Solo Travel Essentials: Things I Always Pack for Budget Travel

I’ve been travelling solo on a budget for years, and whether I’m heading off on a short trip or a longer one, there are some travel essentials that always come with me.

From my Osprey Fairview 40 to my Kindle, I’m going to take a closer look at my travel essentials and explain how and why I find them particularly useful for solo budget travel.

So, if you’re planning a trip and wondering what you should pack, hopefully this gives you a few ideas!

Affiliate disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through one of my links, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I personally use or genuinely think are useful for travel! : )

🎥 Prefer to watch?

I’ve also made a video going through some of my solo budget travel essentials if you’d rather watch than read!

Osprey Fairview 40

The first thing on my list is arguably the most important – you can’t pack for a trip without having luggage to pack! Having a good backpack genuinely makes such a difference, especially when travelling solo and having to manage everything yourself. That’s where my Osprey Fairview 40 backpack comes in.

I got the Fairview 40 a few years ago, after a lot of debating whether it would be worth the price. Which, by the way, it absolutely is! It has since come with me on many Europe trips, and I still love it.

There are a few reasons the Osprey Fairview 40 has become one of my solo budget travel essentials. For me, the top highlights include:

Cabin size: You can take it as a large cabin bag on budget airlines, which makes travelling easier as you don’t need to check a bag – no stress of long check-in queues or waiting for your luggage on arrival!

It can also help you save money on baggage fees. With some airlines, such as Ryanair and easyJet, you still need to purchase a large cabin bag, but with others, such as Jet2, it’s included in the flight price.

40L capacity: It’s surprisingly spacious for a cabin-sized backpack, and I can get a lot in it! I’m honestly always amazed by just how much I can fit inside!

Easy to grab and go: I love how easy it is to just throw the Fairview 40 on my back and go. As someone who used to travel with a 65L backpack, I really noticed the difference! It’s particularly handy when I’m moving between destinations or navigating airports, train stations and public transport.

Comfortable to carry: Despite being packed pretty full, I find the Fairview 40 really comfortable to carry, thanks to the padded shoulder straps and hip belt. This makes a big difference when I’m walking through airports or carrying it between different destinations.

Opens like a suitcase: The backpack opens like a suitcase, which makes packing and finding things so much easier than with a traditional backpack. As a solo budget traveller who often stays in hostels, I find this particularly handy. Unlike a suitcase, though, it doesn’t have two big sides that need to be opened up, which isn’t always practical when you’re in a small hostel dorm room!

Laptop compartment: For me, the dedicated laptop compartment is an important feature. I work online and I’m always travelling with my laptop, so I love having easy access to it while still knowing it’s secure. I also find that even when the main compartment is full, I can still slide my laptop into its own space!

I’ve actually written a more in-depth Osprey Fairview 40 review if you’re considering getting this backpack and want to know more!

Packing Cubes

Having a reliable backpack is one thing, but actually packing it is another! That’s where my packing cubes come in.

I bought my first packing cubes on Amazon over four years ago, and now I just can’t pack without them! If you’ve never used them and find yourself wondering, “Are packing cubes overrated?” – no, no they’re not!

They have completely changed my packing game, which makes my solo budget travel life so much easier! My backpack used to be a mess, but with packing cubes, I once even had a security guy at the airport tell me I had “ninja packing” because everything was so neat.

I also find them really useful when staying in hostels. I use different-sized packing cubes and split my belongings into groups, which makes finding things so much easier. For example, I know my pyjamas, swimwear and sports clothes are in one of the smaller cubes, so I can grab it and find my running stuff in the morning without rummaging through my entire backpack and waking everyone up!

The packing cubes I use

I currently use packing cubes from both Amazon and LEVEL8.

The Amazon ones (from the brand Vicloon) are my OGs and have travelled with me on countless trips. They were super cheap, and I went for the bright pink option, which I love! The set I have also came with a couple of shoe bags and a few laundry pouches, which are very handy – although I don’t necessarily use them for their intended purpose, but as extra storage bags!

They have held up surprisingly well considering how much use they’ve had, although a couple of the cubes have started to rip over the years. I do stuff them completely full, though, and honestly, they’d be worth the price even just for a couple of trips!

I got my hands on LEVEL8’s packing cubes this year, though, and I really love them. They’re definitely more expensive, but the difference in quality compared to my budget-friendly ones is clear – they feel much more durable. I also love that they’re water-repellent, and they have little velcro patches you can move from cube to cube so you can identify what’s in each cube! One of the cubes even has separate compartments, which is a really nice touch for keeping things organised.

LEVEL8 also has a compression packing cube travel set, which I’d love to try at some point to see just how much difference the compression makes. If maximising space is particularly important to you, they could be worth looking into.

If you’re on a tight budget, I’d say the cheaper Amazon cubes (or equivalent) are absolutely worth having, but if you’re willing to spend a little more, I’m really impressed with the quality of the LEVEL8 ones.

Power Bank

A power bank is definitely an essential for me as a solo traveller! It feels like you need your phone for everything these days, whether that’s taking photos, booking accommodation, using maps, accessing flight or tour tickets… the list goes on.

