Currently, the Trader offers a few items of note:

1. Megingjord - belt which offers 150 carry weight. Pretty much mandatory if you aren't a fan of the Cart.

2. Ymir's Flesh - used for endgame crafting.. and you will need more than one of them.

If you don't care much about that carry weight, or the weapons crafted using Ymir's Flesh, then you can by all means skip out on the Trader.. although I do believe an update for him is planned at some point. As to what that update entails, I have no idea, but I assume he will get more endgame-related items, once the endgame shifts beyond the Plains.

The other stuff the trader offers is mostly cosmetic, but there's also a head lamp item if you do anything at night that requires light. I typically don't, nor do I have trouble seeing in Burial Chambers/Crypts, so I never felt the need for that item.

It is kinda neat, though, and if we had a proper Cave/Inner-earth-type biome, I would probably recommend it.

Edit: oh, also, he offers a fishing pole and bait. Sadly, it currently isn't the greatest/best way to obtain food, and by the time you can just casually visit the trader anything fish-related is out-paced by the current biome's food.

Honestly I use the Valheim World Generator(https://valheim-map.world/) to show me the different locations of the Trader, Only because once you have gotten within a certain distance to the Trader, He pops up on your map and thats the only one you can use. Trader is a one time find but there are different Trader spawn points. Once you've set it to show on map, the other options of spawn points are taken away.
Hope this helps

he offers some QoL items, but nothing you really need in order to beat the game (yet).
I only visited him once or twice, and that's it.

Thanks for the replies, problem solved, char died to deathsquitto while fighting two grays and a troll. For once, permadeath means relief.

The trader does have some useful items that I consider having is worthwhile throughout the game. That said, yes, you don't technically "need" them to get to endgame. They're just helping out a lot!

selling jewels..buying certain items that are very useful (avoiding spoilers)

Originally posted by Cap'n Bells:

selling jewels..buying certain items that are very useful (avoiding spoilers)

Avoiding spoilers, there are really only two items that are *very* nice for Swamp and one of those for the Mountains perhaps beyond - but there rest of the stuff has zero interest for me to be honest.

I've finally managed to find a hole in the Plains ring, and promptly started running into lots of mist - wondering if the Trader spawn locations can be far enough away to block Mistland upgrades?