresh fruit often ends up on my shirt or pants.

That's why I've made it a habit to always carry a stain remover pen with me. It is important to treat stains immediately. I always have the Dr. Beckmann eXpress stain remover pen on hand while traveling.

For clumsy people like me, the stain removers for oily and saucy foods (oil, ketchup, and butter) and the ones for grease and oils (especially when I have my mountain bike or gravel bike with me on trips, this stain remover is great for removing chain oil)

It doesn't matter if I'm going on a city break, a road trip, or a multi-day hike with a tent: A travel pillow is always a good idea. On long flights, train journeys, and even in my own camper van, having my own pillow means comfort that I can't do without.

For hiking, I have a tiny compact travel pillow that I recommend to everyone. For all other types of travel (also for traveling with a van), I have recently acquired the pillow from Blackroll. Often touted, I now always carry it with me - it has even replaced my normal pillow at home. The "Recovery Pillow" is a must-have for travelers. You can roll it up small and compact and stow it in your travel bag. The cover is washable.

This gift will definitely make travelers happy. My favorite gadget that I now like to gift to friends and family.

Who knows the struggle? Headphones on airplanes or hop-on-hop-off buses are often disposable products that one tends to avoid. Plus, the sound quality isn't great and you would much prefer to use your own true wireless headphones (I use AirPods). That's now possible thanks to the Bluetooth adapter. Essential, my latest and most important gadget when I sit on a plane and want to watch a movie.

I use this one (check it out on Amazon). I'm sure there are other manufacturers too.

I couldn't quite warm up to Ohropax in the past. However, since the AirPods (Apple) run out of battery while I sleep and I then wake up (helpful in the USA, when the ventilation in hotels cannot be turned off), I now always carry Ohropax with me.No matter what. Also useful while hiking when tent neighbors snore, in cabins or hostels.

I use these Ohropax and soon, I plan to have a custom earplug made by an audiologist. I always carry my Apple AirPods with me too. Especially on trains and planes.

Do you have heavy perfume bottles? Then I have found a solution: a small refillable perfume spray that I really recommend to every travel companion when I see someone with big glass bottles. No one wants to do without perfume, right? The practical spray is super easy to refill. Of course, you can also fill other liquids.

I recommend this set, because the other one (link) was junk and leaked.

Not only for underwater shots, a waterproof phone case is an indispensable travel gadget. Even though phones are now mostly water-resistant, this case also protects against dirt, dust, and other environmental factors. If the charging port is wet, you will have to wait a long time before the charging cable works again.

Especially on my last trip to Oman, we were able to take amazing pictures of turtles underwater.

When choosing the right case, it's important to consider which phone you have. I use this one.

An essential piece of travel gear that often gets forgotten is a first-aid kit. Especially during outdoor activities like mountain biking or hiking, this handy bag can come in handy more often than you'd think. When vacationing with children, things can more frequently go wrong. A basic set of travel supplies with band-aids, gauze, disinfectant, and tick tweezers can quickly become important. Especially if there is no pharmacy nearby.

Make sure that the first aid kit is still valid and the contents aren't expired and are dry.

I own this compact first aid-kit with a basic supply and accessories (with first aid cheat sheet).

When you know what you want to take with you, the next step is to sort your luggage. I use packing cubes for this purpose. I separate T-shirts, tanks, underwear, and socks into the appropriate packing bags (I own three different sizes). This way, I keep everything organized inside my backpack.

Inside the cubes, everything is rolled wrinkle-free instead of folded. Each T-shirt, tank, and pair of pants. This saves you a lot of space, gives you a better overview, and most importantly, quick access to all items.

For hikes, it's crucial that the packing bags are waterproof so that the clothes remain dry. That's why I bought three packing bags from Patagonia. For the camera, I have an extremely thick one from Ortlieb. The red packing bag is also perfect for dirty laundry. The flatter ones are great for documents.

The travel safe from Pacsafe is a type of portable safe for travelers. It is the best choice to protect your laptop or camera from thieves. Often the laptop doesn't fit into the hotel room safe. That is now a thing of the past.

