What I Travel With

A few years ago I wrote a post on what I travel with. Now that I’ve leveled-up my travel game, here’s an update on my setup now.

Random Purchase that Worked
I impulse bought the Qlipter because I was tired of putting my backpack on dirty airport bathroom floors (not all of them have hooks). The Qlipter is a carabiner with a built-in hook. It hangs over bathroom stall doors, on tall tables, on railings… and the best part is that I can also hook my scarf and jacket to it. I now use it all the time to keep my belongings in-sight and near me.

Phone Case
I got the Lifeproof Fre and it has saved my phone’s life multiple times since I bought it. Also, I’ve washed the case with my phone in it. Yes, it’s that awesome.

Clothes
I don’t have any travel hacks to clothing besides what everyone else has written about: convertible dresses, convertible bras, travel shawls… but here are a few items I do love:

• Uniqlo Heattech underthings – my dad recommended them, and he’s right, it’s super comfy and warm.
• Wapuu socks – my fave!
• The North Face suede boots (+ Dr. Scholl’s gel inserts) – I’ve worn these boots almost every day for the last 18 months and they are my old standbys. I’ve worn them apple picking and to work events!

Luggage
I’m the kind of person that has one of each thing and uses it until it’s completely worn out. When I buy luggage, I expect to use it for a very long time – which means I’ve researched each item extensively. I’m super happy with my current luggage setup, so I’m sharing with you here:

• Eddie Bauer 24 Expedition Duffle – It’s carry-on friendly, pretty, roomy, compressible, light, has wheels, very handy pockets, and extremely comfortable hand grips.
• Gregory Maya 16 backpack -I love this because it’s a hiking daypack that also works at the airport. For hiking, it’s set up for a hydration pack and has a waistband to distribute the weight. For the airport, it has a neat top pocket for your wallet and travel documents, and a front helmet pocket that I use for odd-shaped things like my heavy Mac charger, trackball mouse, and sweater.
• Darcy convertible purse – this can work as both a wristlet and a cross-body bag. It fits everything I need for a day of wandering: wallet, phone, lotion, retainer case, packable bag. I can’t imagine nomading without this thing.
• Bellroy Hide and Seek Wallet – recommended by my colleague Chris Scott, this super slim wallet has all sorts of secret pockets for different currencies, SIM cards, extra transit cards… I really love it.
• Herschel Packable Duffle – I’ll admit, this wasn’t researched but instead was an impulse buy while wandering The Mission in San Francisco. But, it turned out to be something I don’t leave home without. It packs down to the size of my hand, and if I ever need to lug extra things home from a trip, I just check my expedition duffle and carry on this guy.
• July Nine reusable tote – I roll this up an stick it in my purse before I head out for the day. It’s a waterproof nylon bag with adjustable straps and a zipper top. If I buy anything, I just put it in the tote along with my purse, and then wear it cross-body. It’s great for errands and groceries.

My dad took this picture of me in Soho, with the Darcy cross-body bag.

A snapshot from Midway airport in Chicago, with my backpack and duffle.

From Hiking to the Airport
A went on a big trip to Machu Picchu this summer which I had to get all sorts of gear for. A few things I took on the journey also works great for the road…

• The North Face Thermoball jacket – it packs down into its own pocket, and is perfect for cold nights.
• Ultralight Medical Kit – I get injured, a lot. I’ve had to refill this once already, but I’m so glad I had it when I needed it.

The Old Standbys
Here are a few items from my previous gear post worth mentioning (or updating):

• Packing Cubes – I still love the Eagle Creek “Pack-It” system (the nylon ones are too flimsy for me). I also own a Clean Dirty cube. Clean underwear and socks on one side, and laundry on the other side.
• The Roost laptop stand – every time I’m in a coffeeshop, I’m asked about my nifty first-gen Roost stand. It’s saved my neck over the last two years and I can’t work without it.
• GoToobs – Green for bodywash, Clear for shampoo, Blue for Conditioner and Red for facewash. It’s traveled with me for 3 years and the Toobs are still kickin’.
• Collapsible water bottle – Since that last post, I’ve picked up a Hydrapak collapsible bottle, and then spent $2 on an S-carabiner. The carabiner neatly hooks the water bottle to the seatback pocket.

Hydrapak with S-carabiner on a Jetblue flight

The Roost in Portland, OR

Got travel gear that you love? Let me know, I’d love to hear about it :)