The 5 backpack must haves
Oct 11, 2018, 1:36 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 1
The 5 backpack must haves
There is an old adage – “He who would travel happily must travel light”.
This is so true but even more so for the solo traveler. So, we asked - what would you take? And as you can imagine every answer differed, no two travelers gave the same response. Wallet, passport and essential documents excluded the five most common answers were –
This is so true but even more so for the solo traveler. So, we asked - what would you take? And as you can imagine every answer differed, no two travelers gave the same response. Wallet, passport and essential documents excluded the five most common answers were –
- Reusable water bottle
- Phone and charger – to also serve as camera, computer, book and diary
- Wet wipes
- Flip flops
- Medical kit
Oct 11, 2018, 1:59 pm
#2
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: 42.1% in PDX , 49.9% in PVG & 8% in the air somewhere
Programs: Marriott Ambassador Elite, UA 1K, AS MVP GLD 75K, DL Pt
Posts: 1,086
After some heavy travel over two years my take on this list.
1) Water bottle, dropped takes space and never felt there wasn’t clean water to be had, I ain’t traveling into a desert. On airplanes find water ample and available
2). Wipes, though I’d used them, still in their sealed container
3) tissue, lost count on how many packages used
4). USB battery for phone, never fear or look for an outlet in my travels
5). Comfortable shoes that can do double duty as day wear and travel wear. The thought of flip flops and the dirt they pick up and drag from airplane lavatory to hotel is nasty. BYW my shoes never get past the first few feet of my hotel door entrance.
1) Water bottle, dropped takes space and never felt there wasn’t clean water to be had, I ain’t traveling into a desert. On airplanes find water ample and available
2). Wipes, though I’d used them, still in their sealed container
3) tissue, lost count on how many packages used
4). USB battery for phone, never fear or look for an outlet in my travels
5). Comfortable shoes that can do double duty as day wear and travel wear. The thought of flip flops and the dirt they pick up and drag from airplane lavatory to hotel is nasty. BYW my shoes never get past the first few feet of my hotel door entrance.
Oct 11, 2018, 5:18 pm
#3
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: West
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 167
After some heavy travel over two years my take on this list.
1) Water bottle, dropped takes space and never felt there wasn’t clean water to be had, I ain’t traveling into a desert. On airplanes find water ample and available
2). Wipes, though I’d used them, still in their sealed container
3) tissue, lost count on how many packages used
4). USB battery for phone, never fear or look for an outlet in my travels
5). Comfortable shoes that can do double duty as day wear and travel wear. The thought of flip flops and the dirt they pick up and drag from airplane lavatory to hotel is nasty. BYW my shoes never get past the first few feet of my hotel door entrance.
1) Water bottle, dropped takes space and never felt there wasn’t clean water to be had, I ain’t traveling into a desert. On airplanes find water ample and available
2). Wipes, though I’d used them, still in their sealed container
3) tissue, lost count on how many packages used
4). USB battery for phone, never fear or look for an outlet in my travels
5). Comfortable shoes that can do double duty as day wear and travel wear. The thought of flip flops and the dirt they pick up and drag from airplane lavatory to hotel is nasty. BYW my shoes never get past the first few feet of my hotel door entrance.
I agree almost exactly with what was said here. I feel that these travelers surveyed must just be vacationers or something. I do think some bandaids are useful so I carry those, but not a full medical kit!
Oct 11, 2018, 11:22 pm
#6
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: San Francisco
Programs: Four Seasons Aviara (owner), Starwood, Marriott, Hyatt, Hertz President's Circle, United MP 30+ yrs
Posts: 1,252
*USB charger cable for phone and iPad
*Handkerchief (so much more adaptable than tissue, easily washable, dries quickly, feels so much better and looks cool)
*Pen
*Low profile/packing, black leather thong sandals that look fine in warm climates going out to dinner, but also work for quick trips through luxury hotels (i.e more fungible than your basic plastic flip-flop but nearly equivalent in weight and pack space)
* light weight titanium "spork" for unforeseen eating: quick grabs in airports, leftovers from nice dinners (when you have flown several time zones and end up having dinner at 3 pm west coast time and are starving at 8 pm west coast time
)
*Handkerchief (so much more adaptable than tissue, easily washable, dries quickly, feels so much better and looks cool)
*Pen
*Low profile/packing, black leather thong sandals that look fine in warm climates going out to dinner, but also work for quick trips through luxury hotels (i.e more fungible than your basic plastic flip-flop but nearly equivalent in weight and pack space)
* light weight titanium "spork" for unforeseen eating: quick grabs in airports, leftovers from nice dinners (when you have flown several time zones and end up having dinner at 3 pm west coast time and are starving at 8 pm west coast time
)
Oct 12, 2018, 2:18 am
#7
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: CONUS
Programs: HHonors, United, Delta
Posts: 828
I go everywhere in a carryon only mode (46 liter backpack). Some stuff that always seems to make the cut and gets packed on my trips:
I always have a battery/charger all-in-one that has AC prongs and built-in Lightning cable and a USB port. I can charge the phone and the battery at one time.
