The Best Travel Gear and Accessories of 2024

After a decade of travel, and numerous stints of nomadic living, I’ve learned how to travel pretty minimally, which means the things that I do buy are exponentially more important to me. It’s taken quite a few years time to learn what the best travel gear is, mostly through trial and error.

My travel gear works for me, but it may not work for you. Because I travel so often, and because I don’t want to be replacing my gear every few months, the quality of what I choose to use is of utmost importance.

Cost is the next determining factor, but I think you’ll find that the travel accessories I use are pretty reasonably priced. That said, sometimes I do think it’s worth forking out for a piece of quality travel gear that’s going to last you—quite literally—for your entire life.

I travel carry-on only—with two bags—one on my back and one on the front. For more information on how I pack, and how I get away with never having to check a bag, you might like this article on how to travel carry-on only.

If you’re looking for what I believe to be some of the best travel gear on the market, look no further than here!

Essential Travel Gear and Travel Accessories

Let’s start with the basics. The bare essentials. On every trip, you’re going to need backpacks/luggage, toiletries, various tools, and organizational methods to keep it all in one place. After years of extensive testing, these are some of the best pieces of travel gear and travel accessories on the market today.

1

Osprey Farpoint 40L Backpack (Men)

Osprey Farpoint 40L

The Osprey Farpoint 40L is, in my opinion, the all-rounder best travel backpack. The best part? It’s sized for carry-on only!

If you’re looking for something slightly larger, the 55L version is another great option (it comes with a detachable daypack) and is also sized for carry-on travel.

Click here for my full Osprey Farpoint review.

2

Osprey Fairview 40L Backpack (Women)

Osprey Fairview 40 in black

For the ladies in the crowd, the Fairview 40L is the same bag as the Farpoint but built for the female frame. Again, the 55L version of the Fairview is a slightly larger version with a removable daypack which is also sized for carry-on travel!

Click here for my full Osprey Fairview review.

3

Peak Design Everyday Backpack

Peak Design Everyday Backpack

The Peak Design Everyday Backpack comes in 20L and 30L sizes and is the best travel daypack for every adventure. It’s carry-on sized, serves well as an every-day backpack in the city, but is just as well suited to a hike in the mountains.

This is like the Swiss Army knife of backpacks, and where many others have failed, Peak Design has come through with a remarkably elegant and functional design. With top and side access points and removable internal organizational panels, this is one of the most versatile bags you can buy.

4

Compression Sacs

Compression bags can help you fit more stuff in your bags!

The secret to traveling light? Compression sacs! They’re like packing cubes with a vacuum. Put your clothes inside, roll the compression sacs to press all the air out, and seal it shut.

You’ll fit a lot more stuff into a much smaller space—up to an 80% reduction in size!

5

Compression Packing Cubes

Eagle Creek Compression Packing Cubes

If packing cubes and compression sacs had a baby, they’d be compression cubes. They have a compression zipper to shrink the size!

Stay organized and save space at the same time.

6

Eagle Creek Pack-It Specter Tech Sac

Pack It Sac Set

Keep yourself organized with these see-through travel sacs.

Great for organizing cables, toiletries, or whatever other random travel accessories you have rolling around your bag.

7

Sea to Summit Hanging Toiletry Bag

sea to summit toiletry

The perfectly-sized toiletry bag, the Sea-to-Summit toiletry bag is water-resistant, durable and has loads of internal mesh pockets.

It comes with a shatterproof mirror and easily hangs from any hook which makes it ideal for unpacking and repacking (as in, you never have to unpack it!)

8

GRAYL GEOPRESS Filtered Water Bottle

Grayl Geopress Purifier

Not only is the GRAYL GEOPRESS BPA-free, but it removes 99.99% of viruses, 99.9999% of bacteria and 99.9% of protozoan cysts. You can drink from almost any freshwater source around the world, like hostel sinks, wells or lakes and even murky rivers without getting sick.

