Our essential travel gear
Thule backpacks – we now travel with Thule backpacks, which we love. Amy uses the Thule AllTrail 35L Women’s pack, which has plenty of pockets and is perfect for taking on hikes. After struggling to find a pack that fits properly across the chest, the AllTrail has adjustable straps for a snug fit.
We also have a 34L Thule Subterra Travel Backpack which has a great laptop sleeve. The bag also came with a handy packing cube and is the perfect size for a day bag or proper backpack.
Sony ILCE5000L camera – we replaced our old Panasonic Lumix DMC GF3 with this newer, similar model. It’s half-way between a point-and-shoot camera and a DSLR, so it’s simple to use. We like the fact that it’s small and light, has a great image stabiliser and flip screen for vlogging.
Laptops – after years of struggling to work on a tiny Acer laptop, Amy upgraded to a MacBook Air. It was a huge expense for us at the time, but one we’ve never regretted as it makes freelance writing work, blogging and video editing so much quicker and easier. Andrew has a 15 inch Acer laptop which has been going strong for three years now and has a huge memory.
Kindles – even though I love real books, our Kindles are perfect for travelling. They’re lightweight, can hold hundreds of books and their batteries last for ages. Ours have been extremely hard-wearing and we haven’t had to replace them since we left the UK in 2013. When we’re living abroad for longer stretches of time, we tend to buy proper books as well as use our Kindles.
SKross PRO World Travel Adapter – this travel adapter has been with us since 2013 and has worked in every single country we’ve visited. It’s pretty small and lightweight, replacing the need to carry and buy many different adapters for separate countries.
We also now travel with a Te-rich power strip which has a surge protector to stop our laptops from getting fried in dodgy sockets. This was particularly important for us when travelling in South America, where the power sockets are notoriously unpredictable.
Andrew loves his Helly Hansen HP Racing Midlayer Jacket, it’s light, waterproof and windproof, perfect for any event. If you want the techy details then it uses LIFALOFT™ insulating technology, features full-stretch and 2-ply fabric construction, durable water repellancy treatment, hand warmer pockets and it’s fully seam sealed. It’s also made without animal products.
This jacket would have been perfect for trekking in Nepal as it’s a lightweight layer that protects against unpredictable alpine weather and doesn’t take up much room when you’re hiking with a small pack. It’s also great for any boat or sailing trip – Andrew has been using it in Portugal as a windbreaker on our Douro Valley boat cruise – and it’ll come in really handy during the European autumn and winter.
We also both have a pair of KÜHL shorts, which we’ve found perfect for hiking and Andrew wears his almost every day. They’re really lightweight, breathable and we think they look great. Andrew’s worn his from the Florida Everglades to the Canadian Rockies, and Amy’s been very happy and comfortable trekking for a few hours in hers too.