5 x Best and Worst Luggage
A backpack is for hiking. There are much better alternatives for other trips. Photo: Ville Palonen
What are the best luggage items? And what are the most useless travel accessories? An experienced traveler tells you what you should always pack for a trip – and which luggage items you should leave at home. The author of this article, photographer Ville Palonen, has traveled to 80 countries; sometimes hitchhiking, sometimes enjoying yourself in five-star hotels.
Five luggage items you should always pack
First tip: pack a few clothes and a lot of money for your vacation. It's also a good idea to bring a few small, handy items that you'll need for both a city break and a hiking trip.
1. Earplugs
The saddest trade of my life was when I had to exchange a pack of condoms for earplugs. On the other hand, the deal was downright excellent; at least I got to sleep in peace, even though my traveling companion was sweating in a hat behind the paper-thin wall of the guesthouse.
Earplugs are needed on an airplane, on a night bus, in a hostel dormitory, in a hotel room on a busy street, and in a shared tent on a mountain hike. The jungle can also be a really noisy place to sleep.
Traditional earplugs, or yellow foam plugs, irritate the ear canals. A more pleasant alternative is the soft silicone “Christmas tree” shaped earplugs, which are available at any pharmacy. Earplugs last for many trips, as they can be washed with soapy water.
2. Headlamp
A light that can be easily carried is necessary in many situations: when walking from the beach bar to your bungalow, reading a book on a night train, looking for a toilet during a power outage, and when pitching a tent in the dark.
A headlamp is handy because it keeps both hands free. My personal favorite is the tiny Petzl Zipka, which fits easily in a trouser or shirt pocket. You can read a longer article about the Zipka here,
3. Travel pharmacy
No one wants to lug around a big first aid kit, but a few essential items like painkillers, Imodium, and a couple of blister plasters fit perfectly in a small mini-grip bag.
4. Repair kit
Things can get messy when you’re traveling: your suitcase zipper breaks, a shirt button comes off, and the soles of your sneakers start to fray. A small and simple repair kit is all you need for a first aid kit that can fix almost anything.
I always carry sewing thread and a needle, a small roll of duct tape, instant glue, zip ties (which can also be used to “lock” your suitcase zippers), and strong thread that can be used as a clothesline on a hotel balcony.
Of course, a repair kit includes a utility knife or multi-tool. You’ll also need a few extra trash bags (for dirty laundry, for example) and minigrip bags that conveniently protect both your passport and banknotes.
5. Silk duvet cover
When you're traveling in remote areas (or just on a tight budget), sooner or later you'll need your own silk sheets. Shaped like a sleeping bag – but packed into a space the size of a beer can – these sheets will ensure a clean night's sleep. Don't forget your pillowcase too! In an emergency, you can use a clean t-shirt as a pillowcase.
The most comfortable material is of course real silk, but artificial silk will also do. Cotton won't work, as it weighs many times more and dries slowly in the sweaty tropics, for example.
Five useless things that do more harm than good when traveling
1. Backpack
A backpack is a must-have for every backpacker – but is it really the best bag for travel?
Let’s be honest: a backpack is designed for hiking. There are much more convenient bags for a trip that involves taking the airport bus or taxi to the hotel. My personal favorite is a semi-hard roller bag that can also be carried on your back if necessary. You can read a more extensive article about the Osprey Sojourn bag here, and buy it here.
One of the downsides of a traditional backpack is that it can't be locked. The tiny combination lock that connects the zippers of your suitcase (and the Osprey's roller bag) will stop at least the most opportunistic bag snatchers (at airports, for example). Nothing will stop a dedicated thief - that's why it's worth having travel insurance!
2. Sleeping bag
As a travel accessory, a sleeping bag is akin to a backpack: it is designed for wilderness life, and a high-quality down bag is worth its weight in gold when hiking. On a backpacking trip where you stay in hostels and cheap guesthouses, a sleeping bag is unnecessary ballast.
Instead, take a silk duvet cover with you. If and when you have to stay in a cockroach hotel, a silk duvet cover will protect you from stale blankets. The cold won't catch you by surprise, as blankets are always available for a cool night.
A tried-and-true trick for sleeping in a thin sleeping bag or silk bag is to wear a thin thermal layer as nightwear (which is always worth taking with you, for example, in mountain and desert areas). When you go to bed, you can roll your long underwear up to your ankles inside the sleeping bag – and simply pull it up if you start to get cold during the night!
3. Neck pillow
An inflatable neck pillow is not very comfortable. A pre-filled one takes up half the space in your carry-on. Only bring a neck pillow if you are planning a marathon (10 hours+) bus trip. If you want to carry a neck pillow, a down-filled travel pillow is the best option.
4. Outdoor pants that can be cut into shorts
These pieces of junk don't work well as pants or shorts. When hiking, zippers will rub against your thighs, whether the pants are cut or not. It's better to bring long pants made of the same material (the legs of which can be rolled up if you want), as well as separate shorts.
But there is an exception to this rule: the Fjällräven Abisko Lite cut-off pants work great as both long pants and shorts. Highly recommended!
5. Money belt
The purpose of a money belt is to keep your cash, passport and other valuables hidden. But does a money belt really work? Every street robber knows that if you can't find a penny in your pockets, you should dig inside your clothes.
I haven't bothered to use a money belt in 15 years, it seems so impractical. I will forever remember how, on my first hitchhiking trip, I arrived at the border between France and Spain. The passport inspector's expression was incredulous when I stuck my hand inside my trouser collar and handed him my passport, soaked with sweat.
I learned that it's a good idea to keep your passport (and cash) protected in a minigrip bag, especially in hot weather. These days, they go in a shirt pocket that can be closed with a zipper or button (or in a camera backpack).
It's a good idea to save copies of your passport and airline tickets to a cloud service or your own email inbox.
