In today’s podcast episode, we’re sharing our favorite travel gear (like Nick’s Japanese nail clippers), and we’ll explain why a UK power adapter is especially useful, and why we carry backpacks in our backpacks.
Our favorite travel gear
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Giant Mailbag
(01:18) – One reader writes in about their first big redemption
(03:14) – Preferred Hotels & Resorts safari lodges, bookable with iPrefer points, hiccups and all
Read more about Preferred Hotels & Resorts with points here.
(07:28) – Mother and son plan a 9-country, 1-month itinerary booked on points
Main Event: Our favorite travel gear
(11:40) – Which backpacks and go bags do we like best?
(17:57) – Our favorite luggage and toiletries
(33:38) – Which tech gear do we keep in our backpacks?
(45:50) – Why we carry backpacks inside of backpacks
(48:28) – Travel Wallet
(52:25) – Misc weather gear
(58:45) – Miscellaneous clothing tips
Question of the Week
(1:05:40) – When deciding between an option that costs more miles and less cash, or more cash and fewer miles…how do you decide?
Want some of these products for yourself?
Disclosure: With the following product links, Frequent Miler will earn a commission for qualifying purchases.
- Greg’s Tumi backpack: https://amzn.to/4gvAiiL
- Greg’s Briggs & Riley carry on suitcase: https://amzn.to/4mcnG1i
- Packing cubes with compression zipper (similar to cubes Greg uses): https://amzn.to/4ghB5nc
- Greg’s toiletry bag: https://amzn.to/45ZR3Pw
- Nick Stick (for shaving cuts): https://amzn.to/3KhkX9k
- Greg’s travel-size antiperspirant roll-on: https://amzn.to/3JZzIgX
- Greg’s tiny usb-c charging brick: https://amzn.to/46v7sM1
- Greg’s magsafe wireless charging battery: https://amzn.to/462ad7
- International power adapter that won’t fall out of the wall socket: https://amzn.to/3VhirlU (this is not one we have, but it looks useful!)
- UK adapter: good for staying put in airplane power sockets (Greg uses similar item): https://amzn.to/45ZyICe
- Kindle paperwhite (Greg has an older model): https://amzn.to/3VhirlU
- Greg’s portable laptop stand: https://amzn.to/4gli9nR
- Greg’s magnetic phone holders for selfie photos and videos:
- Clamp style: https://amzn.to/3Im3wUD
- Suction cup: https://amzn.to/4nstX9V
- Greg & Nick’s backpack inside backpack: https://amzn.to/47BUcq1
- Greg’s passport wallet: https://amzn.to/4mZHQwy
- Greg’s travel raincoat: https://amzn.to/42coyMn
- Greg’s microfiber towel: https://amzn.to/3VhkBSy
- Greg’s quick dry boxer shorts: https://amzn.to/4mhddll
- Greg’s quick dry t-shirts: https://amzn.to/4mYjcfI
- Greg’s slip-in Sketchers shoes: https://amzn.to/4ghMmE8
- Nick’s Tumi Alpha Brief Pack: https://amzn.to/42uQnPR
- Nick’s Muji Carry-On (not available at Amazon): https://www.muji.us/collections/luggage/products/adjustable-handle-hard-shell-suitcase-36l-carry-on-eee02a4s
- Nick’s 200W 4-port wall charger with detachable cord: https://amzn.to/4ps1AuD
- Nick’s bigger power bank (no longer available new, so when he needs to replace it he’ll look to buy something similar): https://amzn.to/41QJ8l5
- Nick’s Anker magsafe charger: https://amzn.to/4mgUqGt
- Nick’s right-angle USB-C adapters (bought as fillers when using a Dell credit, but he uses them): https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/visiontek-usb-c-right-angle-adapter/apd/ab647234/monitors-monitor-accessories
- USB-C extension cable: https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/c2g-3ft-usb-c-extension-cable-usb-c-to-usb-c-extension-cable-usb-31-gen-2-10gbps-m-f/apd/aa561282/pc-accessories
- Nick’s laptop stand: https://amzn.to/47FiZcP
- Nick’s prescription medicine tracker/reminder: https://amzn.to/3VJuxEv
- Nick’s Pixel Buds Pro (note that these are his model, but Pixel Buds Pro 2 are also out): https://amzn.to/4n0jFhz
- Nick’s Bose over-ear headphones: https://amzn.to/3VJuRTJ
- Nick’s Logitech MX Vertical Mouse: https://amzn.to/4ggHjDS
- Nick’s laptop (same model and core specs): https://amzn.to/4mV6uyt
- Cadence Capsules for toiletries: https://amzn.to/4guqlSQ
- Zip off pants similar to Nick’s (his are from L.L. Bean, but same idea. Of key importance, these have a number of zip pockets, which Nick prefers for money/wallet/etc: https://amzn.to/46fJ8fQ
