The 50 Best Travel Essentials - Extras

Wherever you’re off to on holiday, it always pays to be prepared. Jamie Merrill has a trailblazer’s guide to the summer’s top gear

Also in this article:

The 50 Best Travel Essentials - Gadgets

The 50 Best Travel Essentials - Security & Health

The 50 Best Travel Essentials - Clothing

The 50 Best Travel Essentials - Luggage

Joby Gorilla Pod tripod

“One of the most irritating things about coming back from your travels is those photos (Where: you and your friends and family are just a blot in the corner,” complains Tom. “But with this tripod, that doesn’t happen. It will stick to doors, it will stick to balconies, to tables, and you can twist it to all sorts of unusual angles. The beauty of it is that you will be able to get some really fun shots. A colleague of mine just came back from China with some fantastic pictures using one,” he adds.

Where: Blacks (www.blacks.co.uk)

How much: £19.99

Moleskine Large-Ruled Notebook

“The great British travel writer Bruce Chatwin carried one of these with him so with this A5 classic journal and sketchbook you can feel like a proper travel writer,” says Tom. “There are loads of notepads available but I don’t think you can beat the feeling of walking around with one of these. They always look fantastic on your bookshelf once you’ve built up a little collection, and the flap in the back pocket can be used for receipts, tickets and mementos.”

Where: Amazon (www.amazon.co.uk)

How much:£6.99

easyjet Plus

“Anybody like me who flies more than a dozen times a year can invest in one of these to give you priority boarding on all easyjet flights,” says Simon. “And if you are tall like me it is money well spent for the extra leg room seats alone. Also at some airports they have a fast check-in area; being able to use that makes the whole business of flying that much more civilised.”

Where: easyjet (0871 244 2366; www.easyjetplus.com)

How much: £75 per year

Squash ball

Cheap and available from any high-street sports store, the simple squash ball serves an invaluable purpose on many trips abroad. “When you arrive at lots of places around the world, you’ll find that the sink or bath won’t have a plug with it. You might end up messing around with toilet roll trying to make a watertight seal. With the squash ball you will make an instant seal on pretty much any plughole,” advises Tom. “Simple, light and cheap,” he adds.

Where: Pro Sport UK (www.prosportuk.com)

How much: £2.25