10 Essential Items You NEED for Traveling or Living in Southeast Asia

10 Essential Items You NEED for Traveling or Living in Southeast Asia

Hey guys, in today’s video I’m going to tell you about the 10 items that I always travel with when I have traveled all over Southeast Asia. And of course, you know, I’ve got nine plus years of living in the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, multiple multiple trips to Malaysia. So, I want to share with you guys the 10 items that I always travel with. It’s going to help you with things like extreme heat, humidity, rain, scams, safety, and comfort. If you’re traveling or living in Southeast Asia, these items save money, headaches, and stress. So, let’s go ahead and jump right into it. Stick around. So the first thing I travel with is a small portable power bank and this thing is mag safe. So you can do a charging wirelessly or with the cord you can uh here’s an example. So works fantastic for iPhones, Android, it doesn’t really matter. But yeah, great thing to have. I mean, look at it. Just uh hangs right on there. But it’s just really small and compact. Easy for airports. Uh you’ll get at least two full charges out of it typically for most items. Listen, you’re going to have things like brownouts, especially in in the Philippines or just long travel days and sometimes you go into the airport and there’s no place places to uh charge your phone. So, fantastic little item to uh travel with. No problems with the airports, even with the recent rules. Two is going to be a universal travel adapter. These things are fantastic. By the way, all these things can be found on my website or I will list each individual item down in the description in the pin comment as well. So, you don’t have to go to my website. If you just want to go and find one particular item, you’ll be able to find that in the description in the pin comment. Now, this wherever you travel, this thing is fantastic. It has multiple ports. You can see here it’s even got another one over here. And it uh allows you to plug into all kinds of different outlets all across Asia, Africa, wherever you’re going to go. So, fantastic item to have. I mean, basically this one thing, you can just plug everything right into this. Comes with a little case. Again, fantastic item. This is the one I use. Again, links in the description pin comment. The next thing I travel with, uh, surprisingly, a lot of people don’t think about this, and that is a lightweight rain jacket or windbreaker. I I have one in particular that I use, and that just happens to be uh from today’s sponsor. So, a shout out to the today’s sponsor, Northyard, for sending this out to me. It is a Northyard bomber jacket, and it is perfect for travel. You may think Southeast Asia, why would I need a jacket? Let me tell you, sometimes the airports are freezing. You go into the movie theaters um on a rainy day or if you’re in cooler climates like Bagio on a cool rainy night or here in Thailand in Chiang Rai or Chiang Mai on a cool rainy night or something, this thing is fantastic to have. So again, big thanks to today’s sponsor, Northyard. They sent me their men’s lightweight bomber jacket and I’ve been using it on previous motorbike trips uh before this and travel days. Breathable, windproof, perfect for Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam. Great for airports, windy fairies, scooters, and nights with rain. Packs small, looks clean, lightweight but protective. Comes in a variety of different colors on Amazon. Perfect for spring, fall, or rainy season here in Southeast Asia. And again, check the link below and grab one. It’s affordable and perfect for Southeast Asia travel. Next one is going to be a waterproof dry bag. And not only the dry bag, but they they also sell the waterproof little bags for your phone. Now, don’t just get a cheap one. I mean, if you’re throwing in your iPhone or your Samsung or whatever into this bag, you don’t want to take a chance that it’s going to leak, especially out in the salt water, which could really play havoc on your phone. Buy yourself a decent one. Again, I got a combo down below that’s a water bag and a waterproof bag uh that goes around your neck for your phone. And uh it’s fantastic cuz if you go to the beach, maybe you’re by yourself, you don’t have somebody to watch. You don’t want to not be able to enjoy getting into the water or a waterfall or whatever because you don’t have somebody to watch your phone or your wallet and you don’t want to take a chance of that all getting wet. I mean, yeah, you could put it you can put it um in a Ziploc bag, but it’s just much easier. And uh you know uh putting your wallet and your phone in the inside of your shoe and leaving it on the beach uh is not going to fool any uh thief. Okay? So do yourself a favor. If you’re going to do any kind of water activities, waterfalls, beaches, whatever, have yourself a dry bag. And and not only that, it’s it’s also great for protecting electronics if you’re going to be traveling. Uh maybe a waterproof bag as well. And then uh portable Wi-Fi or eSIM. The one I recommend is Hollifly. If you use my code, you get another 5% which is geo in the Philippines. Yes, I haven’t updated that code, but that’s the code. And anyway, you can go down in the description, click on that link, and you can get a Hollifly ESIM for the particular country or region or multiple countries that you’re traveling to and how many days uh you’re going to be there. And it can be unlimited data or you can get a uh limited data one as well. And another one that people forget is like a small first aid kit. What I mean by that, it doesn’t have to be a storebought one, but maybe a few bandages, uh, some headache medicine, aches and pains for, you know, for us older guys. Uh, if you have an upset stomach, maybe some Emodium. I mean, whatever works for you and that you maybe use on a semi-regular basis back home. Make yourself a small little kit of all these things and take it