What's the 1 (or even 3) item that you absolutely can't travel without?

1. I don't even go to the grocery store without my DLSR camera. Phones do a good job, but I want high res photos of the places I go and you never know when you'll see something truly special/odd/unique/amazing.

2. If I'm allowed a second thing, it's my smart phone because it has my email, itinerary, plane tickets, alarm clock, currency converter, maps, and a ton of other utilities that make life and travel easier. Plus, I use it for photos that I can post instantly to social media.

3. My third item would be the #oldschool real paper and a pen. I still love notebooks. They allow me to take notes and doodle in a much more efficient way than on my phone. I like to journal while traveling and write down quotes and ideas.

I do all my research on the road using my iPad and take pictures for my blog on the iPhone - at least one of those items is with me the entire time. The other 'item' I can't travel without is my best buddy, my husband.

The "Ice Mule" cooler if you don't know it , get one its a game changer. And it's a dry bag for electronics when it's not keeping beer cold!

Aquaphor and Baby wipes! 

My iPad ( with Kindle App), Passport, and first aid kit with medications

I have a consistent travel list. Sunscreen, sunglasses, chargers/adapters, camera, moleskin journal, cash, sometimes, even Barbie for photo ops, but if only one thing. My beloved phone!

Beyond the obvious money, meds and phone, my bag is never without:

1. Packing cubes. Fricking miraculous, the way these help me not only minimize the size of the clothes I'm packing, but also keep it all organized.

2. My little spoon-fork-knife combo. Peel a mango, scoop out a pithaya, stab some street meat, whatever you need to do—there's always something waiting to be eaten!

3. Mint gum. You don't need to look like a cow and chew it for hours on end. It's just nice for a little freshening up when you can't brush your teeth right away, and peppermint has the added benefit of calming motion-disturbed tummies. 

A blow up pillow for the plane.

My Swiss Army Penknife. THE most useful gadget that I own.

Well, the obvius is credit cardit and debit card.  But for me it's my skechbook, a pensil and a sharpener. It's the best way to capture scenes of everyday life.

My iPhone - GPS, mapping, yelp etc - invaluable.

My family - or my phone to FaceTime them (see above)

My credit card - you can't pack perfectly - so I travel light and buy what I need.

A sense of adventure - you can't plan perfectly - so go with the flow and discover new things. 

Camera and zip block bags. 

Camera for obvious reasons, large zip block bags because they are great for weatherproofing/organizing electronics as well as personal items such as toothbrush, paste, contact lens solutions etc. You can also put dirty laundry in there.  I've also put wine bottles in zip block bags and wrap clothes around it in my luggage just in case the bottle breaks.

I never travel without shoving some extra zip block bags in my luggage.  

Candle or nail file.

Besides the obvious... Chocolate. When traveling to new places I like to bring a bunch of small individually wrapped chocolates from a small non-herseys vendor. They are great ice breakers... And provide an easy way to say thank you to the people you meet.

Ear plugs!  (no, not because of the baby in seat 3A) You will not believe how much more refreshed and alert you will feel when you land.  As a former airline pilot I can tell you, much of the fatigue comes from the low-level, high-frequency noise in the cabin. (Drink lot of water to stay hydrated and you'll also solve cause #2!)

Sonic Valve II are ideal because they allow voice frequencies through.  But Ear Planes or any ol' ear plugs you can pick up at Walgreens or CVS will do.

Noise cancelling headphones are also a must if you're going to spend time watching a DVD or listening to music onboard.

Enjoy. Travel safe!

Camera

Gravol or Dramamine

Comfortable shoes

I cannot travel without my Kindle, my camera and my lap top as I work location independent. omg I'm obviously a true techie ;)

1)  Gotta have my Kindle with me, as well as it's charging cord. I am an avid reader, and my Kindle allows me to use travel time as useful reading time.

2)  Prefer to have my laptop with me, my wife and I are avid Bloggers about our travels, and having my (or my wife's) laptop, allows me to merge our travel pics and text into a form suitable for publishing.