Not only does it purify the water, but it filters it, too, so even sedimentary sources are perfectly safe to drink from. Take clean water with you wherever you go—and stop buying so many plastic water bottles!

9

Leatherman Squirt PS4 Multi-Tool

Leatherman Squirt PS4 Mini Multi-Tool

Measuring only 2.25 in. in length and weighing less than 2 oz, the Squirt PS4 is small enough to take along on every adventure.

The stainless steel body houses a pair of regular pliers, needle-nose pliers, scissors, 3 screwdrivers, wire cutters, replaceable tweezers, a wood/metal file, straight knife, and a bottle opener.

Just make sure you don’t try to carry this on, or TSA will confiscate it!

10

Black Diamond Storm 400 Headlamp

Black Diamond

Black Diamond has been a household name for climbing and outdoor adventure gear since the late 80’s. This headlamp cranks out 400 lumens with a longer burn time in a more compact form.

It has multiple brightness modes, flood and spot modes, dimming, red, green and blue modes, an adjustable strap, and it glows in the dark so it’s easy to find. This is one the best headlamps I’ve ever used.

11

Sea to Summit Ascent Sleeping Bag

Sea to Summit Ascent Sleeping Bag

Made from responsibly sourced 750-fill-power duck down, the all new Ascent sleeping bag from Sea-to-Summit is perfect for backpacking or camping—it weighs just 2 lbs 7 oz and is rated to 15-degrees (F).

This versatile sleeping bag is ideal for most climates, including fall, spring, summer and mild winter weather. It packs down to the height of a water bottle and takes up just 6.2 liters of space when compressed, making this the perfect sleeping bag for hiking and camping.

12

Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Dry Sack

Sea-to-Summit 2L Dry Bag

An essential piece of the best travel gear, a dry bag keeps your valuables safe whenever you’re near the water. The Ultra-Sil dry sack comes in sizes from 2L – 35L and is ultra-lightweight and completely waterproof!

Pack a change of clothes or carry your camera, this lightweight dry bag is durable and comes with a roll-top enclosure.

13

Pacsafe Prosafe 800 Luggage Lock

Pacsafe Prosafe 800 Travel Sentry

Lock your zippers to keep your belongings safe, whether you’re checking your bag on a plane, riding the train or bus, staying in a shared hostel room, or simply browsing night markets.

Works great on lockers, too, if you ever need to stash your bags somewhere for a day.

Best of all, this lock is TSA-approved and you don’t need to carry a key around with you.

14

Earplugs

Matador Earplugs

My number one travel accessory! I never travel without earplugs.

Whether you’re sleeping on the plane, in a loud hostel or hotel, or just need to block out the world for a while, these are an essential travel item.

15

aLOKSAK Waterproof Bags

aLOKSAK

If you’re going to be near the water, you need a way to keep your electronics and important documents dry.

This set of four waterproof bags do everything they’re supposed to—and nothing more. Waterproof to 200ft.

16

Universal Power Adapter

Hero Universal Power Adapter

The most forgotten piece of travel gear? A power adapter!

Make sure you’re equipped for whatever country you end up in with this universal power adapter that fits every country (on both sides!).

Men's Travel Clothes

As a male traveler, myself, these are all my top picks, and the clothes I always take with me when I travel. Everything below is a piece of performance travel gear that will keep you warm, dry, ventilated, or whatever your particular travel situation calls for.

1

Arc'teryx Beta LT Weatherproof Jacket

Arc'Teryx Beta LT Jacket

The granddaddy of lightweight rain shells, the Beta LT by Arc’teryx is top of the line. Be forewarned, it isn’t the cheapest piece of gear you’ll buy, but this is an item that lasts a lifetime.

It’s completely waterproof but also breathable at the same time, which means you won’t drench yourself in sweat (and you’ll actually stay dry).

Made to be lightweight and packable, this is the perfect rain jacket for every adventure.

