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What do you carry in your day bag while traveling? Here are our daily travel essentials in four different scenarios!
Daily Travel Essentials
Written by: Niki Landry
When you go out for the day of exploring in a new destination it’s normally advisable to pack a few essentials. Depending on what you are doing, there are different requirements and suitable daypacks.
Most trips are a mixture of activities, and you do not want to bring a bag for each. Choose a day bag that is suitable for the activity you plan on participating in the most, and possibly one other small bag as an alternate.
For instance if I am visiting a big city and then traveling to do some day hikes and outdoor activities in the countryside, I would pack a technical backpack for the hikes, and a small cross body purse for my time in the city. I normally flat pack my cross body in the daypack on travel days.
Learn more about how to choose a day bag here!
Here are a few more examples:
➊ Dayhikes
Kind Bar / Sunglasses / PocketBack / Raincoat / Mycharge / Waterbottle / Backpack / Camera / Hat
Packing a backpack for a day hike usually requires more planning than some of the other activities. I prefer a technical bag with pockets for organizing and loops to hook items to the exterior.
Once you do a few of these hikes you start to have a mental checklist of what to include. Here is a full checklist.
I always toss my small self-contained first aid kit in my bag if I’m going outdoors. Next is my water bottle and snacks. Depending on how long I’ll be gone, sometimes a sandwich and fruit are added.
My raincoat always gets packed because it gets used more often than not. I prefer not to be burdened by a huge camera so I bring along a small point and shoot and keep it hooked to the outside of my bag or on my wrist.
Use packing cubes to keep your belongings organized in your day bag so that way you can have access to what you need right away!
Don’t forget the hat and sunglasses for sun protection. Kleenex and anti-bacterial hand gel are always a good idea, no matter the activity.
I also normally bring along a backup battery charger for my phone. It doesn’t always have service, but I can listen to music while hiking.
Also note that overnight hikes require a lot more gear, food, and planning. You can find a list for overnight hikes here.
I used the above bag on my trek to Machu Picchu, but it held a lot more stuff. This gear listed above is usually suitable for 4-6 hour hikes.
Read this post for a full Machu Picchu packing list!
➋ Sightseeing
Bag / Kindle / Map / Cardigan / Camera / Sunglasses / Umbrella
A bag for general travel can cover a range of activities, including museums, historical sites, galleries, or café hopping around a city.
In addition to normal bag contents which consist of my wallet, phone, chapstick, bobby pins, and hair ties there are a few other items I like to include. I don’t go anywhere with out a pair of sunglasses and a camera.
Shown is the mirrorless camera that I own and love. A small compact umbrella is always smart to bring along, and doesn’t take up a ton of space.
Read these tips on what to wear on a rainy day!
I also like to bring something to read, especially if I’m traveling alone. It’s nice to read while having coffee or sitting in a park if I get tired of people watching.
Download or pack a map so you can find your way around the city or town. You can have a preset itinerary or just figure out your stops as you go.
A cardigan is good to have in case you need to cover up at a religious site or the temperature drops while you are out for the day.
Whether you choose to use anti-theft or regular backpack, always use additional anti-theft products like a bra pouch to hide the majority of your cash
➌ Guided Tours
Bag / Gum / Scarf / Water bottle / Headphones / Lens / Umbrella / Snack / Klennex
Planning for a guided tour requires similar items as sightseeing essentials, but with a few extra necessities. When going on a full day guided tour, you normally don’t have control over your stops and itinerary so it’s nice to have snacks and a full water bottle.
Day tours can involve extend time in cars or cramped buses, and I like to bring anti-nausea gum in case of carsickness. I usually end up giving it to someone else to use on the tour.
These are eight tips to make long bus and train journeys more comfortable.
If the trip is extra long, I will pack my headphones to listen to music on the way. Don’t want to bring a camera? As an alternative to a typical camera these lenses work well when attached to a smartphone.
I complete my bag with a scarf for windy days, and I’m ready for my tour.
The secret to traveling light is to create a functional but minimalist capsule wardrobe. Learn more in my guide!
➍ Beach
Sunscreen / Towel / Tote Bag / Hat / Waterbottle / Sunglasses / Brush / Trailmix
The running theme through this post seems to be snacks, water, and sun protection. Even if you forget everything else, be sure to pack those three or pick them up on the way to your activity.
Going to the beach is no different; it just calls for more sun protection. Protect your eyes, head, and skin so you don’t end up burnt and in pain for the rest of our trip.
A travel towel is a lot less bulky than a traditional beach towel and is more versatile to use throughout your trip. I also like to bring along a brush to detangle before my hair dries into a knotty mess. After getting out of the water, I usually comb and apply a sea salt spray before letting it air dry.
Read more about why we love travel towels for all types of trips!
