6 Must-Have Travel Items I Use as a Full-Time Digital Nomad

A shower cap? Really?

Sometimes it feels like I’ll forever be living out of my suitcase. 

Whether visiting a country for a month or settling down for a year (or three), there’s not a ton of unpacking. Apartments are furnished, and while the sofa and mattress often leave much to be desired, it makes life easier. 

It means I’m able to be on the go without much work (outside of dog paperwork). When living in Argentina, I was in and out of the country every few months, spending time in nearly every other South American country. Now in Europe, I’m on the road a great deal as well.

When on the physical road, you need a reliable vehicle. Something you know can handle whatever life, weather, and driving conditions are thrown your way. But when on the travel road, you need reliable equipment that won’t randomly snap, crack, or pop. If the sounds of Rice Krispies describe your luggage, you’re in trouble.

This is especially true when you live away from “home” full-time like I do. I don’t have time to deal with shoddy luggage. Not only is it sometimes difficult to track down replacements where I go, but if I’m making a location move with my dog, I’ll have a large dog kennel and at least three bags with me. There’s simply no possible way for me to deal with a busted or ripped bag. 

Thankfully, I’ve found over the years what luggage works for me, is rugged, sturdy, and, most importantly, dependable. Best of all, the luggage is generally affordable. You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on a bag for it to function as it should. So, if you’re planning an international move, or you simply have a trip coming up and need new luggage that you can stake all your belongings on, every single one of these items I personally use and heavily rely on while living, traveling, and working overseas. 

(Just to let you know, these are affiliate links, so should you choose to purchase anything, I may receive a percentage. However, I’m not trying to sell you junk. I only recommend objects I personally use and stand behind. The links just help me keep articles free).

SwissGear Sion Softside

This is my go-to carry-on. 

I owned the previous version for over 15 years. The luggage stood up to everything, no zipper issues, no rips, nothing. Then, one day, I flew from Rio to Brazilia, which is a relatively short flight, and the luggage crew busted off a wheel. And they must have really tried to break it, because with how the front wheel is molded into the suitcase, it’s not something that’s just going to snap off. The entire front half of the protective plastic barrier around the wheel broke off with it. That bag still worked, I just couldn’t roll it. So, I replaced it…with the exact same bag. 

I will tell you I’d never buy a hard-shell suitcase. Those things don’t have any give and take. It’s like cement without a spacer to allow for some expansion/retraction. Hard-shell suitcases are more likely to break when weight is placed onto them, and the high-end, military grade aluminum has no wiggle room. There’s no overpacking or forcing an extra sundress or pair of shoes in. 

I am assuming the same model of this SwissGear carry-on has the same build quality as the previous one I had. One year in, and there are no issues. This one comes in a number of colors, and, honestly, I’d recommend going with something other than black so your bag easily stands out. So you can consider platinum, turquoise, or Merlot (pictured - which, if I had to do it over again, I think I’d buy that one). 

This is the 21-inch variety. There is also a 25-inch option. For me I find that’s a bit too large and is more likely to run into overhead bin issues, but if you want the extra space, it is an option.

Depending on the collor, this bag is under $100, which is about half the price of similar Samsonite bags. 

Patagonia Casual

I love this freaking thing. 

Now, a disclaimer, I was gifted this bag, so I didn’t buy it myself. But it’s durable and, in reality, is probably my most trusted piece of luggage. I very literally use it every day and have done so for over five years now. 

And not just for walks to the gym. This thing is crammed full when moving to new locations, and supports very heavy loads. The zippers are surprisingly durable. I can’t tell you how many times I thought the zippers would snap. The thing is waterproof, has a nice slot for your computer, and the two water-bottle holders are beneficial (I keep an umbrella in one of them). 

Now, this isn’t the kind of bag you should go for if you’re a backpacker. You’ll need something bigger. But this can act as your carry-on if you’d rather not have a roller bag, and yet it can still fit under the seat in front of you when necessary. 

There are similar bags out there, but for these kinds of bags it’s all about the quality of the stitching (specifically around the zippers). You want a bag that’s reinforced on the bottom and has zippers that won’t easily rip off. While this bag does retail at around $150 (and is actually the most expensive item on this liste of travel gear I use), knowing I don’t have to worry about the zipper busting is comforting. 

Apple AirTags

While I am a Samsung phone guy (who uses a MacBook and was actually one of “those people” who spent the night waiting in line for the very first iPhone), I have no problem admitting when Apple makes a superior product. The AirTag is superior to the Samsung/Android version based on the technology used. 

So while the Tiles are good, if you do have Apple I would highly suggest the AirTags.

Pop one of these into your checked baggage and you’ll always know where your luggage is. The tag will bounce a single, either via Bluetooth or NFC, and send your phone location info on your bag. It’s very helpful for tracking down luggage and is often better at letting you find your luggage than the airport staff.

