Top 40 Travel Essentials for Digital Nomads (Must-have Packing Checklist)
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As a blogger & content creator who is always on the go, traveling & exploring new places, travel essentials are something I swear by. Anddd after visiting over 30+ countries in the past few years, I think it’s safe to say that I’ve learned some solid packing tips along the way!
That’s why I put together this handy little guide for all you digital nomads & long-term travellers out there!
Read along for a list of the 40 must have items for your next international trip— trust me, you won’t want to leave your house without these items!
1. Skyroam Solis Wifi Hotspot
Let’s just put this one out here for a second— there’s one thing you seriously can’t live without as a digital nomad: good wifi. Yes, sure— we live in a technology driven world & most cafes have good wifi.
But trust me here, friend— when you travel as much as I do (especially in third world countries), you’re definitely going to run into sticky situations where good wifi just isn’t accessible.
This is why I highllllly suggest investing in the handy dandy Skyroam Solis Hotspot that lets you access wifi from anywhere in the world. You pay a one-time payment for the device itself, then you can either purchase day passes or opt for an unlimited wifi pass (around $100/month at the time this article was written).
2. An Away Suitcase
In case you’ve been wondering— yes, this thing is 100% worth the hype. I ordered “The Medium” Away Luggage in Sand & this thing has truly changed my travel game.
I do have to admit— I’m a bit of a princess when it comes to travel. Most digital nomads are going to recommend that you don’t bring checked luggage at all & just opt for a carry-on suitcase & backpack or duffel bag. But again, I’m a princess— so I bring #AllTheThings. To each their own.
3. Packing Cubes
Alright, so there’s a funny (and slightly embarrassing) story with this one. I wrote an article a while back about “How to Pack a Suitcase like a Pro”. I included a little section in the article about the importance of packing cubes. Really, I hadn’t actually purchased the packing cubes yet (I know, horrible of me) but knew they were awesome space savers because a friend of mine used them religiously.
Well… I went on a Europe trip with my cousin, Kasey back in March. She asked me, “where’s your packing cubes?! I read your article so I bought some to save space!”. I think I nearly died laughing— she caught me in my little internet lie (I had just started my blog… give me a little slack). Needless to say, I wasn’t laughing in the end because my suitcase was a disaster throughout my entire trip.
Well… I purchased the packing cubes (for real this time) and am so pumped to never be disorganized on my travels ever again.
4. A solid backpack/rucksack
I’m just gonna be straight up with you here— the backpack I’m about to recommend isn’t the “cutest” purchase I’ve ever made. But if you need to pack efficiently, who the heck cares what it looks like?!
SwissGear Scansmart TSA Laptop Backpack
The Swiss Gear ScanSmart Backpack is honestly one of the best travel purchases I’ve ever made and was an absolute life savior on my latest solo trip. It seriously fits everything that I didn’t wanna pack in my checked luggage— laptop, camera/lenses, iPad, charging accessories, hard drives, books, change of clothes, makeup and more (I’m so serious). If you need to pack #AllTheThings, I highly suggest investing in this bad boy.
PS— If ya can’t get enough of solo travel, you might also love:
5. DSLR Camera
As a full-time content creator, I’m sure you can imagine that I never leave for a trip without my absolute faveeeee tech accessory— my DSLR camera! If you’re new to the photography world, these are the camera bodies I suggest:
Best Professional DSLR camera Body
If you're looking for something more professional, I highly recommend the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV or the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. I'm about to switch from the Mark III to the Mark IV because the Mark III does NOT have wifi capabilities or automatic focus features (which is super important if you plan on getting into video).
If you're a Nikon user, I suggest going with the Nikon D850 camera body.
Best Intermediate DSLR camera Body
For intermediate camera bodies (Canon) I suggest going with the Canon EOS 6D Mark II (wifi enabled).
Again, if you're a Nikon user, I suggest going with the Nikon D750 camera body.
Best Beginner DSLR camera Body
For beginning (Canon) photographers, I highly recommend the Canon EOS Rebel T6 .
For the Nikon users, I recommend going with the Nikon D3500 (I shoot with a Canon now, but this was the first camera body I started with!)
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If you wanna learn more about travel photography, you might be interested in the following article: How to shoot in manual mode— Photography Cheat Sheet for Camera Settings
6. Camera Lenses for Travel Photography
If you’re gonna bring along your DSLR camera, you’ll also need a solid lens to capture those beautiful travel images!
If you’re just starting out, I highly suggest just going with a 50mm f/1.4 prime lens — this will give you that popular, blurry background effect everyone loves (you could also opt for a 50mm f/1.8).
If you wanna get more advanced (and have wider shots), I suggest going with a 35mm f/1.4 prime lens (my go-to) or a 16-35mm f/2.8 zoom lens (my recent fave).
