Consider travel gadgets

I’m a minimalist, but there’s still a few things that always go with me on any trip. Here’s my top 8 travel gadgets.

1. Ear plugs & sleep mask

Okay, they’re not really gadgets, but I never hit the road or board a plane without them. Sleep is just too valuable, especially when I’m traveling. Also, not technically a gadget, I have a white noise app on my phone for sleeping in noisy places. You might prefer noise-canceling headphones.

2. Power bank

Not just for camping, power banks are indispensable when I’m on a long distance bus or if the power goes out where I’m staying. Sometimes flights that promised plugs to charge devices inexplicably don’t have them. I’ve even been on a flight when the captain announced that power would be unavailable even though there were plugs at each seat.

3. Apple AirTags

I’ve only needed this a couple times, but the peace of mind I get knowing that I can track my luggage is priceless. Once arriving in Cusco my bag didn’t come out with everybody else’s. On my phone, I could see that my Apple AirTag was still in the airplane. I complained to the airline and they promptly delivered it, with the excuse that my bag was so small they didn’t see it. I still don’t buy that one. (Shoutout to my mom for sending me AirTags for my birthday. They make a great gift!)

4. Plug adapter

I have a universal adapter so I don’t have to worry about what I might find when I land. If you’re only going to one country, it’s easy enough to get an adapter for that country but if you’re bouncing around all over the place like me, get a universal adapter.

5. Neck pillow

I carry an inflatable neck pillow with my earplugs and sleep mask for long flights or bus rides. They’re not easy to find and most neck pillows are bulky and awkward. Inflatable pillows have to be adjusted during long flights when the cabin pressure changes. They’re obviously susceptible to being punctured in your luggage but even with those drawbacks, I prefer to be able to deflate my pillow.

6. Packing cubes or stuff sacks

Packing cubes are all the rage, though I still use small stuff sacks and drybags. If you’re packing in something square, like a suitcase, it’s worth investing in packing cubes to both keep things organized and squeeze in more stuff. If you travel with backpacks and duffels, like me, spare stuff sacks or roll top dry bags from your camping gear work just as well.

7. Padlocks

I always carry one or two small padlocks to lock zippers together and keep curious fingers out of my bags. That obviously won’t stop somebody with a knife who wants to slash through my bag and steal my camera, but most thieves are pickpockets, not prepared criminals. Just a little deterrence can go a long way. Also, if you’re staying in hostels, you’ll probably get a locker to store your stuff and be expected to have your own lock for it.

8. Water filter

My water filter has saved me from buying hundreds, if not thousands, of plastic bottles. Not just for camping, I use my filter to drink tap water all over South America. One notable exception is the airport in Santiago, Chile. The water there tastes so bad that I can’t stomach it even after it’s filtered. Plan to buy something to drink if you’re spending any time in the Santiago airport. (It looks like HydraPak doesn’t sell my 1 liter soft flask anymore, but they still sell ones similar to what I pack).

Travel insurance

Not a gadget, but insurance is still an important part of travel these days. I’m an ambassador for SafetyWing, which is only available for international travel. I like SafetyWing because you can buy it even if you’ve already started traveling and there’s no limit on how long you travel. If you’re traveling in the US, I recommend Allianz. (I’ll get a small commission at no cost to you if you use this link to buy SafetyWing insurance. I don’t get anything from Allianz).

Recent blog

The Virgen del Carmen Festival in Paucartambo, Peru

If you’ve glanced at my Instagram or Facebook in the past week, you know I spent last weekend in Paucartambo. Every July 15-18 the town of Paucartambo hosts a massive festival for the Virgin of Carmen. When I say massive, I mean the town of 15,000 people is flooded with up to 50,000 visitors. Most come from Cusco and mercifully the majority only come for the day. So I was thrilled when a friend told me that there was a spot for me in a room they were renting with a group of friends. I spent four days with the Saqra, devils who dance for the Virgin of Carmen throughout the four days of the festival. Click on the link above to read the full blog.

Recent article

An Expert Guide to the Best Treks in Peru

My Peru trekking guide published by Horizon Guides got an update last Friday with a new section full of FAQs based on my personal opinions and experiences. This is Horizon Guides’ way of proving to readers that their content is not generated by AI. Click on the link above and scroll about halfway down to see my opinionated FAQs. I’ve done all the most popular treks and I have a lot of opinions about them.

It’s interesting to write during a time when lots of companies are turning to AI for the more basic tasks. My writing focuses so much on the interviews I do with experts and residents at the places I visit, that I’m not at all worried about being replaced by AI. No matter how good that technology gets, it will never be able to track down and interview women who bring alpacas to Cusco like I did for my article published in Fodor’s. Real travel guides will never be written by AI.