6 Travel Essentials for Volunteers

Travelling to a new place is both very exciting and nerve-wracking. That’s normal, of course. You invest a lot of time researching places to travel, what to pack and how to travel to a new place for the first time. Regardless of whether this is your first time or your hundredth time, there are important basic travel essentials you will need! 

During my first solo travel to Kenya, on my international volunteering opportunity I thought I had prepared as best I could. I am a very organised person and I am not one to embark on an adventure without some planning or research. However, as a first-time traveller, you should expect things to waver and know that you will inevitably forget something important. 

Arriving in Kenya, I was thrilled and prepared…or, so I thought. I packed as little as I could, yet there were still some clothes I never touched and some things that really could have been useful. My planning and research didn’t account for my lack of experience as a first-time traveller. I learnt plenty from other volunteers who have either backpacked around the world or simply travelled to many more countries as a solo traveller. 

Featured below, you can see some of the items that I consider to be essentials that every volunteer needs.

Money Belt

These are so handy! Not just for keeping money and valuables out of sight and reducing the risk of being pick-pocketed but also for saving space and having your valuables all in one place. Often these have many pockets and can store more than cash. If you’re ever worried about losing your passport, cash or phone – this is a lifesaver.

Often, you can get used to carrying cash, cards and phones in our pockets or just holding them whilst you’re out and about. However, when you’re travelling and inevitably attract more attention as tourists or volunteers, to keep your peace of mind these are a must-have! They are very discreet and save the worry of having your bag interfered with, in busy crowds. They’ll also be useful when withdrawing money, paying and collecting money and when you’re shopping at markets. You can find ones that protect your cards so that they can’t be scanned too. Contactless is becoming the easy way to pay for things, but rest assured you will not find random charges on your card when it's secured in a money belt.

Travel Money Card  

This is probably the most useful thing I found out about when I first travelled solo. Like the money belt which protects your cash, the money card serves the same purpose without carrying the cash and with one card.

These money cards are easy to use and a safe way to manage and keep track of your money abroad. It saves the hassle of having to exchange money and lose out with exchange rates and handing currency. Most often they can be prepaid or have an app available to transfer money in and out for your convenience. Some are called cash-card which only allows you to withdraw cash from ATMs. These are handy so that you don’t need to carry large sums of cash with you and should you lose it, it hasn’t got all your savings in it. You put in how much you want. 

They work by loading cash onto it and can be used like a normal debit card. For example, withdraw from ATMs, use in shops and restaurants etc. However, the difference is you put in how much you need or want, and you can leave your debit card at home.  

Anti-Theft Bag 

Rule of thumb - better to be safe than sorry. Any destination poses a risk for theft and pickpocketing. A good way to keep your belongings safe is to invest in an anti-theft bag. When travelling, some days you just really need to take a bag with you. You require something to store your camera in, your lunch and other bits and bobs such as insect repellent and sun cream.  

Of course, the most valuable items will need to be safe. I’m sure most of you didn’t spend a fortune on a camera to capture those moments just for it to get stolen! Alas, the anti-theft bag is your best friend. These reduce the likelihood of having your belongings disappear while you're wearing your bag, so, here’s how it works. A little like your suitcase, it will have a passcode needed to unlock the zips, and it’ll be made of heavy-duty materials; zips, chains, buckles etc., and you can find ones that are anti-slash as well. Unfortunately, in some countries, people fall victim to finding their bags having been cut from the straps and they’re left with nothing but a broken bag. These bags are a useful tool to also deter thieves from even thinking about approaching your belongings. Their targets are those who make it easy to steal from, so don’t let that be you! 

Luggage Belts 

Luggage belts could be the reason you take home the right suitcase home or not. Whether it is your first trip or not, the last thing you want to do is lose your suitcase because you couldn’t find it!  

So, you have made a list of everything you have packed and needed, and you’ve finally boarded the plane. Everything has gone well, and once you land and go through customs you arrive at the bag pick-up point. You’re tired, exhausted and just itching to catch the taxi to your accommodation. You don’t think twice about your suitcase because you are 100% sure it’s yours (and who’s going to have a large, lime-green suitcase anyway?), so you pick it up and head on to your location. Forward to later on, and you try to unlock your suitcase - excited to get your clothes on and eat your snacks - only to find that it won’t unlock because it isn’t yours! 

Let's hope that luckily, you were able to retrieve your luggage from the airport as no one had taken it. 

If this has ever happened to you or not, your best bet is to reduce the chances of it occurring with luggage belts. These serve two purposes. It secures your suitcase and helps to spot your travel bag easily. Don’t be afraid to buy the funkiest colour. We all know how the airport staff are forever busy and often work under pressure. They don’t have the time to be gentle with your suitcase. Luggage belts provide that extra support so that the contents of your suitcase are kept packed inside. The other great thing is that you’ll be sure to take the correct suitcase home even when you’re tired or in a rush. Win-win!  

Toiletry And Laundry Bag 

These don’t need to be big at all, it just needs to hold your essentials. I found that having a toiletry bag which could fit my clothes and shampoo, shower gel, toothpaste and toothbrush made my morning and evening routines much easier. The same for a laundry bag. Often, when travelling, you may need to live out of your suitcase. Things prove to be a bit of a struggle when you’ve nowhere to put your dirty clothes away from the clean ones. These essentials are easy to pack and can fit inside the pockets of your suitcase to help the issue. 

When travelling, a toiletry bag helps to organise your toiletries away from your suitcase. Living from your suitcase can be a hassle when you’re used to being organised back home and knowing where everything is. Unfortunately, you may not always have this luxury when you’re city-hopping. So! The best cheat for this is to have your suitcase for clean clothes and have your toiletry bag with all your bathroom essentials. This means that you can just grab and go in the morning and evenings before bed. You can also pop in your clothes for the next day so no need to rummage through the suitcase.  

As for the laundry bag, this is most helpful when you don’t want a pile of dirty clothes building up next to your suitcase. It’s also useful for keeping fresh clothes away from the dirty ones in the suitcase. Another useful tip would be to use this when travelling home. If washing machines and launderettes are uncommon where you travelled to and you may have some dirty clothes to bring back with you – this is a lifesaver! You can pop in your dirties and keep it away from potentially dirtying your suitcase or other cleaner items in the suitcase. 

Water Bottle 

Finally... A reusable water bottle will never go to waste when travelling. You may be able to purchase one easily anywhere, but if you can take one with you, why not? 

Keep hydrated before the airport and after security and customs. Once at your destination you can refill as much as possible without spending money on small bottles of water. Often you can save money by buying a large 5-litre or more of water and just refill your water bottle. You’re always on the move and good to go!