Every-trip essentials
The base layer that goes on every trip, whatever the destination.
Illustrative image.
What to pack
- Documents + digital copies - Passport, visas, insurance; photos and PDFs stored offline on your phone.
- Universal travel adapter - One plug that covers most sockets, ideally with USB ports built in. Find on Amazon →
- Power bank - A 10,000 mAh pack keeps a phone alive through long transit and off-grid days. Find on Amazon →
- Small first-aid + medicines - Plasters, painkillers, rehydration salts and any prescriptions in their box. Find on Amazon →
- Reusable water bottle - Refill instead of buying; a filter bottle helps where tap water is unsafe. Find on Amazon →
- Packable daypack - A light foldable bag for day trips once the main luggage is at the hotel. Find on Amazon →
- Card + a little local cash - A backup card kept separately, and small notes for places that do not take cards.
Some links on this page are Amazon affiliate links - if you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only list the kind of gear we would pack ourselves. Check the season and the official source for each place before you go.
🖨️ Printable checklist →Where this comes in handy 16655 places
archaeological site
The Bamyan Valley
castle
Kastelholm Castle
old town
Berat
old town
The Casbah of Algiers
old town
Leone
old town
Andorra la Vella
ruins
Mbanza Kongo
beach
The Beaches of Anguilla
monument
Nelson's Dockyard
monument
The Jesuit Block of Córdoba
church
Debed Canyon
church
Alto Vista Chapel
ruins
Cockatoo Island (Wareamah)
old town
Graz Old Town
old town
Baku and the Old City
old town
The Abaco Cays
archaeological site
Dilmun Burial Mounds
monument
The Mosque City of Bagerhat
old town
Historic Bridgetown
castle
Mir Castle
monument
The Belfries
archaeological site
Altun Ha
palace
The Royal Palaces of Abomey
old town
The Town of St George
monument
Bumthang Valleys
old town
Potosi
bridge
Mostar and the Old Bridge
archaeological site
The Tsodilo Hills
monument
Brasília
old town
Tortola and Road Town
monument
Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque
church
Boyana Church
ruins
The Ruins of Loropéni
old town
Bujumbura
archaeological site
Angkor Thom and the Bayon
old town
Yaoundé
archaeological site
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
old town
Cidade Velha
monument
The Salt Pans and Slave Huts
old town
Bodden Town
old town
Berberati
old town
N'Djamena
archaeological site
Easter Island
monument
The Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Xi'an
forest
Christmas Island National Park
palace
Oceania House
old town
Cartagena Old Town
old town
Moroni
beach
The Aitutaki Lagoon
archaeological site
The Diquís Stone Spheres
palace
Diocletian's Palace, Split
old town
Camagüey
old town
Willemstad
archaeological site
Choirokoitia
old town
Cesky Krumlov
archaeological site
Jelling Mounds and Runic Stones
old town
Djibouti City
waterfall
Emerald Pool
palace
Alcázar de Colón
old town
Kinshasa
Showing 60 of 16655. Use the search box to find a specific country or place.
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