Solo travel essentials: Must-haves for your packing list (2024)

Want to know what is (and isn’t) essential for a solo trip? This solo travel packing list runs through all the must-haves for safety, practicality, comfort and enjoyment.

You’d think that with 60+ countries and many, many years of solo travel under my belt that I’d have packing for a solo trip down to a fine art… but I don’t.

I actually suck at packing, it’s my least favourite thing about travel 🫠

BUT the good news is that my terrible packing strategy makes me an expert on how *not* to pack, and after many times of coming home and unpacking items that I literally didn’t use once in nine months, I can tell you with confidence what things are worth packing for a solo trip.

From the best luggage to save on weight and space, to solo travel safety items that give you peace of mind, to practical gear that’ll make your trip much easier, here’s a definitive packing list of solo travel essentials.

Solo travel packing list: A quick summary

Safety essentials for solo travellers:

• An eSIM (use promocode FINDINGALEXX for 50% cashback on your MobiMatter eSIM) or local SIM
• A card with low travel fees like Wise
• A spare credit card
• Emergency cash
• Travel insurance
• A portable battery pack
• A padlock or bike lock

Practical solo travel essentials:

• Noise-cancelling headphones
• Silicone ear plugs
• A black-out eye mask
• A travel pillow
• A travel adapter
• Photocopies of your travel documents
• Spare passport photos
• An international driving permit
• A drink bottle, lunch box and set of cutlery
• A couple of plastic bags
• A tote bag
• AirTags

Clothing packing list for solo travellers:

• Lightweight underwear and socks (I love love love Paire)
• Breathable, anti-odour clothes for long travel days (Paire for this too!)
• Activewear
• A nice outfit for fancy places
• An ultra-light puffer jacket for unexpected cold snaps
• Comfy shoes for daily exploring (Allbirds are fab)
• Wet weather gear
• Swimwear
• A scarf, so many uses
• Your general clothes list will totally depend on where you’re going, but prioritise items that are light, easy to wash, quick-drying and comfortable
• If you’re going somewhere conservative, take flowy pants and skirts, loose t-shirts and tops, maxi and midi dresses, full length leggings and oversized t-shirts for outdoor adventures, a light scarf to use as a head covering or shawl, and slip-on shoes for easy removal at religious sites
• If you’re going somewhere cold, take thermal layers, a buff, a beanie, winter socks, weatherproof boots, gloves and handwarmers

Health and toiletry essentials:

• A bag for medicines/first aid, a bag for make up and a bag for daily toiletries (or a bag that fits all of them together)
• Daily toiletries like toothbrush, deodorant, lip balm and moisturiser
• Shower stuff like shampoo, conditioner, face wash, a razor
• A hair brush
• Menstrual products
• Nail clippers and tweezers
• Sunblock and insect repellent
• Make up and make up remover
• Basic first aid like plasters and antiseptic cream
• Prescription medications with a doctor’s note
• Pain relief
• Cold and flu medication
• Gastro medication

Tech gear for solo travel content creators:

• A lightweight laptop, laptop stand, keyboard and mouse
• SSDs for lightweight storage
• A decent camera and tripod
• A GoPro, drone or Osmo Pocket depending on your content needs
• A tech pouch for organising cables and chargers

Random things you might want to pack for your solo trip:

• A towel
• A silk sack
• A portable fan

The best luggage for solo travellers:

• Best suitcase: Samsonite Lite Shock Sport 75cm
• Best carry-on: Samsonite Lite Shock Sport 55cm
• Best backpacking backpack: Osprey backpacks
• Best camera backpack: Brevite Jumper
• Other luggage stuff you might want: A cross-body bag with zips, an ultra-lightweight day bag, packing cubes and a luggage scale.

Safety essentials for your solo travel packing list

An eSIM or local SIM card

The absolute number one most important thing for any solo traveller is having access to communicate with others, to navigate a new place, and to contact someone for help if you need it. I always, always, always recommend that solo travellers get an eSIM or a local SIM card so they can stay connected while they’re exploring alone.

eSIMs are one of the biggest game-changers we’ve had in the travel space in years, no need to line up at airport stalls for half an hour when you just want to get to your hotel, to lose access to your normal number while you’re outside of your home country, or to get hit with expensive roaming charges for checking your emails during an Abu Dhabi stopover (guilty 😐).

