Every adventure, whether it be a girls weekend to the beach, a solo-camping trip out in the forest, or a wintery trek up a mountain, will require you to pack differently according to the plan. Here are 5 Items I never travel without no matter what kind of trip I’m going on.

*This page contains affiliate links in which I receive a small commission for if purchases are made.*

1: Anker PowerCore Portable Charger

It’s 2023, and that means almost all of us need our phone and need to charge it almost daily. Having this portable charger for when I’m unable to use an actual plug has saved me sooooo many times.

It’s small, sleek, lightweight (under 1lb) and comes with a nice mesh carrying bag. It has 2 USB charge ports, short circuit protection, and fast charge technology. It’s TSA approved, reliable and really heavy duty. I’ve had mine for almost 4 years now and have taken it on MANY camping and backpacking trips.

The total battery life is up to how much you’re charging but when camping I typically charge my phone and apple watch each night as well as my headlamp occasionally and it will charge all three items more than 5 times before the battery dies.

The only CON I would say is I cannot use my apply fast charger with it so if this one ever dies, I’ll upgrade to the one below which DOES include a USB-C port.

2: Apple AirTags

I am a big advocate for airtags! I purchased the 4 pack and I keep one in my suitcase, one in my backpack/daypack, one in my purse if I go out, and I still have a spare one in case I need it. I put that one in my partners suitcase when we travel.

If you’re not an iPhone user, this one may be irrelevant to you, but if you are, it’s awesome. When I’m flying, I immediately check where my suitcase is when I land to make sure it’s arrived too. It’s been lost once and I was able to tell the agents exactly where it was (at another airport!).

I am also, unfortunately, a bit forgetful so I’ve forgotten my purse and my backpack in ubers/lyfts in the past and was able to locate it immediately.

Having airtags in your travel bags is like a find my friends for your stuff and it’s great. There are a lot of awesome stories about people who have found luggage that was wildly misplaced around the world and even track down luggage that was “accidentally” taken by someone else who had a similar bag.

The only CON of the airtags is some airlines are trying to ban them due to the type of battery that is inside of it… but I don’t think any of that has held up at this time.

3. Lifestraw Water Filter Bottle

If you know me, you know I try to live as sustainably as possible, which means I try not to buy single use bottles as much as possible. I carry my reusable bottle EVERYWHERE. Even when I’m home, I always have a water bottle on me.

Sometimes, when I’m hiking, camping, or visiting new places the water isn’t good to drink so having a bottle with a filter in it saves me every time. Now, if you’ve ever considered buying a filtered water bottle, you would know that there are SOOO many options out there and everyone has an opinion about all of them. After doing an unnecessary amount of research, I decided on the LifeStraw brand mainly due to the promise of 99.9% of bacteria blocked, size, durability, cost, and customer reviews.

I’ve used this bottle to get water out of a stream while hiking as well as in numerous countries when I just didn’t know if it was okay to drink the water. Having this on me makes sure I stay hydrated and can drink water from any source.

I have noticed it leaks occasionally if upside down or laying on it’s side. I typically keep it in my backpack bottle holder on the side so it’s not a big deal, but I once had to put my bag up on the rack on a bus and noticed it was dripping on my head shortly after and had to grab the bottle and sit it upright.

Since there are a million options, I’ll tell you my second and third choice bottles, which I haven’t tried because I don’t really have a need for two bottles, but I may try if/when the LifeStraw bottle doesn’t work out anymore. If you have either of these or have tried them out, let me know what you think! I’d love to hear your review.

Brita Insulated Filtered Bottle – Cheaper than the LifeStraw, a little lighter, and still has good reviews. Katadyn BeFree 1L Filtered Bottle – much more expensive, but more ultralight, carries 1L, and packable.

4. Earth Breeze Laundry Sheets

I’ve been a continued customer of Dropps laundry detergent in my home for years, but for travel, laundry pods just aren’t an option.

It’s also not eco-friendly to purchase single-use laundry detergent packs while traveling so I decided to purchase Earth Breeze Laundry Sheets. These sheets are practically weightless, easy to pack right into my toiletry bag, and reduce negative environmental impact.

The company’s main focus was to reduce the use of large plastic jugs and therefor reduce the amount of them that end up in landfills. They’ve even reduced the amount of plastic used by their company by providing plastic-free packaging and carbon neutral shipping. All of those are things I can get behind.

I’ve used the laundry sheets while backpacking and staying in hostels, while camping and using the campground’s washers, and while washing clothes outdoors (in a bucket with spigot water). Each time my clothes have felt fresh and clean after using the sheets and I am happy knowing the soap is biodegradable.

If I’m traveling more than a week, these are must in my luggage.

5. RFID Blocking Passport/Card Holder

Again, no matter what type of trip I’m on, I like to bring multiple forms of identification and money sources with me. If I’m traveling internationally, I will need to bring my passport in addition to my drivers license. I also like to have at least 2 credit cards and my debit card on me when I travel in case one gets lost or compromised.

This wallet is the perfect size to fit in a backpack, suitcase, purse, or any other kind of bag you’re using to travel. When I’m car camping, I keep my drivers license on me at all times and I keep this wallet in the glovebox of my car.

The wallet comes in a couple colors including pink, navy and black and is RFID blocking. RFID blocking is basically technology built into the item that will protect you from others trying to steal your identity digitally. They cannot scan through the wallet and collect any information.

I personally support Zero Grid as a company because it’s a U.S. based, family-owned, small business. Not only do they make an excellent product, they provide two Zero-Grid lost and found tags, which are little stickers you can put on your items that allow people who have found your item to contact you to let you know your items have been recovered for a little bit of extra peace of mind.

Amazon Idea List

If you’d like to check out some other items I travel with frequently, check out my Travel Products List on Amazon.