Traveling is expensive. The gear you bring along for the ride doesn鈥檛 have to be. Here are six affordable items you鈥檒l want to pack for your next trip.

Nomad Key Charger ($20)

Leave this on your keychain, and you鈥檒l have an iPhone charger anywhere you go. In your jeans, it鈥檚 barely noticeable and surprisingly flexible, which makes it friendlier for those who carry their keys in their back pocket.

Gerber Shard Keychain Tool ($7)

The is a bare-bones multitool you can keep on your keychain or in the bottom of your backpack. It鈥檚 most useful as a screwdriver, bottle opener, and mini pry bar. I can鈥檛 count how many of these I鈥檝e bought鈥攏ot because they break, but because people rarely give them back after borrowing them.

Vapur Element Water Bottle ($12)

It can be hard to stay hydrated on the road, so bring your own water bottle. The is a rugged yet foldable plastic-and-nylon bottle that packs down to the size of thin wallet.

Field Notes Expedition ($13)

All-weather notebooks are often too big to fit in your pocket, or, worse, have paper as thick as playing cards. This version from is the same size as its standard pocket notebooks but will keep your notes legible, even after getting soaked. Heads up: The pages are slick, so it鈥檚 best to avoid gel pens.

Brainwavz Jive Headphones ($15)

Isolating headphones can offer much-needed quiet when you鈥檙e traveling. These, from , probably offer the best sound quality at their price point. The cable is made with a matte plastic, which means you can toss them in the bottom of your bag without having to spend five minutes untangling them later.

Natti Bars ($32 for 16)

These are just dried and compressed bananas mixed with chocolate nibs. Unlike most energy bars, they won鈥檛 lose their appeal or texture if they get smashed in the bottom of your bag. The bars are also available without chocolate nibs and are always delicious.

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Arriving at the trailhead, somewhere in upstate New York, I might start thinking of the Wicked Weed double IPA sitting in the bottom of my bag. One thing not on my mind, however, is breakage, thanks to something called the JetBag.

The ($20) is an invention that seems so simple, so intuitive as to almost be a gag gift. It鈥檚 a tall, narrow, padded sleeve intended for holding glass bottles and keeping them intact in your bag. Whatever one may say about its loads of thick padding, I can assure you it鈥檚 certainly more effective than wrapping your bottle in a Hanes undershirt. Designed for protecting glass bottles鈥攆ull of beer or wine or what have you鈥攊n checked luggage, the JetBag has a whole list of other applications, like carrying liquid toiletries or providing a little extra shelter for fragile souvenirs.

The JetBag is also particularly helpful for those who, like me, have foolishly poured beer into a Hydro Flask before shaking it around at the bottom of a bag for several hours, only to have the cap fly off and hit you in the face later on. The JetBag also has the benefit of being sealable and highly absorbent鈥攊f the worst should happen and your bottle breaks, the bag will both contain the mess and absorb the liquid, ensuring that it doesn鈥檛 spill out and gum up your gear and ruin your clothing.

And because it鈥檚 illegal to carry open alcohol anywhere but the trunk of a car, the JetBag is also an excellent tool for those who prefer to do their drinking back at the campsite instead of at the summit.

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On the road, professional photographers are known to overpack. It鈥檚 their job to be prepared to work at a moment鈥檚 notice, and sometimes that means loading every lens, flash, diffuser, memory card, and extra battery they own into a truck-sized shoulder-bag that makes TSA agents grumpy. If you鈥檙e not a professional, though, and your space is limited, you might be looking for gear that鈥檚 a little more practical. Here are six of our favorites.

Joby GorillaPod ($50)

Flat, even services are hard to come by. With , you can support the weight of a mirrorless or DSLR camera on almost any surface you encounter. Weighing less than a pound, the GorillaPod is incredibly compact, and durable enough to survive a long flight at the bottom of a heavy backpack鈥攐r a shorter flight down a tall flight of stairs.

Eyefi Mobi SD Card ($30)

贰测别蹿颈鈥檚 is incredibly useful for older digital capables that aren鈥檛 Wifi-ready. Load it onto your camera鈥檚 SD port, and you鈥檒l have a quick and easy way to load photos onto a phone or computer, instead of juggling multiple SD cards that quickly run out of space.

Sony Vertical Battery Grip ($248)

Mirrorless cameras are ideal for when you鈥檙e low on space, but they often have a much shorter battery life than a DSLR. You can double your shooting time using a small battery grip like for Sony鈥檚 Alpha line.

BlackRapid Cross Shot Breathe Camera Strap ($55)

Leather straps look charming, but it takes only a few hours of collarbone friction to feel like an uncomfortable mistake. is comfortable for long periods of time and attaches securely to your camera鈥檚 tripod mount.

