What’s in my suitcase right now?

First: I use and love everything I sell.

These are some of my essential travel gear items. I buy mostly from Amazon in the USA because of the quality and price. At the bottom of the page you can read about shipping to the Philippines. I’ve used every item on this page, and unlike some sites promoting only the expensive items, sometimes it’s the $6 perfume atomizer that will save the day.

Disclaimer: Links to these products are affiliate links, which means that if you purchase anything, I receive a (very) small commission. This will never cost you extra and in many cases you receive a special discount. I appreciate your support!

Dr. Martens Womens boots

White, black, many colors – great winter boots

$108.00

If you’re going somewhere cold, or just going to be doing a lot of walking in a big city, Dr. Martens are my favorite. In a huge variety of colors, and you can seal them with mink oil to keep off the snow. These wore great in the snows of Switzerland and just bumming around Paris.

Vintage Leather Handbag

Real leather, heavy, excellent lining and zippers

$73.95

I’ve gone through a lot of knock-off purses. By far, this is the best brand I’ve found (HeShe). They consistently get top ratings on Amazon and this genuine leather. The only drawback is it’s a little heavy, but that’s because it’s real leather and will last. The hardware is fantastic and liner strong.

Refillable Perfume Atomizer

Excellent perfume Atomizer

$10.29

You can’t just pour perfume into a smaller bottle, oxygen will degrade it. Instead, you place this 5mm atomizer on top of your bottle and pump your perfume into the sealed container. It’s reusable, packs smaller in your luggage and avoids any hassles at the airport. I have three.

Selfie Stick, Bluetooth, Tripod

With removable Bluetooth remote control

$21.99

Another object I have several. From here in the Philippines and from Hong Kong and Thailand. They all feel cheap. This is by far the best, strong, sturdy and also folds out into a tripod. What’s best is there’s a detachable Bluetooth remote so you can get the perfect selfie.

Nation Speed Jump Rope

Blazing Fast Jumping Ropes

$17.97

Not all hotels have gyms, and you can’t bring your workout shoes and clothes with you all the time. I use this jump rope with ball bearings, so I can get a workout in my room, in the hall, or anywhere with enough room. Just 10 min of jumping and I feel I’ve had a good workout.

Cute Cat Ears Knit Hat

Ear Flap Crochet Beanie Hat

$20.80

Just too cute really. One thing about traveling in winter is that if you only have one hat and jacket then in all your photos you’ll look the same. An easy way to change that up is to bring a few cute hats to change throughout your trip. This is warm, fun, and something different.

Leather Shoulder Tote

Excellent, heavy, real leather bag, multiple colors

$79.70

Also by HeShe, a brand that gets top ratings on Amazon with thousands of positive reviews. This comes in many colors and is very thick genuine leather. The hardware is excellent, and the lining is strong. The HeShe brand purses are among my favorite purses and handbags.

Nappa Leather Gloves

Works for touchscreen and texting

$22.99

I was looking for something warm but that I could still use my iPad and iPhone. Most gloves you’ll have to remove so the screen can recognize your fingertips. You can keep these gloves on and still text away. They come in many colors and are very warm, and will last multiple seasons.

Web Camera Covers

Fits cellphones, ipads, laptops

$7.99

You might not think of this at first. However many hotels, restaurants, and bars have open wifi. You should use a VPN, but if you don’t these easy to stick on covers go right over your camera on your laptop, phone or iPad and block anyone from seeing you until you push the cover back.

Orange Holiday Sim (EU)

10GB Internet – 1,000 texts, 30 EU Countries

$49.90

Want a SIM card that you can use in every country in Europe? I’ve had my number for 3 years now, I just top it up every 6 months on the web and when I land in Europe my number is ready to go. This helps a lot with getting to Airbnb’s and traveling with my partner, making reservations.

Crayola Color Bath Dropz

60 Tablets – random colors

$5.98

Do I really bring colored bath drops on vacations? Yup, I do! Nothing is more fun or romantic than getting to a new hotel with a big bathtub and dropping in a few red or green pellets to turn the bathwater bright colors. It adds a different atmosphere and makes for some fun photos.

