Travel changes what counts as good camera gear. The things I care about most on the road are protecting expensive equipment, keeping power and storage easy, and avoiding little logistical problems that become much more annoying once I am far from home.
This list mixes gear I actually travel with, things coworkers have convinced me are worth carrying, and a few products I am seriously considering but have not personally tested yet.
For the actual packing layout, look inside my Pelican, Peak Design backpack, and ALPAKA pouch to see what I keep in each bag.
Carry + protect
Pelican Air 1615 travel case
Personally used: this is what I want when I am traveling with a larger, expensive loadout and need every piece of gear to have a protected place. It is absolutely still a heavy hard case, but for checked travel, larger shoots, and situations where I am moving a lot of equipment, the protection and peace of mind are worth it.
Peak Design Everyday Backpack 20L
Personally used: this is my everyday camera backpack and the bag that actually moves through airports with me. The 20L gives me quick side access, enough organization for camera gear plus the rest of my travel-day essentials, and a top handle that I routinely use to attach my travel blanket. I am 5'4", and the 20L already looks and feels like a substantial camera backpack on me, so I would not casually jump to the 30L unless I had a very specific reason.
ALPAKA Flight Pouch
Personally used: this is one of those tiny travel organizers that earns its space because it keeps the things I actually need in transit—phone, passport, cards, earbuds, small essentials—separate from the camera chaos. I prefer the standard Flight Pouch over the Pro-style material I tried; the more waterproof-feeling Pro fabric was useful, but the bag lost its shape anywhere it was not filled and looked lumpy enough that I felt self-conscious wearing it. The standard version feels cleaner and more structured on-body.
Peak Design Roller Pro Carry-On
Seriously considering / not personally tested: I have not used the Roller Pro, so I do not want to pretend this is a field-tested recommendation. I am already deep enough into the Peak Design ecosystem that I keep coming back to it, though. I like the idea of luggage designed around gear-heavy travel instead of forcing camera gear into a generic roller, and this is high on my own “maybe I should finally buy real luggage” list.
Domke RuggedWear shoulder bag
Personally used: the Pelican is for transit; the Domke is for actually moving around once I get there. Mine fits my DJI Mavic 3 and RC Pro plus a snack or two, so I can move the drone into a lower-profile shoulder bag for hikes and field work instead of dragging the whole travel case around.
Power + connectivity
MOMAX 1-World 170W GaN travel adapter
Personally used: this is my heavier-duty international setup. I intentionally bought the 170W version because I wanted more power than my everyday Anker setup. Because it is heavier and larger, it lives with the bigger travel gear rather than in my backpack full-time.
Anker Prime 100W charger
Personally used: this is the sleek everyday counterpart to the MOMAX. It stays in the side pocket of my backpack for normal domestic travel and day-to-day charging when I do not need the 170W international setup.
Anker 332 USB-C Hub (5-in-1)
Personally used: useful for drives, card readers, and other accessories, but my favorite travel trick is using the HDMI port to repurpose a hotel TV as a much larger screen for sorting and editing photos. Pack an HDMI cable, and check that the TV has an accessible input. I still use my laptop screen to judge color.
INIU Mini 10,000mAh 45W power bank
I like this style of power bank for travel because the detachable USB-C cable doubles as the carrying loop, so there is one less loose cable to remember. The 10,000mAh size is small enough to disappear into a bag while still being useful during long airport, flight, and field days.
Backup + tracking
SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD
Backups become more important, not less, when you are far from home. I like the Extreme line because it is compact enough to live in a travel kit without feeling precious. The family comes in multiple storage sizes, and there are a few genuinely fun color options alongside black, so you can choose capacity first and still avoid another anonymous black rectangle if you want to.
Chipolo POP, CARD, and LOOP
Personally used: I use the circular Chipolo tags and like assigning different colors to different bags or cases. The rechargeable CARD looks excellent for flatter spaces, and the LOOP is especially tempting because the color options are gorgeous. This is a particularly useful category for Android users who do not want to build everything around AirTags.
Chipolo POP · Chipolo CARD · Chipolo LOOP
Field comfort + travel logistics
HEAD SENSATEC touchscreen gloves
Cold sunrise, late-night event, winter trip: you still need to operate a phone or touchscreen. Gloves that let you do that without constantly exposing your hands are much more useful than they sound.
Men’s HEAD Multi-Sport SENSATEC gloves · Women’s HEAD SENSATEC running gloves
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2
What I actually use on flights: Google Pixel Buds are much more useful to me on a plane than open-ear headphones because this is where I actively want noise cancellation. The engine and cabin noise is exactly the thing I am trying to shut out. The linked Pixel Buds Pro 2 are an option for that kind of noise-canceling travel setup.
travel inspira digital luggage scale
A luggage scale is genuinely useful when camera cases and suitcases get absurdly heavy. I specifically prefer this strap-style design over versions that make you hang the entire load from a metal hook. When a case is overloaded, the broad strap feels much more reassuring around the luggage handle.
Rumpl Travel Puffy blanket
Personally used: I get cold easily, so this comes on every flight. I attach it to the top handle of my Peak Design backpack and have never been asked to consolidate it. It also doubles as backup warmth on cold sets, early mornings, and late-night shoots. Rumpl makes several pretty colorways, so you can pick one that feels like you instead of settling for another anonymous travel accessory.
Small things that earn permanent bag space
These are not really “camera accessories,” but travel and event days are exactly when they become disproportionately useful. They share one compact space in the kit: a pocket sanitizer, hydration tablets, and a roll-on for long days carrying gear.
Noshinku pocket hand sanitizer
The slim refillable sprayers are exactly the kind of travel object I like: easy to keep in a tiny pouch or pocket instead of carrying a bulky bottle around all day.
Nuun Energy tablets
Personally useful: travel is where these really earn their space for me. They take almost no room, and they are easy to throw into a water bottle during long airport, flight, event, or outdoor days when staying hydrated tends to become an afterthought. The linked Energy version contains caffeine; choose a caffeine-free line if you only want electrolytes.
Biofreeze roll-on
Personally carried: this lives with me for the hard event days when carrying cameras and gear for hours catches up with my shoulders, back, or arms. The roll-on format is compact and much less messy to use on the go.
Flint retractable travel lint roller
Personally carried: I travel with a lint roller too. It is especially useful for formal events when I need to look presentable while running around with camera gear. The retractable design keeps the sticky surface covered inside my bag.
STXND Model X laptop stand
Coworker-approved: I do not personally travel with one because my dual-camera setup already takes too much space, but several coworkers use one daily and consider it non-negotiable for travel. If your camera loadout leaves room, it is a great ergonomic upgrade for hotel-room work.
The best travel gear is the stuff that quietly removes friction: fewer loose cables, fewer exposed lenses, fewer “where did I put that?” moments, and less anxiety about whether thousands of dollars of equipment are protected while you move.