Our Favorite Travel Gear

Packing Essentials

Away Suitcase

To start with you need something to put all of your stuff in, right? Ashley has had The Bigger Carry-On suitcase from Away for several years. Away has developed a very popular following and for good reason. The suitcase is very well made and is designed to use all of the allowable space. The Bigger Carry-On is designed to fit in the overhead bin of most major U.S. carriers while the Carry-On is designed to fit in the overhead bin of most any airline. All Away luggage is also covered by a lifetime limited warranty.

Packing Cubes

There are lots of options when it comes to packing cubes. Some of our favorites are the Gonex Compression Packing Cubes and the Bagail Luggage Organizers. Some will argue that packing cubes actually take up more space in your bag but we have found the compression helps make up for the extra material and it’s nice having a way organize your clothes.

First Aid Kit

We always travel with a small first aid kit for minor injuries or illness. Having the basics on hand is much more convenient than trying to locate a store in an unfamiliar location when you aren’t feeling well. You can purchase a small kit or put together your own by including common items such as pain medications, Band-Aids, Dramamine and sterile pads. Make sure to include any prescribed medication as well!

Packable Backpack

When we have the space we like to travel with a packable backpack to use for short hikes or a day pack once we reach out destination. This allows us to leave our larger travel backpacks in the room and only carry a lighter pack with the essentials for the day. For the past several years we have use the REI Co-op Flash 22 Pack. It compacts fairly small but still holds enough for a hike through Yosemite or a day at Disney. We also have a packable backpack that we use if we are limited on space or need an extra.

Belt Bag

Belt bags have become extremely popular the past several years in both every day carry and travel. When traveling they allow you to keep your travel documents easily accessible and close to your body for protection from pickpocketing. The Lululemon Athletica Everywhere Belt Bag is the favorite pick but there are also some great budget alternatives that are very similar, such as the Lanul Belt Bag.

Electronics

Travel Power Adapter

Anytime we are headed out of the country, Ashley and I both pack a Universal All in One Worldwide Travel Adapter. This ensures we are able to charge all of our devices regardless of where we end up.

Travel Power Strip

Many times hotel rooms, cruise ship cabins, and train sleeper cars are limited on outlets or they are placed in inconvenient locations. A compact power strip can come in handy to if you know you will be charging multiple devices or would like some flexibility on charging location.

Power Bank

Before heading out on any trip we make sure that we have our power banks fully charged. Power banks allow us to make sure we have a backup power supply for our phones while navigating an unknown city or booking a train ticket back to our hotel. We have had good luck with the Anker PowerCore 20k and 20,000mAh is enough to charge an iPhone 4-6 times.

Electronics and Cable Organizer

Since we travel with a range of electronics that require different charging cables, I have a small electronics organizer that keeps everything sorted. In addition to charging cables, I also keep spare batteries, extra memory cards and headphone adapters in the bag.

Bluetooth Headphones

Bluetooth earbuds are a great option for travel entertainment that take up very little space. Ashley prefers the fit of the standard Apple AirPods while I enjoy the AirPod Pros since the active noise cancellation (ANC) feature helps drown out the engine noise while flying.

Photography Gear

Since we do our best to pack as light as possible, iPhones are our primary devices for pictures and videos. When we have room there are a few extra gadgets we like to bring along.

Phone Travel Tripod

Typically we will ask fellow tourist to take pictures of us together but occasionally we find ourselves in more remote locations without others nearby. We recently purchased a travel tripod for our phones that pack up fairly compact and is easy to set up when we want a picture together.

GoPro

If we think we will end up near water or in a more active setting I will toss my GoPro kit into my bag. Action cameras are a great way to capture unique footage and are typically very durable… even though we did manage to break one while capturing a sunrise time-lapse in Colorado.

Drone

Drones offer a unique perspective that is hard to replicate with any other piece of gear. I am currently using a DJI Mavic Mini 2 since it offers a lot of functionality in a compact package. Make sure to check local laws before flying drones when traveling though as many places restrict their usage such as the U.S. National Park Service.

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