If your phone is eSIM-compatible (most recent phones are but you can check here) you can simply install an eSIM digitally, purchase a data plan for wherever you’re going, and still have access to receive calls and texts to your usual phone number without paying roaming charges.

I got onto the eSIM buzz on my 2023 round the world trip, and I tried out a bunch of different eSIM brands before finding my one true eSIM love, MobiMatter.

MobiMatter is an eSIM marketplace which gives you access to brilliant value deals on eSIMs all over the globe, I’ve used them in more than 15 countries now and it’s been smooth sailing. You can choose single country eSIMs, regional eSIMs (like Europe or Asia Pacific), or even Global eSIMs that cover 80 countries.

What I really love about them is that you can put in the country/countries you’re visiting and it’ll show you all the options, then you can sort the options by ‘Price per GB’ to make sure you’re getting the best deal. Each time I visit somewhere new I’ll check MobiMatter and compare it with the big eSIM brands (Airalo, Holafly, aloSIM, Nomad, Jetpac), so far MobiMatter has come out on top every time.

FREE MONEY ALERT: You can get 50% cashback on your first MobiMatter eSIM with the promocode FINDINGALEXX 💃🏼

Local SIMs can sometimes offer better value for money, but MobiMatter’s eSIMs are super convenient because you can easily top up with the app, still receive texts and calls to your own number, and don’t need to worry about changing physical SIM cards in each destination. They’ve even got a Global eSIM that covers 80 countries around the world, and it’s 30% cheaper than .

If your phone isn’t eSIM compatible then don’t stress, every single airport around the world has stalls with tourist SIM cards that will give you data access, usually at a rate cheaper than what your home provider would charge for roaming.

A Wise card (or another travel-friendly card) for daily spending

Save money and stress by using a card with no/low international fees, easy app access and the ability to manage different currencies.

My Wise debit card ticks all those boxes (and more), it’s what I use for all my daily spending while on the road as well as how I receive international payments from clients around the world.

You get access to the mid-market exchange rate (cheaper than almost all major banks) with a very low and transparent fee, two free ATM withdrawals each month, the ability to change your money into loads of different local currencies, and then no fees on payments when you’re using the local currency.

Fantastic for money management and budgeting as a solo traveller!

💳 Sign up for a Wise card now >>

A spare credit card (or two)

Have you ever been in one of the most expensive countries in the world where you need to pay for accommodation but you lost your wallet and stupidly didn’t have a spare credit card in your suitcase? I have 🙃 and I would certainly not recommend it.

As well as my Wise card I travel with an American Express card for buying big things (and getting points), as well as an emergency credit card which lives somewhere safe and isn’t in my daily wallet, just in case my bag gets stolen or I leave it on a bus in Switzerland.

Emergency cash

Have you ever been on an island in South Asia needing to pay for a massage but the massage place doesn’t take card, so they take you to an ATM but it doesn’t accept any of your cards, so they take you to another ATM and that also doesn’t accept any of your cards, so they say you can pay in international currency, but you have none? Once again, I have 🙃

After this very stressful evening in the Maldives (which totally undid the stress relief of the aforementioned massage) I will always have some emergency cash in my bag, in case I’m ever stuck in a situation where local ATMs are finnicky and shops don’t take card.

I’d recommend sticking with a major currency like USD, Euros or British Pounds for this, foreign exchange stores will always be able to exchange these and some retailers might even accept them outside of those countries (at a higher rate, but it is a good back up).

A good travel insurance policy

If you’re wondering if travel insurance is worth it, the answer is a resounding yes, especially for a solo traveller.

A good travel insurance policy will not only cover you for any flights/hotels you’ve booked, it’ll also cover medical costs in case of injury or illness, luggage costs if your belongings are stolen or damaged, costs for essential items if your suitcase is delayed, and emergency accommodation in case of weather issues impacting your travel plans (which often isn’t covered by airlines as it’s out of their control).

The best policy for you will depend on your home country, because insurance providers are generally licensed to offer policies in specific countries, so someone living in New Zealand can’t buy a policy from most UK travel insurance providers, as an example.