7. Sunglasses
I don’t think this one needs very much explanation… a good pair of sunnies (or 3) will always come in handy for pretty much any trip!
I always bring at least 2-3 pairs because 1) I like to have multiple style options for photos (*hair flip*) and 2) I am a very all-over-the-place kind of person & somehow manage to lose any and all of my travel accessories. Soooooo if you’re forgetful like me… bring a backup pair. :)
8. Neuro Sleep Drink
Alright friends, I’m gonna be straight up with you— I seriously swear by this stuff.
I’m not typically a light sleeper but for some reason… I can’t ever fall asleep on long flights. I don’t know if it’s the loud, crying babies or what… but I seriously always end up pulling all-nighters on every flight I take.
So I finally decided to try out the Neuro sleep drink & this thing works like a freaking charm every time. This tangerine flavored drink has 3mg of Melatonin to promote restful sleep andddd its vegan, gluten-free & non-carbonated.
And yes, I do realize that you can’t take it with you through security (lol). Which is why I suggest packing a few in your checked luggage, then drinking one right before your flight (especially if its an overnight flight!).
9. Hand sanitizer
Again… I don’t think this one needs much explanation. Sick babies on airplanes, touching door handles & pretty much anything else you come in contact with at an airport = lots of ways to get sick. And trust me… I’ve had my fair share of sick days while traveling (not fun, my friend).
I don’t care what kind of trip you’re going on… just bring the hand sanitizer. You (and your health) will thank me later. :)
10. Swimsuit!
You never know when you’re gonna need your swimmies! And if you’re a long term traveler like me, you’ll definitely run into a few occasions where a good swimsuit is necessary. I typically pack 2 one-piece swimsuits (more practical for adventuring, waterfalls, etc) and then 1-2 two-piece suits!
I normally try to minimize on clothing… but swimsuits don’t take up much room so I like to be prepared (AKA have multiple style options, duh).
11. Over-ear headphones
If you follow along my travel journey on Insta, you probably know just how much I looooove my Beats by Dre.
These over-ear, noise cancelling headphones help me stay superrrr productive throughout my travels— even in busy, crowded places like airports & train stations!
12. In-ear headphones
With that being said… as much as I looove my over-ear headphones, they aren’t always the most practical (and can sometimes make you look a little crazy TBH). So when I need to just plug in & go, I opt for in-ear headphones.
My personal faves are the Sudio in-ear headphones! They fit nice & snug and are completely wireless— perfect for me because I need an adaptor for wired headphones (and I always seem to lose mine…).
Pro Tip: In-flight entertainment options don’t support wireless options, so you miiiiight wanna bring along your corded headphones if you plan on using them during the flight!
13. A jean/denim jacket
I can specifically recall a Paris trip I took in 2018 with a few girlfriends where I hadn’t packed a jean jacket. I luckily had my friends with me so we mixed & matched outfits… but I remember thinking, “Why the heck did I not bring a denim jacket with me?!”.
Let me just give you a heads up now… the jean jacket WILL come in handy for many, many occasions. So go ahead and pack up that staple piece now— you’ll thank me later, friend!
14. Comfy Sneakers/Shoes!
The most important rule of travel— do NOT leave the comfortable shoes behind!
You’re gonna be walking a lot more than you expect, so go ahead & do yourself a favor— pack at least one pair of comfortable walking shoes.
And yes, there are plenty of cute, chic options that will look great for your Instagram photos. Don’t believe me? Check out my guide on the best travel shoes for women!
15. Travel Adaptor
If you’re planning on traveling internationally (which I’m assuming you are if you’re reading this article), then you’ll definitely need to bring a universal travel adaptor.
I would even suggest bringing a backup or two… because I can’t tell you how many times I’ve misplaced mine/accidentally left it behind in an Airbnb… or just forgot to bring one in the first place (I’m a very forgetful human).
16. RFID Blocking Wallet
Make sure you’re prepared with a solid travel friendly wallet for your journey!
I suggest opting for an RFID-blocking wallet— the blocking feature gives you some peace at mind by blocking any scammy people out there in the world who might try to steal your credit card & personal info (you don’t think it’ll happen to you until it happens to you, my friend!).
17. Carry-on duffel bag
If backpacks aren’t your thing, I highly suggest a solid carry-on duffel bag to bring along your journey!
While duffel bags aren’t quite as practical as backpacks, they’ll definitely keep you in style and are perfect for quick weekend trips (which happens often if you stay in a location for one month at a time like most digital nomads tend to do).
18. Laundry Bag
Keeping a small laundry bag with you during your travels will help you separate all the dirty clothes from your clean ones (trust me, it really does start to get confusing after a while so this little hack is seriously a life savior).
If you’re traveling in Southeast Asia, you’ll find that most cities have laundromats where you can actually just drop off your clothes and get them washed & dried for supppper cheap.
