5 Must-Have Analog Travel Items Low-Tech Travelers Swear By

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If you were a kid in the 2000s or earlier, you remember growing up without digital distractions at your fingertips, especially while traveling. Remember the days when you relied on a trusty printed map to find your way around without that helpful, familiar voice guiding your every directional mistake?  Digital distractions have become a part of our everyday lives, leading to digital burnout for many. It's no wonder that "going analog" is becoming increasingly popular, withtravelers who embrace slow living turning to low-tech essentials. Items like journals, point-and-shoot cameras, guidebooks, reusable water bottles, and functional backpacks are must-haves that will bring you back to basics.

It's time to take a break from our screens, being connected to Wi-Fi constantly, and relying on high-tech digital travel items like smart translation devices. Analog travel is on the rise as people turn to digital detoxes to simplify their lives. Gen Z and millennials are the driving force behind the analog lifestyle coming back, ditching the overhyped trend of performative travel and focusing on more intentional travel experiences. Forging deeper connections with ourselves, our surroundings, and the experiences we have as travelers is something we can get behind, since traveling should be more about immersing ourselves in local culture rather than trying to get that coveted Instagram shot on our smartphones.

Of course, there are plenty of viral packing methods that can help save space in your luggage, but sacrificing some extra space in your bag to bring a travel journal to jot down all of your plans, thoughts, experiences, and favorite restaurants that you may happen to visit is something we can get behind. As a frequent traveler myself and proud elder-millennial, I bring along a travel journal and a pen with me on every single one of my travels. There's a soothing and therapeutic feeling about sitting somewhere with an awe-inspiring view to jot down feelings or express what I'm seeing in real-time that trumps typing in a note on a smartphone.

Travel journals date back to ancient times. In a digital age, travelers searching for analog experiences are bringing back the art of writing by hand. Many people curate their travels for an audience by showcasing their best sides across social media platforms, which isn't the case with travel journals. Like a diary, travel journals are where thoughts are written for nobody other than yourself; therefore, authentic, honest, and raw emotions can be expressed without worry of being judged.

With so many choices of various styles, sizes, and even cover images, there is a journal to suit any traveler's personal vibe. Travelers looking to experience analog travel and write down their thoughts and feelings into handwritten memories, these custom leather journals on Etsy, starting at under $28, come in various sizes, colors, and can also be personalized with stamps as well as charms, giving them a beautiful vintage look.

I used to work in a photo lab where I had to develop camera film every day. The look on people's faces when I had to tell them that their vacation photos didn't turn out was heartbreaking; however, watching people open the sticky-taped envelopes and thumb through their travel photos that were processed successfully with smiles on their faces was satisfying to see. There was something that made traveling with a film camera special. You had to carefully frame the shot, make sure your settings, lighting, and angles were correct before pressing down the shutter button, and then wait to see if it worked until you developed the film.

It doesn't get much more analog than a point and shoot camera, whether it be an old school 35mm style or a generation digital camera. Gen Z, in particular, is looking to slow things down, with photography being one of the hobbies shifting them to a style of yesteryear. Gen Z's urge to steer away from doomscrolling through Instagram photos hour after hour is now being replaced by a fascination for nostalgia in a generation that grew up overexposed to a digitalized lifestyle. 

Secondhand shops and online marketplaces such as eBay are great places to locate used digital cameras or 35mm film cameras like this Canon SLR (single lens reflex) camera for approximately $160, which also comes with a lens, so you can practice building your photography skills without mindlessly taking photos with a smartphone.

While bringing a guidebook may seem like an additional paperweight to lug with you during your travels, what might seem like a thing of the past is having a major comeback among analog travelers. Remember the days when you'd go to the bookstore before your trip and scour the shelves searching for that Rick Steves or Lonely Planet guidebook on your destination. Having a trusty guidebook by your side won't only provide you with recommendations for places to visit, but they also provide solid information with maps so you can disconnect from your phone while planning your next stop.

Buying a guidebook and dog-earing pages that pique your interest is part of the nostalgia of planning a trip without having a plethora of curated online algorithms determining what you should see on your travels. The next time you have the urge to take out your phone and open Google Maps, open up your handy guidebook instead. Analog travel enthusiasts are trusting guidebooks with contributions by professionals because if the location is being published in a trusted source rather than posted on social media by a popular influencer, then it may be worth the time to explore. 

One of the best ways to curb the constant use of plastic bottles during your travels is to purchase a reusable water bottle. Although a bottle may not seem to be a high-tech piece of travel gear that analog travelers are ditching, there are quite a few on the market that monitor your daily water intake with tech features. Even household brands like Apple have jumped into the smart water bottle market with its HidrateSpark PRO 2. The bottle reminds you to hydrate with sounds while inputting your water consumption into its digital app.

Analog travelers don't want to be reminded to hydrate or connected to their water bottle with constant reminders every hour. They definitely don't want notifications buzzing on their phones, or the need to charge their water bottle with a USB cord. Drinking water shouldn't be complicated. This collapsible water bottle on Amazon gets the job done and for a fraction of the price of the fancy high-tech versions. It even comes with an attached carabiner so travelers and campers can attach it to their bags easily while taking up little space as they explore their destinations or hit the trails.

A durable carry-on is one of the best bags you can buy for worry-free travel, and it's even better if it can double as a backpack or daypack as well. Less is more, and that also goes for what low-tech travelers are craving more of. Say goodbye to the days of lugging around heavy tech equipment bags that add an extra 20 pounds to your travel gear. Traveling with a carry-on that can be used as a backpack for those exploration days out of the hotel makes for a simpler and lighter travel experience.

With less space to fill inside your bag, the stress of ultimately wondering if you've packed enough clothing diminishes. Do you really need 25 pairs of socks? Having enough room just to place essential items makes travelling a breeze. The Metro Backpack from Monos starts at $215, but prices vary based on the model. It's the perfect travel companion to take you from the airport security lines to the cobblestone streets of Europe. Equipped with a 15-inch laptop pocket, a place to store your phone, and available in nylon or vegan leather options, this backpack ensures you'll never have the need to overpack or complicate your travels ever again, all while storing away any digital distractions from your hands.