Black Friday deals on our favorite travel essential items (2025 Edition)

Last updated on Thursday, Nov 27, 2025.

As much as we lean toward minimalism and prefer spending on experiences over things, we’re not immune to a solid deal especially on essentials we’d have to buy eventually. That’s why Black Friday works so well for us: it’s a chance to pick up useful, intentional items without paying full price. The trick, of course, is sticking to actual needs and not slipping into “it’s cheap so I’ll buy it” mode.

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First and foremost

Our pro-tips to get the most out of these deals:

• Due to the timely nature of Black Friday sales, please always double-check the price of these items before purchasing them to confirm that you can still benefit from a great offer!
• As we discover new deals we will update this post, so feel free to come back to this post.
• If you found other deals, please leave us a comment below so we can share them with our readers.

Women’s carry on packing list

Here is Mrs. NN’s selection of items from our Women’s carry-on packing list for long-term travel posts that is currently discounted during Black Friday.

Top Black Friday Deals for Women

• [Tech] Amazon Kindle – A must have to read books without having to carry a bunch of books. When Mrs. NN first moved overseas to work in 2010, her physical books were the first things to go and she has been completely digital since then. Yes, she do miss aspects of physical books but for a full-time traveler, using a Kindle is just so much more practical. She could use the iPad to double up as a reading device but she don’t like staring at a lit screen for more than I have to. A Kindle does a decent job of imitating the experience of reading paper.
• [Zero Waste] Premium 12+1 Reusable Produce Bags Grocery Washable (upgraded in 2022) – We do a lot of grocery shopping and we aim to use zero plastic bags. These have been super handy for fruits and vegetables and have stronger than the previous version we used to carry.
• [Zero Waste] Flask Water Bottle – 24oz – This water bottle is insulated so it can keep water hot (for 10 hours) or cold (for 24 hours). We use the 24 oz capacity but you can get up to 64 oz if needed
• [Zero Waste] Silicone Food Storage Containers with BPA Free Airtight Plastic Lids This kit comes with 4 collapsible containers of different sizes. They are a great way to reduce our footprint when we need to pack our food on the go. They can double as a great storage container too. We took the two biggest ones and each of us carries one.
• [Underwear] ExOfficio Quick-dry underwear – Mrs. NN had purchased these for a trek that she did in Nepal. They are sweat-resistant and are great for hot weather and dry quickly if you need to do laundry quickly.
• [Toiletries] Mineral sunscreen SPF 40 – We make sure to get a mineral-based sunscreen because unfortunately a lot of sunscreens have toxic ingredients.
• [Self Care] Tongue scraper – An Ayurvedic morning practice to get rid of bad bacteria after you wake up!

Other Deals

While these deals are not on Amazon, they are worth checking out as well!

• [Zero Shoes] Xeroshoes TerraFlex Trail Running and Hiking Shoe – We both wanted hiking shoes that were not bulky and heavy and that did not scream ‘hiking’ or ‘tourist’ so that we could wear them for urban walking too. This is one of the items we spent the most time researching the internet because it was going to be a big space commitment and it was not easy to find. Most hiking shoes are really bulky, stiff, and not comfortable for casual walking. We are so glad we discovered Xeroshoes! They are meant for barefoot enthusiasts so they are minimalistic, very light, and bendable. The black color is also discreet so we could wear it casually for walking around town.
• [Underwear] Thinx Period underwear – (Use this referral link up to $35 off). Mrs. NN love these! They work really well as pad replacements, are comfortable, eco-friendly, and look good. They are comfortable enough to wear on days she is not on her period too. It saves the hassle of having to purchase and carry pads/tampons while traveling and are well worth it!

Men’s carry on packing list

Here is Mr. NN’s selection of items from our Men’s carry-on packing list for long-term travel article that is currently discounted during Black Friday.

Top Black Friday Deals for Men

• [Tech] Remarkable – We’ve been using this digital note-taking device since 2021 and we have found it a game changer. (read our review of Remarkable II here)
• [Tech] Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 [x1] – Mr. NN upgraded to these in noise cancelling earbuds (actually still the first version) when working, on a plane or on any long commute. The noise canceling technology that Beats developed is pretty impressive and remains best-in-class.
• [Tech] SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable External SSD – USB-C, USB 3.1 – Mr. NN use this to supplement the storage of my laptop for any movie/photo editing I’m doing which requires pretty fast write/read speeds. I also like how small and rugged this SSD is. It comes with an adapter if I need to plug it in a standard USB-A port.
• [Compression/Organization] Eagle Creek Travel Cube – These weigh next to nothing and do a good job at minor compression and bag organization. I use this long one for socks and underwear.
• [Sunglasses] Carfia Metal Mens Sunglasses Polarized – These polarized sunglasses are 100 percent UV protected, they look good, are comfortable, and are really inexpensive. I do actually carry two of them in case I break/lose one.
• [Workout] NIKE Men’s Dry Miler Running Top – Mr. NN used these tops when going out for a run (or a warm hike). The breathable mesh panels and quick-drying fabric help keep me cool. They also dry really quickly.
• [Workout] Arena Tracks Swim Goggles – As an avid swimmer, these are minimalistic but keep Mr. NN’s eyes protected and dry when I want to do some laps in the pool or the ocean.
• [Photography] Canon EOS Rebel SL3 DSLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm STM Lens – Mr. NN downgraded from his Canon 7D Mark II to the SL2 to save space and weight. With the impressive progress in camera quality that we have in our smartphones.
• [Tech] Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 46mm) – The Apple Watch is Mr. NN’s health companion. It helps me stay active daily and also works as a great way to filter the notifications I care about from my phone. (Note: I own the Series 4 model)
• [Tech] SanDisk Ultra 64GB microSDXC UHS-I card – Essential to be able to record footage from Mr. NN’s drone. He has two as it is always good to have backups!