2

Arc'teryx Atom LT Hoody

Arc'teryx Atom LT Hoody

The Atom LT Hoody by Arc’teryx is one of the best midlayers you can buy, and also serves as an outer layer when weatherproofing isn’t an issue.

It’s incredibly lightweight and packable, but versatile and also does a remarkable job regulating your body heat.

3

Vuori Tradewind Performance Tee

Vuori Tradewind Performance Tee

I’ve been loving all things Vuori lately, and their Tradewind Performance tee is no exception. I don’t know how they do it, but everything they make is unbelievably comfortable and made for active lifestyles.

The Tradewind is a polyester/elastane blend with UPF protection and quickdry capabilities. Whether you’re working out at the gym, hiking in the backcountry or even lounging around at home, this shirt does it all.

It’s soft and stretchy and, being made mostly from polyester, this travel shirt does an excellent job wicking sweat and regulating body temperature.

4

Bluffworks Chino Travel Pants

Bluffworks Ascender Chino Pants

Bluffworks makes pants just for travelers. Though they have a few different versions available, the chinos are by far the most versatile pair.

These technical travel pants are breathable, wrinkle-resistant, quick-dry, stretchy, and best of all, comfortable. These will serve you everywhere from the board room to the top of a mountain.

5

KÜHL Radikl Shorts

Columbia Ultimate Roc Flex Short

KÜHL is known for their pants, and they make great shorts as well. Whether you’re on the plane or hiking in the mountains, the Radikl shorts by KÜHL are perfect all-rounder short for active and adventurous travelers.

They are rain and stain resistant and they feature 4-way comfort stretch technology and multi-functional pockets.

6

Altra Lone Peak ALL-WTHR Low 2

Altra Lone Peak All WTHR Low 2

Hiking boots can be too bulky to travel with, and their bulk and stiffness can actually be uncomfortable on the trail. I’ve found hiking shoes or trail runners are almost always a better option.

These hiking shoes are lightweight, travel easily, are waterproof with waterproof membranes and have aggressive grippy soles to keep you confident on any terrain.

7

ExOfficio Travel Underwear

ExOfficio mens

Ditch your cotton underwear—they don’t serve travelers well.

ExOfficio makes underwear just for travel, which means they’re lightweight, ultra-breathable, quick-dry, moisture-wicking, and gosh darn comfortable.

You could easily travel forever with just two pairs of ExOfficio’s—one to wear and one that you wash in the sink (or shower) each night.

8

Cool Mesh II Wrightsock

coolmesh wrightsock

Wrightsock doesn’t have any fancy marketing, but they make one heck of a sock.

Though they produce a lot of styles, the Cool Mesh—their best selling— is a breathable, lightweight double-layer sock designed for a minimal feel.

They’re great travel socks that serve well for running, walking and hiking. Best of all—they dry really fast!

Women's Travel Clothes

The female members of the TravelFreak team weighed in and provided some recommendations for their favorite travel clothes. Similar to the men’s section, these are all performance items as opposed to fashionable ones.

1

Arc'teryx Beta LT Weatherproof Jacket

Arc'Teryx Beta LT Jacket Women's

Invest in quality gear once and you’ll save money over time. The Beta LT by Arc’teryx is the epitome of this mantra.

It’s a top-of-the-line, lightweight rain shell that you’ll use for the rest of your life. Though it comes with a heftier price tag, it’s the only one you’ll ever need, which means you’ll save a lot of money in the long run.

This is, by and far, the best travel rain jacket I’ve ever owned.

2

Arc'teryx Atom LT Hoody

Arc'teryx Atom LT Hoody Black

The Atom LT Hoody belongs in every traveler’s bag. It’s a warm yet breathable midlayer that also serves as an outer layer when you’re not dodging the rain. Surprisingly lightweight given its warmth rating, there’s a reason Arc’teryx is one of the best outdoor clothing brands on the market.

3

Ably Polly T-Shirt

Ably wicking shirt for women

The ultimate travel t-shirt, the Polly by Ably is made from 100% premium cotton but treated with Filium. It’s a revolutionary technology that makes fabrics water-repellent and stain- and odor-resistant.

