10 Useful Things You Should Pack Whilst Travelling The World

Last Updated: August 15 2019

Packing your bags to go travelling can be a very tricky thing to do. Especially when you are planning on going away for a long period of time and what you have in your bag has to last you up to 6 months. We found it tricky to ensure we packed all of the essentials as well as all the things we wanted. Eventually though after all of the packing and unpacking, you have everything you need and your off on your journey across the world. However when you are out experiencing the world you realise you could’ve done with this or that. In this post we want to give you 10 things you might not think to pack but will probably want, need or find useful when you are on your travels. Here are our 10 useful things to pack whilst travelling; in no particular order:

#1 Photocopy Of Details

Something you may not think to do is take photocopies of your passport, drivers licence and other forms of ID. We did this because it can be useful for when a hotel wants your passport number or details. The biggest reason for taking photocopies though was in case we lost any of our identification. We put 2 copies of all our ID in one bag and two in another just in case we lost anything. This ensures that if you lose any of your ID or have it stolen you still have the back up to show authorities etc when you need help. Hopefully this won’t happen to any of you though as we haven’t seen anything like this yet on our travels (touch wood). Photocopies of details are definitely one of the most useful things to pack whilst travelling.

#2 Toilet Roll

Okay so this may seem a random choice however in a lot of places in Asia toilet paper isn’t used (people use their hand instead, as part of their religion). We have found most accommodation does have toilet paper however most public toilets and some rooms don’t. This could leave you in an unpleasant situation. We knew about this before we left so packed a toilet roll which we found very useful in situations where there was none. We then buy another roll just as spare or take the remaining roll from where we stay with us for back up. So make sure you don’t get caught in a shitty situation (see what I did there haha?)

#3 A Torch

We packed a torch when we left the UK and boy are we glad we did. Yes most phones have a torch now but having something brighter can come in so handy. We spent some time in Taman Negara, the biggest national park in Malaysia. At night, particularly in the forest it was very dark so having a light to help us was very useful. Another time torches can really help is when you are getting back to your accommodation at night. One of the places we stayed was poorly lit at night, so it was very helpful to have a torch.

#4 Sanitary Towels

Obviously this one is only for you girls out there. In some places across Asia sanitary towels aren’t a common thing. Therefore it is a good idea to pack yourselves a couple of packs just to be on the safe side if you happen to be in a place where they don’t sell them or they are really expensive. In most places we have seen them and seen them cheap but it just isn’t worth the risk.

#5 Playing Cards

You won’t always have data or WiFi to scroll through your Facebook whilst waiting for a flight or sitting in traffic. Having some playing cards in your bag is a great alternative that takes up little space. There are so many games you can play with cards so it really helps to pass the time if you find yourself waiting for a delayed flight or if you do just want to play a game. We play cards most evenings just to relax and unwind. We find it a nice way to chill outside and watch the world go by.

#6 A Towel

A number of places we have stayed don’t provide you with a towel so definitely bring your own. You can get special travel towels that fold up really small and dry really quickly. Ours is great and comes in super handy when we find ourselves without towels in our room. Definitely consider investing in one we can promise you it will be needed at some point.

#7 A Flannel

Staying on the cleanliness subject we also found packing a flannel to be very useful. Obviously we could wash ourselves with them if we had no proper shower facility but they came in handy for other things too. When we got way to hot having a flannel was a brilliant way to cool down. If you just pour some water on the flannel and put it on your back it works wonders at cooling you down on a hot walk or in a room with no air conditioning. A flannel is another one of our useful things to pack whilst travelling, as it has so many uses!

#8 Bug Spray

There can be lots of mosquito’s and other flies/insects that want to munch on you. Taking some bug spray with you is a really good idea. You will definitely need bug spray at some point if you are travelling South East Asia. Taking some with you that has deet in is a great idea and will save you money when you are out there. This will save you money because the shops know you need it in Asia so make it more expensive.

#9 Plug Adapters

It is more than likely that where you travel will use a different plug adapter to the ones you are used to. Some countries such as Malaysia have British plugs, whilst Bali use European plugs. Be sure to pack an adapter for where you are going unless you are happy to buy one when you get there. We found trying to buy another European adapter in Bali would have cost us a lot more, presumably again down to the fact the shop owners know you need one. We would recommend packing a plug adapter for at least one of the countries you visit. This is what we did and we haven’t had any trouble so far, although we will be buying an adapter for Thailand when we get there.

#10 A Small Bag

This is something we didn’t pack but wish we had now. When travelling you are bound to get caught out in the rain or get covered in dirt at some point. We once left our clothes out on the balcony and they got soaked by the rain just hours before we were leaving the hotel. We had to try and stuff our wet clothes in carrier bags before carrying other wet clothes with us. By packing yourself a small bag you are happy to put wet clothes in you could make your life much easier.

We hope this post helps you when packing for your next adventure 🙂

Thank you for reading

Jack & Abbie

P.S. If you want see more of our tips and travel experiences why not give us a follow on Pinterest at: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/acouplescalling/

We look forward to seeing you there 🙂