My Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra comes with me everywhere. I choose Samsung because of its exceptional camera for a smartphone. It allows me to ditch the old point and shoot camera (one less thing to carry and keep charged). Plus it has the added bonus of being waterproof and with 1Tb storage I don’t have to worry about running out of storage space. Buy it here.

I always carry one or sometimes more 360 cameras, Currently I carry the Insta360 X3. 360 cameras are what allow me to take the amazing 360 photos and tiny planets. With just the touch of a button I can now share the entire world around me. This gives a full perspective as if you’re actually stood with me. Learn more about 360 Cameras here.

360° photos and especially 360° videos are large files, ideally you’ll want to upgrade to at least a 128GB, U3 card or larger if you can afford to. I’ve used the SanDisk 128GB U3 microSD now for many years and they’ve always been reliable. I now own 5 and touch wood they haven’t failed me yet.

There’s nothing worse than being in the middle of nowhere and your phone is going to die. This little beaut will keep your phone battery topped up nicely and what makes this even better is that it’s completely wireless. Just rest your phone on top and hey presto it’s charging. (wireless phone compatibility required). I recently upgraded from my old 10000mah to this 25000mah, it was a little larger than expected, still the same height and width as my S20 Ultra. Just a little thicker in depth.

• Tip: If you have room in your bag take a short 4 way extension lead to give yourself more plugs. Although if you have the Worldwide Universal Travel Adapter, you wont need to lug a big extension cord around any more.

The Insta360 bullet time bundle with the incorporated stand for everyday use, plus it folds down to a nice compact size making it great for travel and it’s also waterproof.

To help against any top heavy falls I carry a small counterweight, especially useful when shooting outside where the slightest sudden breeze can knock your monopod over and damage the cameras lenses.

You don’t always want to be holding the camera or be in the picture, so depending on the days activities I or I’m shooting virtual tours the monopod I found to be most reliable at a good price is the Man billy A222 (reviewed here). With its slim line, lightweight, robust build and reducing down to a compact travel size easy for carrying around. It’s an ideal friend for all 360 Photographers.

Along with the list above, when i’m away from home and shooting overseas these are the things I can’t travel without.  When travelling the most commonly asked question is what to pack? Remember if you really need something, buy it. It’s not that hard to find medicine, clothes, or an umbrella overseas. In Asia everything is very cheap and almost everything is replaceable.
Also remember you’ll be carrying your bag most the time. I often see people wearing huge backpacks, struggling to walk and in a tropical climate it’s not the best idea. Try to stick to the same climate if you can during trips to avoid carrying lots of different clothes. You don’t want to be lugging sweaters around Thailand! See more packing tips here.

Pack smart, pack light and take as little as possible

The Cabin Max, this bag has been on a few trips with me now and is still holding out like new. It’s lightweight, durable, versatile & good quality. You can convert it from backpack to trolley in about 30 seconds. I have made a couple adaptations by adding drinks holders to either side and some Velcro to hold the inside pockets closed as i found items tended to fall out to the bottom of the bag often. You can never find a bag that is 100% perfect, but so far this is as close as I’ve come.

Tip… convert it to a backpack on budget airlines as sometimes when you reach the gate they tend to put wheeled cabin bags in the hold.

This is an awesome universal charger for travelling, really nice design, solidly built and compact. Complete with it’s own carry case and USB C to USB C cable supplied. It can charge 6 devices simultaneously with 3 fast charge USB ports and 2 fast charge USB Type C ports and 1 standard AC socket. Find out more about the iBlockCube Worldwide travel adapter here.

Thanks to this I no longer need to take an extension lead for those extra plugs.

I bought my first pair of reefs in 2016, they’re really comfortable and durable and went everywhere with me. Now 2020 I’ve just bought myself a new pair this time the Mick Fanning’s with the bottle opener in both soles. The only reason I needed new was that I’d worn the grip away on the bottom of the soles, so I was started to slip while walking in slippery conditions. If I could get them re soled I would, there’s nothing wrong with the upper part. Reef are no doubt the most durable flip flop I’ve ever bought.

Ear plugs are a must if your travelling long haul flights and staying in hostels, I struggle to sleep without them in noisy environments. These mould to your ear and you can use them a few times before throwing them away.

This towel packs down to take up very little room in your bag and it dries off really quick to, ideal for when your on the move a lot.

I use the dry bag as a beach bag, it’s great for keeping all your valuables like your phone and camera dry especially if your travelling on a boat. You can also use it in reverse. If your in a rush to leave but your towel & swim gear is still wet, you can put them inside the dry bag to keep all your other stuff outside dry.

Being fair skinned and one that burns extremely easily this stuff is like liquid gold to me. I’ve found it to be the best I’ve ever used, P20 is translucent, fragrance free comes in a handy spray bottle and lasts for up to 10 hours a day. If water sports are your thing, then you’ll be pleased to know that it has been classed as ‘very water resistant’ and even after frequent swimming remains effective.

I’d wanted a good size pop up tent and the Eurohike pop 400 fits the bill. It says 4 man, but I’m sure you know that with most tents, you usually have to go one man more as it would be extremely cosy to sleep what they advertise. This one could sleep 3 in sleeping bags comfortably with room for bags. It fits a double inflatable mattress without problem. The only thing I find is that it’s not compact, and as such it’s a fairly awkward thing to carry around for any length of time. I am on the lookout for a more compact and lighter tent for the times I go to those harder to reach areas you have to hike to.

I also have a second smaller 3 man 3 second tent which is lighter and easier to carry for when we stay a little further afield and we have more walking to get there. The big unyielding pop up tent isn’t so convenient when you have to carry the massive round thing for miles. If you have any recommendations for lighter tents please let me know in the comments below.

I actually have both a double and a single mat. Which one I take depends on if I’m camping alone or not or don’t have to hike. You don’t want to carry the extra weight if you don’t have to.

Having an air pump makes blowing up or packing away that airbed a breeze, only taking a minute to do its blow and suck thing.

Having a rechargeable light is obviously handy when the sun goes down and you need to go to the loo, clean up etc. Being rechargeable you can easily keep it topped up with your power pack.

I’d been looking for a lightweight fire pit and this is perfect, folding down into a small bag no bigger around and just a little taller than a standard pint glass. It weighs next to nothing and easy to clean, it will even go into the dishwasher if you have one.

Heat resistant gloves are great to safely add and move logs around the fire without worrying you’ll burn yourself.

Windproof flameless lightweight lighter. No need for carrying flammable liquid gas with this as it’s USB-C rechargeable.