Most of this stuff will come as no surprise if you’ve followed me for a while. I talk about it all regularly and have most likely praised this gear in reviews elsewhere.

But if you’re new here and are wondering what I struggle to travel without, here it is!

9. MSR Whisperlite Multifuel Stove

I used my stove twice a day when I was travelling – which works out to be over 700x per year! I’ve suprisingly never had an issue with it, even after all this time. The MSR stove is great because it’s simple, I can get fuel at any petrol station worldwide, rebuilding/cleaning the stove is a breeze and I don’t feel like I’m wasting canisters. You can gain more insight about the MSR Whisperlite Internationale stove in my review.

8. Panasonic V700 Camcorder

My camcorder has been incredible over the last 12 months – it really allowed me to take my film making up a notch or two. The best features are the image stabilization, the 60x optical zoom, the image quality/colour and the fact that you can plug in an external microphone. Although I cannot connect my camera to the handlebars like a GoPro; I believe that a camcorder offers so much more than any action cam.

7. Airspresso Coffee Machine

I love my coffee. So much so that I make espresso every single morning with my Airspresso. The machine uses a bike pump to produce a sweet, fragrant shot, provided you use high quality, fresh coffee beans. You can read my detailed Airspresso Coffee Maker review for more.

6. Zip-Together Sleeping Bags

For our world trip, Kat and I bought super lightweight Macpac sleeping bags that came in two different lengths (essential for me), two different temperature ratings (Kat sleeps cold, I sleep hot) and importantly, they zipped together. These bags are perfect for couples. For more on zip-together sleeping bags, take a look at my resource.

5. Air Pillows

I love my little Exped pillow because it provides me with a neckpain-free night of sleep, night after night. The down-filled pillow is more comfortable than the air-only pillow, however it’s also 2-3x the pack size. After using these pillows, I won’t go back to sleeping on a jumper again! You can read more about the Exped Air Pillows in my review.

4. SPD Sandals

I can’t believe I didn’t start using cycling sandals earlier! They are THE MOST versatile clip-in shoe available for bicycle touring because they’re suitable for everything from oven-hot deserts to freezing-cold snowfields – just add the appropriate socks or shoe covers for foot insulation. SPD sandals are especially great in temperatures over 20 degrees celcius. They’re also easy to wash and dry much quicker than a normal cycling shoe. For more on why these shoes are so versatile, a complete list of sandal products available, plus all the other benefits of SPD sandals – take a look at my resource.

3. Waterproof Compression Sacks

Sea to Summit compression sacks are imperative to the way I travel. They essentially allow me to carry more, in less volume – especially important when there’s five bags between two world cycling humans. Volume was crucial, and these bags literally doubled our pannier space. I used compression sacks for my clothes, down jackets, sleeping bags and tent. For proof that they are waterproof, my sleeping bag and tent have been strapped to my bike (outside in the elements) and I never found them wet.

2. My GPS-Equipped Smartphone

I switched to using a smartphone for navigation, and it’s brilliant. My iPhone stores all of my detailed maps, so it’s ready to navigate me around the world without an internet connection. Surprisingly, the GPS chip works out to be faster in my phone than my old Garmin 800 GPS sometimes. To learn more about navigating with smartphones, don’t forget to check out my in-depth smartphone navigation resource.

1. My Tablet and Wifi Server

It seems sad to put electronic items in spot one and two of my list, but the amount of tasks you can do with with an iPad makes it a no-brainier. I used an Apple iPad for reading, internet browsing, guide books, writing, website updates, mapping, movie viewing, photo/video editing, video calls… and more. It’s like a laptop, but smaller and simpler – perfect for travel in my mind. If you have an Apple iPad, an Airstash wifi server is a MUST for backing up and moving information – I carry lots of videos on empty SD cards for days when I need to take a break from my crazy life. Make sure to check out my iPad resources for lots more.