Universal all-in-one Adapter

International – Dual USB Charging Ports

$12.99

This is my third travel adapter and the only one that hasn’t let me down (yet). I can leave all my other chargers for my iPad and iPhone at home as it has two built-in USB ports. It packs small, has all the international prongs and is a solid brick of plastic. I brought my travel partner one too.

Travel Jewelry Organizer

Elegant Pouch Bag with Quilted Exterior

$24.95

This one is a little bigger than it looks. This will hold all my necklaces, rings, bracelets and earrings in one place. It’s padded and quilted to protect my valuables and because it’s all in one organizer it’s easy to pull out and put in the hotel room safe as soon as I arrive, it’s also not easy to lose.

Travel Flat & Curling Iron

2-in-1 Mini Hair Straightener Curling Iron Dual Voltage

$26.99

I wanted a small travel curling iron that would also straighten. This one had the best reviews and works great. The iron is ceramic and it comes with a heat resistant cover so you can put it away in a hurry. The dual voltage means this thing won’t die on you as soon as you plug it in.

Rimowa Salsa Air 32″

Multiwheel Spinner- Cabin

$890.00

Rimowa simply makes the best suitcases on the market. I’ve brought mine through 20+ countries and it looks almost new. If you have any issues (like a wheel breaking) you can take it to any Rimowa shop on the planet and they’ll usually fix it while you wait. Beautiful, classy, strong.

Wyze Cam HD Camera

Indoor Wireless Smart Home Camera

$57.01

These cute little cameras can plug into any outlet in your house and they use your wifi to broadcast live to your phone. They’re secure, and give you peace of mind while you’re traveling. You can also put in an SD card to save the video footage. I have 8 of them and love them.

TSA Approved Travel Bag

Clear TSA Approved 3-1-1 Travel Toiletry Bag

$12.86

The problem with plastic ziplock bags is they rip. You can fit more into a bag like this with a sturdy zipper that won’t break on your first trip. I put all my liquids in this bag, then drop it into the container at the airport and never get a second glance. They all wear out eventually though.

2 Pack Combination Lock

2 Pack Combination Lock 4 Digit Padlock

$9.99

Surprisingly sturdy and made of metal these are great if staying in a hostel if you need a lock at a gym, or when you’re on a train and you want to lock your suitcase to the above rack with a small looped wire. Then you can 6sleep and know your suitcase will still be there when you wake up!

GoPro HERO6 Black

Waterproof Digital Action Camera for Travel

$242.50

Probably the best travel camera that can take a beating. From using it while sledding in the alps or by the pool there’s not much you can’t do with this. Aimed at adventure sports and easy to interface with The latest GoPro is quality, you can also buy slightly older versions for cheaper.

Women Knit Beanie Hat

Hat with Faux Fur Pompom

$12.99

This hat is cute, right? I just love anything with pom-poms and this hat is actually really warm. Part of the fun of traveling through winter cities is buying new scarves and hats, however, it’s fun to bring a few of my favorites with me each trip. They come in multiple colors if pink isn’t you.

Fisher Space Pen – Pink

Bullet Space Pen

$20.70

Before, I never seemed to have a pen when it came time to fill out airport paperwork. This is a Space Pen, they made this for astronauts to use in outer space, it writes upside down, underwater, everywhere – and it’s small enough to fit in my wallet. A perfect travel pen.

Travel Umbrella w/ Teflon

Repel Windproof Travel Umbrella with Teflon Coating

$22.95

This umbrella gets top ratings on Amazon for being the strongest travel umbrella out there. It’s got a double casing and is coated with Teflon (just like cooking pans) – it’s super sturdy and the best umbrella I’ve found, even in extreme weather. Lots of fun colors and designs. Take a look!

GoToob Travel Bottles

3-pack

$19.71

Most plastic containers are okay, you can put your creams and moisturizers in them, but the problem is you can never get them out again. Wasted! The Gotoob is soft and squishy so you can easily get out your suntan lotion, face lotion, body cream, bug spray or other creams.