- Nick’s merino wool stuff has been Wool & Prince. Note that wool is quick-dry, but not moisture-wicking. What he likes is that it picks up no odor, so if you can’t wash it right away it won’t make everything in your bag stink, and it dries quickly (so easy to wash, hang, and dry by morning). He’s tried a few brands but likes Wool & Prince the most so far:
- https://woolandprince.com/products/signature-standard-v-neck-tee-iron-gray
- https://woolandprince.com/collections/boxer-briefs
- Nick loves this for cooler weather: https://woolandprince.com/products/knit-button-down-charcoal-heather
- Nick’s large carabiner clip used to attach water bottles to backpack: https://amzn.to/3Kid4R2
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Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder
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I carry a 6″ extension cord to plug into awkwardly placed outlets and also I bend the prongs slightly inward so it’s more secure. That’s not something you can do with a charger with foldable prongs.
Things I carry that seemed like they’d be useful but that I’ve never actually used: foldable utensils, tiny can opener, bottle opener, corkscrew.
A great system if you travel with a P2 is to have P1 carry the 3-1-1 you use and have P2 carry a backup. When P1’s toothpaste or whatever is used up, P1 replenishes from P2’s and upon return, only P2 restocks. This way there’s always a full backup you never have to think about.
As an avid runner, I travel in running shoes. I also pack sandals, which I prefer for just walking around. Many swim shorts can double as running shorts. I like to rent a bike when I travel so I’m looking into bike phone mounts I can pack. I also travel with my swim gear: goggles and, depending on the location and season, snorkel, wetsuit, and buoy. I’ve found fins too bulky to be worth traveling with. P2 travels with resistance bands.
For packable backpacks, Matador makes ultralight, water-resistant, packable packs at 16L and up. They’re pricey, but the build quality is excellent. They can usually be found on sale during Black Friday.
Slightly different model than what is posted – but for SA.
https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Anker-Power-Banks-Recalled-Due-to-Fire-and-Burn-Hazards-Manufactured-by-Anker-Innovations-1?fbclid=IwY2xjawM7ZK1leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFMWW1uU3Vjck5FMEthalFwAR6tKj_UmiwmkUE5VJ57eyQd4nS26PQyOpGCnTbMimUSoFfCqO2I7ETMnrp2xg_aem_V1YF3-8GIdwYCzQhxQC75A
I carry a Gan/Prime from Anker. It’s a combination wall charger and battery in one unit. It’s heavy like the 10,000 mah battery backup that it is, but allows me not to carry a separate wall charger. It puts out (I think) up to 60 watts through the A or one of the two C outputs but, unfortunately, that seems to be just below what my new ultralight Asus A14 needs. It also has the “fall from the wall” problem. But it’s one or two fewer things to carry.
Tumi? The points and miles world is richer than I thought! That Tumi “brief pack” that Nick said lists for $450 actually has a current list price of $895 from Tumi! For that price I want not only the backpack, but $600 worth of hotel credit, lounge access, and the ability to use the priority security line in European airports!
Nick mentioned that he doesn’t carry some of the miscellaneous stuff that Greg has, but I bet some of it is in his wife’s bag. My wife has always traveled with her “you never know” bag including all kinds of repair stuff (duct tape rolled around a pencil, fishing line with a needle for backpack repairs, wipes for the kids).
Interesting that Greg associated his towel (which he sometimes uses a scarf) with the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy because Douglas Adams actually took that recommendation from a reader tip in a 1980s edition of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to Europe, in which the writer said “Take a towel or a scarf, but not both — because you’ll never need both at the same time”.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Europe also contained a table showing you which coins of lesser value from country A could be used in place of more valuable coins in vending machines in country B, and instructions on how to sell (donate) your blood to fund your travels. I have two copies.
