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What's In Our Bags — Travel Gear We Actually Use
Field-tested luggage, tech, and travel equipment. Everything here has been stress-tested across months of continuous travel. If it broke, it isn't on this page.
These are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you — it helps fund the travels that produced these recommendations. We only list things we carry ourselves.
The one we're asked about most
Amazon Basics Hardside Luggage
We didn't want to spend a fortune before we knew what long-term travel really demanded — this set proved you don't have to. Eight months in, it's still rolling strong.
Eight months in, still rolling strong.
Luggage4 items
Luggage Scale - Don't Guess/Save Money
We've never been caught repacking at the check-in counter — and this little scale is why. Pays for itself the first time you use it.
Silicone Wheel Covers
Cobblestones, marble floors, rough pavement — long-term travel is brutal on luggage wheels. These silicone covers are the cheapest insurance you'll buy to keep your bags rolling for the long haul.
Our Favorite Packing Cubes
The interior pockets on our luggage are pretty basic, so we don't rely on them much. These packing cubes keep everything organized inside instead, and they work beautifully.
Soft-Sided Pet Carrier for Small Dogs (Petskd)
Our dog Liam's carrier is airline approved and works well on trains in Japan. Ours is no longer available, so this is the newer Petskd model we'd buy to replace it. It's soft-sided, sized for under-seat use on Delta, United and American (18 x 11 x 11 in), with mesh on five sides. It's for small dogs under about 10 lb, so check your dog's size first. We haven't used this exact model.
Tech3 items
GL.iNet GL-MT3000 (Beryl AX)
Hotel Wi-Fi is a gamble. This travel router gives us a secure, reliable connection wherever we land — easy to set up and works seamlessly with NordVPN.
TESSAN Universal Travel Adapter
One adapter that's handled every outlet we've come across on multiple continents. It just lives in the bag — we don't even think about it anymore.
Saily eSIM
Saily eSIMs are easy to use. I only had to install one eSIM, then I attached several plans to it (Canada data and cruise ship data) without going through the install again. If you travel through different regions, that makes switching plans painless.
Apps2 items
NordVPN — 1 Year Deal
We run this on our GL.iNet router so we can stay connected to the streaming services we pay for in the US. We also run it on our phones. 1 account can protect up to 10 devices — Easy Setup and Fast VPN.
TravelSpend
An intuitive expense tracker we've used for a year of slow travel to categorize spending and see exactly how we're tracking against budget. It's free, but the few-dollar upgrade is well worth it for extended stays.
Insurance1 item
SafetyWing Nomad Insurance
Flexible, subscription-style travel medical insurance built for people without a fixed itinerary. We've been on it for a year — automated billing, no re-upping before every trip.