I use Cover-More New Zealand for my annual round the world trip, Cover-More Australia is also highly-rated, and World Nomads (higher coverage, more expensive) and SafetyWing (less coverage, more affordable) are two options that offer policies to people in many countries.

I know insurance policies can be super daunting, so I’ve written a detailed guide on how to choose a travel insurance policy that runs through all the important things to check before booking one for your solo trip.

A portable battery pack

Travelling solo means you often don’t have access to borrow someone’s phone if you need, so make sure you’ve always got phone juice by keeping a fully-charged battery pack and a cable in your daily bag.

🛒 BUY IT: This top-rated 10000mAh USB-C charger is just 169g!

A padlock or bike lock

If you’re staying in hostels and/or taking trains, a padlock or a bike lock can help keep your bags safe.

A padlock is ideal for keeping important things in hostel lockers, and a bike lock can keep your bag secured to the luggage rack on trains.

Practical solo travel essentials

Noise-cancelling headphones

Block out all distractions and live your best main character life while wandering through a brand new city, one of my favourite solo travel pastimes!

I love my Sony WH-1000XM3s 🎧

BONUS TIP: Get a Bluetooth adapter for your headphones or AirPods to use them with in-flight entertainment systems on planes.

Silicon earplugs

If you’re staying in hostels on your solo trip, silicon earplugs are an absolute must to block out snoring, bag zips and late night chatter when your roommates get home from the bar crawl.

🛒 BUY IT: Top-rated silicon earplugs on Amazon

An eye mask

Another item I can’t travel without, these cupped eye masks that block out literally every bit of light. You miiiiiight look like a bug, but the good sleep is worth it.

🛒 BUY IT: My favourite blackout eye mask on Amazon

A travel pillow

For comfy sleeping on flights, trains, buses and in hostels or hotels where the pillows suck, a travel pillow might just save your sanity.

My usual go-to is the Cabeau Evolution, I’ve used these for years, but after recently leaving one in a hotel bed in Bucharest (😢) I got this twisty one and honestly I love it!

A travel adapter

Gone are the days when we need separate chargers for every gadget, now you can travel with one multi-port travel adapter and charge your phone, camera, watch and portable battery back overnight.

I use the OneWorld 100 and absolutely love it, it’s another thing I’ve bought as gifts for friends and family before they head off on big trips. It’s universally compatible with fold out bits (rather than having to travel with different add ons), and it can charge up to five devices at once, including my laptop, phone and two cameras at the same time.

🛒 BUY IT: OneWorld travel adapter

Photocopies of your travel documents + spare passport photos

Before you leave home it’s a good idea to print out a copy of your passport, your travel insurance and any visas for your trip. Give one copy of all to someone you trust back home, keep a copy in your suitcase, and email yourself digital copies. This way if your bag with your passport and phone gets stolen, you at least have easy access to your insurance details, you can use your passport copy for proof of identity to the police, and a visa copy might speed up any replacement visas in a new passport.

On that note, keeping some passport-sized photos in your suitcase can also be useful in case you need them for applying for visas while you’re on the road.

An international driving permit (IDP)

If you plan to rent a car or scooter on your solo adventure, check the local rules to see if you need an international driving permit.

It’s often a requirement in order to be able to drive legally, even if the rental place lets you pick up your vehicle without one, and not having one will void any travel insurance as well as get you in a heap of trouble with police if you have an accident.

Some places that require IDPs in order to drive cars or scooters are:

• Indonesia
• Thailand
• Japan
• Many European countries if you aren’t from the EU
• Some states in the USA

It’s very difficult to get an IDP once you’ve left your home country, so order one before you start your trip.

A drink bottle, lunch box + set of cutlery

A drink bottle is a no-brainer, but one of the most underrated things I use on my travels are my handy lunch box and cutlery set.

I’ll fill the lunch box with snacks for train rides and flights, I’ll use the cutlery set in place of those disgusting bamboo forks and spoons, and they’re both useful for making late night two minute noodles when you realise you’re hungry at 11pm and UberEats doesn’t exist where you are. Speaking from experience.

A couple of plastic bags in different sizes

I know plastic bags are the devil (see below), but bringing a couple from home can end up saving your suitcase from wet swimwear, dirty shoes or toiletries that are at risk of leaking.

