What Actually Worked: My Top 5 Travel Gear Picks for Asia
The following content contains affiliate links.
I backpacked Asia for 4 months, and these are the 5 things I would not have made it through my trip without!
Compression Cubes: these are such a game changer compared to just regular packing cubes. They condense your clothes and you can fit way more in your bag, which is so important when space is limited. Find my favourite Amazon compression cubes here.
Inflatable neck pillow: I had such a hard time finding a neck pillow with good reviews. Everything I looked up said I should get a memory foam one, but I didn’t want to sacrifice the space in my backpack for that. I decided to go with an inflatable one and I’m so glad that I did. The pillow packed down super small and was super versatile for four months while living out of a backpack. Find the Amazon neck pillow I used here.
A reliable power bank: I am so glad I decided to bring one. It was about the size of an iPhone and was easy enough to pack in my backpack, and I think it was well worth it. Once charged, I could use it to charge my phone 2 to 3 times before it died. It was really helpful for long travel days, and nice to be able to charge multiple devices at once. Find the one I used here.
Combination locks: these were a life saver. When you’re staying in hostels, it was peace of mind to be able to lock up my valuables (drone, camera, money, passport, etc). Even though everone I met was so kind, I didn’t want to take that risk. Find the locks I used here.
Kind of a weird one, but….ziploc bags. I’m not one to use single use plastic, so I reused the few bags A LOT! Now I don’t mean using them for food, but I put my passport in a sandwich baggy instead of buying one of those fancy passport holders (we’re on a budget here), and used the extras I brought for souvenirs, lotions that exploded, my scuba diving log book, and even paper back books I bought along the way. Such an underrated piece of travel gear, and I wish I had brought more!
*budget travel tip: get them at the dollar store, they’re the same thing.
Whether you’re heading out for a few weeks or a few months, packing smart can make all the difference—especially when you’re living out of a backpack. These five items seriously made my life easier in Asia and I’d bring every single one of them again in a heartbeat. Hopefully, they’ll save you some space, stress, and surprises too!