11 things to remember to take with you on your trip

It won’t be long now, the vacations are just around the corner. Loved and cherished, vacation requests issued, reservations made, it’s time to prepare for travel. What should I purchase before my trip? What is worth packing?

No, this is not another post along the lines of, 10 gifts for travelers. And these are not things you should move forward without. Today we will show you interesting, original and interesting gadgets – cool things, so called “nice to have”, but thanks to them your trip may become more interesting, more colorful, and thanks to some of them you will definitely stand out from the crowd.

We freely admit, we are gadgeteers :) We’re interested in what’s on the market, we’re bowled over by the latest smartphones, we’ve been saving up for a 360 camera, and if we had excess cash we’d have been uploading gorgeous drone shots here long ago. We also like start-up ideas, we observe and bravely cheer them on, especially our local, Polish ones.

Nevertheless, we still believe that we shop sensibly, we do not buy unnecessary things, we bet on practical and durable ones, because we once heard a very cool slogan “Poles can’t afford cheap things”. I used to disagree with this, but we’ve been decently run over and disappointed several times on something that was supposed to be good and cheap.

So is there any point in buying something for a trial? Sometimes yes, but it all depends on what we want to acquire and for how much. However, it is worth considering rental options – for example, we can rent a drone for a fee, see how it works, how it is operated, or at least make an appointment with the operator and talk about the pros and cons and different models. We can also rent a bicycle trailer for a child before we decide to invest – try it on, ride around, see for a few days if it’s a good option for us. The cost is definitely less, and it’s a greener approach, too.

So now our purchases are more thoughtful and we prefer to spend once and more, rather than less and more often. In our case, this does not apply only to electronics, but also to equipment (backpacks, bags), clothing or footwear – because how can you travel in uncomfortable shoes or a soaking jacket?

On the one hand, we prefer to spend money on something that will make our memories last longer (better equipment), and on the other hand, we care about fulfilling our dreams and passions in general, so that we have something to remember in our old age, because memories will not be taken away from us by anything (well, unless illness, but what we experience is ours). Is there any point in spending several hundred zlotys on clothes when it’s not enough to buy a plane ticket? A matter of planning and priorities. We prefer to buy an airline ticket in the first place, and if there is not enough for something, we count on the fact that it will simply be less comfortable.

However, there are some gadgets that we would like to recommend to you. These are not the things one thinks about first when packing, or when preparing at all. Some of them we own, some of them we know to be useful to us, and some of them just steal our hearts. There is also a large percentage of things that would have made travel much easier for us a few years ago if we had them then, or if they had already been invented :)

Table of contents

A list to pack not just for the vacations

Are you looking for a list to pack before your trip because you don’t know what to take with you on vacation? Here’s a list of some products for you to consider before you travel whether they are worth taking on a trip.

However, if you are looking for a complete list then we recommend our post
What to take on vacation?
where you’ll find more details on how and what to pack. In addition, you can download there a free packing list template for yourself and/or the whole family.

You can also download the list directly from our store, totally free:

POBIERZ TUTAJ: Lista rzeczy do spakowania! »»

What is worth taking with you on your trip?

Let’s get to the point, however. There is no need to wait for an opportunity, today about things to purchase yourself, according to your needs and interests (random order):

1. lead

Always, but always, it is needed when it is not! Have you happened to be on the trail when suddenly there is an interesting cave that you absolutely want to look into? Any caves, tunnels? Or maybe the power went out or you were returning at night? Or maybe you planned to climb a peak (such as Teide) and naively believed that the flashlights on your phone would suffice?

That’s right. A headlamp is worth having, as it can come in handy when you least expect it. Even on a simple straight dirt/rural road, however, after dark, if only to be more visible to oncoming traffic.

It also works nicely for regular cycling or at least running. Not only are you more visible (the light from the level of our head draws more attention than from the level of the bicycle wheels), but we also have a well-lit road and any bumps.

You can see some interesting options for purchase on Ceneo.

2. ebook reader

Some people love to hold a physical book in their hands, turn the pages, smell the book…. and cool, so do I. But on the other hand, I really dislike carrying excess weight, huffing and puffing to keep the pages from tearing or flooding…. and I never really know what reading supply to take with me.

The reader solves most of the problems. You’ll pack a decent supply of books here for several trips, the battery will quietly last you a very long time, and by the way, you won’t tire your eyesight like you do when looking at a pdf on a cell phone. With the reader you can read a book using only one hand, which, contrary to appearances, comes in handy when, for example, someone falls asleep on your shoulder on the plane ;) What’s more, in the reader you can also have a guide available, but this is something we do not practice :)

I personally use a Kindle e-reader from Amazon, bought ages ago, and it still holds up well. You can find a selection from a bunch of different options on Ceneo or AliExpress.

3. powerbank

How many times has your phone discharged when you needed it most? Thanks to the powerbank, you won’t be left out in the cold.

Yes, I know, it should be an item on the “must have” list, not on the “nice to have” list, but we used to be completely unaware of the lightness and usefulness of this solution. Perhaps put another way, it was difficult for us to find good equipment that actually worked flawlessly and did not self-discharge during the trip. We tested several commercial powerbanks and the problems with them were mainly two: weak power and just a quick discharge, because, for example, it reacted to movement, so carried in a purse or backpack did not stand a chance with us.

We currently have some Chinese noname from AliExpress and it works just fine. Unfortunately, however, we can no longer find it, but here you have a whole selection of colorful powerbanks, because, after all, no one said that these must be boring accessories ;-)

4. selfie stick, Gorillapod

Yes, it’s also a fairly obvious thing even to uninspired travelers, but it was not practiced by us for a baavery long time, which is why it’s included in this list. Far too late we have convinced ourselves of these two elements.