6″ Silicone Rubber Bands

6 inch Standard 5 Pack Assorted Colors

$8.98

I roll my clothes when I travel. If you roll them (pants, shirts) you can fit more things into your suitcase. I use these pure thick silicone bands (nothing like rubber bands) to keep my pants rolled tightly and when compressing shoes, also around my clear liquid container to destress the zipper.

SodaStream Source Sparkling Water Maker

SodaStream Soda Water Maker – Home

$65.00

Okay, so this isn’t a travel item, but it’s great for the house when you come home. If you like drinking more water, and less sugary drinks, soda water is one way to get more. This machine takes ordinary water and creates extremely fizzy soda water, you can even add flavors.

Soda Maker External Hose Connector

Hose Adaptor

$94.95

Part of Soda Stream is buying the refill bottles for C02 (the gas), these are SUPER expensive and don’t last long. Instead you can just buy this adapter and attach it to any C02 tank you can get in the Philippines. I attached mine to a 40lb tank it’s lasted me over 6 months for almost nothing.

Philips Sonicare 2 Toothbrush

Fantastic wireless toothbrush

$49.99

For shorter trips I bring my Philips. For longer trips I leave it behind to save space. But I love my Sonicare, it just gets your teeth cleaner, keeps gingivitis from your gums and saves you money from getting cavities and visiting the dentist. This model is super quiet. A great gift.

Fast Wireless Charger RAVPower

Charge your phone on the pad

$23.99

This isn’t a must-have, just a nice-to-have. When I get to the hotel I plug in my charging pad and I can just drop my iPhone on it to charge, no more plugging it in every time, it works on other phones as well, and now it works with the new AirPods as well. Just something fun to have.

S’well Stainless Water Bottle – Solid

Vacuum Insulated – Solid Colors

$33.75

If you watch YouTube you’ll see that everyone has Swell bottles in their videos somewhere. At first it seems just like influencers peddling products. But when you get one you’ll understand; they keep your beverages cold or hot for a long time and help the environment. I love mine.

S’well Stainless Water Bottle – Patterns

Vacuum Insulated – Patterns

$35.00

Who wants to buy bottled water again and again while out, throw away the plastic bottles. Besides the water gets warm so quickly. These bottles come in tons of cool patterns and allow you to bring your drinks with you and sip from them all day. It’s also a cool brand and made well.

Apple Watch Series 4, Pink Band

Gold Aluminum Case / Pink

$349.00

At first I wasn’t a fan. I have an iPad and iPhone and I didn’t want another device to charge. However now it’s an integral part of my travel gear. It not only helps me stay connected, but shows my walking distance per day, heart rate and helps me stay physically fit. Love it.

Tile Pro with Replaceable Battery – 2 pack

Tile trackers

$47.16

You can these little tiles on whatever you normally lose (or can’t find) like your house keys, purse, or even your dog / cat. You can push a button on your phone app and it plays a tune to help you find it. Or you can press the tile to find your phone. How cool!

Living in the Philippines it’s often difficult to get ahold of the best quality merchandise and take advantage of the USA cheaper prices. While Amazon will now ship directly to the Philippines you will often have to pay customs and duties. Sometimes no problem, but other times you can run into someone corrupt who demands high fees to release your box.

Instead, you can use a Balikbayan service. I use Forex Cargo US (click to learn more) – once you sign up online they give you an address in California and a box number. Then you can order from Amazon, Ebay, Etsy or any American store, they deliver your products to the Forex address where they hold them for you.

When you’re ready to ship to the Philippines you just request Forex to repack everything and ship it. It normally takes a bit over a month to reach Manila via sea, or a week if you ship by air. No duties or customs – just the price to ship the box. Normally about $60 USD.. There’s no weight restriction, so you can pack in as much as you want.

If you don’t have a credit card you can just show Forex what items you want, they will buy it for you and you’ll have to pay them.

I usually ship every four months. The quality and selection is so much better, and the prices are cheaper even when you add in the shipping fee.