I’ve been getting some good reception on posts concerning travel so I’ll try to post a little more of them. Thanks for the support! Today, I’m posting about some of my favourite nifty things I like to keep with me for my flights and my adventures in general. The things you’ll see in common here are small compact items that have great use. There’s no denying I’m a materialist and I like to seek out the best of the best for the things I use in my everyday life. Most of the items are a bit on the pricier side but they are definitely worth every penny to me. I tried to find everything in Canadian prices to the best to my degree but some items are only available to buy in other currencies.
The bag itself // Studio Settlement Tarpaulin Backpack in Cloud Pink by Herschel, $149.99CAD: While I have several different bags that I use as my carry-on, the is one of my favourites. It’s water-resistant and the zippers are specially constructed to keep your things dry from the elements. I admit, pastel pink is a poor choice of a travel bag colour but I couldn’t resist! Fortunately this bag comes in many other colours including black, grey and “cinnebar”. They come in a larger mid-volume size for the same price.
What’s inside // Jump Cable by Native Union, $49.99USD: This compact little baby is a 2-in-1, working as a connecting cable and a battery.
Unlike power banks, the Jump cable charges itself after the device is fully charged. I love to keep this around as emergency power for my phone. It gives an approximate 25% charge for my iPhone and it’s compact enough to be put in a pocket. It comes in lightning and micro-usb connection and includes a limited lifetime warranty.
Astro E1 Power Bank by Anker, $17.99USD: One of my biggest fears is a dead phone while travelling but with this battery around, I have nothing to worry about. Built with advanced high-speed charging technology, this external battery is very compact yet high capacity at 5200mAh and it allows me to fully charge my phone two times over while I’m on the move. It comes in white, red and blue and it also has a 18-month warranty.
Mini USB-Lightning Cable by Panasonic, 1,880Yen: Bought this itty-bitty cable from BIC Camera during a recent Tokyo trip. It’s only 5cm long, making it very compact and very convenient to carry around whenever I need to connect my phone with a battery. Its short length also helps prevent against cable breakage.
Annika Hanging Garden Travel Wallet by Ted Baker, 89Pounds: Not only is this wallet super cute and feminine but it has a ton of card slots, eight to be exact, and several compartments to help keep me organized. Inside there are designated sections for boarding passes, receipts and other documents. It means never ever having to fold a boarding pass ever again! It comes with a passport holder and there’s even a compartment for that, making the passport removable when it’s in need. It’s really handy being able to keep my cash, cards and passport all in one place. This particular floral design is out of production but every season they have different designs to choose from. Made from 100% bovine leather. [photo not mine, will replace soon!]
Garavani Rockstud Card Holder by Valentino, $340.00CAD: When I’m doing some shorter trips, I like to ditch my large wallets altogether and just carry the essentials in this beauty. Made with quality calf leather, it has four card slots and a main slip compartment for a few bills, receipts and other small slim items. It comes in a varying colours depending on the season. Made in Italy. [not happy with this photo; will replace soon]
Le Petite Prince Diary 12-Month Daily Pocket Planner, ~$22.00CAD by Moleskine: I’m a type of person that prefers pen to paper over typing into my phone or on a computer so this pocket planner is just perfect for me. This is a daily planner, allowing me to write in my varying day-to-day schedule in detail. There is also a monthly section at the front so I can plan far down the road. The Le Petite Prince cover was limited for 2017 but they have new limited covers every year including a Star Wars one I got for myself for 2018.
Classic Sport Ballpoint Pen in Transparent by Kaweco, ~$30.00CAD: Yet again, another compact item for the trip. Since I’ve always got to carry around a pen for custom forms, I thought it better to get something sleek and classy. This was actually a replacement for my Swarovski Crystalline pen which I had lost but I love the Classic Sport a hundred times more. It’s a pretty steep price for a pen but as with most luxury items, the quality of it is simply marvellous. It’s lightweight, and made of a high-quality plastic resin barrel and the retraction movement is as smooth as butter — it’s pretty cool! The Sport is made to keep the original octagonal design that Kaweco developed in 1955. It utilizes a D1 international ballpoint refill so it will be easily to replace when it’s time. Made in Germany.
SoundSport In-Ear Headphones by Bose, $99.95CAD: These headphones are designed specifically for vigorous exercise and it works perfect for my runs wherever I am. The sound quality is astounding, keeping me pumped and pushin’. It’s sweat-resistant and there’s an inline mic/remote that lets you easily control volume, skip tracks and take calls without having to reach for your device. The silicone tips are designed to improve in-ear stability, increased noise reduction and for a comfortable fit. When you purchase these headphones, they come with all small, medium and large tips for varying ear sizes. Comes in a variety of colours and Bose offers a 30-day free trial for this product.
12-inch Macbook, 512GB in Rose Gold by Apple, starting at $1,729.00CAD: I’m not going to pretend I know much about computers so you can check out the link I’ve posted. All I know is that I love my lightweight rose-gold thing of beauty.
Wool Laptop Sleeve for MacBook 12-inch by Pack & Smooch, $90CAD : Bought this laptop sleeve a long while ago when they were only available on Etsy and since then they’ve become an Apple store product. It’s not surprising considering its fine quality. It’s made of 100% Merino wool so it’s super soft and the grip pad is made from vegetable-tanned Italian leather. There is a storage compartment that is great for storing a USB-C multiport adaptor and other small items. One of the coolest things about this case is that it’s designed to allow you to charge your laptop without taking it out of the sleeve. When Pack & Smooch designed this case, they had the Macbook’s thinness in mind so like it, the sleeve is made to be thin but with strong magnetic closures. Pack & Smooch makes a variety of laptop cases in different sizes as well as other high-quality products such as phone cases, mouse pads and bags. Made in Germany.
Camera Lenses and Phone Case by Moment, various prices: As I mentioned in a previous post, I love having an alternative to lugging around a heavy professional camera and the gear from Moment allow me to take awesome shots, quick and easy. Their newer lens models mount right over the camera of the new iPhones and dozen of Android phones. If you use an iPhone 6/6s like I do, you can use a specially designed case to attach the lenses. Small enough to be put in a pocket or small purse, they’re easy to bring anywhere and everywhere. They have a telephoto, wide, macro and fish lens available and all of them have a 12-month warranty.
Round FlashSunglasses with Lilac Mirror Lenses and Gold Frames by Ray-ban, $190CAD: One of my favourite gifts to help me blend in with the hipsters, wherever I need to. The lilac tint is just too cute; it’s a subtle but a truly unique touch to my outfits. Always comfortable on my face or whenever they’re just sitting on top of my head. The mirror lenses themselves have high shine and have a coating that helps reduce glare. The one-way mirror also helps hide my tired travel eyes when I come out makeup-less from the plane. Ray-Bans sunglasses come in a variety of lens colours or frame colours and will vary in price.
Have any other travel topics or other topics in general that you’d like me to cover? Submit them here. In the meantime, pack well, travel well and you’ll hear from me soon.