Hoya Ultraviolet Filter ($25)

贬辞测补鈥檚 provides much-needed protection to lenses, which are particularly vulnerable when traveling.

Zeiss Pre-Moistened Lens Wipes ($11)

If you decide not to lug around a full lens cleaning kit, the best tool for keeping dust and grime out of your photos are wipes like . They鈥檙e individually wrapped, so it鈥檚 easy to keep one or two in your pocket or your wallet.

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The reality of travel toiletries can be pretty grim: tiny shampoo bottles, brittle bars of hotel soap, products unceremoniously confiscated from your carry-on by airport security. Here are six travel essentials that will see you through your trip.

Malin and Goetz Essential Kit ($30)

This kit is a significant upgrade from generic hotel shampoos and soaps, but it鈥檚 complete with everything you might usually find yourself without on a trip, including cleanser and lotion. What Malin and Goetz does best are natural scents like bergamot and cilantro, an elegant comfort that can help obviate the stresses of travel.

Neutrogena Face and Body Sunscreen Stick ($9)

Let live in your suitcase and you won鈥檛 have to spend the first day of your vacation getting sunburned. Bonus: The small solid stick won鈥檛 get confiscated by airline security.

Minisoak Detergent ($6)

is an exceptionally easy to use no-rinse detergent you can use in a sink. All you have to do is wash your clothes with one of these sachets, squeeze out the water, and then air dry. Most of the low-suds soap comes out of your clothes along with the grime, and the rest simply evaporates. It鈥檚 also a great tool for washing delicate fabrics at home.

Ursa Major Essential Face Wipes ($24)

Soaked in a face tonic that makes it easy to feel clean, these individually wrapped wipes are perfect for degunking your face after a long sleepless night on an airplane. A quick cure for 鈥渢ravel hangover,鈥� they also save time that you might have spent heading to your hotel for a shower and have an herbal scent that gently masks airport and train station smells.

Vitaman Lip Moisturizer ($19)

Do not be fooled: As simple as may appear, it鈥檚 actually an incredibly versatile product. Thanks to the mildly antiseptic ingredient called pawpaw, Vitaman鈥檚 lip balm is perfect for minor scrapes and burns and helps soothe irritated skin, cracked knuckles, and, of course, chapped lips.

Spray 鈥檔 Wash Stain Stick ($3)

Most of the time, the Tide-to-Go pen is a miserable failure. , meanwhile, has all the power of spray stain removers but in a solid, travel-friendly form that looks like deodorant. The trick: Apply it to a stain, let it sit for a day, and then rinse it out in a sink.

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When first started selling oxford shirts, it聽couldn鈥檛 have known that it would inspire countless imitators, all of them hoping to put their own spin on a nearly perfect聽design. One of them is聽a small Japanese brand called , the maker聽of the I sometimes wear for days on end while traveling.

Kamakura took everything that made the oxford shirt iconic and improved on it. Instead of the traditional stiff, heavy fabric, Kamakura uses a smoother, finer two-ply cotton. While oxford shirts are usually synonymous with a wide聽cut聽and a tall collar, the Kamakura鈥檚 slim聽silhouette and high armholes enable an especially wide range of motion while delivering a superior fit, with none of the irritating nylon stitching found in cheaper shirts. It鈥檚 thin enough to stay breathable and soft enough to rest cozily against my skin, which makes it wearable in most climates. On airplanes, I鈥檓 fussier than the toddler sitting behind me, but I never find myself sweating or shivering or writhing uncomfortably in my seat while I have it on.

Not long ago, an airline misplaced my bag, leaving me with only the clothes in my carry-on. I wore my Kamakura oxford for the next three days out of necessity, but I soon realized that it looked just as good tucked as untucked, with jeans or trousers, under a sweater, and, of course, with a jacket and tie. The elbows聽don鈥檛 tear and the buttons don鈥檛 crack, so the Kamakura is durable and versatile enough聽that I now pack it on every trip.

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Joseph Opinel first built his eponymous single-blade pocketknife in 1890 while living in the Savoie region of France. With its carbon-steel blade and elegant beechwood handle, the knife has undergone only one adjustment since then: a locking ring, to hold the blade in place, added in 1955. As it turns out, there鈥檚 very little you can do to improve upon such a simple, versatile travel companion.

($15) may look like something people carry only for its antique appeal, but there鈥檚 a reason you can find these tools at and . Opinel knives come with a blade you could probably shave with, made from a thin stainless steel that鈥檚 easy to sharpen. (With a little ingenuity, I once was able to whet mine using the edge of a magazine and some toothpaste.) The locking key allows you to fix the blade or lock it shut.

