My verdict
Final thoughts
The best travel gear is boring: it keeps your phone charged, your bag organized and your sleep intact. Start with a power bank, a good charger and packing cubes, then add the rest as your trips need it.
I first wrote this list back in 2019, and honestly, it read like a catalog: drones, smart suitcases, things I'd never carried myself. So I rewrote it around what actually ends up in my bag.
Nothing on this list is fancy. These are the small things that keep my phone alive, my bag organized and my flights bearable. If you never click a link, you can still use this as a packing checklist.
Quick list
Portable power bank (10,000 mAh)
USB-C GaN wall charger (2–3 ports)
Short braided USB-C cables
Universal travel adapter
Compression packing cubes
Clear TSA toiletry bag + refillable bottles
Noise-canceling earbuds
Kindle Paperwhite
Bluetooth item tracker (AirTag or similar)
Insulated or collapsible water bottle
Sleep mask + earplugs
Phone lanyard or waterproof phone pouch
1. Portable power bank (10,000 mAh, USB-C)
What it is: A slim 10,000 mAh power bank with USB-C in/out, like the Anker 10K or similar.
Anker 10,000mAh USB-C power bank
Why I pack it: Your phone is your map, boarding pass, camera and translator. On long days like Iceland's Golden Circle drive, where we went from Thingvellir to Geysir in a rental car, the phone works hard all day: navigation running, photos at every stop, and barely a minute on a charger. A small power bank in my day bag means I'm never watching the battery or hunting for an outlet, and I can still pull up directions on the way back to the hotel.
Pros: Two or so full phone charges, pocket sized, allowed in carry-on.
Cons: Must go in your carry-on, not checked bags. Bigger 20,000 mAh models get heavy fast.
Best for: Everyone. If you buy one thing from this list, buy this.
2. USB-C GaN wall charger (2–3 ports)
What it is: A compact GaN charger with two or three ports. One brick charges phone, earbuds and power bank.
Compact GaN USB-C charger 65W
Why I pack it: I've learned the hard way that chargers are the easiest thing to leave behind. I even wrote about forgetting one in my biggest travel mistake. Now I pack one small multi-port charger that handles my phone, earbuds and power bank at once. That's one thing to remember instead of three, and one outlet instead of fighting over the single plug behind the hotel nightstand.
Pros: Replaces several bricks, fast charging, small.
Cons: Cheap no-name GaN chargers can run hot; stick with a known brand.
Best for: Anyone traveling with more than one device, or sharing a hotel outlet with a travel buddy.
3. Short braided USB-C cables
What it is: Two braided cables, about 3–6 ft, USB-C to USB-C (plus USB-C to Lightning if you still have an older iPhone).
Braided USB-C cable 2-pack
Why I pack it: Cables are the thing I lose most, whether they're left in a hotel outlet, tangled in a seatback pocket or just gone. I keep a spare braided cable in my day bag so a missing one never ends my day, and the braided ones hold up far better than the thin cable that came in the box.
Pros: Braided cables survive being stuffed in bags; a 6 ft cable reaches the bed in hotels where the outlet is behind the nightstand.
Cons: Easy to leave in hotel rooms. Pick a bright color.
Best for: Everyone.
4. Universal travel adapter
What it is: An all-in-one adapter with USB-C ports built in.
Universal travel adapter with USB-C
Honest note: Coming from New Jersey, you don't need one for Canada (Toronto, Niagara Falls) or Mexico (Cancún); they use the same plugs as the US. You do need one for Iceland and most of Europe (Type C/F) and Brazil (Type N in Rio, though many places take Type C too).
Pros: One adapter for basically every country; USB ports mean you may not need a separate brick.
Cons: It's an adapter, not a voltage converter. Fine for phones and laptops, not for a US hair dryer.
Best for: Anyone leaving North America.
5. Compression packing cubes
What it is: A set of 3–4 zippered compression cubes.
Compression packing cubes set
Why I pack them: Packing cubes are the core of how I travel with minimal luggage. In Iceland we needed real layers: a base layer, a fleece and a waterproof shell for the waterfalls and the wind. Compression cubes squeeze all that bulk down so it fits in a carry-on, and I can grab what I need without unpacking the whole bag in a guesthouse or a rental car trunk.
Pros: Fit more into a carry-on, and you can find things without unpacking everything.
Cons: Compression can make a bag heavier than the airline allows. Weigh it.
Best for: Carry-on-only travelers and anyone sharing a suitcase.
6. Clear TSA toiletry bag + refillable bottles
What it is: A clear, quart-size TSA-friendly bag with leak-proof silicone bottles of 3.4 oz or less.
Clear TSA toiletry bag
Silicone travel bottles set
Why I pack it: Security goes a lot faster when all my liquids come out in one clear bag instead of being dug out of three pockets while the line waits behind me. Refillable silicone bottles mean I bring just what I need, and a leak stays inside the bag instead of ending up on my clothes. If you're not sure what's allowed, my TSA tips post covers the rules.
Pros: Faster security, no shampoo all over your clothes.
Cons: Cheap bottles leak. Get silicone ones with a locking cap.
Best for: Carry-on travelers.