Just don’t be the asshole who rustles through them in a hostel dorm at 5am when you’re packing for your flight.

A tote bag for grocery shopping

Limit your plastic bag usage to necessity-only (see above) and bring a tote bag to use for any grocery shopping while you’re travelling.

Airtags

The enemy of all airlines because travellers can finally know exactly where their bags are, Airtags are an absolute essential for any solo travel packing list.

I have one in my wallet, my camera bag, my carry on and my suitcase, as well as one wherever my passport is and one in my tech pouch that holds my hard drives (literally the most important thing I travel with).

There has been some press coverage around them not being allowed on flights but this is totally not true, aviation authorities around the world have made it clear that there is no danger having Airtag batteries in checked bags, and I’ve taken them on 25+ airlines and never had a problem.

🛒 BUY IT: Apple AirTags 4 pack

Clothing essentials for solo travellers

The actual clothes you need for your solo trip will depend entirely on where you’re going, but we can break this section down a bit to make sure you’re not missing anything important.

Things to consider when planning clothes for a solo trip

Solo packing lists might look a little different to a non-solo trip for a few reasons:

• You need to cover every base yourself, there’s no option to borrow stuff from a friend
• You might want to avoid standing out in some destinations that can be daunting for solo female travellers, so you might stick to dark and simple clothing that lets you blend in rather than vibrant colours and eye-catching patterns
• No one wants to sit in a laundromat alone for two hours while you’re waiting for clothes to wash and dry, choose materials that dry quickly instead

With all that in mind, here’s my list that I run through when I choose what to bring on my solo trips:

• Is it lightweight? If not, consider if the weight is worth it
• Is it comfortable? If not, don’t take it
• Is it flattering/do you like how it looks? If not then that’s totally fine, but just keep this in mind when you’re choosing what to wear each day, especially if it’s a day with good photo opportunities. No one wants to spend hours hiking up to a viewpoint to get a nice photo and then realise that they’re wearing a daggy gym t-shirt from ten years ago.
• How does it need to be washed, e.g. can you chuck it in the washing machine or will you need to handwash or dry-clean it?
• Is it versatile? To maximise the number of outfits you can make from your suitcase, you’ll want to pack items that are versatile and can match multiple other items.

And now onto the actual clothing packing list for solo travel…

The basics

There are some basic things that you’ll want to pack for any trip, no matter the destination, climate or cultural norms.

• Underwear. I’ve recently discovered Paire underwear and I am OBSESSED, their Lipstick underwear is ultra-light, anti-bacterial and dries so quickly, literally the best travel underwear I’ve ever found.
• A decent travel t-shirt. I also got the Paire Merino blend t-shirt and it’s part of my uniform for travel days, it’s temperature-regulating, anti-odour and super comfy. (P.S. I’m not sponsored by Paire, just really, really love their stuff!)
• One active outfit (or more if you’re planning on adventuring) with leggings/shorts, a sports bra, a singlet or t-shirt, and some sturdy walking shoes
• One nice outfit (or more if you’re travelling fancy) that you can wear to nice bars, restaurants or events
• One warm jumper/jacket, even hot destinations can have unusual cold snaps sometimes. I always pack a lightweight puffer jacket, it takes up minimal space and weight but saved my life in Morocco when I stupidly didn’t realise that the desert gets bloody freezing at night in December.
• A comfy pair of walking shoes, I’m an Allbirds convert for my daily adventuring
• Wet weather gear. Do as I say and not as I do, because I’m currently at the start of three months in Asia during rainy season and I haven’t packed a raincoat, an umbrella or a pair of waterproof shoes 🙃 wish me luck!
• Swimwear. Even if you’re nowhere near the ocean you might be surprised with a hotel pool, jacuzzi or sauna.
• A scarf, so versatile! You can use it as a head or shoulder covering for religious places, it can keep you warm, it can shade you from the sun, and it works as a sling if you break your arm (which hopefully won’t happen).

Once you’ve got those sorted, you’ll want to build your solo travel packing list based on the type of place you’re visiting, whether you’re heading somewhere warm, cold, rainy or dry.