Keeping a laundry bag simplifies this process— just drop your clothes inside, take them to the cleaners & carry on with your day!
19. Hair Straightener/ Curling Iron
This one is geared more towards my ladies (sorry guys). I mean… you can’t be on the road for 5-6 months without some quality hair care products!
My personal fave is the Kardashian Beauty 3-in-1 iron. I’m not here promoting the Kardashians, ya’ll (I don’t think they need any help in the marketing department, TBH). BUT this thing seriously does give you the best bang for your buck. I first found the EU version of this straightener/curling iron duo at a boutique in Paris and I immediately had to buy it. I was getting fed up with carrying around a ton of different hair style tools so I finally ditched my other products & never looked back!
You do have to get used to the tool itself— the product acts a regular straightener… then you can reverse heat to the outside of the tool and you’ll then have a “wand” style curling iron!
*PS.. If you’re interested in how I curl my hair… drop a comment below & I’ll consider doing a little “how-to” video on Instagram!*
20. Jeans for everyday use
This one doesn’t need a whole lot of explaining— a few pairs of denim jeans are an absolute necessity for travel (especially for digital nomads/ long-term travelers).
21. External Hard Drive
Well, if you’re a digital nomad— I’m gonna assume you work from your laptop. If that is the case… you definitely want to bring along an external hard drive (or maybe even a few to keep as backups).
I’ve tested out a number of different options over the past few years but the LaCie External Drive has been my recent fave— not only does it have 4TB (!!!) of storage, it’s also drop, shock, dust & rain resistant!
22. Laptop
Guess I should have mentioned this one earlier… because this is probably the most important item on the list! If you’re a digital nomad, you’ll definitely need a laptop to make some of that cash moneyyy throughout your journey. :)
I’m a diehard Mac user… so I can’t make any recommendations for my PC pals out there (sorry). I personally swear by my Macbook Pro but Macbook Air is a great option as well!
23. Towel
If you plan to (primarily) stay in Airbnbs, most hosts will offer towels. However, I’ve stayed in a couple hostels where they were not offered.
With that bring said, you’ll probably want to bring along at least one towel on your journey (even if its one of those lightweight, microfiber ones!).
24. Backup Charger/Powerbank
Low battery is always a common struggle for… pretty much everyone.
However, having 10% battery isn’t exactly ideal when you’re alone & far from home in an unfamiliar city, country or continent (been there— seriously not fun). A backup charging bank can give you more peace at mind in not-so-ideal situations.
25. Tampons
Again… this travel necessity is geared towards my ladies (sorry). If you use tampons, I highly suggest stocking up before your trip— especially if you’re gonna be traveling in Southeast Asia.
Tampons are pretty rare to find in Asia… and when you do finally find some, you get about 6 tampons total in a pack (and they’re pretty pricey). So stock up before your trip… you’ll be glad ya did!
26. Prescription Medications
If you’re taking any prescriptions meds, you definitely don’t want to leave these behind!
In terms of medication for common illnesses (ie stomach pain, motion sickness, itching, allergies, cough), you can snag most of these at pharmacies in Southeast Asia. However, if there’s a particular brand you use or you’re just finicky with meds, make sure to stock up before you leave for your trip!
27. Gorillapod
Think of the Joby Gorillapod as the tripod for adventure lovers (and digital nomads, of course!). These things are so easy to just run & gun to get that perfect, quick shot. They have 100% flexible legs so you can pretty much stick them anywhere and mold them to whatever surface you’re using.
Joby carries options for both smartphones and DSLR cameras, and ya can’t go wrong with either!
28. Wireless Remote for DSLR Cameras
This was a recent (and super affordable) purchase I made: the AmazonBasics Wireless Remote Control for Canon DSLR Cameras. For anyone without wifi capabilities/ access to the Canon app, this handy little remote will definitely make your life a whole lot easier.
This tiny remote allows you to take quick, beautiful travel photos in one-click without need for a self-timer. Annnnd this means you don’t have to awkwardly ask strangers to take photos of you. :)
This little remote also comes in handy if you’re like me and loooove taking travel videos— just click & start recording!
29. Padlock
If you plan on staying in hostels throughout your digital nomad journey, you’ll definitely want to bring along a padlock! This is super important— as great as hostels can be to meet new people, you can’t just go around trustin’ everyone you meet (let’s not be naive here, k?!).
30. Refillable Water Bottle
This was one that I neglected in my past travels… but probably shouldn’t have.
In most European cities, you'll find water fountains scattered everywhere! And by bringing your own refillable water bottle along the journey, not only will you save a tonnn of money (Europe is expensive, homie!), you'll also save the environment!