Now, I’ve seen some “influencers” tell you to hide the tag in your checked bag. DO NOT Do THIS. Influencers will say it’s to prevent thieves from easily removing it. Well, I’ve got news for you. Unless you watch and follow a thief, it isn’t going to matter, because they will find and remove the tag long before you’re able to do anything about it (and my experience is police are not going to drop everything to track down a suitcase, and a Bluetooth signal on your phone isn’t probable cause to search someone’s car or home). 

However, the staff at the airport WILL search your suitcase if they see a device transmitting electronic pings. So, if/when your bag is scanned and the AirTag/Tile is detected, they will search your bag. If it’s hidden, it means they will rummage through the entire thing until they find it. It’s easier just to have it taped into a front pocket.

Travel Inspira Luggage Scale

You can get these pretty easily in the travel section at Walmart or Target, though I believe it’s probably cheaper just to toss it into your Amazon shopping cart. Either way, this is a must-have if you spend time traveling. 

My issue usually isn’t running out of space in my luggage. It’s my luggage being too heavy. Because here’s the thing. At a certain weight, the airline won’t even take your bag. They’ll flat out tell you no. At that point, your only option is to buy another bag at the airport and divvy up what you had packed. Ever try to unpack and repack at the airport? It’s a nightmare. People walking past as you’re flinging panties and bottles of wine everywhere. I did that once and decided never again. 

So, I bought this little device and it stays with me. It lets me know how much my bag weighs and if I’ll need a separate bag. Plus, is there anything more annoying than having a 47 lb bag and a 53 pound bag, and being charged a massive fee for those three extra pounds, when it could have just been adjusted (some airline workers are cool with it, others are having a bad day and will charge you). Avoid those costly mistakes with this device. 

Reusable Shower Cap

I don’t use this for showering. Stay with me on this one. Sometimes you’re traveling for a while, and you’ve run out of t-shirts or underwear. Or maybe you sweat through your jeans, and they are smelling a bit ripe. Yes, you could use the hotel’s dry cleaning services, but have you looked at the prices? Do you really want to spend €18 to wash that Hard Rock Cafe: Pensacola t-shirt? No, you don’t. 

This is what I do. I take this shower cap (it’s pretty stretchy), fill it with a couple of t-shirts or whatever else I need cleaned, fill it with hot water in the hotel sink, and pump shampoo into the bag. From there, I’ll let it sit in the sink for a couple of hours (if not overnight). After that, rinse the clothing out and hang it up. It’s not going to wash out food stains, but it’s solid for giving you clean clothing. 

The plastic one some hotels give is okay, but it will likely rip on you if you fill it with more than one or two shirts (and there’s no guarantee you’ll receive one). 

Gorilla Grip Luggage Straps

These are good for two reasons. First, they make it easier to spot your suitcase, which is great if you have something common like black. Second, if your bag is overpacked and your fath in the zippers is floundering, these will give you extra protection from burst zippers or broken bags. I like using them when I have to cram everything I own into a single suitcase. 

You don’t want to go super cheap on these kinds of straps, because grounds crew will use them as handles to load your bag onto an airplane, and if it’s an inferior product, the plastic fastener will snap (I’ve had that happen before). These particular straps are good for up to 500 pounds of torque, so they’ll be good even if the loading staff uses it as a handle.

Random Odds and Ends

I don’t have links for this stuff because you can get them anywhere. I like to carry around a Tide Pen in my luggage. This is good for spot treating stains. When you’re back in the hotel, you can rinse the clothing off, use the Tide Pen on the stain, then use the shower cap method. 

I keep a little bag of safety pins. These are good because in the off chance a zipper does break on a bag, you can safety pin the bag closed. It works in a pinch. Also, depending on the trip, I will have some clothespins on hand and will pin the collar of a shirt in place. This way, the collar doesn’t curl up or become creased while in my luggage. 

Things I’ve Used But Don’t Any Longer

There are a bunch of things I’ve tried but eventually moved away from. I tried suitcase organizers, but honestly, those just add more material to the bag and, other than keeping it tidy, it doesn’t do any real good. In fact, it probably adds half a pound to your bag and takes up the space of two pairs of jeans.

I’ve tried travel water bottles, but never used them. Perhaps that’s because I have airport lounge access so I don’t need to fill a water bottle with a drinking fountain at the airport. These things just always took up space and were never well-built. 

I also don’t use the vacuum pack stuff. You know, the ones where you vacuum seal clothing like you would a ribeye. It’s fine for sucking air out of your bag if you want added clothing, but as I said earlier, my issue isn’t with overpacking clothing, it’s with it being too heavy (usually because of books or cooking equipment I bought). Plus, with these things, you’re going to have the worst wrinkles in your life. So, you'd better have access to an iron.