Travel Essentials
ALL-IN-ONE ADAPTER AND CONVERTER – This is the best all-in-one adapter and converter for travel. With four USB plugs and three outlets, this functions as compact charging station for your gear even if you don’t switch on the electrical conversion option.
UNIVERSAL PLUG ADAPTER – If you’re certain you won’t need to convert voltage on your trip, this plug adapter fits every type of plug with extendable prongs and takes up so little space in your bag.
SILICONE EARPLUGS – Earplugs have saved me from hotel rooms with street noise. I use them constantly on flights or in hostels.
EYE MASK – Just like earplugs, you’ll regretting not having one handy when traveling. They’re a must for flights and hostels.
FLIP FLOPS – Needed for hostel bathrooms, beach trips, and for ultimate comfort and ease in airports (just bring socks for the plane!) I love the Arizona Birkenstocks are made from durable plastic and are a step up from typical flip flops but just as versatile.
TRAVEL JOURNAL – If you’ve never kept a journal, documenting your adventures is a great time to start. I recommend the classic Moleskines – I’m very picky about journals and these are hands down the best.
Packing Hacks
COMPRESSION PACKING CUBES – These compact down your clothes, maximizing packing space and making organization a breeze.
SILICONE STORAGE BAGGIES – Usually marketed for food storage, these are my number one packing hack for travel. They keep toiletries in order, organize jewelry, hold wet swimsuits – and they’re reusable, saving plastic by making disposable baggies obsolete.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT SHEETS – These sheets take up no space to pack, and make washing on the go easy for longer trips, so you can pack less and not go without. They’ll make your suitcase smell amazing, too.
Travel Electronics
AMAZON FIRE TABLET – We love our Fire tablet, especially for downloading audiobooks before a trip and watching shows on the go. Highly recommended for saving space in your bag and enduring long-haul flights.
JBL WIRELESS HEADPHONES – These are our favorite wireless headphones – really comfortable and great sound quality! A must for travel.
NOISE-CANCELING HEADPHONES – Noise-canceling headphones are a must for travel! These Skullcandy headphones are so comfortable and provide excellent noise cancellation and music quality.
SKULLCANDY EARBUDS – We always travel with a pair earbuds with wires and a pair without them to take advantage of movies on airplanes, watching movies together on our tablet with the headphone splitter, and audio tours. Skullcandy is one of our favorite brands.
Travel Backpacks
OSPREY 75 LITER BACKPACK – Osprey makes bags that will last you a lifetime. This 75 Liter backpack is spacious for multi-day trips and will fit everything you could need in a bag you’ll be using for years to come.
OSPREY MEN’S 65 LITER BACKPACK – 65 Liters is a good size for a multi-day trip – this is the best men’s option for hiking or backpacking.
OSPREY WOMEN’S 65 LITER BACKPACK – Our favorite women’s bag for multi-day trips hiking or backpacking.
50 LITER HIKING & BACKPACKING BACKPACK – This is 50 Liter backpack will be sufficient for a short multi-day trip or for efficient packers. It is a lower-cost option that may not last forever like the Ospreys but reliable and ergonomic regardless.
Travel Daypacks
OSPREY DAYPACK – Osprey makes the ultimate, high-quality daypack for serious travelers that will last you forever.
NORTH FACE BACKPACK – I inherited my North Face from my brother and years later it has been to (literally) dozens of countries with me. These bags are worth the price for their infinite durability, style, and utility. If I pack light I can take a week-long trip with this bag.
COLLAPSABLE, PACKABLE BACKPACK – These shockingly inexpensive bags are so handy – they compact down to a tiny self-contained case to fit in any suitcase. They’re perfect for a short hike, helping pack when you’ve packed a bit too much, or a day out sightseeing.
Travel Bags
KAVU SLING BAG – I’ve had a Kavu Sling Back for years now. These surprising spacious bags clip closed in front of your chest and are perfect for bus travel or crowded market trips, as you can seamlessly shift them in front of you without taking them off.
FJALLRAVEN KANKEN BACKPACK – These unisex bags are the perfect combination of style and function. The interior and exterior pockets are fantastic and they’re the perfect size for a day-to-day backpack.
HERSCHEL BUM BAG – Bum bags are officially back in style. I love the Herschel bum bags, which come in a million colors and prints, and I use them across my front, buckled and loose over one should and under one arm.