I always have an Essentials Med kit in my Dopp bag. It’s a concession, and I’m not a hypochondriac, but you have ONE time when you get sick in a Mexican hotel, you’re gonna wish you brought flu meds/Imodium/aspirin/antihistamine/etc. handy instead of crawling out in pain / Montezuma’s Revenge to some dubious el Walmarto!
I often have a super lightweight mini backpack that squishes down inside your larger luggage. I use an Arcteryx Index 15, but the Osprey Ultralight Stuff Pack is even smaller. Weighs next to nothing, size of an apple, but when I’m out running around Hong Kong and have to buy some egg tarts and cart them back to the hotel, buy some ersatz brand toy souvenirs for the kids at the Ladies Market, or just store my phone battery, daily essentials, and a coat or whatever, it’s nice to pull out a micro pack and carry that stuff around town hands-free.
Some Clif Bars, RX Bars, nuts, dried fruit, etc. I’ve gotten Shanghai’d enough in airports with missed connections, snowed in overnights, tarmac delays, etc. that it’s nice to not get low blood sugared if you get stuck somewhere where stores and restaurants are closed.
Baby powder/scented talc. Hey, I like to freshen up after sitting on a eight hour flight. Or before a long overnight flight. Luxury item. Dust those sweaty nether regions during an all day/night flight binge and you’ll feel like a new person. TMI territory here, I’m sure.
Oddball item, but I’ve started packing a lightweight hammock instead of a travel pillow. It’s tightly packed down, size of a liter thermos, and I use it for a small-of-back support pillow, a head pillow, and... occasionally actually use it as a hammock! Stuck in Kauai and stringing that sucker up between palm trees when I had a forced layover... bliss.
I always have a battery/charger all-in-one that has AC prongs and built-in Lightning cable and a USB port. I can charge the phone and the battery at one time.
I always have an Essentials Med kit in my Dopp bag. It’s a concession, and I’m not a hypochondriac, but you have ONE time when you get sick in a Mexican hotel, you’re gonna wish you brought flu meds/Imodium/aspirin/antihistamine/etc. handy instead of crawling out in pain / Montezuma’s Revenge to some dubious el Walmarto!
I often have a super lightweight mini backpack that squishes down inside your larger luggage. I use an Arcteryx Index 15, but the Osprey Ultralight Stuff Pack is even smaller. Weighs next to nothing, size of an apple, but when I’m out running around Hong Kong and have to buy some egg tarts and cart them back to the hotel, buy some ersatz brand toy souvenirs for the kids at the Ladies Market, or just store my phone battery, daily essentials, and a coat or whatever, it’s nice to pull out a micro pack and carry that stuff around town hands-free.
Some Clif Bars, RX Bars, nuts, dried fruit, etc. I’ve gotten Shanghai’d enough in airports with missed connections, snowed in overnights, tarmac delays, etc. that it’s nice to not get low blood sugared if you get stuck somewhere where stores and restaurants are closed.
Baby powder/scented talc. Hey, I like to freshen up after sitting on a eight hour flight. Or before a long overnight flight. Luxury item. Dust those sweaty nether regions during an all day/night flight binge and you’ll feel like a new person. TMI territory here, I’m sure.
Oddball item, but I’ve started packing a lightweight hammock instead of a travel pillow. It’s tightly packed down, size of a liter thermos, and I use it for a small-of-back support pillow, a head pillow, and... occasionally actually use it as a hammock! Stuck in Kauai and stringing that sucker up between palm trees when I had a forced layover... bliss.