You can get the 12L version for under €100 at the Kaufland Shop.

The outer fabric is very robust, and the inside is made from stainless steel wire, making the bag tear-resistant. It is additionally reinforced by another, coarser steel mesh. Inside is cotton fabric, so your belongings are well protected and won't get scratched. You can tighten the bag with a drawstring like a fabric bag. Only this drawstring is made of steel and can be additionally secured with a combination lock.

This travel safe also fits into a daypack. Especially for world travelers, this gadget is useful as it allows you to securely pack and lock your valuables.

There are 2 versions: 5 liters and 12 liters. I use the 12-liter version as it fits my camera, 12" laptop, and important travel documents.

Since I tested the deodorant from Holy Pit, I have become a huge fan. The deodorant is always with me and lasted me throughout 8 weeks in Iceland without needing to replace it. Holy Pit even received an award for sustainability for it. There is now also a solid soap from Holy Pit that is smaller than the shower block and lasts longer (the shower block contains ingredients not meant for nature). My new favorite is called Oriental Bath. Give it a try; there are great starter packages to test the products. I love Holy Pit not just while traveling but also at home.

By the way: Vegan and cruelty-free (Peta approved), no silicones, parabens, or microplastics.

Minimalists say, get rid of it. I say: bring it along! Anyone who travels without a headlamp is asking for trouble. Because power outages or no power happen often enough while traveling. For hikes (multi-day hikes) or when photographing the Milky Way, having both hands free is a blessing. Just like when camping in Africa, in the Tatacoa Desert of Colombia, or even on the beautiful San Blas islands in Panama. It has also been useful in Tanzania (Kilimanjaro hike), Kenya, Costa Rica, Mexico, Uganda, Rwanda, Botswana, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and many other countries.

My ACTIK CORE headlamp from Petzl has (important for safaris) a red light mode. This allows you to spot animals during night safaris (game drives) without dazzling them.

Fortunately, the days of needing to pack 3-4 different charging cables are over. While USB-C has largely established itself as the standard, some gadgets still use the Lightning connector (Apple) or the old Micro USB format (like Kindle).

This practical cable from InCharge is magnetic and features USB-C, Lightning, and the old USB connector. It's available in various lengths (I use them in my camper and at home).

I own three of them, short to long (1m) in different colors. While my travel companions have black ones, mine are longer and white. Here you can check out the cable (30 cm).

A power bank is super useful when there's no outlet or power available. Whether it's during a long-haul flight (yes, some airlines still don't have USB ports or outlets at the seat), on multi-day hiking trips (Laugavegur Trail in Iceland or Kilimanjaro in Tanzania), or on a city trip.

The advantages:

Officially not allowed in checked luggage at airports - but no one has ever checked me (unlike the camera batteries I once forgot and were immediately confiscated). Since I got Apple AirTags, I keep one in checked baggage, one in my backpack, and one in my camera. Even my bicycles, car, and house keys, and multiple campers are equipped with AirTags. For iPhone users, they are really great. Thanks to the Find My app on the iPhone, I can immediately see where my gadgets are located (if an iPhone is nearby).

Capture your travel memories with my designed travel journals. For me, personal travel journals are among the most beautiful souvenirs from my trips.

Check out my tips on crafting and writing travel journals here or view directly in my shop.

These were our essential tips for travel gadgets in short.

Of course, we've also created detailed lists for our travel luggage. We pack different things for each trip. Be sure to check out our summer vacation packing list, my packing list for city trips, the checklist for vacation with baby, or the packing list for road trips. For hikes, we have the packing list for Kilimanjaro.

What are your favorite travel gadgets that you can't do without?

Certain travel essentials like the Blackroll pillow are ones I can't travel without, no matter if it's a short ski trip, a city break, or multi-week road trips. These gadgets enhance every journey.

I hope you found this article helpful and answered your questions.

Can you share your favorite travel gadgets with us? Which travel essentials do you always carry that you can't do without? If you have more ideas or questions, we would love to hear your comment here on the travel blog.

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