10 Things I Can’t Travel Without in 2021 // Gear
I just got back from a life-changing trip to Italy (more photos to come!), and realized that there are some things I just can’t leave home without. So I wanted to compile this list in case it helps you travel, too!
1. Great Walking shoes
Before flying out to Italy, I ordered over 15 pairs of sandals to try on, because I knew we’d be walking a lot (we ended up averaging over 9k steps/day). I also knew that Italy doesn’t have super flat roads, so it was necessary to find a pair that would spare my ankles, in addition to being comfortable and stylish. I could have written an entire blog post about my search for the perfect sandals (see my search for the perfect swimsuit), but I didn’t have time before flying out. I ultimately decided on the Cole Haan Mandy Thong Sandals, and did not for a moment regret my decision. I didn’t get a single blister wearing them (aka no break-in time), and I could have kept walking, despite the many miles every day. A few highlights of my try-ons:
Cole Haan Anica Sandal - These were a close second. They look like the Mandy’s, and have a nicer foot bed shape, but had a thinner sole, so I decided on the Mandy’s instead.
Vionic Kirra Backstrap Sandal - Read any blog of best walking sandals, and Vionic comes up as the brand to beat. But the main complaint (and I agree) is that the arch support is too aggressive. I found these a bit uncomfortable, but if you have higher arches, these might work well for you.
Cushionaire Luna Cork Sandal - These shoes are a Birkenstock look-alike, and honestly, I loved them. My only qualm was that they looked more outdoorsy than cute, and given that I only wanted bring one pair in my carry-on, I opted for the pair that could be worn either to the beach or to a fancy dinner.
If sandals aren’t your thing, I also bring a pair of sneakers I can walk for longer in. I clearly love Cole Haan, and my sneakers from them (similar here) have lasted me a long time. M also wears Cole Haan sneakers (similar here).
2. Personal Toiletries
I am very particular about the shampoo and conditioner I use. I don’t mind using hotel-provided toiletries, but when they don’t have conditioner, or their shampoo is closer in consistency to water than cream, or they only have 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner, I’m not about it. And now that my hair is dyed, I need specialty purple shampoo to keep the color. To bring my own backups of shampoo and conditioner, I use mini bottles from Daiso that fit flight regulations for carry-ons (similar here). Just remember that the bottles have to be 3oz (or 100ml) or less.
3. T3 Twirl Trio Interchangeable Curling Iron
In April, when SF was beginning to return to normal and we could once again go to salons, I decided I wanted to do something different with my hair, and I got it professionally dyed for the first time ever. I knew once it was balayaged that I couldn’t just let it sit straight, so I set out to find a curling iron I love and to learn how to curl my hair (confession: I had never curled my hair myself before). Almost every beauty blogger writes about the T3, but I also ordered 2 from Hot Tools to try because they were much cheaper (this one, and this one), and had great reviews.
I ended up keeping the T3 because 1. it works internationally, which is pretty rare for curlers (if it doesn’t and you try to use it, you’ll short the curler because of the voltage difference), 2. it heats up super quickly, and 3. it’s beautiful, and that makes me happy. From the set, I only brought the 1.25” iron to Italy, but it was all I needed, and it’s easy to pack because the pieces separate and can be packed in a nice black pouch they provide, that has pockets to prevent scratching.
4. Travel Credit Cards and a Debit Card
We travel with primarily 2 credit cards: the Amex Platinum, and the Chase Reserve.
We decided against getting a personal Amex Platinum for years because the annual fee is so high ($550/year), and because we felt the Reserve did a great job for us. But the benefits of booking through amextravel.com with the Platinum more than paid for itself this trip. At the two hotels we booked using this card, we got upgraded from rooms to suites, and had breakfast covered for free (~30€ each person), plus 85€ in credits to use at each hotel. And of course the card includes Amex lounges at select airports around the world, including SFO, our previous home base. We are never traveling without it again.
We also carry a debit card to take out cash as necessary, and definitely recommend this, especially if you’re traveling to a country that doesn’t really use credit cards. Pro tip: only use ATM’s from banks. Independent ATM’s set their fees, which can be absurdly high, and they’re less secure than ATM’s at a bank.
