Travel Tips: Favorites
This is the 1st in a series of travel tips I thought I’d share. From two week to two month trips overseas to quick business trips to destination weddings to weekend getaways, I’ve experienced a lot and learned a lot while on the road and in airports and on trains and subways…
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As you can tell, I love to travel and over the years I have found some favorite items through my experiences. I thought I’d share a few of the items that I currently don’t leave home without. Scroll down for a picture of all of my favorite gear and keep reading for the details.
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Travelon Anti-Theft crossbody purse – Cute small purse that offers safety features like slash-proof material, cut-proof shoulder strap, lockable zipper, RFID blocking card & passport slots and even has an attached key clip that is perfect for this coordinating RFID blocking mini ID wallet. It’s a little small but can hold a point & shoot camera, a cell phone, a small guide book – the essentials in other words. Travelon has other styles to choose from as well as Pacsafe, another brand that makes bags with similar travel safety features.
Patagonia 12L messenger bag – It’s the perfect size, not too big, not too small. I love everything about this bag. It’s water-repellant so you’re protected if it rains. It has a variety of pockets, both zippered and not, to keep everything organized. It has an attached key clip that also holds the mini ID wallet I mention above so it doesn’t fall out & get lost. It has two interior side slots that fit the portable battery I describe below on one side and an umbrella on the other side. An interior sleeve pocket holds letter-sized documents and tablets or laptops up to 13″. An exterior side pocket holds my point & shoot or a water bottle. The interior space is roomy and good for small purchases or a lightweight sweater.
For me, this bag also doubles as a camera bag when I travel with my bulkier DSLR. I use camera bag inserts and lens pouches to carry the DSLR with a lens attached and up to two more lenses. It’s a nice alternative to a camera bag and more discreet.
I have it in the awesome purple that they no longer offer but they have some other great colors.
Gorilla Gadgets portable battery – This thing is perfect for juicing your phone back up when you are out all day sight-seeing or stuck in a conference without access to outlets. This has saved my butt so many times. There are different sizes so get one that works best for you. When it’s in my awesome Patagonia messenger bag, I can keep it in the interior slot while it charges my cell phone in the exterior slot as I walk around. It charges fairly quickly too and can charge the phone fully up several times without needing to be recharged itself. This model also has enough power to charge an iPad although I don’t think it will be able to give it a full charge.
iPad – I no longer drag my laptop on trips unless it’s for work but the iPad is a great alternative. I can read my Kindle books on it, check email & Facebook, etc. Slips into the interior sleeve of the Patagonia messenger bag I described above.
3 foot extension cord & mini power strip – The extension cord helps in hotel rooms where plugs are nowhere near a nightstand and the mini power strip gives me a few more places to plug in. I also have a foldable one that has a couple of USB ports.
Sony Cyber-shot RX100 iii (or any small digital point & shoot camera) – I hardly ever drag my DSLR around anymore but I always have a small but good point & shoot camera on me. This model was a recent Christmas gift & I love it! Video capability lets me take some HD video and the wifi capability lets me upload my pictures to my phone (or iPad) at any time (making them easier to share online and a great way to back-up the images too). I always keep a spare battery fully charged with me as well.
Scarf – Lightweight scarves are great for on the plane or for cooler weather, with or without a coat. I prefer infinity scarves because then they don’t slip off and get lost. Wear it long to accessorize an outfit or double it up when the temperatures drops in the evenings. I have a thicker knit one for winter travel.
Plastic letter-size envelope – I keep all my travel documents in a plastic envelope before I even go on a trip. During the trip I use it to keep souvenir items like postcards, brochures, admission tickets and maps. When I get back, the envelope gets put aside until I am ready to make the trip’s scrapbook (it can also hold scrapbook stickers & papers in the interim). For business trips it keeps all my expense receipts and conference handouts in one place. The envelope also fits perfectly into the interior sleeve pocket of that awesome Patagonia messenger bag, right next to the iPad.
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And here are all the items described above (minus the extension cord and a few cables that go with the electronics)…
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7 Comments
I have this travel purse. http://www.amazon.com/eBags-Piazza-Day-Bag-Black/dp/B0013KIJWC/ref=sr_1_2?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1423174640&sr=1-2&keywords=ebags+travel+purse
It may be a little larger, but it has some cool features like a pocket that expands out to hold a water bottle. I carry a Kindle Fire instead of an iPad and it fits perfectly in this purse.
That’s a great purse for travel! And I prefer my Kindle when I read but the iPad has more functionality so I carry it instead so I don’t carry both. Although, if I have room, I go ahead and take the Kindle along too.
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I like your blog 😉 will be a follower!
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Okay – the extension cord and mini power strip is a great idea! Especially the one you can fold up with USB ports – you’ll have to show me that one!