As a travel writer, I am often asked what essentials I take on my
travels. While it tends to vary depending on where I’m going and what
I’m doing, here’s a list of the basic gear that I almost always carry.

1. Zip-R-Lok

I received this as a review item and it has become a part of my travel
kit. Zip-R-Lok is small cylinder that looks like a pill holder. Two
rings hook to two zippers or to one zipper and the travel bag with an
attached anchor to keep them from unzipping – or being unzipped. The
cylinder comes apart in the middle when you want to unzip your bag. The
neat part is that there is a one-digit number you to use to open it,
instead of a lock with a three-digit combination.

I use mine on my purse when in crowded or high-risk areas. I don’t use
it all the time while traveling because it is a pain when you have to
open your bag quite a bit, but I do always use it on my camera bag.

You can purchase Zip-R-Lok at: Catalog.

2. Wipes

Not any special kind, just antibacterial premoistened wipes. Not only
are they handy for quick clean ups of spills and myself, I use them to
clean off remote controllers, phones and doorknobs, especially since I
once read that these places in hotel rooms have the most germs.

3. Ziploc bags

I could go on and on about the uses of ziploc bags – great for items that might spill or leak, for wet bathing suits or clothes, make-up, organizing small items, keeping socks together, keeping receipts together. I always take several of each size on a trip.

4. A Spare Pair of Glasses

If you wear prescription glasses, it’s good to have a spare pair. I’ve
only had to use them once, but I’m glad I had them. I was touring the
Finger Lakes when a screw fell out of mine. A lens popped out when they
fell off and I couldn’t get it back in, so I had to use my old ones
until I could get home and get mine fixed.

5. Mini tape recorder

I use a Sony M-570V for notes. Sometimes I use it to capture the sound
of a place. It runs on two AA batteries and has advanced voice-operated
recording, which means it stops if there’s no noise. I like it because
it’s small and it has a counter for when I want to find a particular
point on the tape.

6. Noise canceling headphones

Another review item, the NoiseBuster® noise canceling audio headphones
set is a favorite of mine. You can use them with or without the noise
reduction feature, which requires two AA batteries. Either way, they deliver excellent sound from audio sources.

The set comes with an adapter and a travel bag. I use these headphones
often - especially on planes and trains – with the airline movies/tv,
with my laptop, and sometimes I just wear them for peace and quiet. The
only complaint I have with these is that they sometimes become
uncomfortable after hours of wearing on long flights.

For more info, see: Noisebuster.

7. Miscellaneous

Business cards, a few safety pins, a tiny first aid kit, flashlight, my
camera and notebook.

I hope you find some useful ideas here. Happy Travels!