Unlike more tactical-looking pocket knives with black blades or metallic cutout handles, the Opinel is friendly for public use, which matters a lot in big cities. Over the final few days of my trip through the South, I used it for all manner of food preparation, from meat cutting to oyster shucking, in addition to electric-wire stripping, tire-hole repair, mud scraping, screwing, and unscrewing. The knife has become a travel talisman for me; all it wants to do is serve.

Luckily, the Opinel is also very serviceable itself. If the blade rusts, you can scrub it clean. If anything happens to the handle, you can sand it down. If the tip of the blade gets bent, you can hammer it back into place. If you鈥檙e in a country that has banned locking knives in public, you can simply pop off the locking ring. You shouldn鈥檛 ever find yourself sending the Opinel No. 8 back to the manufacturer for repair, and if it is really beyond fixing, it costs only $15 to replace.

There are very few brands whose flagship item has remained largely unchanged for such a long time. Having served the needs of outdoorspeople, farmers, home chefs, and ill-prepared road trippers for the past 125 years, the Opinel may not be the best knife in the world, but it is the perfect one for travel.

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Travelers who pack light need to pare their personal hygiene products down to the聽essentials. And for many of us, a good deodorant is truly a must-have, especially on聽trips where you won鈥檛 be able to shower daily.

贰苍迟别谤听, a roll-on first developed by an Israeli company that wanted to find a聽deodorant for soldiers living in close quarters that聽didn鈥檛 neutralize the body鈥檚 ability to sweat. The product is marketed to last for 72 hours鈥攁n especially tall order given that the product is aluminum-free, made instead with a聽blend of starches, herbs, and essential oils.

But on a recent weeklong trip to Rome,聽I had to reapply just once, even though I showered every day. The聽stuff鈥檚 designed not to wash off, which it didn鈥檛.聽At first, the product had a聽sweet, floral smell, which went away after a few hours. After several days of wearing Lavilin, I found it was not simply masking the smell of my body鈥攊t聽was actually addressing whatever microbes were聽causing my underarm funk. Even with sweat, I didn鈥檛 smell. Several days could pass between applications before聽any stench聽began to creep back in.

Now聽with less聽funk in my travel gear,聽I need fewer clean T-shirts in my bag, which makes it easier to pack light.

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The more money you spend on a piece of gear, the theory goes, the more you鈥檒l protect it from wear and tear. But if you鈥檝e got a , there are some things that can鈥攁nd should鈥攂e used no matter where you are.

Raden Suitcase ($295)

Unlike other high-end suitcases with delicate, glossy exteriors, . Built-in USB charging ports come in extremely handy, and if you install Raden鈥檚 app on your phone, the suitcase can weigh itself with an integrated scale in the carry handle that鈥檚 activated when you lift the bag off the ground. It鈥檚 an especially useful feature when cargo limits on planes or trains are tight.

Private White V.C. Ventile Combat Blazer ($765)

For those who think 鈥渂lazer鈥� and immediately balk, know that Ventile fabric was used to prevent downed British pilots from freezing to death in the ocean. It鈥檚 an extremely water-resistant fabric made from densely woven cotton, and while it鈥檚 not exactly suited for climbing Yosemite, it鈥檚 a good road trip and campfire companion.

OM-D E-M5 Mark II ($900)

Mirrorless cameras are a lot smaller and lighter than DSLRs. has an M43 sensor, which makes it even smaller than most of its competitors, and it鈥檚 easily stowable in a jacket pocket when equipped with a pancake lens. The camera is also lightly weather-resistant.

J.Crew Irish Linen Shirt ($70)

Linen has been unfairly pigeonholed as a delicate fabric suitable only for city wear. In reality, its when damp make it ideal for long days outdoors in the heat. Linen strands are more resistant to breaking than cotton and almost never feel chilly against your skin when wet.

Kent Wang Sunglasses ($55)

by Kent Wang have polarized lenses and are made from durable acetate. They鈥檒l stay on your face even during a run.

John Smedley Farhill Merino Sweater ($192)

High-grade, extra-fine merino wool is one of the best fabrics you can wear in damp, frequently changing weather, regardless of your activity level. John Smedley produces excellent wool garments that are almost impossible to snag with zippers.

Taylor Stitch Commuter Shorts ($118)

and are made from a wool-synthetic blend that keeps them durable and comfortable. They also have a subtle hidden zip pocket right behind the hand pocket that鈥檚 good for keeping things in place and deterring prying hands.

Fj盲llr盲ven No. 21 Rucksack ($196)

is made from the company鈥檚 famous G1000 fabric, a blend of cotton and polyester that鈥檚 waxed for water resistance and durability. It has several internal compartments, all of which are easy to reach thanks to a simple closing mechanism.

Bose SoundTrue Ultra In-Ear Headphones ($130)

Sealed headphones can sometimes be uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time. This , by comparison, is so comfortable that you hardly feel them in your ears. The tactility of the cable makes it almost impossible to get tangled, and the seal almost completely cancels out noise.

