16 must-have tech items for your travel packing list

Photographer Joe DelTufo of Moonloop Photography travels the globe extensively for shoots, and he says he packs some of his camera and gear in the Pelican 1510 Case for nearly every trip. 

“Pelican cases are critical for carrying expensive gear like camera bodies and lenses in a padded, dust- and waterproof case,” DelTufo says. He says he’s used versions of these cases for more than 20 years and never had one fail. Not only are they great for protecting your camera gear, but DelTufo also likes the cases because they fit in the overhead compartment on most planes, roll smoothly and come equipped with a lock. While these travel tech suitcases aren’t necessarily cheap, DelTufo says the cost is “reasonable for something that basically lasts forever.”

Travel blogger and tech enthusiast Jeremy Albelda of The World or Bust says he loves the Bagsmart Electronics Organizer Travel Case, which is less than $20 and offers space for just about all of the cords and small gear you’ll need on your trip. He uses the travel tech organizer to keep his cables, chargers and other small tech accessories neatly organized.  “It features multiple compartments and zippered pockets to ensure everything stays in place while you’re on the move,” Albelda says.

DelTufo recently purchased the Bellroy Tech Kit, and it became a real game-changer for the way he travels with gear. The Bellroy Tech Kit is a small organization bag that is made to hold and protect smaller items that tend to get lost in larger bags. With the many different types of cables, chargers, earbuds and memory cards DelTufo travels with, the Bellroy Tech Kit seems to fit everything in an organized fashion, he says.

Keeping your tech charged while you’re on the go is an important part of traveling. Albelda recommends the Anker PowerCore 20,100mAh portable charger. While not an item that can help you organize your gear, he says this charger can help you ensure you never run out of power while on the go. The Anker PowerCore 20,100mAh can charge your smartphone, tablet or camera multiple times, making it an essential travel companion. It’s also relatively small and compact, so it’s easy to bring it along in a carry-on bag or laptop. It offers a bit more power and at a price tag that’s $10 higher than our top portable charger pick, the Anker PowerCore 13000.

London-based photographer and director Greg Woodward says his go-to bag for bringing his camera on trips is the Billingham Hadley Pro 2020 Camera Bag. He says it’s hard to beat this bag if you’re traveling with a camera as they’re immaculately made, discreet, durable and have multiple compartments of varying sizes to store your photography equipment, laptop and valuables all in one place.

Plus, it has a subtle look that doesn’t let others know it might have expensive gear inside. “When carrying a bag that is easily identified as a camera bag, you can become a bit of a target when traveling,” he says. “In my experience, a Billingham Bag negates this.”

Woodward also loves the Guidewater Duffel 80L from Patagonia because it’s massive, completely waterproof and comfortable to carry for a bag of its size. He adds that the duffel has various external loops that make attaching equipment easy, and that he personally uses them to attach his travel tripod. In the meantime, the inside of the duffel has a removable pouch that’s great for storing an iPad, passports, memory cards and other small valuables. 

Woodward also likes that, aside from the small organization pouch, there’s no real structure inside of the bag, allowing him to pack without restriction. “It makes it easier to bring larger items with me, stands, underwater equipment and drones to name a few,” he says.

DelTufo recommends the Lowepro Nova 200 AW II Messenger Case as a convenient bag for carrying items if you won’t have enough with you to fill an entire carry-on bag. He says he has used various bags from Lowepro for more than a decade and has always had a good experience in using them to protect his gear while also being able to fit his necessities.

“The Nova 200 allows for as many as six lenses and a large camera body, and doubles as a laptop case as many of the Lowepros do,” he says. He likes the case because it has tons of pockets for batteries, memory cards, dust cleaners and wipes, and because it’s reasonably priced.

Travel blogger Eve Dawes of Glamour & Gains says one of her must-have items for traveling with gear is a clear travel bag. “I always pack a clear bag that I use when I’m out shooting so that I can easily find my camera remotes, spare batteries, tripods and accessories without having to root around in a black hole,” she says. 

The LBailar clear bag she recommends also comes with a separate travel shoe bag that’s great for storing shoes that get wet or sandy on location. Dawes adds that the clear travel bag is lightweight but durable, which makes it great for carrying heavy equipment around.

Seattle nature photographer Lars Gesing says he always brings a lot of gear along when he travels, including his tripod, several camera bodies and a whole host of lenses he might need for any given shoot. Because he never checks his camera equipment and always carries his tech gear on the plane, he says he swears by the F-Stop brand of camera backpacks.

Gesing says the Tilopa 50L DuraDiamond Travel and Adventure Camera Backpack he’s using is ideal for travel because it fits in the overhead bins on airlines and passes the carry-on size check gate from agents. It is also extremely durable in the field, which is important for photographers who are traveling through rugged terrain, he says.

Wedding photographer Sean Oblizalo of Vows and Peaks says he has been using the Peak Design 45L as his main travel backpack for four years now, mostly because it offers customizable cubes for dedicated camera bodies and lenses along with accessory compartments. Oblizalo says this bag makes it easy for him to safely organize and carry all his gear, ensuring easy access and protection during travel. It’s also small enough to store as a carry-on. 

“The pack also allows access through the side, front and rear for quick access to my gear and even expands out for storage for my personal items,” he says.

If you’re looking for a small organization bag that can help you keep cords, charging blocks, memory cards and other important items all in one place, consider this electronics organizer from OrgaWise. The bag is small and waterproof, yet it features an array of small pockets and compartments that work well for items you need to keep protected and safe. While the small organizer was made with electronics in mind, it’s also suitable to store pens, pills and makeup.

While most people think of packing cubes as organization tools for clothing, you can really use them for whatever you want. In fact, packing cubes can work well for charging cords, camera lenses and other smaller gear you want to keep organized yet separate from other items in your bags. This set of packing cubes from Bagail is easy to clean and durable. An extra zipper is even added for compression, which lets you squeeze down the bags to a smaller size in order to free up space.

Read our review.

This tech pouch from Peak Design is easy on the eyes and functional, and it’s also ideal for storing and organizing small items when you travel since it’s made of weatherproof nylon. The internal origami-style design has multiple pockets that let you keep different tech items apart in their own areas, and there’s even cable organization with a pass-through so you can charge your devices outside the bag without unpacking. Several zippered stash pockets also provide room for batteries, storage cards and more.

Dawes also says she swears by Away’s hard-case luggage in several different sizes. This includes the famous Carry-On bag from the brand, which she uses on a regular basis. The hard shell is non-negotiable for keeping her tripods, lighting equipment and laptop safe, she says. Not only is Away luggage high-quality and durable, but she adds that the bag has a separate compartment and a small bag inside that you can use for camera equipment.

Travel expert Sean Walsh of Pilot Passion says the Harber London Nomad Organizer is his go-to tech travel pouch for whenever he’s packing for a trip. He says the pouch lets him keep all his essential tech like his laptop, tablet, headphones, chargers, smartphone and power bank in one place, making it easier to carry these essential pieces of travel gear around. He also likes that it has space to store other essential items like credit cards, pens, IDs and hotel keys.

If you have a GoPro Hero camera and you like to travel with all your accessories in tow, consider this official GoPro accessory. This organization bag comes with a semi-rigid shell and several customizable compartments for camera lenses, batteries and other small gear. There’s also a removable mesh pouch for batteries or SD cards.