The year has just begun and for most people travel is on the brain.
I’m no different really. I’ve been planning my trips for this year since the latter half of 2018 and while nothing is confirmed just yet, it looks like I have a pretty decent lineup so far.
I had originally wanted to do a travel gift guide for Christmas but obviously, I missed that deadline so ‘Travel Gadgets I want to get in 2019’ was the next best thing.
Like most travellers, I LIVE for a good travel gadget, and I’ve come across a few in my last few years of travel that has become an integral part of my packing list.
Here are some of the gadgets I am hoping to add to my arsenal this year, and some I’ll just be lusting after from afar.
I have stayed in enough hostels to know that a hanging toiletry bag is life. Right now I’m using a toiletry bag that I think I’ve had for over 12 years and it’s holding up well but it’s time for a re-up.
I like this one from Gonex because it’s black (duh) and compact but has a ton of compartments for me to separate the ridiculous amount of toiletries I carry with me when I travel.
This is one of the items I’ll be lusting after until I can justify spending $400 USD to capture videos I never post anywhere.
I bought my first GoPro in 2016, ahead of my first solo trip to Thailand. The GoPro Session 4 was around $200 USD at the time and I had planned to create these awesome travel videos so it made perfect sense then to get it.
Three years later and I’m older and wiser now and appreciate that the only reason I’d be getting this upgrade is for the screen on the back.
SANDMARC Roll-Up Case for GoPro Hero 7
Again with the GoPro items. Right now my GoPro and accessories are in various baggies, which makes keeping them organised pretty difficult. As a result, I often end up leaving gear home or losing it in my luggage and never using it. I’m hoping this roll-up case will help with that.
I love my current passport case as it’s super thin and sleek but I am intrigued by this Amazon top seller. While I don’t need a new passport case, I’ll be getting this purely for variety.
So I like to travel light. However, a problem arises when I travel very compact to a country then realise the shopping is BOMB af. Where will I put all my new treasures? Well, when I went to Thailand I ended up buying a whole other suitcase, but since I am now living a minimalist life (ha), I won’t be operating on that extreme again.
I’ve found a happy medium in carrying foldable bags that expand into carry-on sized duffels or backpacks. I like this duffel especially because you can adjust the bag to suit the amount of goods you need to lug back home.
To appreciate this selection you need to know two things about me:
- I am a woman obsessed with steaming my clothes and prefer to buy clothing that steams easily versus having to iron it
- I almost always pack clothing that’s bound to get wrinkled in transit. I’m just not a wrinkle-free clothing kinda gal
So enter this portable steamer. Full disclosure, I already own a portable steamer – in fact, I may even own two – but I find it too bulky to travel with when I’m opting for carry-on only. This steamer appears to be a bit more compact and the reviews are positive.
So this is a bit of a random selection. I first discovered this when searching for a GPS/Geolocation device to give my dad for his hunting trips (he’s gotten separated from his group before with no cell service and basically just a great set up for a lost-in-the-woods saga).
Basically, goTenna – sold as a pair – is two off-grid SMS & GPS devices that pair with any phone. Once paired with their respective phones, the persons with the goTenna devices can transmit messages to each other without a cellular network.
Outside of using it to keep my dad from getting lost, I thought this could be useful for people who don’t opt for a sim when in a foreign country, or, even better, for folks heading on a cruise who want to stay in touch without buying the wifi plans on offer.
I feel like I buy a new travel pillow every couple months, especially if I’m preparing for a long haul flight. The newest travel pillow on my radar is the yet-to-be-released upgrade to the massively popular Trtl pillow. I actually never got the Trtl pillow for one main reason – I overheat, and one of the prevailing criticisms of that pillow (and there were not many) was that the fleece fabric ran warm. I can guarantee you it would be IMPOSSIBLE for me to sleep with my neck feeling warm, so I never purchased it.
This Trtl Plus, though, addresses that issue by incorporating a lighter, more breathable fabric than its predecessor. I’m hoping this gets released by February so I can try it in time for my trip in April.
Travelling light means washing clothes in transit. I remember washing my underwear in a very undignified manner in my hotel in Patagonia, willing the thing to dry before I checked out the next day.
This Scrubba wash bag allegedly gives your clothes a machine-quality wash in just three minutes. That eliminates having to find a way to stop up your hotel or hostel sink to wash your dirty clothes in the middle of your trip. Bonus item – these laundry detergent strips save you having to carry or buy laundry detergent powder on your journey.
To be clear – I in no way need new luggage…but how NOT to get caught up in the hype around Away luggage? I swear every travel podcast, magazine or blog I follow mentions this brand so I need to see what all the hype is about.
Considering I got my whole luggage set for $150US or thereabouts, it’s going to take some significant momentum (or a sale) for me to spend $245 on a single carry-on.
The lifetime (limited) warranty does help soften the blow though. They’ll repair major damage to the suitcase for as long as you both roll across the earth.