Solo travel essentials for conservative countries

If you’re heading somewhere that has religious or cultural expectations around what to wear, some additional packing list essentials are:

• Long flowy pants and skirts. I LIVE in flowy trousers while travelling in conservative places, they’re comfy, lightweight, cover my knees, and look great in photos (an added bonus).
• Loose t-shirts, blouses and tops. Many religious sites will require you to cover your shoulders, cleavage and midriff, so pack a few different tops that tick these boxes.
• Maxi and midi-dresses, sleeveless ones can be paired with a t-shirt to make them temple/village-friendly
• Full length leggings and an oversized t-shirt for outdoor adventures, you don’t want to be hiking through mountain villages in Morocco in tight bike shorts and a crop top
• A light scarf that can be used as a head covering to avoid having to borrow one
• Slip-on shoes. If you’re visiting religious sites or local homestays you might be expected to remove your shoes, which is easier with flip-flops or sandals.

Health & toiletry essentials

A good toilet bag/bags

I like to split my health/wellness/beauty stuff between a few bags because I lose or forget about things otherwise, so I have:

• A make up bag (I don’t take much with me and hardly use it anyway so my make up bag is small)
• A bag for daily toiletries and skincare like moisturiser, deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste etc.
• A leak-proof bag for any other toiletries that would ruin clothing if they leaked, especially insect repellent and sunblock
• A separate bag for all medicines/first aid
• A bag for shower stuff like face wash, shampoo, conditioner, razor etc.

But if you’re better at organising things than me (highly likely haha) you will probably be fine with having all of these in one or two toilet bags.

Basic toiletries packing list

• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Deodorant
• Moisturiser
• Face wash
• Any other skincare you need
• Shampoo and conditioner (I love Ethique’s solid bars)
• Body wash
• Dry shampoo
• Hair brush
• Razor and shaving cream
• Menstrual products
• Nail clippers
• Tweezers
• Lip balm
• Face sunblock for daily use (I swear by Biore AV SPF50+)
• Body sunblock for hot/high-UV destinations
• DEET insect repellent
• Any make up you need
• Make up remover and reusable pads

First aid kit packing list

My habit of overpacking extends to my first aid kit, but if you ever get sick while travelling I’m the right person to be around!

I’m on the road for 8-9 months at a time and haaaate the idea of having to go out to search for medicines when I’m sick in a foreign country, so I really over-prepare. This is everything I have in my first aid kit, you probably won’t feel the need to have all of this but it will at least give you an idea of what you might and might not want.

• Prescription medication (along with a doctor’s note to avoid issues at customs)
• Plasters/bandaids
• Pain relief
• Antiseptic cream
• Antihistamines (tablets + cream for bug bites)
• Aloe vera for sunburn
• A couple of face masks
• Imodium
• Rehydration tablets like Hydrolyte
• Indigestion meds like Gaviscon
• Cold and flu medicine
• Cough suppressant
• A thermometer (for those times when I call my mum telling her that I feel sick and she says “do you have a temperature?”)
• Eye drops for dry eyes after flights

Tech & camera gear for solo travellers

If you’re a solo content creator (like meeee) then this section is for you, these are the gadgets and gear that I can’t live without on the road.

A lightweight laptop

The perfect travel content laptop doesn’t exist unfortunately, you always have to make a compromise either with weight, speed, graphics or price, but I recently got an ASUS Zenbook which does fairly well on all four.

It’s 1.28kgs with 32GB of RAM, 1TB SSD and was $1500 cheaper than an equivalent MacBook Air!

Lightweight laptop accessories

My laptop gear bundle includes three other essentials for my productivity on the road:

• The carbon fibre Nexstand K1 laptop stand, awarded the best laptop stand in the world! It’s 150g and is a lifesaver for my posture. They also have cheaper laptop stands which are still fantastic if you want to spend less and don’t mind a bit of extra weight.
• The Logitech MX Keys Mini wireless keyboard for quick and comfortable typing (a necessity for me when my blog posts are this long haha)
• The Logitech MX Master 3 mouse, which has a bunch of buttons and the ability to customise what they do. I’ve significantly sped up my workflow by setting buttons to perform one click actions like copy and paste, particularly helpful for photo editing in Lightroom.
• SSDs for storage. Up until 2024 I have always used LaCie Rugged hard drives which are great for travel in terms of durability, but the weight of carrying three of them (2 x 2TB, 1 x 4TB) was way too much. This year I switched to SSDs and I am never going back. They’re pricier of course, but having 4TB of storage in a tiny drive weighing 42g is the kind of magic I need in my life. I have one SanDisk Extreme Pro 4TB (78g) and one Crucial X10 4TB (42g).

