Black Friday: Essentials To Buy For Travel And Vacations
Happy Black Friday! Because everything is on sale and I’m currently living in South America, I figured it would be cool to round up some of my favorite products I’ve used during my travels. If you have any specific questions about anything, let me know! Hope this helps.
Please also note that I will make a small amount of money for some stuff purchased from these links.
1. Mophie External Phone Charger
Let’s just get this out of the way: If you are traveling abroad, or you’re a digital nomad, you will 100% need an external charger. You just will! Taking pictures drains your battery even when it’s on airplane mode. So for the Mophie, there are several sizes, and the bigger it is, the more charges it will have. Which to buy totally depends on your typical use. My friend Jess has the XXL, and it is pretty big and heavy, but you can charge your phone fully like, 20 times before you need to charge the charger again. If you don’t think you’ll need a bigger one, you can go down in size and it will be cheaper and lighter. Buy here.
2. Portable Mini Fan
My friends legit laugh at my every time I take this out of my purse, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?? When it’s hot AF outside, and your skin feels like it’s melting, that mini fan becomes my savior. I went to Casa En El Agua, which is a literal house hostel in the middle of the ocean near Cartagena, and there was NO AIR FLOW in those rooms. The only way I was able to sleep was by holding that fan near my face. The one I have is the EasyAcc, but it seems to be sold out or currently unavailable. This brand is a #1 Amazon Best-Seller and looks the same. Buy here.
3. Away Medium Luggage
If you guys follow me on Instagram, you’ve probably seen stories of me raving about my Away bag! I have the bigger carry-on for normal use, but bought the medium for my Remote Year travels. The medium doesn’t have the ejectable battery since it’s not a carry-on, but it’s still great and that laundry bag it comes with is a life-saver!
4. Ebags TLS Mother Lode Weekender Backpack
Wow you guys, I love this backpack so much. Obviously I needed a big suitcase while living in Latin America for four months, but I also got this weekender for side trips — it is AMAZING. I can usually fit enough clothes and toiletries in here for 7-10 days if I’m really pushing it (this is what I used for my 10-day trip to Cartagena). It fits a surprising amount of stuff, has several pockets and zippers, and even comes has lockable D-rings on the primary zippers. What’s also great is that I’ve been on smaller, international airplanes and have never had a problem or told to check it at the gate. I feel like a roller luggage is more likely to be flagged than a backpack. Use code Arielle25 for a 25% discount!
5. Kindle Paperwhite E-reader
When you’re traveling for four months on end, it’s really not ideal to take up precious suitcase space and weight. Having a Kindle Paperwhite is so easy and light, and you can read hundreds of books. I recommend this just because it’s better for the commute to work in NYC. Buy it here.
6. Woodulisten Mini Speaker
I cannot begin to explain how happy I am that I packed this speaker last-second. It’s so small and cute, but the sound is LOUD, and that’s exactly what I wanted. I bring it on side trips for the beach, blast it when I’m getting ready in the mornings, bring it to Remote Year house gatherings for communal music, etc. Highly, highly recommend (whether it’s for travel or home use)! Buy it here.
7. PopSocket
I realize this is a weird travel-related recommendation, but I swear by my PopSocket. You stick this on the back of your phone case (not your phone) and the little circle pops out so you can grip it between your fingers while holding the phone. When I’m taking photos and videos over rooftop ledges, while in the water, or in more risky situations, my PopSocket gives me an extra sense of security that I won’t drop it. Buy it here.
8. Google Chromecast
When you’re traveling for as long as I am, sometimes you just want to put on Netflix on an actual big screen TV and watch The O.C. I am so, so glad I bought this! You just plug it into the wall and the HDMI port on the TV, and boom! You’ve got Netflix, Google Play, and other options depending on the country you’re in (HBO doesn’t work in South America). Buy it here.
9. JOTO Waterproof Phone Pouch
I actually forgot to bring this on my Remote Year trip, but I used it for Hawaii and it was awesome. You just put your phone in here, and maybe credit cards/cash, and lock it up to keep your stuff waterproof. I don’t know if I would submerge it into water or anything, but it’s a nice little safety net to prevent it from getting soaked on boat rides or something. Buy it here.
10. Cloudz Cool Gel Neck Pillow
I had never been a travel pillow person until I bought one for my Hawaii trip, and I must say, I sleep way better on planes. I like this one because it has cooling gel and doesn’t feel as hot. But it is kind of bulky, and not great for face-forward naps (I tend to lean to the side). Buy it here.
11. Diff Eyewear Bella Frames
OMG I am literally OBSESSED with these sunnies! They are so cute, they’re polarized, and they protect my LASIK eyes. I just love them. So much. I have three pairs: Blue, Purple, and Blue Flash. Click this link for 20% off!
12. Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
The biggest mistake you could possibly make if you travel often enough is not get a travel points card! I love my Sapphire Preferred, and it has been a blessing here on my Remote Year trip. You get 50,000 points when you sign up and spend $4k in three months (that’s $625 in travel credit), there’s no foreign transaction fees, and you earn 2X points on travel and dining purchases. If you sign up, I would really appreciate if you used my link so I can get some points too! :)