10 Must-Have Travel Essentials (Under $20)

Having the right essentials for travel can make all the difference. And the best part is, you don't have to spend tons of money to buy high quality travel gear. In today's video, I'm sharing 10 must have travel essentials that are all under $20. And no, you are not hearing that wrong, $20. All these products will not only provide amazing value for the price, but are items that I pack with me and use on almost every single trip. And I have a good feeling you would as well. All of these travel essentials are extremely functional and will help you be more prepared and comfortable on your trips. Including one item that has so many uses while traveling, you are really only limited by your creativity. Let's get started. Number one, the Peak Design Packable Tote, priced at $19.95. This Peak Design product is something that we have been using for the last year and have been surprised with how much we use it on our travels. It is super lightweight, coming in at only 2.82 ounces. It's made of a 70D nylon fabric shell, which to be honest with you, means completely nothing to me, other than it feels very high quality and I've had no issues with rips or tears. Also, it is quite big. You can fit a lot of stuff in this bag, being that it has a capacity of 12 liters. But the best part and what makes this bag so great for travel and why we find it so easy to bring with us is its ability to pack down super small, like super small. So whether we need to run out to grab some groceries, head to the beach, or just need a way to carry a few things around on our travels, the Packable Tote is a great option. And it might be for you as well. A couple of things I should mention. All these prices are pulled from when I filmed this video. So there might be a small difference in price depending on when you are looking, but all of these products should still be under that $20 range or very, very close. Second, this video is not sponsored. Just products that I use on my travels that I wanted to share because I think you get a lot of bang for your buck with all of these items and you might resonate with some of them as well as want to add them to your packing list. All of these products will be linked down below. Number two, a travel pen. This one is the G750 from Zebra priced at $8.75, which to be honest is actually kind of expensive for a pen. And there are tons on the market that you can get for way cheaper. But the point of adding a pen to this list is not to talk about this specific pen, but to talk about how I would strongly encourage you to pack a good pen for traveling. Packing a pen for travel can be incredibly useful for filling out forms, signing documents, writing notes, or making quick lists while on the go, especially when you might need to complete paperwork at airports, hotels, or other travel destinations where access to writing utensils might not be readily available. What I like about this specific pen is the ink dries really quickly. So when you need to fill something out quick, it doesn't smear. It has some good weight to it, being that it has a brass barrel. The clip is metal versus a plastic one. That's plastic ones can easily break, but you don't have to worry about that with this one being that it's metal. Personally, I also like writing with a full size pen versus one of those smaller travel specific pens. Number three, this REI toiletry bag priced at $19.95. Believe it or not, this is the only toiletry bag I've ever owned. I've probably had it for 12 years, and being that I've had it for so long, you can probably guess I like it a lot. Unfortunately though, because I've had it for so long, they don't make this exact model anymore, but they do have one that is very similar that is probably just as good, if not better. This toiletry bag has made an appearance in a few of my other videos, and I'm always surprised with how many comments I get asking about it. So thank you to whoever has been asking about this bag, because now I have an excuse to talk about it in a video more formally. For me, this bag is lightweight and made of good materials. It has a few pockets. It also has this nice strap that you can use in multiple different ways. But for me, the best part is its size. Just big enough so I can fit everything that I need, but too small to fit anything I don't need. It helps me not overpack and pack only the necessities, which I feel like a lot of people would value from as well. Number four, the Matador Flat Pack Soap Bag, priced at $14. Now, this product might not be for everybody, especially if you don't use bar soap when you travel or pack it with you. But with its price point and how well this product works, I could not leave it off this list. Now, obviously the purpose of this little bag is to be a home for your bar soap or solid shampoo, or really whatever soap you travel with. This bag keeps your soap from getting messy in your suitcase when moving from place to place. But really what this bag does best is a feature they are calling dry-through technology. This means you can put in the bag a damp or wet bar of soap and it will dry even when the bag is closed, hence the dry-through technology. I have personally tested this a bunch of times and it works very well. I even use this bag when I'm not traveling and just at home when I go to the gym and shower. So a really great product if you travel with solid soap. And if you don't travel with solid soap, I might recommend you making the shift because it makes airport security a lot easier. Number five, a water bottle. I actually have two options that I would recommend that are both under $20. The first is the Awala FreeSip. Priced at $15.63, this is a 25-ounce plastic bottle with the signature Awala lid. I feel like at this point, most people are familiar with Awala and most people do though have the fully insulated one versus the plastic one. But we have found the plastic one to be great for travel being that it is much lighter weight and is a little bit more budget-friendly. The only downside is that it does not keep your water quite as cold being that it is not insulated. But the best part of Awala's water bottles is the lid and make this bottle perfect for travel. This lid has this horseshoe-style lock on it where it kind of goes over the top of the lid and locks it in place. So essentially, it should be spill-proof. And