Other Deals

While these deals are not on Amazon, they are worth checking out as well!

• [Underwear] MeUndies Boxer Briefs – Mr. NN discovered them back in 2014 and they have been since the most comfortable and colorful underwear I’ve ever owned. They feel amazing, look great and they are uber comfortable. By using this referral link to get a 20% discount on your first order. If you don’t love your first pair of MeUndies, they’ll hook you up with a new pair or a refund!

Year round offers

Since we started our nomadic journey in 2018, we’ve been recommending a few great services that have made our journey possible. They come with great referral offers and are still great products/services we highly recommend and still use as we are writing this. Here are our all time favorites:

Nomadic Lifestyle Logistics

• Traveling Mailbox – The best virtual mailbox service when you are on the road, so you don’t (read our full review of Traveling Mailbox here).

Phone Data Plans

• Airalo – Here is another eSim provider offers similar competitive data plan that you can use pretty much everywhere in the world. By using this referral link you get a $3 credit after signing-up (read out review of Airalo here).
• RedteaGo – This eSim provider offers very competitive data plan that you can use pretty much everywhere in the world. By using this referral link you get a $3 credit after signing-up (read our review of ReadteaGo here).
• Tello is a service that provides a real US phone number that banks accept, all for a very affordable $5 per month (or $60 per year) plus taxes. By using this referral link, you will get a $10 USD credit after signing-up

Money Management

• Debit Card with no fees – Most ATMs charge high fees for withdrawals, but with the Charles Schwab ATM card, you’ll get all those fees reimbursed as a statement credit at the end of the month. By using this referral link, you can get up to $1,000.
• Empower Personal Dashboard (formerly Personal Capital) combines all of our accounts into a single dashboard and provides great reports to help you visualized our current net worth and how it progress over time. By using this referral link you will get a 20 USD.
• Robinhood is a free-trading app that lets investors trade stocks, options, exchange-traded funds, and cryptocurrency without paying commissions or fees! Their mobile application makes it so easy to buy/sell equities that you will never use any other platform after using them! By using this referral link, you will get a FREE stock – up to a $250 value.

Health

• Function Health – We have been using Function Health since 2024. Function Health is a membership-based health service that provides comprehensive diagnostic testing to help individuals take control of their long-term well-being. Members gain access to extensive lab testing, including biomarkers for heart health, metabolic function, hormones, inflammation, and more. Function Health focuses on preventative care, using data-driven analysis to optimize overall health and longevity. By using this referral link, you can skip the waitlist and sign-up right away.
• Joovv – We have been using Joovv since 2024 for red light therapy to improve skin quality and support recovery. With clinically proven red and near-infrared light, Joovv enhances cellular function, skin health, and muscle recovery—making it an easy and effective addition to any routine and they offer a travel friendly product which is perfect for us. By using this referral link, you can get up to $100 USD discount on your purchase.

Others

• Bluehost –  I’ve been using Bluehost to host and manage this blog since day 0 and I couldn’t be happier. By using this referral link you save up to 60% on your order (read our full review of Bluehost & step by step guide to start your blog here).

Want more?

• Books – Books are a necessary part of life! They expose us to new ideas/methods, they help us improve ourselves as well as our understanding of the world and how to best adapt to it (review the books that changed the trajectory of our lives here).
• Credit Cards Rewards – We’ve been flying around the world for (almost) free using these credit cards and while international travel is currently on pause, most cards will let you rewards these juicy sign-up bonuses towards local purchases instead. (read our ultimate guide to travel rewards here | check out our best credit cards here).
• Travel Resources – If you want to review all of our favorite travel resources check out our full list here.

Our Bottom Line

Black Friday is basically the perfect excuse to restock on things you’ve worn out, lost, or just finally decided to upgrade. If you’re in the U.S., you’re in prime territory since some of the biggest discounts drop here. But honestly, even if you’re overseas, it doesn’t matter anymore. Most brands go global with their offers, and the online deals can be just as good.

What about you? Do you actually enjoy Black Friday shopping, or do you avoid the chaos? If you’re hunting for something specific, what’s on your list? And hey, if you find a killer deal, drop it in the comments as someone else might need it too!