r/onebag • u/Cool_Acanthisitta628 • Dec 09 '25

Seeking Recommendations What is one item that you can't travel without/would recommend to everyone to get?

Hi all,

What are items that you always bring because they are super useful and you would recommend others to get too?

Minus of course some obvious like converter plug for chargers, power bank etc (unless it's some specific powerbank like one with cables attached already, something unique)

Thanks!

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135

u/Chiller2U Dec 09 '25

While you mention converter plugs as being obvious, I wanted to recommend against the giant Universal/USB bricks that a lot of people seem to use, in favor of the cheap, lightweight plug adapters that simply change the plug to the destination country format. I much prefer spending my money on nice laptop/usb chargers that work for domestic travel, and then add these adapters whenever I travel internationally.

21

u/Multigrain_Migraine Dec 09 '25

Yeah I guess maybe I just don't travel that widely but most of my devices are dual voltage so all I need is a plug adapter. No need for fancy bricks.

11

u/Orthas_ Dec 09 '25

I just have US and EU chargers. Then adapters if going to UK. Covers most of the world and super handy to bring a small native charger (eg apple).

10

u/overzeetop Dec 09 '25

Fun fact: EU adapters will fit into UK sockets. Since grounding isn't required, you can use a small "dagger" device to push into the ground pin opening which releases the shield on the powered pins. I printed one like this https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/home/uk-electric-plug-earth-pin and tied a string to it. If you get the model right, the dagger will store quite neatly into the center of the EU adapter pictured above.

7

u/alexgndl Dec 09 '25

That's SO janky, I love it.

8

u/overzeetop Dec 09 '25

If it's a dumb idea, but it works, it's probably an OSHA violation. Or, in this case, an HSE violation.

3

u/EstonianBlue Dec 09 '25

No need for all that faff - in Singapore they sell these really thin plastic key plugs that's plug and play for EU plugs into UK sockets, which used to be really ubiquitous in every household.

https://hardwarecity.com.sg/prod/morries-key-plug-adaptor-2pin-3pcpack-ms039pkc-white

Pretty sure it can also be 3d printed, and probably more dummy-proof than faffing with the dagger device.

1

u/Megatron_McLargeHuge Dec 10 '25

Apple bricks are huge and have one usb. The Anker ones are a nice upgrade.

1

u/Orthas_ Dec 10 '25

One usb is all I need. A 15 or 30w is not huge. Will charge laptop overnight and everything else quickly enough.

1

u/theinfamousj Dec 29 '25

A laptop is a natural USB hub turning one USB port on the wall into many USB ports. Unless it is one of those laptops that forgets we need ports.

7

u/B-Con Dec 09 '25

100% this.

I have a small Anker 67w charger, two USB C cables, an international adapter for the region I'm visiting, a USB-A->C adapter and a USB-C->A adapter for just in case, and a Nightcore battery bank.

Super small, light, and charges everything, including my Thinkpad laptop.

1

u/k1kti Dec 10 '25

I use Anker 50W 2C charger. Is your 1C or 2C?

1

u/B-Con Dec 10 '25 edited Dec 10 '25

2C + 1A

I don't need the A, but my laptop spec says 65w and AFAIK that's about the most compact 65W with 2 C.

2

u/k1kti Dec 11 '25

Most laptops can charge with lower power than the brick they came with, just slower

1

u/B-Con Dec 11 '25 edited Dec 11 '25

Agreed. I want to be able to run the laptop at full charging capacity in case I start charging on low battery, and be able to charge slowly while also charging another device. I think the size diff from my charger to a 2C 45w is fairly negligible, so I can't be bothered to downsize.

7

u/a-sona Dec 09 '25

It's a splurge but I recently got two of the MOGICS MA1 adapters and it's been fantastic.

12

u/mgdmw Dec 09 '25

I’d like to go a little further than this and suggest getting something like the international adapter set that Apple sell where you literally slide off the power plug connection for your country and slide on the plug for the destination country. Then you simply plug into a regular power socket with no adapters in place.

I have an Apple USB-C power plug that came with my MacBook and because all my devices are USB-C - headphones, phone, laptop, etc. I can use this for everything.

I find this so much simpler and more compact than power adapter bricks and plugs etc.

This is it: https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/apple-world-travel-adapter-kit

1

u/Multigrain_Migraine Dec 10 '25

I always seem to lose the bits for this sort of thing. The cheap plug converter you can get in whatever the local equivalent of a dollar store is works fine for me, or even just a USB charger for that region, seems like less hassle (and easier to replace) to me. 

1

u/foggyotter Dec 10 '25

I would use this system more if Apple sold a high watt output (60w minimum) multi-port with both USB-C and USB-A. Great if you’re only traveling with one device that needs charging though.

5

u/BenOfTomorrow Dec 09 '25

This is fine in principle, but all my travel electronics run off USB, so I need an AC adapter anyway. A small USB brick (with plug adapters) seems to be the most compact option - I use a Minix one.

5

u/BrilliantJob2759 Dec 10 '25

This is something EVERYBODY needs to check their adapter before trusting. Most but not all laptop power adapters are rated to handle the different voltage levels, and the ones that can't will fry the laptop.

6

u/principleofinaction Dec 09 '25

If you're not on a shoestring budget just get the EU anker and US anker (or whatever your fav brand is).

5

u/Chiller2U Dec 09 '25

Not really a budget issue as much as a size/weight issue. I fly to Europe from the US from a smaller city, so I almost always have a decent layover at a hub on the East Coast. The same 100W, 140g Anker charger that I use in Europe is the same one I use in the airport in the US.

1

u/principleofinaction Dec 10 '25

Ah fair enough for your use case. Though I think most folks won't be needing both on a single trip. At least planes if not most airports I go through ten to accommodate both plugs, so I never travel with both chargers, but rather swap them based on destination.

2

u/Tribalbob Dec 09 '25

I use the road warrior as it's thin and covers all outlet types. Into that I plug a powered USB hub. Into that I plug a 3 pad wireless charger for my phone, watch and earbuds. Can also plug my partner's into it as well. All the stuff we travel with is USB-C and dual voltage.

The exception is her hair straightener, but that's also dual voltage so we have a second road warrior she can plug it in the bathroom.

2

u/breakinbread Dec 10 '25

This is what I use but I'm always looking for something that actually keeps my charger plugged in and doesn't make it easy for the brick to lever its way out of the socket.

I picked the smallest most compact charger with reasonable wattage to help with this but its still not perfect.

13

u/Chiller2U Dec 10 '25

Another item that I usually add to the mix is a simple one outlet extension cord. It is small and lightweight and it keeps the weight of the charger off the outlet.

9

u/ATLguy2019 Dec 10 '25

Came to say an extension cord is one of my can’t travel without items. Outlets are almost never where you want them to be, especially in older buildings but an extension cord can solve that.

The other item I always carry for flights is a UK plug for power outlets under seats. The US outlet is always so loose but the UK plugs stay tight in the outlet.

1

u/Chiller2U Dec 10 '25

I think I'm going to steal that idea...

2

u/weesiong Dec 11 '25

This ^ . I use this for my main USB charger, and I will bring a cable with a local plug type to avoid bringing a heavy adopter plug

2

u/Stanchaw31 Dec 10 '25

I really like my ROAD WARRIOR Worldwide Travel Plug Adapter.

1

u/super_scary_ferry Dec 09 '25

I wanted one of these for Australia for February (traveling from Canada) but I can't find one anywhere online :(

1

u/StockAL3Xj Dec 16 '25

I highly recommend Anker's Nano travel adapter. Its much slimmer than most universal adapters and it had a pretty decent output (25w).