Packing
The Essential Travel Trade-Off: Less Luggage = More & Greater Adventures
Your heavy pack affects your ability to improvise and enjoy travel. Sure, it’s nice to have the variety of outfits, the gear for getting a perfect Instagram shot, familiar-brand cosmetics, a range of screens to read and watch, souvenirs collected along the way, and everything else to make travel feel like more home. But the …
The Best Universal Power Plug Adapter for Travel with Fast-Charging USB-C
In our years of travel we’ve tried out loads of too-flimsy or too-bulky power adapters, and have always been hungry to find the one plug that could do it all without weighing us down. It’s the key travel gadget that makes all other travel gadgets possible. Sure, you can stop at any electronics store or …
Review of the Osprey UltraLight Zip Organizer—After Years of Constant Travel with it
I have used the Osprey UltraLight Zip Organizer for over four years of nearly constant travel, and yes, in that period I have frequently brushed my teeth, shaved, and even showered. This small toiletry bag has stood by me for all of those adventures, storing and organizing my implements for self-care while keeping my clothes …
My Favorite Portable Second Screen So Far: Review of the Mobile Pixels Duex Pro
I was certainly sceptical of the the as a second screen for laptops, but also desperate to find a travel monitor with a quality image and that would work as part of a portable standing desk setup. And so I arrived at the Duex Pro. The fact that it actually attaches to a laptop and …
Minimalist Packing: I’ve Been Traveling Nearly Constantly for Two Decades—Here’s What I Learned Is Worth Carrying, and Not Carrying
After years of wandering from country to country with just a carry-on, I’ve learned to minimize. That’s not surprising; travelling light becomes an art for any experienced traveller. Each time I go, the load gets a little lighter as I realize what I don’t actually need. So what I’m left with for this list is …
What to Pack for Brazil: The Minimalist’s Checklist for Smoother Travel
We’ve been taking long trips around Brazil for years, and boy, the dumb things we’ve seen our fellow gringos carrying. I suppose it’s hard to know what to pack for Brazil, but heavy clothes, wheeled oversize plastic suitcases, fancy watches — these are all asking for trouble in various ways. The ideal packing checklist for …
The Differences in the Top Osprey Daypacks — And How to Choose the Perfect Smaller Pack for Daily Use
I’m obsessed with lightweight travel and have been using Osprey packs and daypacks for years. I also think they’re very much worth recommending for school, hiking, cycling, outdoor sports, shopping, carrying laptops and gear for work, and more. Me with my current favorite, especially when on the road: The Osprey Farpoint Fairview Travel Daypack I’m …
We Listened to the Best Travel Speakers — Here Are the Top Small, Durable Marvels for Great Sound on the Go
I’ve been travelling the world for a decade and a half, and no matter how much I whittle down my luggage to the bare essentials, I always have room for a small speaker. I love to follow my podcasts, to share and discover music with people from all over the world, and to improvise occasional …
Wheeled Backpacks for Girls: Cute Designs that Will Roll Through the School Year
What are the cutest, funnest backpacks for girls with the convenience of wheels? We’ve put together photos of the designs along with our thoughts on what are the most durable and useful options for elementary, middle and high school use. There are cute options that are also quite durable and allow girls to roll into …
The Most Durable Rolling School Backpacks (2023 Recommendations)
We’re constant users of rolling backpacks in travel, so we wanted to take what we’ve learned from the experience to find the most durable and practical wheeled backpacks for elementary, middle, and high school use. We looked at the wheeled backpacks from both well-established and rather unknown brands. The key factor was the ability to …