Up until a year ago, we laughed at the ruddy selfie sticks present everywhere. Until. Admittedly, we still do not treat the stick as an integral part of our hand, but increasingly it is an extension of it. The same goes for the Gorillapod (great stuff!).

We have always been under the assumption that anywhere, but everywhere, we are able to set up the camera to take a good picture for us without unnecessary tripods. We coped alone in the mountains, on the beach, in the desert, but the hardest was always in crowded places, where there was the fear that someone would grab and take the camera laid on the backpack, and with it all the photos taken so far. The truth is that it was only when we tried a stick and tripod that we found out how much of a mistake we were living in and how much easier and stress-free our lives would be ;)

Gorillapod is very practical – for example, it can be permanently mounted to a stroller, or to anything else that comes our way. With both the pole and the tripod, we save a lot of time on clumsy attempts to take pictures by people we meet, whom we ask for a simple favor. Are we the only ones who get so irritated when people take a photo of us, in which there is only us (necessarily the whole figure, from head to toe), and what is in the background is irrelevant!

A large selection of Gorillapods can be found Ceneo.

5. a suitcase that stands out from the crowd

I vividly remember one of the first suitcases I bought: beige, with colorful peas. Rubbish as I don’t know (I found out after the first flight), but what a pretty one…. It served me a whole few flights, because it did not last more. For this it had one huge plus – it stood out among the other suitcases and I could always see MY suitcase on the belt without any problem, from a distance.

And I’m not referring here to the fact that I scrape the valicha and leave the airport a minute before anyone else. The thing is, it’s not easy to make a mistake. No matter how nicely you sign your suitcase, how much you look out for it, it may happen that some narcissist, in a hurry, with or without premeditation, will grab your suitcase and, without wasting time reading the labels, snatch it to his hotel at the other end of the island (we have had such cases in our family more than once ;-)).

If you figure it out at the airport, you know, you immediately report it, but we also know such cases that people only realized at the hotel that they swapped suitcases and instead of a suit they have a woman’s thong (seriously!) …and a suitcase in another city. How to avoid it? Either decorate the suitcase with ribbons, stripes, stickers, or simply buy a distinctive suitcase that stands out from the crowd :) You can find interesting models, for example, here.

6. decent rain jacket

Seriously decent :) In addition to the fact that it should have a water resistance of 10,000 mm water column, you should also pay attention to the finish (whether the seams and zippers also do not allow water to get through), breathability of the material well and super if it had a thousand pockets to hold everything :)

Need I add that it should be light as a feather and take up as much space as a matchbox? ;-) However, should you fail to meet all the requirements, it is worth investing in a good, durable jacket that will serve us for several years, and thanks to it, trips, even to those rainy regions, will not be a nightmare.

Where to buy such a jacket? As I wrote above, although we like gadgets, we are not in favor of spending all our money on them. That’s why it’s worth going to some outlet store, trying it on and choosing some cool model for yourself. It doesn’t have to be pink or lime green ;) All it needs is good water resistance and a sufficient number of pockets.

You can also take advantage of numerous discounts and promotions at various stores, which you can easily find, for example, at AleRabat.com.

7. hanging cosmetic bag

Super, hyper comfortable. Simple, and how useful. With such a makeup bag, you have access to all your cosmetics and don’t have to worry that you don’t have anywhere to spread them out even in a shared bathroom in a hostel, because there will always be a place to hang it. One we have, we are thinking about a second one with larger pockets and compartments.

We once bought such a marvel in Primark, nowadays we can find something like this on the Internet.

8. sleeping cushion

Let the one whose head has never flown forward on a plane, train or even a coach laugh :) The truth is that ordinary horns are not always comfortable, and also we do not always sit next to a person to lean against. Although we don’t have one, we would love to try this invention, because, unfortunately, in airplanes the tables are too low to rest the head against them safely for the spine.

Recently, cushions of this type have also appeared. Admittedly, we haven’t seen anyone using something like this for travel yet, and while it looks very co(s)mic, I bet a long connecting flight or an overnight flight could be a lot more fun.

Will any brave ones be found here? :)

9. quick-dry towel

Is there anyone in the room who doesn’t already have or god forbid hasn’t heard of such an invention? For us, it’s definitely a must have on any of our trips, even when we’re just heading out of town for a bike ride.

It takes up very little space and works wonders. Fact, it may not always wipe perfectly and quickly, but for travel or the beach it is perfect. Does anything more need to be added? Well, maybe enough for everyone to find the right size for themselves.

Here with patterns you are unlikely to go wild, but still you can easily shock our fellow travelers that you keep a beach towel in a small pocket ;) And you can buy them, for example, on Ceneo.

10. stylish notebook for the traveler

Do you like to take notes while traveling? Or do you keep a diary/diary the way it was done a dozen years ago? Or do you just like to write down what you saw, when or how much money you spent? If so, you absolutely must have a notebook for which you can immediately see that you are an avid traveler.

We always take a pen and notepad with us – it often helps with communication, and let’s not kid ourselves, it’s often easier to write down or draw something than to tap out on the phone keyboard.

We recommend some interesting designs from AliExpress.

11. blindfold for airplane

You probably can’t stand out from the crowd any more…. at least the one on the plane or at the airport, during the long wait for a connecting flight. We have personally used blindfolds so far only on very long flights (more than 8 hours), but we see that passengers often use such blindfolds or cover themselves with hoods, scarves, etc. even while waiting for a plane or on train and coach travel.

And with such a headband not only stylish, but also mega comfortable :)

Full of super designs you will find, of course, on AliExpress.