I put AirTags or FindMy compatible luggage tags on all my bags. I also have a FindMy enable passport wallet and glasses case from Satechi — hopefully I won’t ever end up in a situation like Greg when he got his backpack stole in Chile, but even just being able to track things that are easily misplaced can be a total game changer.
One thing I realized nobody mentioned is a travel router. I have been carrying one of the tiny GL.iNet routers for several years and it has been a real lifesaver on occasion. When I get somewhere that has spotty WiFi reception I try to find a spot where I can get at least a little reception, plug in the router there, and then I have reception in the whole room. (One time I had it perched on top of an ice machine down the hall when WiFi was out on the whole floor.) It is also handy for sharing one login among everybody.
I bought one earlier this year for a cruise. Coolest little thing and runs off a power bank for hours.
P2 got me the same 4Monster bag for Christmas and it has worked great. Before I was packing drawstring bags in my other bags. They work well enough (still a good item for gym or quick step out of the room) but get annoying when carrying water bottles and the straps dig in over time when things are a little heavier. You can tell the 4Monster bag won’t last a decade so not surprised to hear of the delamination Nick is starting to see (I already see some seams opening on the water bottle pockets), but for a cheap packable bag it is the best I’ve used so far. Waterproofing is surprisingly good on it as well, it almost works as a cheap dry bag.
For luggage I love the soft sided Platinum Elite spinner line from Travelpro. Their cheaper series like the Maxlite are still better than average department store luggage but sacrifice some durability for weight savings, we’ve had a spinner wheel cave in once after a few years of use (not permanently broken but now has a crack in the hard siding). The Platinum Elite line has lots of nice built in organizers like compression straps, multiple zipper and velcro pockets, and a zip in plastic bag for liquids (on the carry-ons it is a 3-1-1 compliant size). There’s an internal zipper pocket on the walls that I use as my little “travel safe” for extra wallets/cards – with a lock on the outside you’d have to cut it off and dump everything in the bag to get to it. The Platinum Elite luggage also has a sizable amount of handle position adjustments and the spinner wheels magnetically align which makes keeping the bag going in a straight line simpler (my daughter liked to ride on the bag when she was younger!) and resists rolling down small inclines when perpendicular to them. I held on to cheap suitcases for years but these were worth the upgrade as we traveled more and we should have done it sooner. AMEX routinely has 20 – 30% discount offers around the holidays at the same Travelpro runs their Black Friday and other deep discount sales which brings the nicer bags into the $200s.
For carrying bags Waterfield makes really high quality bags (US made in San Francisco) and may are tailored to business or travel use. There’s virtually never discounts but the quality of the zippers (all YKK, most water proof lined) and material (lots of canvas and leather) is outstanding. I have the Air Porter Carry-On (messenger style bag) which is now my favorite under seat bag. It was designed to stand up while still fitting under a US airline seat and leaving room for you to actually fit your feet as well, which makes economy seem less cramped! It has a really high end look where you could take it straight to a client or boardroom meeting if you do business travel where a professional look is important. It doesn’t replace a backpack if you need to carry a ton of stuff, but for a complement to a roller carry-on or a separate backpack it is great (it’s just big enough I could probably do a single overnight with only that bag). Has all the things Greg and Nick mentioned like multiple pockets and zippers, a strap to fit over luggage handles, and two collapsible water bottle pockets. Really bright interior lining to make it easy to find items inside pockets. I use it all the time for work now as well for one of the main reasons Greg likes his backpack – it stands up on its own without falling over!
If you are considering a bag in Tumi’s price range anyway Waterfield is worth a look.
Great episode!
Nick, I wanted to specifically address your comments on the hiccapop inflatable booster seat. I’m a car seat technician and long-time family traveler (along with being a dedicated reader/listener).
First, your 7yo is unlikely to be close to not needing a booster seat. Unfortunately most states in the US have outdated car seat laws that don’t reflect our current understanding of how to keep kids safe. European countries do a much better job by requiring booster seats until kids are between 135 and 150cm tall. Indeed, in most vehicles around the world kids don’t get a good fit with an adult seatbelt until they’re much closer to 150cm – roughly the size of an average 12 year old.