Wear it for days on end and nobody would be able to tell!

4

Dragon Fit Stash Pocket Leggings

Dragon Fit Stash Pocket Leggings

A pair of leggings are a must for any female traveler, but a good pair of leggings will elevate the entire travel experience.

You want leggings that will last—and these ones will. Built with breathable, moisture-wicking, quick-drying fabric, these Dragon Fit leggings have light compression properties and a buttery soft feel with 4-way stretch for full range of movement.

Perfect for hikes, yoga or long plane rides.

5

prAna Sopra Sports Bra

Prana Sports Bra

prAna makes some of the best clothes for active adventurers, and the Sopra sports bra is no exception.

Made from recycled polyester, this sports bra is moisture-wicking, comes with removable modesty cups and features a wide racerback with lattice straps.

Great for jogs, yoga, relaxing and even summer hiking.

6

ExOfficio Travel Underwear

ExOfficio Travel Underwear

Ditch your cotton underwear—they don’t serve travelers well.

ExOfficio makes underwear just for travel, which means they’re lightweight, ultra-breathable, quick-dry, moisture-wicking, and gosh darn comfortable.

You could easily travel forever with just two pairs of ExOfficio’s—one to wear and one that you wash in the sink (or shower) each night.

7

Cool Mesh II Wrightsock

coolmesh wrightsock

Wrightsock doesn’t have any fancy marketing, but they make one heck of a sock.

Though they produce a lot of styles, the Cool Mesh—their best selling— is a breathable, lightweight double-layer sock designed for a minimal feel.

They’re great travel socks that serve well for running, walking and hiking. Best of all—they dry really fast!

8

Columbia Redmond Waterproof Hiking Shoes

Women’s Redmond Waterproof Low Hiking Shoe

Since hiking boots are bulky to pack, hiking shoes are the next best option with a sneaker-like low profile.

The Redmonds by Columbia are waterproof yet breathable which means they’re perfect in the rain—or any time, really!

The soles are sticky and, above all else, these won’t cost you an arm and a leg (you wouldn’t be able to wear shoes without a leg, anyway).

Electronics

Running a travel blog means I have to travel with slightly more/different equipment than most. Weight and size of electronics are big factors, but everything here easily fits into my two bags. What you see below is essentially my mobile office!

1

MacBook Pro

13

Big enough for professional work but small enough to carry everywhere you go, the MacBook Pro is the best option for professionals who travel or people who need to get work done on the road.

As someone who works and travels constantly, I use the 15″, but this is probably too big for the average person.

2

Google Pixel 4

google pixel

Sporting the best camera in any smartphone available, the Google Pixel 4 is also one of the best overall smartphones you can buy.

It runs pure Android, which means it doesn’t come with any extra software installed (a.k.a. “bloatware”) that might slow down your device.

3

LaCie Rugged Mini 4TB

LaCie Rugged Mini External Hard Drive

Hard drives have a habit of breaking or crashing when on the move.

Luckily, LaCie makes a drive with a patent-pending rubber casing that protects the drive from drops and heavy-ish abuse.

Inside the casing are Seagate drives which are some of the best and most well-respected drives in the industry.

4

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite

Kindle Paperwhite

No bag is fully packed without an eReader, and the Paperwhite is arguably the gold standard.

Featuring a paper-like reading experience and a crisp 300ppi display, the latest Paperwhite is now waterproof, which means no more worries in the bath or by the beach!

5

JBL Flip 5 Bluetooth Speaker

JBL Flip 4 Bluetooth Speaker

Bring the party—or the chill—everywhere you go. This Bluetooth speaker is incredibly rugged and durable (it’s fully waterproof!) and has sound so good it might surprise you.

Bring it to the beach, start the party at your hostel or listen to podcasts in the shower—it’s all good with the Flip 5.