Speaking of… if you’re traveling in Southeast Asia, I need to let you in on something. They’re unfortunately not very considerate of plastic/waste over there. For example… in Thailand, they give you straws with your bottled drinks at 7-Eleven (nope, not kidding).
Unfortunately, the water isn’t safe to drink over there so you’ll need to purchase large water bottles/jugs. But while there’s not much you can do about water, you can still bring your refillable water bottle to any street stand that sells juices, smoothies, coffee, etc. and ask them to use your water bottle instead of plastic! They might look at you funny, but its whatever. It’s for the planet, my friend. :)
31. Raincoat or small umbrella
TBH, it doesn’t really matter where in the world you’re living— you’ll probably come across some bad weather days. Prepare in advance by packing a good rain coat or mini umbrella (seriously— all that expensive tech gear is precious!!).
32. Dry Shampoo
I am a BIG fan of the Not Your Mother’s hair styling products— they have seriously saved me HOURS during my travels.
The Clean Freak Dry Shampoo has particularly saved my hair on days when I have so much work to catch up on... but just can't make the time to wash, dry & style my hair (I think we've all been there!). Save the time & effort and bring along a solid dry shampoo!
33. A mini steamer
A steamer was actually something I hadn’t thought to bring along with me in the past… but I’ve already purchased one for my next trip. My cousin brought hers along on our Europe trip this year, and I can’t begin to tell you how many times that thing came in handy.
If you plan on taking some Instagram pics & you have clothing material that wrinkles easily, I highly suggest making room in your suitcase for a lil’ mini steamer !
34. Small spray bottle
In case a mini steamer isn’t in the cards for you, it might be worth considering bringing along a mini spray bottle. If you hang your clothes up and spray them with a tiny bit of water, the wrinkles will typically disappear in a jiffy!
35. Cosmetic Bag
As I’ve already mentioned, I’m a very disorganized & forgetful gal. So keeping a few extra cosmetic bags with me during my travels alwaysssss comes in handy.
You can use these for the obvious: cosmetics. But you can also fake them as “packing cubes” and add small accessories, undergarments, tech gear (hard drives, chargers, etc), and pretty much anything else you might need to organize!
36. Sunscreen
Gotta protect that beautiful skin of yours, my friend! You’ll probably need to pack the sunblock in your checked luggage, but you definitely don’t want to leave it behind!
Travel necessities like sunscreen can get pretty expensive in major cities & tourist destinations, so just make sure to snag it at a good price in your home country before venturing off! :)
37. First aid kit
I know, you’re probably rolling your eyes at me right now. But friend, this is an important one! Even if you don’t bring along the whole “shabang” of a first aid kit, I seriously recommend at least bringing some bandaids.
If you’re in this travel game for the long haul, there’s a pretty high chance that you will get hurt. Alright, maybe I’m just super clumsy. Whatever— just bring the bandaids.
38. Portable Luggage scale
While I’m not sure I would classify this one as an absolute necessity, a portable luggage scale definitely does come in handy. If you’re anything like me and tend to overpack, then you know how much of a struggle it can be to try and make sure your bag isn’t overweight.
A handheld luggage scale keeps you in check so you don’t have to look like that frazzled gal at the airport who can’t seem to get her life together (ahem— me).
39. Self Tanner
Don’t judge me on this one…. or do, it’s whatever. Tanning on the road has started to become an actual issue for me lol… it’s just not practical to lay out in the sun at every destination you go to (especially if you spend 95% of your days working from coffee shops like I do). But I also don’t wanna be super pale all the time (1st world probs).
I recently tried the Loving Tan line and I’m not gonna lie— I’m obsessed. So far, my personal fave product is the Loving Tan 2 Hour Express Deluxe Bronzing Mousse in Medium... but I’ve heard the 6 hour Express is pretty bomb, too.
This stuff does get messy so I 100% recommend buying the applicator mitt (FYI- the first time I used it without the mitt, I ended up with very dark hands).
40. Carry on Cocktail Kit
Alright, this one’s totally just for fun (sorry, had to do it).
This fun little Carry on Cocktail Kit is 100% TSA compliant & contains the tools & ingredients to whip up 2 Margarita cocktails and 2 Moscow Mules mid-flight. Ummmm, heck yes?!
I bought this one for a recent trip to London & it definitely helped ease the pain of a 10+ hour flight. But just note that alcohol is (unfortunately) not included with the kit. Not a problem, though— most international flights will have you covered with complimentary spirits on board!
If you made it allllll the way down here, I have no doubt that you’ll be 100% prepared for your next journey! If you want to bookmark this article for later, make sure to “pin” it to one of your travel boards on Pinterest by clicking the little icon on any image in this article!
If you have any questions for me or possibly some travel essentials to add to the list, please drop a comment below! I absolutely love hearing from you & would love to chat about #AllThingsTravel. :)
Have an amazing day, my friend!
XO, Fal