Luggage We Love
COOLIFE LUGGAGE – We have loved hard-side luggage for years for its durability, and this affordable set is a fantastic, low-price option.
SAMSONITE LUGGAGE – This luggage set is extremely durable and scratch-resistant, which we love. It’s also light-weight, and locks. Samsonite is known for it’s long-lasting gear and we’ve had fantastic luck with the brand so far!
Travel Toiletries
REEF SAFE SUNSCREEN – The chemicals in many sunscreens destroy coral – so we love reef safe sunscreen from Alba. Plus, the lavender scent of this sunscreen is so incredible!
ALL-IN-ONE SOAP – If you haven’t tried Dr. Bronner’s products yet, now is the time. This all-in-one soap can function even as solid shampoo. Solids are great to travel with as they won’t make a mess in your bag or hold you up in airport security.
ALL-IN-ONE SHAMPOO / CONDITIONER – This is my favorite Dr. Bronner’s product for its infinite uses – this is a great shampoo & conditioner option for travel.
GOTOOBS – We love these FLEXIBLE silicone tubes that allow you to squeeze every drop out with ease. Buy one set and you won’t have to buy travel-sized shampoos and conditioners ever again.
Travel Camera
DJI DRONE – These drones are great options for beginners but provide an incredible quality! These are such a great addition to let you see an entirely new perspective of sites and scenery when traveling.
CANON POINT AND SHOOT CAMERA – We love this super easy-to-use, unfussy camera, the Canon PowerShot SX530 Digital Camera – with 50x optical zoom, you get an incredible capacity for taking up close and personal shots when traveling of people, places, and unmissable details. We highly recommend it!
CANON DSLR CAMERA – This DSLR camera is both beginner friendly and capable of creating some beautiful photos, really a remarkable camera. If you are looking for a DSLR camera this is our top recommendation by far!
GOPRO – If you’ve never tried a GoPro, I highly recommend it! They are an incredible tool to add to your photography kit for travel and give you shots you just won’t get otherwise.
Photography Gear
MEMORY CARD – Make sure to bring an extra memory card with you when you travel. There is nothing worse than running out of small midday or mid-trip.
CELLPHONE CAMERA LENSES – We love playing around with these little lenses for amazing shots directly from a cellphone.
WATERPROOF PHONE BAG – These super inexpensive pouches are completely submergible for underwater shots! Plus, protect your phone from sand at the beach.
FLEXIBLE TRIPOD – These flexible tripods are perfect for setting up shots when traveling alone or as a family, and the flexible legs make it easy to grip to any surface to get the perfect angle.
Eco-Friendly Travel Gear
WATER BOTTLE WITH FILTER – This bottle with a water filter allows you to drink tap water abroad by filtering out you might not want to put in your body. You’ll save tons of plastic use (and money!) by not having to purchase bottled water.
STERIPEN WATER PURIFIER – The SteriPen is one of our FAVORITE travel devices. This ultraviolet light purifies any kind of water so you can drink tap water while abroad or river water on hikes. By saving you on buying bottled water abroad, the SteriPen easily pays for itself in just one trip. Plus, you’ll cut out so much plastic from bottled water.
CANVAS BAGS – These canvas bags fold up into tiny pockets to save tons of space, and come in handy when you’re offered plastic bags for food or other purchases while traveling.
MENSTRUAL CUP – Ladies, if you’ve never tried one, now is the time! These washable, reusable cups make travel so much easier and save so much money on period products, and waste going in to the environment.
Gear for Safe Travel
PORTABLE SAFE – These portable safes are incredible – put your travel documents and valuables inside, and tie it around the bed frame in your hotel room or even the pipes in the bathroom. The reinforced bag and lock offer great security. It can even be tied around a tree trunk when you’re alone on the beach and want to swim.
LUGGAGE LOCK – We always keep our luggage and backpacks locked at all times, and these flexible Anvil locks are great and fit any zipper.
DOORSTOP WITH ALARM – Put this under your hotel room door when traveling for extra safety – the alarm will scare off intruders.
S-BINER MINI BAG LOCKS – These are one of my favorite, inexpensive travel essentials. These clip your purse or backpack shut and can be enough to deter pickpocketing.