Plus, the cylindrical shape means it fits perfectly in your water-bottle pocket, so it’s extremely portable!

6

Universal Power Adapter

TESSAN Universal Travel Adapter

The most forgotten piece of travel gear? A power adapter!

Make sure you’re equipped for whatever country you end up in with this universal power adapter that fits every country (on both sides!).

Travel Photography Gear

If you’re interested in my photography equipment, these are the mainstays of my kit. For some extra photography accessories, plugins, and courses, check out my post on the best equipment for travel photography.

1

Fujifilm X-T30

fujifilm xt3

The most compact, pro-level travel camera you can buy at a very reasonable price point. You won’t find a better bang for your buck than the X-T30.

For other options, check out this post on the best mirrorless cameras for travel.

2

Fujinon 16-55m f/2.8

fujinon 16-55

The elite “standard zoom” for the Fujifilm X-mount series with a fixed f2.8 aperture. It’s a pricey lens, but if you’re serious about your photography, you’ll definitely want this one in your arsenal.

Because Fujifilm cameras have a 1.5x crop factor, this lens is equivalent to 24-82mm, which is similar to the industry standard 24-70.

3

Fujinon 10-24mm f/4 Wide Angle

Fujinon XF10-24mm f/4

Every travel photographer needs a wide-angle lens, and this is, without question, the best one available for the Fujifilm X-mount.

Because Fujifilm cameras have a 1.5x crop factor, this lens is equivalent to 15-36mm (similar to the standard 16-35).

4

3 Legged Thing Punks Corey Travel Tripod

3 Legged Thing Punks Corey Travel Tripod

You may or may not have heard of 3 Legged Thing, but they’re a company to watch. The Punks Corey is made of aluminum, weighs 3.4lbs and is just 13.7″ when folded.

It’s lightweight and compact but expands to a full 58″ high. It even turns into a monopod when the situation calls for it. Ballhead included.

5

DJI Mavic Pro 2

dji mavic pro 2

Without question, the Mavic Pro 2 is the best drone for travel photography. With 31 minutes of flight time and a range of up to 4-miles, you’ll be able to capture any aerial you want.

The Pro 2 features a Hasselblad camera with a 20MP CMOS sensor for optimal image quality.

Highly recommended are the Fly More bundle (extra batteries and propellers) and DJI Care Refresh (warranty)—which you will most definitely be using.

6

GoPro Hero 13 Action Camera

GoPro Hero 13

Everybody knows GoPro, and for good reason. They make the best action cameras on the market.

Their latest release, the GoPro Hero 13, ships with some of the best stabilization technology I’ve seen, which means you can film without a gimbal!

The 12MP sensor shoots at 4K and, like the previous versions, has a touchscreen LCD.

7

Rode Video Mic

Rode Video Mic

Any videographer will need an external mic, and this Rode shotgun mic fits the bill. It’s an excellent all-rounder microphone and it won’t break the budget.

8

Vello ShutterBoss Wireless Intervalometer

Vello Wireless Intervalometer

If you plan to shoot tripod selfies or long exposures longer than 30 seconds, you’ll need an intervalometer. Vello makes the best and this one is wireless up to 250 feet!

Travel Insurance

We never leave home without travel insurance. In the same way you’d insure your home, health or car, it’s equally important to insure your trip. Whether your trip gets canceled, you get injured on the road or your smartphone gets stolen, travel insurance covers your back.

It could, literally, save you thousands of dollars.

My insurance company of choice is World Nomads. Just fill out the form below for a free quote, check out the full World Nomads travel insurance review, or click here for a comparison of the top travel insurance companies out there.

Jeremy Scott Foster
About the Author

Jeremy Scott Foster

Jeremy Scott Foster is an adventure-junkie, gear expert and travel photographer based in Southern California. Previously nomadic, he’s been to ~50 countries and loves spending time outdoors. You can usually find him on the trail, on the road, jumping from bridges or hustling on his laptop working to produce the best travel and outdoors content today.
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