7. Noise-canceling earbuds
What it is: Earbuds with active noise canceling, like AirPods Pro, Sony WF-1000XM5 or a budget pick like Soundcore.
Noise-canceling earbuds
Why I pack them: Flights to Iceland and Rio are long, and hours of engine hum wear you down more than you'd think. Noise-canceling earbuds quiet the cabin enough that I can sleep, watch something or just sit in peace, and I land less tired. They're small enough to live in my pocket, so they come on every trip, even short ones.
Pros: Small, cut plane noise a lot, double as a phone headset.
Cons: Easy to lose one bud; most can't plug into seatback screens without a Bluetooth adapter.
Best for: Frequent flyers and light sleepers.
8. Kindle Paperwhite
What it is: A waterproof e-reader.
Kindle Paperwhite
Why I pack it: A Kindle holds a whole stack of books in less space than one paperback, and the battery lasts for weeks, so it's one less thing to charge. It's easy to read in bright sun on a beach like Cancún, and it's waterproof, so sand and splashes aren't a worry. On long flights it's my backup when I'm tired of screens and movies.
Pros: Weeks of battery, readable in bright sun, waterproof for beach and pool.
Cons: One more device to charge; if you only read on your phone, skip it.
Best for: Readers and beach trips.
9. Bluetooth item tracker (AirTag or similar)
What it is: An Apple AirTag (or a Tile / Samsung SmartTag for Android) dropped in your checked bag.
Apple AirTag
Why I'd pack it: Why I pack it: This is the honest version of "smart luggage." Instead of buying a new suitcase with built-in tech, you drop a small tracker into the bag you already own. If a checked bag misses a connection, you can see where it is on your phone and give the airline an exact location instead of waiting on a claim number.
Pros: Cheap, no luggage battery rules, works with any bag.
Cons: AirTags need an iPhone. It shows where your bag is; it won't get the airline to bring it back faster.
Best for: Anyone who checks a bag.
10. Insulated or collapsible water bottle
What it is: An insulated bottle (Hydro Flask, Owala) or a collapsible silicone one.
Insulated water bottle
Collapsible water bottle
Why I pack it: I fill it after security and skip the airport water prices. On early starts like my sunrise drive to Maroon Bells, when it's cold out, an insulated bottle keeps a coffee or tea warm for hours. Later in the day the same bottle keeps water cold on the trail.
Pros: Saves money and plastic.
Cons: Insulated bottles are bulky; collapsible ones keep nothing cold.
Best for: Hikers and anyone tired of overpriced airport water.
11. Sleep mask + earplugs
What it is: A contoured sleep mask and foam earplugs.
Contoured sleep mask
Why I pack it: In Iceland around midsummer it barely gets dark, which is why a sleep mask made my Iceland packing list. A contoured one blocks the light without pressing on your eyes, so you actually sleep in a bright room. It's just as useful on red-eyes, and with a pair of foam earplugs it shuts out a snoring seatmate or a noisy hotel hallway.
Pros: Tiny, and makes a big difference to sleep.
Cons: Some people can't sleep with anything on their face.
Best for: Red-eyes, midnight-sun trips and thin hotel walls.
12. Waterproof phone pouch
What it is: A clear waterproof pouch with a neck strap.
Waterproof phone pouch
Why I'd pack it: Why I pack it: Waterfall spray is no joke. At Seljalandsfoss in Iceland we walked behind the falls and came out soaked, and Niagara will get your phone wet too. A clear waterproof pouch on a neck strap keeps my phone dry and still lets me take photos through it, so I don't miss the shot to protect my phone. It also works for a beach day or a boat ride.
Pros: Lets you shoot photos near water, in the Blue Lagoon and on Cancún beaches.
Cons: Touchscreen gets fiddly and photos through plastic are a bit softer.
Best for: Waterfalls, beaches, boat tours.
What I leave at home
Drones. Great footage, but rules and permits vary (many national parks ban them), and they add weight and batteries. Unless you're making video content, skip it.
"Smart" luggage with built-in batteries. Many airlines require the battery to be removable, and a regular suitcase with a tracker does the job.
Portable water purifiers. Useful for backcountry trips, not for the cities and resorts most of us visit. Tap water was fine in Iceland.
A big camera kit. At Maroon Bells I brought my DJI Osmo Pocket instead of a bag full of lenses. It fits in my pocket, and its stabilizer gets smooth video even when I'm walking. With my phone for photos, that covers almost everything I shoot on a trip, so the heavy camera stays home.
Multiple chargers. One GaN brick replaces them all.
Smartwatch "for travel". I already wear an Apple Watch, and on trips it's handy for gate changes, boarding alerts and directions without pulling out my phone. But if you don't already own one, I wouldn't buy one just for a trip. Your phone does all of it, and that's one less charger to pack.
Final thoughts
The best travel gear is boring: it keeps your phone charged, your bag organized and your sleep intact. Start with a power bank, a good charger and packing cubes, then add the rest as your trips need it.
Planning a trip? See my Niagara Falls and Toronto itinerary and my guide to traveling with minimal luggage. If I could only bring one thing from this list, it'd be the power bank, because a dead phone turns a good travel day into a stressful one fast. Pack light, keep it charged, and always leave a little room for a fridge magnet, because I bring one home from every trip.
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