After spending 9 days across Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Hanoi, I learned quickly what gear earns its place in your bag - and what doesn’t. This is my definitive list of 9 travel essentials for any trip, honed through real experience.
- 🥇 Wildcraft 45L Rucksack - the single most important buy
- 🥈 Mi Power Bank 3i 20,000 mAh - never a dead phone
- 🥉 Packing Cubes - find anything in 10 seconds
1. Lightweight Backpack (40-45L)
The single most important decision you’ll make. Travel means humid weather, narrow streets, and moving between cities constantly. A carry-on-friendly 40-45L pack keeps you nimble - no checked baggage queues, no lost luggage risk.
2. Compact Action Camera
You’ll be on boats, in caves, at waterfalls. Your phone won’t survive all of that. I shot the Golden Bridge at Ba Na Hills, kayaking in Ha Long Bay, and parasailing in Da Nang - all with an action camera.
3. High-Capacity Power Bank (20,000 mAh)
Long train rides, overnight buses, all-day tourist spots - you will drain your phone. A 20,000 mAh bank charges my phone 4-5 times and also powers my camera.
4. Universal Travel Adapter
Southeast Asia uses a mix of plug types. Vietnam uses Type A and C, but your hotel might have something different. A universal adapter eliminates all uncertainty.
5. Neck Pillow (Memory Foam)
The flight from Mumbai to Ho Chi Minh City is 6+ hours. Add the internal flights between cities, and you’re spending a lot of time in airplane seats. A good memory foam neck pillow is worth every rupee.
6. Packing Cubes
This sounds like overkill until you’ve lived out of a backpack for 9 days. Packing cubes mean you can find any item in 10 seconds, keep dirty and clean clothes separate, and actually use every inch of your bag.
7. Quick-Dry Microfibre Towel
Hotels often have thin towels (or none at budget stays). A microfibre towel dries in 20 minutes, takes up no space, and weighs almost nothing.
8. Waterproof Phone Pouch
Whether you’re on a boat or stuck in a sudden monsoon, your phone needs protection. I’ve submerged my waterproof pouch to 10m while snorkelling and had zero issues.
9. Compact Camera Tripod
Whether you’re solo or in a group, a small flexible tripod gets you better shots than any stranger you hand your camera to. Mine got used every single day on my travels.
That’s the complete list. Every single item on this list earned its place through actual use - nothing here is hypothetical. If you’re heading out, start with the backpack and the power bank - everything else is secondary.
Happy travels! 🌏
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