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Picking the Right Travel Gear

There’s no shortage of gadgets and gear for sale with travelers in mind, in addition to the stuff that most of us use on a regular basis. So when you’re sorting out what to take and what to leave behind, how much of it are you going to bring along with you? My advice is to resist the temptation to overload on specialized equipment, and instead focus on bringing a few items that can handle multiple tasks for you. That way you have less clutter in your pack, and don’t carry around things that are only good for one specific use.

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The iPod, or similar device, is a great candidate for your pack. I’ve written about how you can use it for multiple tasks here.

A digital camera is another must-bring if you want to take some pictures of your travels. It’s a pretty obvious thing to take along, so I won’t spend much time on it.

Other items, like a GPS, a phone, and specialized travel gear, should be heavily considered before bringing it along. The problem with most of this stuff is that it is costly, which means that the more you spend on special travel gear before you leave, the less you can spend on your trip. And because it’s costly, if you realize you aren’t using it, you will be very hesitant to ditch it.

I brought a GPS on my trip because we had one, and it seemed like something that would come in handy on a world trip. We used it the first month or so to keep a log of our GPS locations, and then realized that we could just search on Google Maps instead. We carried that expensive piece of equipment around the world with us, taking up space in our packs and just one more item we would hate to lose.

I wouldn’t recommend bringing lots of specialized travel gear you might find in an outdoor shop. Special travel pants, towels, and shoes might seem like a good idea at the time, but often don’t go the distance. They are also difficult to replace when traveling. It’s easier to just use normal everyday items and then replace them as they wear out.

My travel pants held up pretty well until I had they laundered in India, and they melted while being ironed. Of course I didn’t ask that they be ironed, but somehow they got in there and my $50 REI pants were gone just like that. I also brought along some expensive sport sandals that didn’t stand up to being worn every day. Looking back, I wish I had just brought a good pair of walking shoes. They would have been much more versatile than the sandals, and had they suffered a similar fate to my pants, easier to replace.

To sum it up, think long and hard before buying things to take traveling with you. Special travel gear, gadgets and clothes, might seem like perfect items for your pack, but often every day stuff will hold up just as well. And in the event that they stuffer some kind of catastrophe, you’ll be able to replace them without too much trouble.

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