Packing for a 3 months trip isn’t an easy task, especially when you’ve got to plan for a number of different occasions, activities and, not to mention, climates! The most important thing is to travel light. The way to travel light is to incorporate key practical items into a capsule wardrobe. Here you can get the best of both worlds - wear your favourites without compromising comfort or warmth. I’ve been stocking up on some useful travel must buy items over the past few months ready to use when we go. Here are my very useful travel must buys.

A Warm Packaway Coat

We’ve decided to start our trip in the Southern Hemisphere and finish off in the much chillier Northern Hemisphere. Although this works well for our flight plan, it does mean that we need to save precious space in our bags for our winter wardrobe. To not compromise on space and lug around dead weight, I’ve been on the lookout for a super lightweight, pack down winter coat. Now, there’s quite a lot of puffer jackets on the market but I came across an absolute bargain in Decathlon. It’s super lightweight, warm & snuggly but most importantly it packs down into a teeny tiny bag.

Lightweight Trainers

As much as I adore little pretty sandals, my poor (flat) feet just can’t handle spending all day walking without much support. I need to arm myself with a pair of trainers so I can use my feet supports. If anyone knows me, typically you don’t see me in trainers - unless I’m on a fitness spree. So finding a pair of trainers that tick the boring practical box - i.e. I can squeeze in my fuddy-duddy insoles and I can wear trainers for walking (hopefully running) as well as fit in with my general style. After exhausting all my internet searching and getting involved in some serious eBay bidding wars, my lovely work pal let me into a little (probably the worst-kept) secret. Junior trainers go up to to a size 5/ size 5.5 and the best part is that there’s no tax! I got this lovely pair of New Balances from JD for a steal at £35!

Silk Sleeping Bag Liner

We plan to stay in plenty of hostels when we’re away. They’re affordable, filled with interesting people and can quite easily point you in the right direction when it comes to seeing the best sides of the city you’re in. The downside is the sleeping arrangements can be a little of the basic side. To help make a night’s sleep cosy and clean, I’ve been recommended a silk liner. It’s like a super thin sleeping bag that can be the clean layer between you and the chewing gum grey sheets. It’s also great on its own as a duvet when you’re stuck in a campervan in 35-degree heat. Rich bought two from eBay for about £15.

A Big Cotton Scarf

You may be thinking to yourself, how can a scarf be one of the most useful pieces of kit? Well, it can be used for so many different things. It can be a sarong, a headscarf, a towel, a kaftan or even a bag.Take it on the plane, cwtch up to it and then wear it. I’ve chosen a leopard print styled River Island scarf that I was given as a gift a couple years back. I chose this patterned scarf as it’s quite big in size so will be perfect for a beach towel or sarong.

Camera Bits

So many travellers would agree that camera equipment is an absolute must when it comes to documenting a big trip. Technology is leaps and bounds from the little digital camera you used to take with you on a night out. Now you can get a powerful little camera that fits in the palm of your hand. Let’s all admit it, we spend hours on YouTube watching GoPro travel videos and wishing you can create something of a similar level. Now with trusty little gadgets, you’re halfway there. We’ve got our hands on a Gimbal to help make GoPro footage smoother and more professional looking. It’s easy to use and can easily fit in your hand luggage.

There are so many other GoPro kits you can get. We bought a bag of Gopro bits that included a water buoy, chest piece and self-stick. If you’re planning to get the immersive effect, then kits like this can cost less than £20. Pick, pack and experiment for a fraction of the cost.



Now that I’ve got together these key must-buys that will make any around the world trip that little bit easier. Fingers crossed these must-buys do help more than hinder. We shall see as there are only 8 days to go!