I am, in general, a minimalist. I hate clutter, I hate shopping, and I hate having a ton of stuff I don't need. I'm frugal and would rather make do without than make do with too much any day. That being said, I'm also a big believer in buying quality tools for the things that are important to you in life. Travel is definitely something I enjoy, and I've got several "can't live without" items that I take with me every single time, so I'm sharing them with you.
This is my friend, my trusty companion, the apple of my eye, when it comes to traveling. It is the most important piece of gear I own.
Sized for a woman, which my narrow shoulders appreciate, this pack is the height of comfort and versatility. It has plenty of compression straps, so it comfortably carries any sized load, without the contents of the pack jostling or falling to the bottom. I have used it to carry a warm wardrobe, raingear, all my food, books and toiletries for a two week backpacking trip through the Scottish Highlands (about 50 pounds total), and also as a light pack to tote picnic supplies on a short day hike.
There is no metal frame, the straps and hip belt are heavily padded, the curved design keeps the pack from resting too much on your back, allowing air circulation, and warding off sweat soaked clothing. There are tons of adjustable compartments, loops to hang things and straps to keep things secure. The rain cover has its own zippered pocket, where it is attached so you can't lose it, and is a snap to put on (plus it really works. I've used it torrential downpours and never had anything get wet.) It also dries super quickly.
Anyway, I can't say enough about this pack. Get one. Use it. It's the only piece of luggage I take with me anywhere these days, unless I'm actually moving somewhere for more than a month at a time. The only scenario it would be bad for is business traveling. Thank goodness I don't have to tote suits around.
I bought mine for $80 on major clearance from Altrec.com, in early 2008. Go into backpack shopping expecting to pay at least $100 for a good pack, but look for deals as well. A good pack makes the difference between a miserable experience, toting heavy luggage with an aching back, and a great experience, forgetting your luggage is there, and having a good time. Plus, you'll probably put a lot of strain on those zippers and straps, and it's not worth much to buy a cheap pack, only to have those features broken after a few uses. I've used my pack almost non-stop for every excursion I've been on since 2008, and it still looks and acts like new. I don't anticipate having to buy a new pack for at least 10 years, if not twice that.
If my backpack is my best friend for traveling, these sacks are my second best friend. You can buy them in a set of 3 from WalMart for just under $10, and they are worth every penny. My number one rule of packing a backpack is to never, ever just put anything in the main compartment loose. Always put things in a bag. These sacks make keeping everything compact and tidy easy. This eliminates the exploding bag phenomenon, where you rummage through your bag, and then can't get the contents to fit back in it. 3 sacks is quite enough, I've found. For a longer trip, I pack my clothes rolled up in the green bag, my PJ's in the orange bag, and my underwear and socks in the blue bag. For a short trip I would probably skip the orange bag. The nylon means that they slide nicely next to eachother in a tight space, and the roll tops are very secure. (These are not true dry sacks though. Don't try to take them boating. Immersed in water, they will probably leak.) I generally put my toiletries in an old drawstring shoe bag I've had forever, because things like shampoo and lotion don't take well to being squeezed in a compact sack.
Microfiber Hair Turban, Bath Puff and Washcloth
I have long, thick hair, which is a total pain to dry. Toting a fullsized towel while traveling is also a total pain. It's bulky and really nasty to pack while damp. This is my system:
Washing: I use a mesh bath puff to wash with. It stretches the life of soap, dries in a snap (which wards off bacteria), and easily attaches to the outside of my pack with the string loop they nearly all have. These are usually about 50 cents to $1 at any drug or discount store.
Drying hair: Drying my hair was my biggest challenge, until I discovered a microfiber hair turban while browsing a drugstore. The one by Aquis is very nice, although sometimes a bit pricey (check Amazon for good deals). It is basically a specially sewn micrfiber pocket that goes on your head, you twist your har in it, and use the button loop on the twisted end to fix the whole thing in a turban to your head. The microfiber soaks up water really well, and it comes in a plastic zippered pouch, which makes it easy to pack up if you don't have time to dry it completely right away.
Drying body: Drying your body is actually pretty easy once you don't have hair dripping all over. I just use a thin washcloth, believe it or not. It takes a little patience, and isn't as cozy as a big towel, but the space savings and not having a damp towel to pack is worth it for me. It works well enough. I usually tie my washcloth to the outside of my backpack to dry.
Light My Fire Spork
I am not generally a huge fan of the spork, because it serves as a very bad fork and a very bad spoon at the same time. This however is a handy tool, because it has a real, usable fork on one end, and a real, usable spoon on the other. It even has a little serrated knife edge on the fork for spreading butter and other table knife tasks. It's made of very durable, flexible plastic, and retails for about $2-3 at WalMart. I take it everywhere, because I'm a fan of eating from grocery stores and bakeries, and you never know when you might need a utensil.
Two other nice things to have
Definitely not in the realm of essentials, but two things I've found useful to have along when I go hosteling in Europe, or am otherwise traveling into the unknown are a pillow case, folded up in the bottom of my bag, and a can of lavender body spray (buy it when you get there. Don't take aerosols on a plane.) I discovered this Backpacking in Scotland, having become tired of the grody smell of hostel bedding. I had packed a pillowcase, initially with the thought of using it as a laundry bag, but soon discovered that I much preferred slipping it over whatever pillow the hostel offered. I also picked up a can of Yardleys of London English Lavender body spray at a drugstore for a couple pounds, and was very pleased with the luxury of spraying not only me, but my pillowcase before I went to bed. The smell of lavender is as calming as it is pleasant.