then if that's not good enough, it has a button to press to open up the lid. Also, you can utilize this horseshoe lock as a place to hook it on a backpack or really just carry it around. Now, on the inside of the lid, we have two ways you can utilize this bottle to drink water or whatever liquid you have in here. You have your traditional straw so you can suck the water up or whatever you're drinking out of it, or you can tilt it back like a more traditional water bottle. It's kind of fun to have both options, especially when you're in an airplane. It can actually be sometimes hard to tilt your head all the way back when you're in a cramped seat. It's nice to just be able to tilt your head down and suck from the straw. So I like that it has both options as well as it's pretty much spill-proof. I've never had any issues. Second, we have this fully collapsible water bottle from Platypus priced at $14.95. This bottle is lightweight and packs down super small. This is the perfect bottle if you are a traveler looking to save some space and avoid the big, bulky water bottles. I will say though, this bottle does take some practice drinking out of. Number six, this 4-in-1 cable I got from Amazon priced at $19.99. Having a 4-in-1 cable is really nice so you don't have to travel with a bunch of different cables. That can easily get lost or just be a tangled mess in your bag. This 4-in-1 cable allows you to charge tech that takes USB, USB-C, and lightning. This is especially nice if you're somebody like myself who travels with an iPhone that charges with USB-C and AirPods that use lightning. I like the design of this one. It feels strong, it feels sturdy. Also, it has this flat cable design that prevents some tangles or kinks in the cord. Number seven, the Sea to Summit Air Light Towel priced at $17.95. Having a towel can be really nice when you travel for heading to the beach, drying off after a walk in the rain. You never know when a towel might come in handy, but unfortunately, normal towels are so heavy and bulky and can take up so much space. But that is why Meg and I travel with the towel from Sea to Summit. This towel comes in weighing only 1.7 ounces and is made of 100% polyester microfiber. But the best part, similar to the Packable Tote, is that it is so easy to pack. I mean, look at how small this thing is. Also, it has a quite big surface area for how small it packs down. Now, I'm not going to say that this is the most incredible moisture-wicking and absorbing towel I've ever used, especially compared to your normal bath towel, but it does the job. And it is a minimalist traveler's dream when it comes to size and weight. Hey, if you're enjoying this video so far and finding value in it, please give it a thumbs up as well as subscribe to our channel for more content like this. It is much appreciated. Number eight, the Odos Crossbody Bag. The Odos, I've mentioned this product in a bunch of my other videos. I still do not know how to properly say the name of this company. So, my apologies. O-D-O-D-O-S, Crossbody Bag. I got it on Amazon. Priced at $11.98, a crossbody bag is a really functional piece of travel gear to have. It can house your valuables such as a phone, cash, cars, hand sanitizer, or even a snack. With this bag from Odos being priced at only $11.98, you are getting a lot of value for your money, especially being that it is pretty much the exact same bag from Lululemon that comes in at close to $40. Now, you might be wondering what the quality of a bag is that is so cheap. Personally, we have had this bag for over a year and it has held up great. It is made of a water-resistant nylon with the zippers also working well. I would for sure recommend giving this crossbody bag a try being that it is so affordable without sacrificing tons of quality. Number nine, a spork. This one is from Snowpeak and is priced at $9.95. Now, I know some of you who have watched my other videos know that I travel with a spork, but some of you might be thinking why waste space for a spork? Well, first of all, this is a titanium spork that only weighs about 0.6 ounces and is relatively thin in profile, so it really does not take up much space. Meg and I started traveling with a spork when we were traveling full-time due to a recommendation from somebody else. And we were so surprised with how much we ended up using it. So, don't knock it until you try it. I would definitely recommend a spork if you are a backpacker or somebody who tends to take longer trips. Number 10, the Heroclip. Priced at $19.80 for the small. Keep in mind, this is not the small version. This is actually the large. But the large one has the same exact design and functions as the small one. If you are unfamiliar with the Heroclip, essentially it is a carabiner, but one that is specifically designed for travel. The main difference from a normal carabiner is that it has a 360-degree rotating swivel hook that you can use in tons of different ways. The small version of this clip can hold up to 50 pounds and is made of aircraft-grade aluminum. It also has a rubber tip to securely hang stuff with a nice grip. There are so many uses for this tool and you are really only limited by your creativity. So, whether it is hanging up a backpack to keep it off the dirty ground, hanging up wet clothes to dry, or even keeping those dirty shoes away from your clean clothes, there are so many uses for this travel essential and I bet you could find a few uses for it as well. Keep in mind, there are four different sizes of the Heroclip, the mini, small, medium, and large, with the large one being the one that I'm showing. Just note that only the small and mini sizes are under that $20 mark. And that is it, 10 must-have travel essentials all under $20. These small but mighty items can make a huge difference on your trips. Let me know down in the comments if you have any other budget-friendly travel essentials that you would recommend that we should try out next. If you liked this one and are looking to improve not only what you pack, but how you pack, I would recommend watching this video here as well. It is all about how to save weight in your suitcase for your next trip. Thank you so much for watching this video. Again, if you enjoyed it, please, please, please give it a thumbs up as well as subscribe to our channel for more content like this. We will see you in the next video.