Travel Essentials 2022
Over the last few months, I was fortunate enough to be able to travel around several cities in Europe while I was based out of London for a few months. This was the first time that I was traveling that frequently over such a short period of time, which allowed me to create a list of things that I thought are necessary for any travel experience like the ones that I had.
Just to clarify, I wasn’t backpacking as I was traveling, but I would say I was almost semi-backpacking. I was staying in cheap hostels, traveling with one backpack, but only for small periods of time each (1-3 days per city). So, take this list with a grain of salt as it is very specific to what I think that I need for this type of traveling.
Travel Bag
First, is definitely a travel bag. My backpack is a 40 L travel backpack from a brand called Quechua, which is one of the cheaper hiking and traveling department stores in Europe (similar to REI). The bag itself was only around $50 which is much cheaper than its better-quality brothers from Osprey and The North Face. So, with the cheap price tag come a few downsides to the bag itself.
However, the smaller price tag did allow me to not have to worry about destroying the bag going through airports and cities. It was a good first travel companion that I think every beginner should consider. 40L for me seemed enough to fit around half a week to a week’s worth of clothing and necessities depending on if you’re a minimalist or if you need an outfit for each day.
Definitely saw the convenience of traveling with a backpack instead of a carry-on luggage because it frees up your hands to go around and about.
Local Transportation Apps
This one is something that not a lot of people really consider. In each country in Europe, they have a separate train or transportation app, not including the main EuroRail. For instance, Italy has TrenItalia, and the United Kingdom has TrainLine. The video below has me riding a train on TrenItalia from Milan to Cinque Terre, Italy.
These apps are just a great way to buy tickets through card or Apple Pay without the hassle of buying the tickets in person. You can save the tickets straight to your phone through Wallet, which is so helpful to have all these tickets in one place. I was always on a train or bus to get from city to city, downtown to airport, region to region, and these apps were honestly life savers.
Hat
If y’all know me, then you know that I always wear a hat. It’s almost a part of my identity at this point. When you’re traveling, a hat is definitely an essential as it does more than just block the sun from blinding or burning you.
I’m personally someone that likes to shower at night, especially when you get all sweaty and smelly after a day of travel. Waking up a bed head and trying to fix your hair is always a hassle, so just putting on a hat in the morning and walking out is the most convenient solution. It eliminates bad hair days from photos and keeps your face from getting burnt. A win-win if you ask me.
Comfortable Sneakers
You need some fashionable sneakers, but they need to be comfortable. Utility wear has become such a trend now, so it’s pretty easy to find some fashionable kicks that are also easy to walk around in. I have my Salomon XT-2 and New Balance 327’s. I used one for walking and just beating up and the other for nicer wear to throw on for outings and fits.
A few other recommendations would be Hokas, Asics, and Adidas Ultraboosts. Anything that you’re not afraid to get dirty but also stunt in. These here are the Salomon XT-2s on a beach in Nice, France with my travel bag and tote.
Camera
Finally, what’s the purpose of going on these trips without recording any memories? I’m a huge believer in capturing real moments and what you see through your eyes to share to the rest of the world. During my trips, I carried around my Fujifilm X-Pro 3 with a 23mm f2 lens. It’s a small lightweight camera that shoots banger photos for any occasion.
Here are a few sample images I shot with the X-Pro 3 in Italy:
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Obviously, you’re going to need more than just these things like the basic clothing and toiletries, but these are some of the things that are specific to what I do that I need when I travel. Although the type of clothing and other items may change depending on where I go, these essentials stay the same for every trip that I go on.