The Best Budget-Friendly Travel Gear
Preparing for travel opportunities can seem like a prohibitively expensive endeavor, but it doesn’t have to be. Savvy travelers have an abundance of resources at their disposal for limiting the cost of their journey, most notably on the Internet, where one can find heavily discounted and high-quality travel equipment like backpacks, luggage, and more.
For instance, the Venture Pal Lightweight Hiking Backpack, available on Amazon for $20.99, features an average customer rating of 4.4/5 stars and is celebrated for its spacious interior, durability, and portability. The backpack weighs less than a pound and can be folded into just a fraction of its size for convenience during transport and storage. While the backpack is marketed towards those who would use it while hiking, its large storage capacity and strong materials make it suitable for all sorts of travel, as the backpack can serve as a replacement for traditional luggage. What’s more, the backpack features a total of six separate compartments, making it easy to organize your things, and the nylon, elastic, and mesh material is both comfortable and water-resistant.
One of the best ways to save money while traveling is to minimize the number of things you travel with, making the most of what you choose to bring with you. As such, you can save money and space by investing in multi-functional products. One such example is a multi-purpose travel towel, such as the Youphoria Outdoors Microfiber Travel Towel, available on Amazon for $9.99 – $19.99, depending on size, and available in a variety of colors. Like many travel towels, this towel is made of microfibers that can absorb more water than traditional towels and dry quickly, making them ideal for travel. Additionally, these towels come with a convenient carry bag for easy transportation, and can be used on the beach or on picnics, as it is designed to wick sand and debris. The towels can be used in the gym as well, making them a perfect companion for workouts during your travels.
One of the most important considerations while packing is your choice of clothing. While it is easy and convenient to pack your normal clothing, it may be a good idea to invest in clothing that is specifically meant for travel, as these clothes tend to be more compact and easy to clean. When travelling, it’s generally best to keep your wardrobe choices simple, as this not only reduces weight when packing but also allows you to mix and match your clothing items during your trip. It’s probably a good idea to avoid clothing made out of cotton, as this material tends to take a long time to dry, and will wick heat away from the body when wet. Instead, it’s often best to go for clothes made of wool, as wool is moisture-wicking and breathable, keeping you comfortable in both cold and hot weather. Brands like Merino Wool and Aviator manufacture clothes that are specifically designed for travel, featuring durable, lightweight, and stylish materials.
Many of us like to take pictures during our travels, and thanks to advancements in technology, smartphone cameras can take photographs matching the quality of dedicated point-and-shoot devices. However, the handheld nature of smartphones means that photos can often come out blurry. As such, a cheap smartphone tripod can make for an excellent addition to your travel gear. Not only will a portable tripod allow you to produce images free of camera shake, but it will also allow you more flexibility in framing your shots and enable a longer shutter speed, improving the quality of pictures taken in poor lighting conditions. Portable tripods are also useful for self-portraits, as it may be unwise to hand your smartphone to a stranger to take a picture of you and the people you travel with. As it’s important to stay organized while travelling, it’s a good idea to pack a set of travel organizer cubes, which help you to separate and categorize your items for your trip.
When preparing to travel, it can be easy to over-pack, as you may include things in your luggage in the off-chance you may need them, which accumulate rapidly. As such, perhaps the most important consideration when packing is making sure you only bring what’s absolutely essential. By making informed choices about your travel gear, you can save both money and space by choosing products that are multifunctional and specifically designed for travel.
Tyler Olhorst is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. You can reach him at inquiries@thenationaldigest.com.