Second, the hiccapop and bubblebum are both solid products with their own pros and cons. It’s important to know that the bubblebum passes Federal crash testing even when deflated, and it also tends to fit young booster riders better than the hiccapop. I have in-depth reviews of both on my website and I’m happy to chat more if you have any questions.
Thankfully there are ultra-portable products for almost every age/stage that can keep kids safe while they explore the world. I’m committed to helping families see that they can still travel the world without compromising the safety of the littlest explorers.
Safe travels!
For any men looking for great ways to use their upcoming Lululemon credits, Lululemon actually has fantastic lightweight travel clothing – I mostly buy Patagonia shirts, so I don’t have any input there, but all my athletic shorts, regular shorts, joggers, pants that I travel with are Lululemon. They’re pretty good quality, very easy to pack, and are lightweight, and they look good as well. (The ABC line is my personal favorite but you might find something else fits you personally better)
Other stuff that I swear by traveling:
Packing cubes – Eagle Creek
Socks – Darn Tough, Underwear – Uniqlo Airsm, Walking Shoes – Adidas Ultraboost
Toiletries – Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap is an easy one solution mix, so you don’t need to bring 10 other separate liquids (pair this with a Lush shampoo bar and I’m good to go)
Toiletries – individual 3-oz squeeze bottles that you can fill with whatever liquids of your choice
Travel Towel – Cascade Designs PackTowl isn’t the best for some uses, but it’s lightweight and works great for 90% of situations where I need a towel (recently used it as a beach towel as well on the fly)
+ 1 on Darn Tough socks and Dr Bronner’s, plus small toiletries containers (empty face or eye cream containers, rinsed out, work well for things of gel-like consistency too).
Darn Tough socks are amazing and they stand by their lifetime warranty. I am rough on socks and finally wore some sizable holes into a half dozen pairs after 5 years. I was able to ship them all back for credit and buy five new pairs from their site. Their socks and customer service live up to the hype.
I wish shoes were as easy! P2 loves her Adidas Ultraboosts but mine fell apart much more quickly and I never found them as comfortable as a pair of Nike Air or Pegasus shoes.
Something that i always bring that i’ve not noticed mentioned yet is a camping set of plastic bowl + cup + utensils (bought at an outdoor store). It helps assemble / cut / prep a meal out of grocery store / produce market / street food ingredients when i’m not hungry or too jet-lagged at a “normal” meal time at the locale i’m at, can’t face yet another restaurant meal, or have a long train / bus ride overlapping a meal time.
Yes, great point! I recently bought the UCO Switch Spork 2-piece set for exactly this purpose. When we were in Australia we would sometimes stop at a grocery store to grab lunch and they rarely had utensils so it was nice to have our own. And my wife always travels with a collapsible bowl as well.
Another thing i carry is several tea bags of caffeinated & decaf tea each. I can’t drink coffee, and sometimes places do not have any tea (especially decaf), and a cup of tea on arrival to a new place helps me settle in better.
Traveling with extra utensils, especially if you have kids in tow, is one of those things you don’t think about but comes in clutch when you need it. Makes it so much easier to get something at a convenience or grocery store after late night travels and be able to eat it on the go or in a standard hotel room (ones without kitchens). We like the little plastic sets many Asian household stores like Miniso sell.
I think my wife and I have hit late childhood in our 60’s because we are back to carrying utensils everywhere. Especially now that we are retired and traveling more I just can’t eat out very often when traveling and still feel good, so we frequently pick up food in grocery stores where it is often faster, easier, and cheaper to get something healthy. It’s also why a fridge is mandatory for anywhere I stay longer than one night.
a less pricey vertical mouse – Amazon.com: Logitech Lift Vertical Ergonomic Mouse, Wireless Bluetooth or USB Receiver, Quiet Clicks, 4 Buttons, Right Hand Wireless Mouse, Windows/macOS/iPadOS, Laptop, PC – Graphite : Electronics
My physical therapy hand specialist and other PTs use this in the office.
In place of a laptop stand, I use 2 old fashioned rubber doorstops (probably a buck at HD). Air circulation underneath + a raised keyboard to help typing. Small + lightweight for traveling. I’m not tall so the neck issue isn’t a big deal for me.