A good camera

There’s no denying that phones these days have seriously impressive cameras, but if you’re wanting to work with brands and sell them photos for their marketing channels (one of the best ways to make money as a travel content creator), then a proper camera is a worthwhile investment.

I’ve been a LUMIX user for a decade, their Micro Four Thirds mirrorless cameras have always been brilliant for travel, with lightweight bodies and top quality lenses available to build your perfect kit. I travel with two cameras:

• The LUMIX G9 Micro Four Thirds camera with two Leica lenses, an 8-18mm wide angle and a versatile 12-60mm
• The brand new LUMIX S9, a compact full-frame camera with incredible workflow-friendly features like real-time LUTs. I have the 20-60mm lens for this one but LUMIX has announced an 18-40mm lens coming soon, which might replace the G9 +18mm combo as my main shooter. Time will tell!

What the heck are real-time LUTs? Real-time LUTs are filters you can create yourself or you can download from the LUMIX Lab app, they can be transferred to the S9 (it can hold up to 39) and then you can flick through them in real-time when shooting to know what your photos and videos will look like. Shoot your shot, transfer it to your phone with the LUT already applied, and it’s ready immediately for social sharing. Absolutely game changing for travel creators.

I’ll be sharing a more detailed review of the LUMIX S9 in a couple of months once I’ve had time to test it out in different travel environments, but you can see a very thorough review from my friend Richard Wong on YouTube.

Some other cameras you might want to consider for your solo trip:

• A GoPro to capture active adventures and underwater content
• A drone, I use the DJI Mini 3 Pro which is super light and easy to use, great for getting solo photos and videos
• A DJI Osmo Pocket for stabilised videos in a pocket-sized (and affordable) package, perfect for solo vloggers

A tripod for solo travel photos

As a solo traveller and content creator, a good tripod will be your best friend for getting the shots you want.

I have the Manfrotto Compact Action tripod, it’s 1.2kgs and is super sturdy, without breaking the bank like the slightly lighter carbon fibre options.

A tech organiser

With so much tech comes lots and lots of cords and cables, it’s worth getting a tech organiser to keep them all in order.

I love my Peak Design tech pouch, it fits my travel adapter, my mouse, my SSDs, my camera charger, all my cables, SD cards, SD card reader, portable charger and any other little gadgety bits.

You can also get cheap tech organisers like this one from Amazon if you just need something simple.

Random things that don’t fit anywhere else on this solo travel packing list

• A towel, sometimes necessary and sometimes not! If you’re sticking to cities and staying in hotels then it’s probably not necessary to bring one, but if you’re planning on spending time in and around the ocean, or if you’re staying in hostels, it’s worth bringing your own.
• A portable fan if you’re heading somewhere hot, the rechargeable ones are great but even a fold out handheld one can do wonders when you’re on a hot bus in Sri Lanka with no air con.
• A silk sack sleeping bag liner, also great for warmer destinations

De-influencing: Things you don’t need to pack

• Nice jewellery. Don’t tempt fate, keep anything valuable or sentimental safe at home.
• A money belt. Nothing screams “I have wads of cash on me” more than a money belt strap dangling from under your shirt. They aren’t as inconspicuous as people think they are.
• A Bluetooth speaker. If you’ve got more than enough luggage weight then go for it, but if you’re wondering what to unpack to get below the limit then a speaker is not an essential.
• A pack of cards. Every hostel has them, you’ll probably find other travellers that have them, download a card game app onto your phone and save yourself the bag space.
• A multi-socket power board. These used to be the best way to charge all your stuff without needing multiple adapters, but these days the vast majority of devices can charge off USB, so one adapter like the OneWorld 100 should be enough.
• A travel mirror. Use your phone!

Best luggage for solo travellers

As a solo traveller I’m going to assume you’re wanting to make the most of your suitcase/backpack space and weight limit, because there’s no one to take the overflow when you pack too much (apart from any time my family or friends come to meet me somewhere 🙃).

