Our Top Travel Gear + Packing List

Our Top Travel Items

These items have improved our traveling experiences so much and are a must for any trip outside of our van!

Away suitcase

We had heard raving reviews about the Away suitcase for a long time before we actually purchased one. Despite the reviews, we were always scared of the price tag, but after Alaska Airlines changed their carry-on luggage size policy, we were suddenly in need of a smaller carry-on and decided to splurge on the Away Carry On Suitcase (the smaller sized one).

And we are now a part of the fan club that raves about it whenever we can! We have taken this suitcase on multiple week long trips and have been able to fit everything we needed for one person for a week (toiletries, shoes, one outfit per day, one workout outfit per day, AND some extra shirt options) in the suitcase no problem. We sometimes wonder if this suitcase is from Mary Poppins!

On top of its ability to hold a lot of stuff, it also rocks because it is the approved size for international airlines, has built in TSA approved locks, and has an ejectable charger so you don’t have to run around the terminal trying to find an open outlet (the worst!). While the price may be daunting, we couldn’t recommend this suitcase any more!

Backpacks

We both carry a REI Co-op Trail 40 Pack, which is great for hiking, everyday use, and we even use it for our backpacking trips. It is huge and can fit so many things, as well as a water bladder, which is useful both on the trail and in cities.

Bluetooth Headphones

We love bluetooth headphones because they allows us to have a cord free and hands free listening experience. We have the traditionalAirPods (not noise canceling), as well as the Sony WH-1000XM4 noise canceling headphones, which are great for editing vlogs.

Note: Wired headphones are still good to have on you if you’re plugging into the airplane TV screen, so make sure to pack them just in case!

International power adapter

When traveling abroad, this power adapter is CRUCIAL to being able to use your style of plugs with international outlets. You can charge up to 5 devices with this bad boy!

Portable Charger

We carry a portable charger with us everywhere and it is truly a lifesaver! When we were in the UK, we were draining our phones very quickly using Google Maps and taking photos and videos, but our portable charger saved the day and always kept our phones from dying.  

It’s so nice to never have to worry about finding outlets or getting in a tricky situation where you need to use your phone, but it’s dead.

Travel Pillow

Even though they aren’t the most fun, we tend to take a lot of overnight flights or super early flights to save money and maximize our time wherever we go (you can read our other tips to save money and maximize time here).

The worst thing about these flights is trying to get some decent sleep while trapped in a small space. We bring our travel pillows with us on every early morning or late night flight and while nothing replaces sleeping in a bed, it definitely helps make sleeping on a plane much more comfortable. We both have Travelmate Memory Foam pillows that are cheap and get the job done!

Travel Clothing

Here are our must-have clothing items for both hiking, travel days, and while at our destination!

Shirts & Pants

For shirts and pants, we try to stick to higher quality products, which may be more expensive, but tend to last longer. We are big fans of Lululemon, PrAna, Vuori, Patagonia, and REI!

Everyday shoes

It wouldn’t let us add these to the kit above, but our go-to everyday shoes are AllBirds, which are made from natural materials, are super comfy, and look great with both jeans and athletic clothing.

Chacos

For YEARS we made fun of Chacos and how ugly they were, but we recently had the urge to try them, despite going against everything we ever said about them, and fell madly in love! Shoes can easily take up half of your suitcase traveling, so having versatile shoes is key.

We bought Chacos for this very reason–they can be worn walking around the city, hiking, in the rain and mud, at the beach, and more! Kathryn wore her Chacos all around Barcelona and her feet hurt less than when she wore her gym shoes all around the UK.

Yes, they aren’t stylish, but comfort and versatility is more important to us (there is a reason we aren’t fashion bloggers lol). The only downside about Chacos is that they aren’t good for cold weather, so keep that in mind, but for warmer destinations, you can’t beat ‘em!

There are quite a few models of Chacos, but Kathryn has the ZX2 Classic and Adam has the Z2 Classic.

Travel packing List

Alright, now that you know our top travel items, it’s time to start packing! Click the image below to download our packing list Google Sheet (or pin it for later!). 

Note: To use the sheet and create your own customizable version where you can add items, remove items, and check off items, please follow these instructions:

• Web Browser: File-> Make a Copy
• Mobile: Go to the menu at the top right of the Google Sheet -> Share & Export -> Make a Copy