And when you’re travelling solo, there’s no one else to rely on if your phone dies!

I’m often out all day during my trips, whether I’m hiking or hopping on a bus for a day trip, and my phone is always running out of battery before I get back to my accommodation. I definitely don’t want to end up stranded on a trail or unable to check bus times, especially when I’m travelling somewhere new!

That’s why I always travel with a power bank, and I’ve recently upgraded to an Anker one that has made me feel much less stressed about running out of battery.

I have the 20,000mAh Anker Power Bank, which literally has “Travel Essential” in the name because it really is one! I love that it can fast charge my phone multiple times, and it can even charge my laptop. It also comes with a built-in USB-C cable, which means I don’t need to remember to pack an extra cable when I’m heading out for the day.

The only downside is that it is a little bigger and heavier than us solo travellers like! It’s about the same size as my iPhone 15 Pro Max and roughly twice as thick and heavy. But this is one thing I don’t mind carrying – knowing I can charge my phone (and other tech) multiple times gives me so much peace of mind, especially when I’m out exploring all day, having a long travel day, or even when staying in hostels where there isn’t always a plug by the bed.

Kindle

When travelling solo (or let’s be honest, non-solo too!), it’s always nice to have something to read, whether that’s on the plane, relaxing on the beach or chilling after a day of exploring. But as a solo traveller who’s always (trying) to travel light, I don’t want to be carrying bulky books around in my luggage. A Kindle is therefore perfect! It takes up so little space. I do have a case on mine which bulks it out a little, but I prefer that to keep it safe!

I actually got my Kindle 12 years ago (yes, 12 years ago!!) and I’ve never travelled without it. At first, I wasn’t sure how much I’d love it as I really did love physical books. But for travel life, a Kindle definitely wins! I can have loads of books with me without taking up loads of space in my backpack.

It’s also great in hostels when it’s late at night and you can’t put the light on, but aren’t ready to sleep (me always!) – you can still see to read without disturbing everyone else.

Honestly, after all these years of travelling with mine, I think it’s safe to say it’s earned its place in my backpack!

Travel Towel

As I usually stay in hostels during my travels, a travel towel is a must. Most hostels don’t provide towels (when they do, it feels like such a treat!). You can usually rent one, but if you’re moving from hostel to hostel as I do, those costs are absolutely going to add up! So I always bring my own towel. Of course, though, I don’t want a towel taking up half of my luggage, which is where a travel towel comes in.

Travel towels are lightweight, compact and quick-drying. That last one is particularly important, as you don’t want to be packing a heavy, wet towel into your luggage on check-out!

I actually always travel with two towels. I have this super compact one which I bought in Australia many years ago, and I use it as my ‘beach towel’. It’s so small that I don’t mind carrying it around all day when I head to the beach. I also don’t want to use the same towel for the beach as for drying myself, so I bring a slightly larger one as my shower towel.

Although, if I’m on a super-budget trip with just an under-seat backpack, it’s only the smallest one that’s coming with me!

Padlock

For keeping my belongings secure on my solo travels, a padlock is an essential.

Many hostels don’t provide locks for the lockers, so it’s best to bring your own. I always make sure I have one in my backpack, as it gives me some extra peace of mind when I’m staying in a shared dorm and leaving my belongings behind.

I also use a padlock to lock the zips of my backpack together, particularly if I’m leaving my luggage in a luggage storage room or if I can’t fit my whole bag in the hostel locker. With the Osprey Fairview 40, I can lock the zips together, although I do need a smaller padlock for this. So, I actually always travel with a couple of padlocks!

Both my padlocks are lock-and-key ones (I always bring two keys for each and put them in different places so I don’t lose them!), but if you’re worried about losing the keys, you could go for a combination lock instead. Honestly, I had one of those once and quickly forgot the number and locked the hostel locker shut! Luckily, I had nothing in it and was just testing the padlock! Oops! I kind of just left it and told no one – it was one of my first ever times staying in a hostel, okay?! I definitely wouldn’t do that now!

USB Stick

As someone who takes a lot of photos when I travel, having a way to back them up is really important to me. Especially when you’re travelling solo, there’s no one else taking photos for you, so the last thing I want is to lose hundreds of photos and videos because something happens to my phone!

Plus, my phone gets full way too quickly. And yes, iCloud storage is a thing, but shock horror, that’s also always full!

So, I always travel with a small USB memory stick. This way, I can transfer my photos and videos and have a backup.

The SANDISK Ultra Dual Drive Go has been my go-to for a few years, I actually have multiple in different colours! It’s tiny, takes up virtually no space in my backpack and gives me some extra peace of mind, particularly on longer trips.

There have been far too many times when I’ve had to stop somewhere during a day out to transfer photos and delete them from my phone, just so I can keep taking more!

So, What Do I Actually Pack?

Of course, these aren’t the only things I pack when I travel! But after years of solo budget travel, these are the essentials I find myself relying on trip after trip.

Some help me save space, some save me money, and others just make travelling that little bit easier. And when you’re travelling solo and carrying everything yourself, those little things can make a big difference!

Hopefully this has given you a few ideas for your own packing list – and maybe introduced you to an essential or two that you hadn’t thought about before!