Last edited by Friendly Traveling Deathmerchant; Oct 12, 2018 at 2:25 am
Oct 12, 2018, 11:59 am
#8
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: In a hotel somewhere trying to repack everything I brought (and bought) in to a carry-on smaller than my last one.
Programs: UA, Asia Miles, Southwest, IHG
Posts: 1,101
1) Platypus or mini thermos
2) sunglasses
3) EDC pouch/cosmetic bag 4" x 4" x 1.5 " cube (lip balm, mini pen, mirror, bandaids, alcohol wipe, mosquito wipe, Purell wipe, feminine hygiene item, packet of tissues, tiny baggie of assorted meds, Dr Bronner's in a repurposed eye drop bottle, emergency chocolate - individually wrapped Ghirardelli dark chocolate) .
4) phone and charging accessories (phone, usb charger, cable, battery, headphones, mini car charger)
5) shawl (wool/cashmere in winter, silk/cotton in summer)
2) sunglasses
3) EDC pouch/cosmetic bag 4" x 4" x 1.5 " cube (lip balm, mini pen, mirror, bandaids, alcohol wipe, mosquito wipe, Purell wipe, feminine hygiene item, packet of tissues, tiny baggie of assorted meds, Dr Bronner's in a repurposed eye drop bottle, emergency chocolate - individually wrapped Ghirardelli dark chocolate) .
4) phone and charging accessories (phone, usb charger, cable, battery, headphones, mini car charger)
5) shawl (wool/cashmere in winter, silk/cotton in summer)
Oct 18, 2018, 3:12 pm
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: YVR
Programs: AC SE 2MM; UA MP Premier Silver; Marriott Bonvoy LT Titanium Elite; Radisson; Avis PC
Posts: 35,255
There is an old adage – “He who would travel happily must travel light”.
This is so true but even more so for the solo traveler. So, we asked - what would you take? And as you can imagine every answer differed, no two travelers gave the same response. Wallet, passport and essential documents excluded the five most common answers were –
This is so true but even more so for the solo traveler. So, we asked - what would you take? And as you can imagine every answer differed, no two travelers gave the same response. Wallet, passport and essential documents excluded the five most common answers were –
- Reusable water bottle
- Phone and charger – to also serve as camera, computer, book and diary
- Wet wipes
- Flip flops
- Medical kit
Oct 22, 2018, 7:34 am
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: London
Posts: 18,398
Flip flops - since many of us travel with our heaviest/bulkiest shoes/boots (easier to wear than pack and carry them), flip flops allow you to take them off in the plane when flying - amenity pack flight socks are no good for a toilet run.
Backpacking hostels and cheaper hotels and motels have icky floors. Relax and walk around without concern in flip flops.
In places with communal showers (hostels, swimming pools) flip flops will save you from veruccas and other nasties.
Protects against hot sand as well as fungal and other infections on the beach.
Excellent fly killers.
Backpacking hostels and cheaper hotels and motels have icky floors. Relax and walk around without concern in flip flops.
In places with communal showers (hostels, swimming pools) flip flops will save you from veruccas and other nasties.
Protects against hot sand as well as fungal and other infections on the beach.
Excellent fly killers.
Oct 22, 2018, 9:42 am
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: YVR
Programs: AC SE 2MM; UA MP Premier Silver; Marriott Bonvoy LT Titanium Elite; Radisson; Avis PC
Posts: 35,255
Flip flops - since many of us travel with our heaviest/bulkiest shoes/boots (easier to wear than pack and carry them), flip flops allow you to take them off in the plane when flying - amenity pack flight socks are no good for a toilet run.
Backpacking hostels and cheaper hotels and motels have icky floors. Relax and walk around without concern in flip flops.
In places with communal showers (hostels, swimming pools) flip flops will save you from veruccas and other nasties.
Protects against hot sand as well as fungal and other infections on the beach.
Excellent fly killers.
Backpacking hostels and cheaper hotels and motels have icky floors. Relax and walk around without concern in flip flops.
In places with communal showers (hostels, swimming pools) flip flops will save you from veruccas and other nasties.
Protects against hot sand as well as fungal and other infections on the beach.
Excellent fly killers.
Regarding the amenity kit thing, many airlines also offer slippers with the kits.