3)  Sleeping pills; we have traveled so often, and we know how difficult it can be to "beat" jet lag, so we always take a half of a sleeping aid once we are there to help us get into the time zone.

My typical everyday carry, I must have it, but sometimes you have to change it from place to place because of restricting laws if you carry a knife or something a long those lines.

Hi Spencer

One thing most people dont realize is a handy tool is a scarf. 

Pack a light weight scarf. Make sure the scarf is not of wool material but rather cotton or any other light weight material, without any fuzzy materials. The scarf needs to be able to fit around your own waist in length. 

Scarves are amazing for several reasons. 

If you get injured either hiking or in an area where supplies arent immediately available, you can use the scarf to tie around the affected area or and you can use it to keep dirt out of a wound until, you get to clean water etc. 

Sometimes no matter how much we prepare we run into uncomfortable situation of ending up in a country with dress laws we did not expect. Esp for woman, a scarf is a very quick way to respect dress codes, by covering up shoulders, lengthening a skirt and the like. 

Scarfs are great head gear. I have found myself, storing a copy of my id or passport wrapped neatly in the head of my scarf. Even if your bag or back pack is stolen, or you are mugged, no one is really looking to undo your head wear and in most places a well accepted fashion statement. 

Keeping your head protected by wearing a head scarf is also a concern when you're travelling. Your scalp burns just like the rest of your body. This is an easy way to keep  that from happening and or a "sweat scarf" when hiking and exploring. 

You can also go "survivor" on your scarf and turn it into an over the shoulder breast plate bag. Keeping personal items close on your body, beneath your shirt without publicly display. 

These are just a few of my tips, ideas and uses, when I travel. I am sure there are many more. 

Cee

Just arrived NY and didn't look at my list, forgot sunglasses! But I do have my phone!

1. Record items: compact camera, notebook and 2 pens, A4 size personal guide 

2. Identification and payment items: ID card, passport, cash, credit cards and debit cards

3. Medicine and survival kit: Aspirin, tumeric capsules, folding umbrella, and torch light

well, My passport  and money :)

1) Silk sleeping bag liner (for all those less-than hygienic dorm beds)

2) Smartphone (All in one tool. Believe it.) 

3) Earplugs.

My phone, power bank and plain old notebook and pen. Because you never know when you will find the opportunity for a picture, your phone might run out when you need to call someone, and when all else fails, write it down! 

At least, this is what is in my bag all the time. Everything else is optional. :D

Credit card, phone. That's about it.

Wow, certainly didn't expect the diversity in answers, especially Tiffany's question about not being able to go to the grocery store without her DSLR! And not a single answer that was my answer to the question, which is headphones. Wrote about it in more detail on my blog today. Thanks everyone!

http://whiskeytangoglobetrot.com/travel-gear-to-never-leave-home/

I like to shop so I bring a portable luggage scale http://www.amazon.com/SimplyTravel-Digital-Luggage-Scale-Satisfaction/dp/B00MXE6OB0/ref=sr_1_47?ie=UTF8&qid=1426184314&sr=8-47&keywords=portable+luggage+scale 

to make sure I can get it all home in my checked luggage with paying any overweight fees!

a small flashlite (torch).  Even a tiny keychain type is useful.  Having this has saved me more than once.  I honestly couldn't find the keyhole on a super dark night in Barbados on my loaner car.  I was stone sober, it was just dark and unfamiliar.  Without that light, I'd have been there till dawn!

Without doubt my SwissCard by Victorinox http://www.victorinox.com/global/en/Products/Swiss-Army-Knives/SwissCard/SwissCard/p/0.7100.T trust me it's got me out of a few situations on the road...

A small knife, some food (you never know when you will get to a store/market!) and definitily a lamp which you can put on your head. Very handy if your hands are full, but you still need to see in the dark! 

Top 3 things besides money: sunglasses, chapstick, and phone

My Nexus 7 tablet. Small, easy to carry and great for internet access, movies, music, reading, games, etc. Great battery life and app selection too. 

My Camera!

A good book, a corkscrew and my smartphone

Lots of good answers on an earlier thread about this ...