Here are items we find useful during our travels.
An anti-theft bag will reduce the stress and worry associated with potential theft, allowing you to enjoy your trip more fully. These bags are made from materials that are resistant to cutting or slashing, which helps protect against theft, especially in crowded or high-risk areas. Travelon Small Hobo travel bag or the Travelon Anti-theft Roam Medium.
I use Johnsons Baby Shampoo for washing clothes. It's very mild and effective; and if your rinse is light, you won't feel itchy.
We're active during our trips and sometimes we lose our grip on our phones. Lanyard to the rescue for busy/clumsy folks. Universal Phone Crossbody Lanyard at Amazon.
You'll also need a heavy duty tab. Phone Tether Tab for Cell Phone Lanyard at Amazon.
Washing your clothes while on the go means stressing about how quickly garments will dry. These hangers help keep air circulating throughout the damp clothes. Inflatable Clothes Hanger on Amazon. We bring two each which serves us well.
Clothes washing in a bathroom sink can be challenging if the drain doesn't seal properly. These flat and limp silicone stoppers generally do the trick. Sometimes you have to temporarily remove the existing stopper. Universal Sink Stopper at Amazon.
Most of the time we bring walking sticks and don't need them. But when you need them they are very helpful, especially on steep downhill trails. The main features for us are:
If you need a pair, these are good ones from Amazon. We generally use a single stick each, like these.
Many tour operators use whisper transmitter/receivers to help travellers hear trip leaders while out and about. We use bluetooth transmitters and earbuds to reduce the number of cables we have around our neck.
Item | Description | Where to buy | Note |
Bluetooth transmitter | UGREEN Bluetooth Transmitter Receiver | at Amazon | Two pairs can connect at the same time. Great for watching airplane movies together. |
Low-latency bluetooth earbuds w/ambient mode | HyperX Cirro Buds Pro – True Wireless Earbuds - or similar | at Amazon |
Low-latency AND ambient mode are both important features. |
Buy wine while travelling? If you can't finish off a bottle in one sitting, you'll need a wine stopper. We use silicone stoppers for easy insertion/removal and easy cleaning. Wine Stoppers Beverage Bottle Sealer at Amazon.
Note: we do not receive any remuneration for items linked from this page.
Travel photography can catch many photographers off guard. Things tend to happen rapidly and there never seems to be enough time on tour to really work a subject.
What to do? Preset you camera to your situation:
Most of my images are taken with a wide-angle lens. I want more than just my subject in frame to help the viewer understand the context of the situation - otherwise I might as well be in a studio or at a location near my home.
Use a low camera angle for the most interesting views and shoot as wide as possible. I recommend a bubble level in the flash hot-shoe to keep things oriented properly.
Take a few seconds to visualize the final image; shoot a little wide for perspective correction during post processing.
Generally the least forgiving situation for unplanned shooting. A steady hand never hurts.
Travelling light and photography is somewhat of an oxymoron. And yet, by sacrificing some functionality, essential capabilities can be retained.
I have a wonderful Benro Travel Angel tripod that can't really work on tours where time is limited. But a miniature ball-head tripod can stand in during many situations.
I use the same one for both my digital camera and my mobile phone. This Manfrotto model is an essential part of my kit.
While I don't usually use these sticks for selfies, they can be used for other tasks. I use one to hold my mobile phone above crowded scenes, or down near the ground for that special angle. Sometimes I attach it to my mini-tripod and my 360 camera to get myself out of the picture.
This is a good one on Amazon. Make sure that both ends can accommodate 1/4 screws (top: male thread, bottom: female thread.)