I’m going to do a bit of de-influencing here, because the travel luggage space is overrun with brands that have huge marketing budgets to promote products that honestly aren’t that great. There, I said it!

You don’t need an in-built portable charger, you don’t need something super stylish if it means you compromise on practicality, and you certainly don’t want to waste more than half of your carry on weight limit on the suitcase itself.

So with that in mind, here are my top solo travel luggage picks!

Best suitcase for solo travel: Samsonite Lite Shock Sport 75cm

I’ve used Samsonite suitcases for almost a decade now, and I don’t think I’ll ever use anything else. My current one has been with me to more than 50 countries in the past five years, and it’s still going strong.

Samsonite’s best suitcase right now is the Lite Shock Sport, from my extensive online research I’m pretty sure it’s the lightest hard-case suitcase in the world, by quite a lot! Here’s a quick comparison vs. other popular suitcases that claim to be lightweight:

• Samsonite Lite Shock 75cm: 2.5kgs (5.5lbs)
• Away Large 74cm: 5.5kg (12.1lbs)
• Monos Check-In Large 76cm: 4.8kgs (10.58lbs)
• July Checked Plus Light 77cm: 4.2kg (9.26lbs)
• Rimowa Essential Check-in 77cm: 4.81kgs (10.6lbs)
• Antler Icon Stripe 78cm: 4.9kgs (10.8lbs)
• Delsey Now 75cm: 4.22kgs (9.3lbs)

Best carry-on for solo travel: Samsonite Lite Shock Sport

The Lite Shock 55cm carry-on spinner is my top pick for hand luggage, coming in first place for the lightweight hard-shell (again!). More comparisons for you:

• Samsonite Lite Shock Sport 55cm: 1.7kgs (3.74lbs)
• Away Carry-On 55cm: 3.4kgs (7.5lbs)
• Monos Carry-On 55cm: 3.18kgs (7.01lbs)
• July Carry On Light 55cm: 1.77kgs (3.9lbs, their website claims this is ‘the lightest double wheeled suitcase in the world buttttt the Samsonite Lite Shock Sport is slightly lighter and has double wheels too 👀)
• Rimowa Essential Lite Cabin 55cm: 2.2kg (4.9lbs)
• Antler Icon Stripe Cabin 55cm: 2.8kgs (6.2lbs)
• Delsey Clavel Cabin 55cm: 1,9kgs (4.18lbs)

Best backpack for solo travel: Osprey backpacks

I’m the first one to admit that I’m not a backpacker, give me wheels any day, but based on feedback from my backpacker friends and what I’ve seen on group tours and in hostels, Osprey backpacks are the solo travel fave.

They’re especially great for solo female travellers with their women’s range that have hip belts based on women’s bodies, rather than having to carry a pack built for a totally different body shape.

Best camera backpack: Brevite Jumper

Along with my Samsonite suitcases, I have a Brevite Jumper camera bag to hold all my tech gear, which fits under the plane seat as my ‘personal item’.

I’ve tried a bunch of camera bags but personally prefer the Brevite because:

• It’s not too big
• It’s got a hidden passport zipped pocket
• It’s got an easy-access camera section that holds both my cameras + lenses
• There’s a separate section on top for non-camera stuff
• There’s also a front pocket, laptop sleeve, drink bottle holder, suitcase strap and straps on the bottom for a tripod

If you want to use your camera backpack as your main carry on (and therefore don’t need it to fit under the seat) then I also love the Peak Design Everyday Backpack (the optional hip belt is GREAT for carrying heavy gear) or the Nordace Siena range is a stylish and more affordable option.

Other luggage must-haves for solo travellers

Some other luggage essentials are:

• A cross-body bag with zip compartments, particularly essential for cities where pickpockets are a concern
• An ultra lightweight day backpack if you’re doing short hikes and don’t want to take a bulky bag, I use the Xiaomi casual daypack which is ideal (and it’s one of my go-to gifts for solo travellers too)
• Packing cubes, actual lifesavers!
• A luggage scale to weigh your bags as you pack, rather than last minute stress at the airport

Have I missed anything from this solo travel packing list? Let me know your solo travel must-haves in the comments!

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OR CHECK OUT MY SOLO TRAVEL DESTINATION GUIDES:

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