What are your tips on day bag essentials? Comment your tips below!
For more tips and ideas on travel essentials, please read:
- Anti-theft Travel Purses
- How to Keep Your Passport Safe While Traveling
- Convertible Backpack Purse for Travel
- How I Could’ve Kept My Purse from getting Stolen
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Author Bio: Niki is an interior designer and artist from Louisiana. In addition to her design work, she writes for local and online publications sharing her experiences and passion for travel. Niki is currently adding stamps to her passport while building her design practice, Niki Landry Designs. nikilandry.com nikilandrydesigns niki-landry-designs-llc
Hey to all! I carry a lot on day trips etc. when hiking I like to take a backpacking chair to relax at my destination enjoy the sunset with an ice cold drink… but aside from that I carry other items for protection such as a whistle, flashlight, multi tool etc. but one of the biggest pieces of my kit would be a travel sized bottle filled with 70-90% alcohol and essential oils! It’s a great disinfectant for public restrooms etc and a great air freshener especially when the bathroom is not very pleasant. Another would be an Sbiner so I can hang my pack when there isn’t a hook available!
Hi Vicky, thank you for sharing your daily essentials with us, always love hearing from our readers. Happy travels! ?
Other than phone and cash, a waterbottle is my other item I *always* have on me. Even just out and about locally at home. Thanks for the other suggestions !
Hi Emma, that’s a great tip. Thank you for sharing it! 🙂
Thanks for the tips Alex! A lot of time I forget Kleenex and I always regret it!
always on my list 😉
One of the most important things for a perfect day is what’s inside ur day bag. Mine: wallet, keys, phone (which is also my camera + travel guide + gps among other things), power bank for the phone so I don’t die with it, sunnies, scarf, fan, wipes! Plus lippie with spf, eyedrops, and face mist as my must-have toiletries on hand.
Thanks for sharing Angela!
Do you have any suggestions on what kind of day bag/pack to get?
Try these: https://www.travelfashiongirl.com/best-day-packs/
https://www.travelfashiongirl.com/cute-backpacks-for-travel/
https://www.travelfashiongirl.com/travel-day-bag/
I appreciate these kinds of posts and pictures. Sometimes it’s easier to match a preexisting list than it is to start from scratch! I have a few running lists in my phone for road trips, beach trips, running excursions, as well as specific locations, like mom’s house, MIL’s house, etc!
I definitely need to add more lists 😉
You know what is really good to have in your daypack? Not something you show off exactly, but oh so nice to have with you when it’s not available: toilet paper and wet wipes. All too often public toilets don’t have any paper, or any soap to wash yor hands with. I hate when that happens and I don’t have any with me.
Funny you said that! They’re both in my tell-all personal packing video to be released this weekend 🙂
Thanks for the lists! My husband thinks there’s some law that I have to forget at least one thing anytime we go somewhere. Hopefully, this will help with that.
haha, hopefully it will help 🙂
I always travel with travel wipes, even on day trips. Never know when they’ll come in handy.
Great plan!
I ALWAYS carry a small bottle of hand wipe liquid-can be used to wipe down toilet seat is necessary, and any other ‘problem’ items. Take care NOT to splash on clothing-I ruined a very favourite red t-shirt when the substance took the colour out where it spotted(not actually bleached said my chemist husband…)
Great advice Sandra 🙂 Thank you
How do you travel with hats??? Do you always wear them on the plane?
Yes I take them on the plane but if they’re packable I put them in my “personal item”
I have a cross body travel purse that I got in Marshall’s. It served me well in rural Peru, but was just not fashionable enough for Europe! So I got a faux leather shoulder bag that has a cross body strap. I always pack water, phone, slimmed down wallet, and lara bars. Then there’s plenty of room to pack the maps or travel book that I need.
I love Marshall’s and other discount retailers for great deals on treasure finds!
I wouldn’t be able to go a day on holiday without my camera! It is so important to me to catch all the little moments!
http://www.wanderfreeblog.wordpress.com
x
Definitely a must 🙂
No matter what the activity I always carry tissues, hand wipes, some first aid supplies in s Ziploc and a reflective blanket. The reflective blanket weighs nothing and takes up the same room as the pack of tissues, but (1) I know if I get stuck somewhere and I’m cold, it will keep me warm (2) it is water proof for me or my stuff. Some of the more interesting ways I’ve used it was as a picnic blanket on the lawn at the foot of the Eiffel Tower while we watched the French Open on the jumbo screen. Sometimes you can reuse it sometimes you can’t. I didn’t in the Paris example, (we let someone else take it over when we left) but I usually stick it in a Ziploc bag so that I can fold it up if I want to and store for later.
Yes, tissues are always a must in my bag, too. Love them!