Chester Mox Passport Wallet ($205)

Many foreign bills are taller than U.S. dollar, which means they鈥檒l sometimes stick up above your American wallet. from Chester Mox is made from durable, elegant, high-grade leather and helps you streamline your pocketables: cards, currency (no matter the size), and spare keys.

Epaulet Slim Walt Trouser ($165)

Once, while packing for a road trip, I made the mistake of grabbing wool trousers instead of my gray cotton chinos. It was the best travel tip I had ever accidentally discovered. The light wool was pleasant against my skin in the heat and very cozy in an evening breeze. The cut of is slim but still comfortable while sitting and walking for long periods of time.

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Imagine cramming items into a suitcase three minutes before a cab arrives to take you to the airport. Especially if you鈥檙e backpacking, it鈥檚 no small task to decide whether an object is necessary or just dead weight in an already overpacked bag. And in all the confusion, you might even end up forgetting the tiny essentials you rely on most when away from home. Here are a few reminders.

Outlier Merino Shirt ($98)

Merino wool is extremely breathable, efficiently wicks away moisture, and actually works great in the heat. , a company based in New York, uses ultrafine merino fibers for superior softness, and the fabric is naturally antimicrobial, which means you can wear it many days in a row without a stink.

Darn Tough Light Crew Sock ($12)

If you can bring only one pair of socks on a trip, it should be a light hiking hybrid 聽Darn Toughs. The high wool content will keep your feet dry and blister-free, while the durable nylon and spandex mean you won鈥檛 see your toes poking through the fabric anytime soon, even after repeated abuse. Plus, they鈥檙e thin enough to work with different shoes and look just as good at a job interview as they do on the trail.

REI Multination Travel Adapter Plug ($30)

Any self-respecting traveler should be opposed to gadgets with a million easily losable pieces. 聽from REI does a lot of the basic work for you: It comes with a USB port in case you forget your charging brick and makes it easy to convert voltage so you won鈥檛 fry your computer or appliances.

Rhodia Rhodiarama Notebooks (Prices Vary)

A notebook is something almost everyone forgets, but it鈥檚 easily one of the most useful tools for trips for keeping track of unfamiliar addresses or overcoming the language barrier with a quick sketch. have thick paper and brightly colored covers that make them hard to forget at a bar.

Vichy Capital Soleil SPF 60 Sunscreen ($31)

This broad-spectrum sunscreen from uses a sophisticated blend of UV-blocking chemicals that goes far beyond the components in your average drugstore variety. Most important, unlike most sunscreens, this one isn鈥檛 a nuisance鈥攊t doesn鈥檛 smell like sunscreen and applies easily, which means you won鈥檛 be as inclined to not-so-accidentally leave it at home. (The bright-orange tube offers a hint of what your face will look like if you do.)

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After you鈥檝e dropped serious cash on a piece of outdoor equipment, it can be tough to justify putting the item away once you鈥檙e no longer on the river or trail. Luckily, there are a lot of simple ways to repurpose this performance gear for travel. Here are six of our favorite strategies.

Petzl Grigri Belay Device ($100)

Use this when roping gear to the roof of your car. The Grigri locks in place whenever there鈥檚 tension on the line and easily comes undone when you need to access your belongings. There鈥檚 no need to retie any knots or stop your car every 20 miles to make sure everything is still in place.

Seattle Sports Drydoc ($15)

In the event of a sudden downpour, will prevent you from delaminating your passport or drowning your phone in a wet pocket.

REI Sea to Summit Mini Stuffsack Set ($25)

People pay a lot of money for compressible packing cubes, but backpackers have something just as good: . These are water resistant, fit easily into any suitcase, and have drawcords so they can double as laundry bags. Plus, unlike traditional luggage compartments, they鈥檙e made from highly durable Cordura.

Seam Grip Seam Sealer ($8)

Glues and sealants are usually thought of for fixing tears in shells or tents, but this stuff can bail you out of a lot of everyday situations. Hoping to save space in my bag on a recent trip, I made the decision to bring only one pair of jeans, overlooking a prominent hole in the crotch. With a sitting in the bottom of my backpack, I was able to patch up the tear inconspicuously.

Anker Solar Charger ($50)

How many times have you wandered through an airport terminal looking for a place to charge your phone? And how many times have you forgotten to bring the right adapter for your charging cable? deserve a place on any list of essential travel items. After all, you鈥檙e as likely to be without an outlet abroad and away from home as you are in the woods.

Therm-a-Rest Compressible Pillow ($20)

Neck pillows are great, but they tend to get in the way the second you step off the airplane. The foam in is far more comfortable than the standard plastic beads in neck pillows and compresses to a fraction of its size, so it鈥檚 easy to pop into your carry-on.

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