Travel Gear

First step in travel is packing your bags. These are the items I typically bring with me. Everything on this page is an item we own (and paid for). We do not accept anything free for the purposes of a review. This is just what we found that works for us.

Luggage/Bags

Timbuk2 Co-Pilot

While my wife prefers a hard shell suitcase, I am partial to the soft side suitcase. That being said it is hard to find a soft side suitcase that is in the clam shell style typical of most hard shell bags. Timbuk2 makes this suitcase with soft sides but in a hard shell style. That allows the bag to have the easy access pockets I like in a style that allows me to fit alot of items. There is a pocket at the top that is perfect for my toiletry bag. There is a pocket for a table/laptop on the front. And my favorite feature is the easy access flap that gives you the ability to access the contents of the bag without unzipping the entire suitcase.

Away Luggage

My wife uses Away luggage and loves it. The suitcases are built for quality and are very durable. The carry-on size also has a built-in portable battery so you can charge your phone on the go. They also come with a laundry bag and personalized luggage tags. You can find this Away luggage on their website www.awaytravel.com

Cameras

Olympus Pen E-PL7

With camera technology advances, most people just use their cell phones and take perfectly adequate pictures. However more and more I want the power of an actual digital camera. I prefer the smaller build of m43 mirrorless cameras to the bulky full frame DSLRs. Without the lens I can fit the EPL7 in my pocket. It is small enough that it does not take up a ton of space in my backpack and it is powerful enough to take amazing pictures.

GoPro Hero 4 Session

It makes me sad that GoPro no longer makes this camera. The camera is a 1 inch cube and operates with the press of a single button. One press of the button and it shoots HD video, press the button again to stop recording. It is simple and small. Its small size means you can pack it easily without worrying that it will take up much space.

GoPro Hero 8 Black

My wife bought me an updated GoPro to supplement my Hero 4 Session. The Hero 8 Black shoots in 4k video has a touchscreen and gives you a few more protune options than its smaller (and older) sibling.

Clothing

Vibram Five Fingers V-Aqua

For two people who don’t swim very well my wife and I are in the water almost every trip. A good pair of water shoes are necessary to prevent slipping or protect your feet from painful rocks, shells, or pieces of coral. Next time I am climbing Dunn’s River Falls or tubing on a river in Belize, these shoes will be on my feet

Miscellaneous

Anker PowerCore Fusion 5000

A power bank while travelling is an absolute must. With mobile boarding passes or just the need for entertainment when sitting in the airport, you always want to make sure you can keep your phone charged up on the go. What I like about the Anker powerbank is that it can plug directly into the wall and function as a normal charger. That means I don’t need to pack a separate phone charger in addition to my power bank.

Bose QuietComfort II Wireless Headphones

Having a good pair of headphones on an airplane is a must. My wife is a light sleeper and she will complain bitterly about noisy people on an airplane (don’t tell her I said that). So I bought her these noise cancelling headphones. These can be a bit on the expensive side but Amazon puts them on sale very often (Prime Day, Black Friday, etc). Personally I use Sentey Thorx wired headphones that cost about $35 (discontinued), but I don’t mind letting my wife have the good stuff.

Kindle Paperwhite

Sometimes you just want to relax on a beach with a drink in one hand and a good book in the other. Packing actual books is a waste of space in your luggage. You can fit hundreds of books on a kindle. If you like to read and you have not gotten one yet, stop resisting and just buy one. They go on sale on Amazon every Prime Day and Black Friday. Do yourself a favor and buy the cheaper ad supported version. Ads are only shown when you are not reading, so it doesn’t make sense to pay extra for the version without ads.