with you. It’s just good to have. And of course, if you’re on prescriptions, then you’re going to want to bring all of that in their original bottles as well with your name and doctor uh information all on the bottle. you know, like antihistamines, uh, bandages, small meds, you know, etc. It can be useful. You know, you get yourself a cut. Um, trust me, in the Philippines, nobody’s going to have a band-aid. And in fact, you’ll have to go into a pharmacy. So, you’re going to be sitting around there bleeding. You may get a bite from some kind of a bug, stomach virus, whatever. It’s just, trust me, get yourself a little first aid kit put together. And then next is a money bag or cross sling bag. Now, the one I recommend is the packs safe one because this locks up. I’ll tell you a quick story. A buddy of mine has one of these bags. It is not a pack safe. It does not lock. He was recently in Sibu. He was with a buddy. They just stepped out of a restaurant and I think it was in Mocktown, actually, not Mocktown, New Town, but outside of the area. And uh two girls in the parking lot approached and and they approached and one put her arm around him and said, “Hey, are you looking for, you know, fun tonight or whatever?” He said, “No, thank you.” But what he didn’t realize is while the one girl was uh doing that, the other girl was behind um unzipping it and took out his wallet and boom, like that, his driver’s license, a couple of credit cards, a debit card, and about 7,000 in pesos was taken out of his bag. Now, if you would have had one of these, it all locks up. And while you’re at it, pick yourself up one of these and you can even doubly protect it. But usually they’re not going to be able to get this thing open. And if with this, forget about it. It’s be impossible. And this is the exact one that I use when I went to Africa, when I was in the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, wherever I’ve gone, even in the US, I use it now. And trust me, if you’re going to market places, uh, fairies, terminals, you want to have this because the bump and grab is a real thing in Southeast Asia. And it definitely reduces pickpocket risk. They have no idea. Most have never seen a pack safe bag. They have no idea what it is. They wouldn’t have a clue on how to open it. Half the time I can barely get it open. So trust me, pick yourself up one of these. It’ll be it’ll be the best thing you’ve purchased. Now, a UV umbrella or packable sun protection also a good thing. The sun can be really extreme out here in Southeast Asia, guys, and you can burn quickly. The Southeast Asia UV index is very high. Umbrellas kind of double as like a sun and a rain protector. And especially if you’re coming in the rainy season, even if you’re not, an umbrella um or some sunscreen uh is good. You can pick up that stuff here. You know, I mean, you could just buy an umbrella when you get here. That’s fine. So, I’m not even going to put a link for that. But, uh just bring if you have room, bring the small umbrella. Something small, compact that folds up. not not like a big length umbrella. Now, I like a reusable water bottle, the ones that like flatten down, and basically I like to dump ice in it, pour water in it, and I can carry that around all day. And when it’s empty, I can like push it all down, and it fits really nicely either in that sling bag or your day bag. Saves money. Um, in the Philippines and even in Thailand and stuff, they have these little water machines you can go and put a couple coins in, you just fill it up. It’s more hygienic. I stay hydrated, especially again, like I said, that that sun is no joke out here. And many hotels have water refilling stations. So, this is going to be great for that. Now, quick dry clothing like this or my quick dry hats. Again, I’m going to put links down in the description, or you can just head over to my website and click on Geo’s travel essentials for the whole entire list of all the things I recommend for living or traveling out in Southeast Asia or anywhere to be honest. And uh this type of clothing, shorts, socks, underwear, everything I got, quick dry, breathable, great material for the hot weather. And humidity destroys cotton by by the way, guys. Something that uh people don’t think of, and this is kind of a a bonus item, is a portable door lock or alarm that you can put on your hotel room or something. These are kind of great uh to have. Again, I’ll put a link in the description. It’s good if you’re in like a budget hotel for the night. Maybe you stopped in a city and there’s nothing better around. Great to have or a hostel. Again, works great and gives you that extra peace of mind. So, just to recap, guys, a lightweight jacket, a travel adapter, a small portable charger, power bank, uh that sling bag, a water bag, a bag for your phone if you’re going to do any kind of water sports, maybe a small umbrella if you got room. All the quick dry material. Uh all of that stuff is great. And again, that Northyard bomber jacket, fantastic. It comes in a variety of colors. Perfect for cooler nights, rainy, windy, in Southeast Asia. And guys, uh, please comment if you feel like I’ve forgotten some. I know there’s other things that, uh, I recommend. I didn’t want to make a a 20 minute video on it. So, this is just some things that I think people forget sometimes. These are really important items to bring, but let me know down in the comments if you got some other items that you think are just as important. So guys, make sure you subscribe, like, share, and ring that bell notification so you’re updated every time I come out with a new video, guys. And you want to do that because I come out with a lot of stuff for Southeast Asia travel and expat tips. I appreciate you guys watching and I’ll see you in the next video. in my head. Southeast Asia calling me instead. Bangkok nights in Bali. Sick of dreaming something more. Pack your bags, don’t hesitate. Gio, let’s go before it’s too late. Time keeps slipping away

