Travel Gear

Tips for Travel Gear

I love to travel. For me, seeing the world and experiencing other cultures is energizing and exciting. To avoid a frustrating or tiring travel experience, I’ve learned that having the right gear can make all the difference when small things threaten to dampen your enthusiasm. Over the years, through research and plenty of trial and error, I’ve been lucky enough to discover some of the best travel gear for grownups along with great family travel gear and kids travel gear that can make exploring the world with children easier. I’ve written extensively about my favorite travel gear and hope that you will benefit on your next journey from everything I’ve learned along the way.

Essential Travel Gear

My own list of must-have travel gear is actually pretty minimal compared to some. Over the years, I have added to and then edited my must-haves as my daughter has grown up and handled more of her own luggage. The one thing that has stayed the same is that I’ve always chosen my travel gear and my family travel gear very carefully — I only use luggage and accessories that are high quality, stylish, and functional.

My recommendations when it comes to the best travel gear for adults, the best travel gifts, the best kids travel gear (like My Pillow Pets), and tips like how to pack a perfect carry-on are based on personal experience. I never review products that we don’t actually own and use, so you can trust that anything I recommend will make your travels easier, more organized, and less stressful.

Why is choosing the right travel gear so important? Simply put, the very best travel gear helps you minimize some of the frustrations that we all have to deal with when traveling. Noise-canceling headphones are a must-have but there’s more to travel gear than electronics. For example, a handheld portable espresso maker means no more bitter hotel room coffee and quality fold-up flats can feel like heaven after a day of seeing the sights.

Don’t assume that functional travel gear can’t look great. There is all kinds of stylish travel gear out there that will help you and the kids feel comfy in all weather, keep you looking and feeling great en route, and make hotel rooms feel more like home. The products I share will help make your next trip amazing.

Travel Gear For Kids

Traveling with kids is always such a fantastic experience, but when children are younger it does mean you’re often traveling with twice the gear. New parents especially are tempted to pack anything and everything, just in case, whether that means healthy snacks or road trip activities (don’t forget this list of knock-knock jokes) or big stacks of diapers. Flying with younger kids can be particularly stressful for moms and dads. I totally understand this impulse to pack for every possible scenario. You want to keep your little ones safe, happy, and well-behaved when you’re en route and at your destination.

The good news is that children don’t need as much travel gear as you might think and the best kids travel gear does double duty, like ride-on suitcases for kids or a child-size backpack that unfolds into an activity tray — both of which can be pulled or carried by kids themselves. My daughter has grown up traveling with me, and so I have a lot to share about what types of travel gear you really need when traveling with an infant, traveling with a toddler, and traveling with an older child. But the best advice I can give you is this: if you probably won’t need it en route and you can easily buy it at your destination, leave it at home and save your precious carry-on space for whatever will be most helpful on your journey.

I hope that my travel experiences will help you and your family get where you’re going more comfortably, so you can have the most fun when you arrive.