5. Passport & Documents Carrier
Traveling during Covid has increased the amount of documentation needed at every step in the process. To travel to Italy, we not only needed our passports and boarding passes, we also needed proof of negative Covid tests when flying there and when flying back. Almost everyone at the airport had a stack of papers to show the agents at check-in. I’ve owned my Vera Bradley travel wallet for years (similar here and here).
6. Digital copies of our passports & other important documents
More a travel tip than anything, but I keep digital copies of all important documents because you never know what might happen on the road. These documents include passports, driver’s license, any necessary visas, Covid tests, and anything else needed to get into the country.
This came in super handy this last trip. Michia actually lost his passport in Milan. We had visited a TIM store to get a SIM card while traveling, and they asked for his passport to buy it. Before he paid, however, they checked if the phone was unlocked, and it wasn’t, meaning that we couldn’t use the SIM. Forgetting he had given them his passport, we left the store without a SIM card and apparently without his passport. We didn’t realize this had happened until much later, and we were in Venice before someone reached out (via Instagram of all places! Fortunately, Michia has a very unique name!) and told him they had found it. Someone from our Milan hotel was able to pick up the passport and mail it to us, but we had to check into 2 hotels with only a digital copy of his passport and his driver’s license.
7. iPad Pro
The rest of this list are items that should be included in my Gear page, but they’re so good I have to include them here. Plus, that page needs updates.
Whenever we travel, we download a bunch of Netflix/Amazon Prime shows we want to watch so that we can access them anywhere, even if we don’t have internet. This came in clutch this trip during our many train rides across Italy. Because we couldn’t get texts for the internet access on the trains, we were without wifi, and the best source of entertainment, besides watching the beautiful countryside glide by, was Netflix. Or Amazon Prime, in our case.
It was particularly great for our trip because our show on Amazon Prime (The Mentalist) is actually not supported in Italy, so the only way to watch it was to have downloaded it on US servers. Always good to double check these things!
Watching on the iPad Pro is especially great if you have Airpods. With iOS 14 you can connect 2 headsets to the iPad simultaneously, which makes for a much better watching experience than one earbud per person. We also use this trick to listen to podcasts together on our iPhones.
8. Airpods Pro
The noise canceling feature on Airpods Pro is amazing. M and I used to both travel with bulky over-ear headsets (mine Sony, his Bose) for the noise-cancelation, but no longer. These are so much smaller, and they seamlessly connect to the iPad Pro so that we can both listen with both earbuds plugged in. It’s so great.
9. Universal Adapter with USB ports
When you’re traveling to one region or country, it’s usually ok to bring a simple adapter. But if you’re transiting, or only have one-way tickets booked, or traveling in uncertain times like Covid, it can be good to carry a Universal Adapter to give you flexibility, even though it’s slightly bulkier than a region/country-specific one.
On our honeymoon, we visited 3 different regions (Hungary, Maldives, and Philippines), that each had potentially unique outlets, making a universal adapter by far the best way to go.
We also like to travel as light as possible, and the adapter with USB ports makes charging both phones much easier than needing additional adapters for each brick.
10. SSD Hard Drive
We have a NAS at home, and many many hard drives, but the only one we bring traveling is our SSD. It weighs less, it writes much faster, and it stores more. It’s just a better solution.
We use an SSD drive encased in a shell, and we back up photos and videos to it daily so that we can have space on our cards for the next day, and so that we’re not endangering our previous day’s work if the gear we take out is stolen or something. We used to travel with 2 SSD drives to have a redundant backup, and would definitely recommend that system if you’re paranoid. Here’s one that looks more convenient than our setup.
Bonus 11. Really good masks
During Covid, it was really important to us that we travel with really good masks, so we found some Korean KF94 masks before our first trip, back in August 2020. We have since fallen in love with them, and recommended them to many people!
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For everything else we travel with, visit my Gear page, where I list all of the gear we carry to shoot and edit.