Travel Essentials I Use Every Day on the Road
12 minutes ago
7 min read
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People often ask me what I actually carry when I'm travelling and filming. Not a wish list, not a sponsored haul, just the bits of kit that come out of my bag every single day. So here it is, the small collection of things I rely on, and a few honest notes on why.
I've learned that a short, well-chosen kit is worth more than a bag full of things I never reach for. Everything below earns its place because I use it, not because it looks impressive on a packing list.
My travel backpack
The bag that holds the rest of this kit is the Geebymol 45L military tactical backpack. It's the backpack I use on the road: 45 litres, with plenty of pockets and space for a laptop as well as the cameras and chargers. At the time of writing it's around £27 on Amazon UK.
My travel power adapter
If I could only keep one gadget, this would be it. I use the TESSAN 100W universal travel adapter every day. It works in most countries, and with two USB-C and two USB-A ports I can charge my phone, cameras and power bank from one wall socket in a hotel room that never has enough plugs. At the time of writing it's around £45 on Amazon UK.
A universal adapter sounds dull until you're in a room with one socket behind the bed and four things that need charging. The 100W rating is useful if you also want to top up a laptop, and the USB ports mean you're not hunting for a fistful of separate chargers. I pack it in my carry-on, with a short USB-C cable or two, so I can charge at the gate as easily as in the room.
If you're buying one, look for a model that covers the countries you're visiting and has enough USB ports for a phone and a camera at the same time. Don't force a loose or damaged hotel socket — try another outlet.
My main camera: DJI Osmo Pocket 3
Almost everything you see on my YouTube channel is filmed on the DJI Osmo Pocket 3. It's small enough to live in a jacket pocket, the gimbal keeps walking shots smooth, and the larger sensor copes well in churches, museums and evening streets. It's discreet too, which matters when you're filming in busy places. At the time of writing it's around £309 on Amazon UK.
A pocket camera only helps if it's actually in your pocket, so I try not to bury it at the bottom of a bag. For walking shots, let the gimbal do the work and walk a little slower than you think you need to. Charge it whenever you have a quiet hour, rather than waiting until the battery is empty, and drop the resolution a little if you're filming for hours and don't want to fill a card before the day is done.
Wipe the lens now and then. A pocket camera picks up fingerprints, and a smear will spoil an otherwise lovely evening shot.
I use the Pocket 3, and that's the camera I film with. If I were buying a new one now, I'd get the DJI Osmo Pocket 4.
For rougher days: DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro
Since late 2025 I've also carried the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro. It's the camera I reach for on boats, in the rain, or anywhere I wouldn't risk the Pocket. Around £289 on Amazon UK at the time of writing.
The Pocket is lovely in a city, but it isn't the camera I'd dangle over the side of a boat or carry through a downpour. An action camera is built for knocks, spray and awkward angles, and it sits happily on a simple handle or mount if you need your hands free. I keep it in a small pouch in the bag so it isn't rattling around with keys and coins.
If you only buy one camera, the Pocket will cover most days. The Action 5 Pro is the one I add when the weather or the transport might be unkind.
A 256GB microSD card
4K footage fills cards quickly, so I use a 256GB microSD card and carry a spare. Buy from a well-known brand and a reputable seller, since fake cards are common. See 256GB microSD cards on Amazon UK.
I format cards in the camera, not on a laptop, and I don't pull a card out while it's still writing. The spare lives in a different pocket from the main one, so if a bag goes missing I haven't lost every bit of footage. Cheap no-name cards are a false economy — they fail, and they can corrupt a day's filming without much warning. Stick to a known brand and a seller you'd trust with your holiday photos, and replace a card that starts throwing errors rather than hoping it will be fine.
An INIU power bank
Long filming days drain everything, so an INIU power bank comes with me everywhere. If you're looking for one, the INIU slim 10,000mAh 45W power bank is a good size for a day bag (around £30 at the time of writing). Check your airline's rules: power banks go in hand luggage, not in the hold.
A slim 10,000mAh pack is usually enough to get a phone and a small camera through a long day without adding much weight. I top it up overnight so it's ready in the morning, and I keep a short cable with it so I'm not digging around at a café table. If a pack looks swollen, badly scratched or suspiciously cheap, don't take it on a plane.
A key finder in my bag
I keep a CHZHVAN key finder in my bag. It works with Apple Find My on iPhone, so if my bag wanders off, or I just can't remember which café I left it in, I can see where it is. Around £29 on Amazon UK at the time of writing.
I clip it into an inside pocket or a zip compartment, not onto a loose strap that can catch on a seat. These little trackers need the occasional battery change, so it's worth glancing at the app now and then rather than discovering it's gone quiet at the worst moment. It won't stop a determined thief, but it does take the sting out of that "where on earth did I leave my bag?" moment.
eSIMs: staying connected without roaming bills
I don't buy local SIM cards any more. I use eSIMs, set up on my phone before I leave, so I have data the moment I land. I use both Roamless and Saily. With Roamless you can get 50% off with my code ENGLISHMAN50.
The habit that makes the difference is doing the setup at home, on reliable Wi-Fi, before you fly. Then, when you land, you switch the eSIM on and you already have maps, messages and translation, without hunting for an airport kiosk or paying a steep roaming charge.
Keep your usual number available for calls and bank texts if you need them, and use the eSIM for data. It's wise to screenshot the QR code or confirmation, and to have a second option in case one network is weak. Once you've landed, give the eSIM a moment to connect and turn on data roaming for that eSIM — not necessarily for your home SIM.
Where Money Maps helps
The other thing on my phone every trip is Money Maps. It's a free travel app for finding the best exchange rates and fee-free ATMs nearby. We built it to show bureau de change rates on a map, so before I change cash I can see how one shop compares with the others nearby and roughly what I'd get for my money.
That matters more than people think. The first kiosk you see at an airport or in a busy square is rarely the kindest rate, and a "no commission" sign can still hide a poor exchange. A minute on the map is often enough to walk a short way and do better, or to decide that an ATM is the cleaner option that day.
Money Maps also helps you spot ATMs that are less likely to hit you with a poor conversion or a surprise fee. When the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, that's usually a bad deal — decline it and pay in the local currency instead. Rates in the app are indicative and can change, so always confirm at the counter or on the ATM screen before you go ahead.
Download Money Maps for iPhone and give it a try on your next trip.
A few habits that make the kit work
A few simple habits keep this little kit useful.
Charge overnight, not in a panic at breakfast. Keep cables in one pouch so you're not untangling them on a train tray. Back up footage when you have a decent connection, and don't wipe a card until the files are safely off it. Put the tracker in the bag you actually carry, not the one you leave in the room. And set up the eSIM and glance at Money Maps before you need them, not after.
Keep it simple
That's really it. A good adapter, a small camera, enough storage and power, a tracker in the bag and an eSIM on the phone. Nothing fancy, but it means I spend my time exploring rather than hunting for plugs or Wi-Fi.
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Safe travels, The Wondering Englishman
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