🔥 SPONSORED ITEM (My Daily Jacket!)
👉 33,000ft Men’s Bomber Jacket – Waterproof, Lightweight & Perfect for SE Asia Travel
https://amzn.to/4ptmZD0

🌏 MY TOP RECOMMENDED TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

1️⃣ Universal Travel Adapter (must-have!)
https://amzn.to/48JzLWX

2️⃣ Collapsible Water Bottle
https://amzn.to/44PY5Fs

3️⃣ Pacsafe Anti-Theft Sling Bag
https://amzn.to/4iRpFYH

4️⃣ Waterproof Phone Pouch / Dry Bag
https://amzn.to/4pZ1cD7

5️⃣ TSA-Approved Travel Wire Locks
https://amzn.to/4oI7R3L

6️⃣ MagSafe Wireless Travel Charger
https://amzn.to/3Kmycq0

7️⃣ Portable Door Lock + Travel Alarm
https://amzn.to/4iQL2cO

8️⃣ Holafly eSIM for Asia
Use code giointhephilippines for a discount
https://holafly.sjv.io/POrKr6

🎒 Essential Travel Gear (My personal picks)
All my must-have travel gear in one place.

GIO’S ESSENTIALS

🌏 Top Resources for Expats & Travelers in SE Asia
My go-to tools for living, dating, traveling, and staying prepared abroad.

🔐 Online Security
Surfshark VPN – Protect your data, unblock sites.
https://get.surfshark.net/aff_c?offer_id=934&aff_id=17091&url_id=1320

💸 Money & Essentials
Traveling Mailbox – Manage your U.S. mail online.
https://travelingmailbox.com/?ref=1384

📞 1-on-1 Consultations
Relocation, dating, lifestyle advice.
https://calendly.com/gioonthego

💘 Dating
ThaiFriendly → https://www.thaifriendly.com/?affid=3494

PinaLove → https://www.pinalove.com/?ai=3494&cid=1

💉 Travel & Health Insurance
Ekta – Affordable, visa-friendly travel insurance.
https://ektatraveling.tp.st/fO4cVbN1

Michael Onstad / LOC Consultants – Custom expat coverage.
https://www.facebook.com/monstad1

💸 Money & Essentials
Wise – Low-fee international transfers.
https://wise.com/invite/dic/giovannis229

Onward Ticket – Proof of onward travel.
https://onwardticket.com/giointhephilippines

🏨 Flights & Accommodation
Agoda – Hotels & condos.
https://bit.ly/38CvDgr

Skyscanner – Find cheap flights.
https://skyscanner.pxf.io/EK0dVP

🌍 How I Save on Travel & Living Overseas
Capital One Rewards Credit Card – Book flights, hotels, restaurants, and daily expenses with ease.
https://i.capitalone.com/JehWGNx51

📲 Follow Me
Website: https://giointhephilippines.com
or https://gioonthego.net/ or https://gioonthego.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GiointhePhilippines

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gio_on_the_go__/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gio_on_the_go
_
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClMlXTxpTNMZRE4AEjlc5RA

⚠ Note: Some links are affiliate links. I only recommend products and services I personally use.