So after a month into my 1 year trip around South and Central America, I thought about writing a blog post that could actually provide some use to people reading it. I feel like I've now had enough time to get a good feel for how well (and how poorly) I planned and packed for this trip, so I'd like to share my advice and experience with fellow travellers.

Below are the 8 most useful things I've brought with me (in no particular order), and would highly recommend to anyone considering extended overseas travel. I've linked to each products' original website, but you can generally find them all on Amazon or eBay for cheaper.

Platypus SoftBottle - When I first saw one of these, I thought it was one of those "solution to a non existent problem" items. But it's probably the one thing I use the most on my travels. This has not only saved me lots of money buying bottles of water every where I go, but it also collapses down when empty and takes up almost zero space. Take it with you whenever you're out and about and fill it up anywhere you find a water fountain.

NYC Subway Map Mighty Wallet - I really like this one. I originally bought it back home for something different to my usual wallets, but it's actually come in really handy while travelling. It looks just like a map (technically it is!) so you're less likely to have your wallet stolen. It's also slim, water and rip proof, and I surprisingly get a lot of people making comments when I take it out to buy something.

Pack-It Specter™ Compression Cube Set - Since deciding I would make every effort to travel as light as I can on this trip (see my first blog post), I thought I would give these a shot. Whilst the compression feature is pretty handy, the main benefit I get out of these is having my bulkier clothes (e.g. jeans) that I don't use as much tucked away, so I don't have to constantly repack these clothes when I'm foraging through my bag.

Icebreaker Tech T Lite Short Sleeve - I'd like to say these are worth their weight in gold, but they practically weigh nothing. I bought 2 of these before I left and now I kind of wish I bought more. I wear these all the time. You could probably get a week of heavy use out of one, but I usually wash it after a couple of days in the shower, then it's dry by the morning. I brought a couple of cotton t-shirts with me which I haven't touched since I left, and I pretty much consider them a waste of space seeing as though they get dirty quickly and take longer to clean.

Olivers All Over Short - I found out about these on another travel blog and thought I'd try them out. They are just as good as the Icebreaker shirts I mentioned above - after heavy wear they rarely smell at all. They are also splash proof, durable and light yet still quite fashionable. They are also easily cleaned and dried. I also wear these shorts almost every day.

Dr. Bronner's Pure Castile Soap - A highly concentrated, natural, organic soap that claims to have over 18 uses including shampoo, toothpaste, body wash, deodorant, household cleaner, and more. A couple of drops per use does the job, so one bottle will go a long way on your travels.

Pocket 15L Packaway Backpack - I've linked to the particular one I bought from Kathmandu, but I don't think the brand would really matter in this case. Having a compressible day pack to take out on short notice, without having to empty your other backpack is really handy. I think any brand of a similar item would do the same job.

Anker 2nd Gen Astro E5 16000mAh External Battery - Not having to constantly watch my device's battery percentage when I'm out for long periods of time is great. I went for the slightly larger size to get more charges out of it (it can do a full charge of an iPhone 5S over 7 times), but I think a smaller one would be just as useful if you're looking to save room. It takes about 8 hours to fully charge overnight, and you can charge it from anything that has a USB port.

Of course there are other great things that I've brought with me, but I feel like these are the most beneficial for their price. If you have any questions, feel free to drop me a line!