A Duo of Traveller Necessities

The world is your oyster and you have the passion and desire to explore it. The temptation to travel and to let your wanderlust be your only guide is an overwhelming one. When traveling is in your sights, it can be difficult to bring yourself back down to the earth of reality.

Yet without reality, any travel expedition is doomed to failure. To truly see and experience all the things that you want to, you have to be ready for them. You have to be careful. And, most importantly, you have to make your preparations.

To do it right, you have to have the correct equipment for the job. The dream of slinging the nearest rucksack on your back having thrown the items you think you will need into it and then setting off is unrealistic. So love your preparation – it’s the thing that, ultimately, lets you see the world as you want to see it.

You Need… A Strong Bag

All of the hassle, stresses and strains that you go through as a traveller are rough. Your hair messes up, you sweat far more than you want to and you pound unfamiliar sidewalks with every new place. All of the things that you go through are made rougher on the bag you choose to travel with.

This is not an area on which you can have your primary concern be finding a bag of a low cost. Money isn’t everything, but quality is – and unfortunately, most of the time, the two of them go hand-in-hand. This applies both to luggage you take and the bag you carry around for day-to-day sightseeing; they have to be robust. If they’re not, you could find yourself spilling items all over a foreign train carriage – or worse, finding yourself an easy target for pickpockets.

So look for quality in manufacturers, and brands closer to the high-end of the market. You’ll thank yourself in the future!

A Reusable Water Bottle

Buying bottled water is expensive wherever you go in the world, especially the small bag-friendly sized bottles. It’s far more cost effective to buy large bottles from supermarkets in countries where it’s not safe to drink the water. In countries where it is, then just use the tap in your hotel room.

Don’t be tempted to use these sources to fill an old plastic bottle. A good, solid reusable water bottle is an essential – and make sure it’s BPA-free for maximum safety. You can’t go wrong with stainless steel containers; they’re heavier, but they’ll never let you down.
Of course, these two items are just the tip of the preparation iceberg – but you’re off to a flying start if you focus on them. What do you consider to be a holiday essential?