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I love everything on this page (that’s why it’s on this page) but the ones with yellow backgrounds are things I love a little bit more.
Travel services
AllTrails – AllTrails is my favorite hiking app. It helps you find hikes, keep track of ones you want to do with lists, and track your activity.
Hostelworld – This is my favorite hostel-finding source. If I’m going to a city in the US I’ll usually check it to see if they have any and how they compare to hotels. I always use it if I’m traveling abroad.
Skyscanner – This is usually how I find flights. Sometimes I’ll book here and sometimes I search here then go to the airline website, depending on my mood.
Discover Cars – If you need to rent a car, Discover Cars is a great option for that.
Booking – This is a great place to book hotels. We all know what Booking.com is by now.
Get Your Guide – Get Your Guide is a great place to book tours around the world.
Viator – Viator is another tour booking option. Some tours are similar but there are others that differ from GYG.
Klook – Klook is another great place to find and book tours and tickets.
Grand Canyon West – If you’re going to the west rim of the Grand Canyon, this is the place to book those tours.
National Park Obsessed – National Park Obsessed has so many incredible national park planners and itineraries. This is the ultimate planning bundle.
Agoda – This is an accommodation booking platform I used a lot in Asia, particularly Taiwan.
VRBO – VRBO is a vacation home rental platform similar to Airbnb.
Tinggly – Tinggly is a travel experience gifting platform. They have experience all around the world and it’s great for birthdays, holidays, and even weddings.
TripAdvisor – When it comes to restaurant, activity, and tour reviews, I’m a TripAdvisor gal, not a Yelp gal. I’ve also used it to book a ghost tour in St. Augustine.
Travel Gear
Packing Cubes – These are a godsend for anyone traveling anywhere. I didn’t understand them, and then I bought them. I use them ALL THE TIME! You can just take one out of your backpack instead of everything when you just need that pair of shorts.
Waterproof headlamp – Headlamps are perfect for hostel dorm dwellers. They let you pack in the middle of the night, into your quiet packing cubes, without turning on the lights to wake everyone up. It’s perfect for walking at night on beaches or in places where power outages are frequent and unexpected. They even double as a book light if you’re not using a Kindle.
Hemlock hat – My Hemlock hat is my beach hat. It’s giant and I love it. I have one without fabric on the bottom but would get one with it next time.
Sunscreen – I love the Hawaiian Tropic sunscreen. It’s lightweight AND reef safe! It is very scented though so keep that in mind. I also love the face version.
Hydroflask Insulated Water bottle – I LOVE this water bottle. We all know what a Hydroflask is by now.
Car Camping Gear
Kammok hammock – I have a Roo single that I love. It’s the color of mac and cheese and pretty light weight. I don’t think as light as Eno if that matters though. But it’s perfect for just regular camping.
RTIC cooler – We have one of those giant coffin sized Yetis, which is great, but this 20 can soft RTIC cooler is a lot more convenient for small trips with easy access to a fridge and ice.
REI Passage 2 Tent – Our tent isn’t available anymore but this one is similar. We’ve used it quite a few times and it’s been great. It’s good for two people, but can be a little cramped if you move around too much.
NEMO Viola sleeping bag – Mine isn’t available anymore but this one is similar. It’s very good in cold weather, not freezing, but in the 40s with leggings on, I was totally fine. It has zipper vent things on the top that are supposed to help it cool down when it’s hot. I don’t know if it really did that. When we camped in south Florida, I was still pretty warm with them open and it was probably in the 60s.
LuminAID lantern – I love this lantern. It’s great for getting around your campsite in the dark, lighting up campground bathrooms at night, and even during power outages at home. You can plug it in to charge it or just let the sun do the work.
REI Ruckpack 18 – This is the daypack I have and it’s awesome. It’s lightweight, has water bottle pockets that my 40-ounce Hydro Flask fits in, and it comes in nice colors.
REI Camp Wrap – This is totally unnecessary, but I love it. It’s basically a blanket poncho and it doubles as a good blanket for sleeping in warmer weather. I used it two nights in south Florida and it was perfect for when my sleeping bag was too hot.
Technology
Kindle Paperwhite – This is my favorite thing and it goes almost everywhere with me. It’s perfect for reading in the sun or in the dark and you can change the brightness to your liking. And they can hold approximately one zillion books. (I’ve upgraded to the Kindle basic now).
Nintendo Switch – I got a Nintendo Switch this year and I love it! It’s fun at home but will be perfect to bring along on long car rides. And probably long flights!
Anker power bank – I have two of these and they’re great. I also have some cords from them that I like. I’ll pretty much only get Anker power banks and cords going forward since I know I like them and they work without bursting into flame.
Camera Gear
Canon G10 – This is the camera I brought with me to Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines. It’s not the top camera out there, but it’s compact and still takes great pictures. There are newer models but this one has worked great for years. If you don’t want a basic point and shoot or a DSLR, this is a great option.
Fuji XT2 – This is the camera I use now and love it! It’s mirrorless, so it’s smaller and lighter than a traditional nonmirrorless DSLR. It took a little getting used to, but it’s pretty easy to use once you figure out where everything is.
50-200 mm lens – This is the larger zoom lens I have and it’s worked really well so far. It’s got a great zoom range and the quality has been great.
18-55 mm lens – This is a great starter lens, but it’s not the best out there. That said, the quality is still really good but if you’re a pro, I’d get something better. If you want this one, I would get it with the body (that’s what I linked) instead of separately.
Clothing
I would highly recommend Depop and Mercari to find a lot of clothes secondhand, especially Patagonia! I’ve found so many sweatshirts under $50 on there.
Manitobah Mukluks – I LOVE my Manitobah Mukluks. I have four pairs. The Harvester in oak, the leather Snowy Owl in cocoa, and two pairs no longer available (a low leather moccasin, and a low warm boot). The snowy owl is my favorite. They’re so warm and I’ve hiked probably 40+ miles in them since December 2021 and they’re still in great shape.
Darn Tough Vermont – I love my Darn Tough socks. I only have one pair right now but I think next time I need hiking socks, I’ll get these again.
Patagonia Re-tool Sweatshirt – I looove this sweatshirt. I wear it all the time. It’s warm, soft, and great for hiking. I also wear it at work a lot, too.
Patagonia Better Sweater – I have a quarter zip and a full zip and I love both of them. I think I like the quarter zip a little more but I would definitely get either again.
Patagonia Synchilla – The other Patagonia sweater I love. I have two of these and they’re so warm. They’re great for winter.
Forsake Patch Hiking Boots – I LOVE these hiking boots. I wanted hiking boots that didn’t look like regular hiking boots and these are the ones. They are comfortable, waterproof, and come in a few different colors.
Chaco sandals – I live in my Chacos. I love them. They’re great for hiking in water and water activities since they were made for rafting. I tried Teva, too, and I’m still firmly team Chaco.
Other goodies and services (for at home and on the road)
Libro.fm – This is my new go-to audiobook app to supplement my Everand use as I migrate away from Spotify. Use code SWITCH to get three credits for the price of one with the one credit per month plan.
Everand – This is my go-to audiobook app (I’m on the old legacy plan so it’s different). It also has regular ebooks but I just use it for audio. It’s $11 a month and that gets you one book unlocked (not to keep though) or $16 for three unlocks, both include their free library too.
Pango Books – This is one of my favorite places to look for books secondhand, from other readers. Get $5 off your first $10 order with code HEYIMREADING
Thriftbooks – This is one of my favorite places to buy cheap used books. It’s super easy to get rewards for free books, too.
Who Gives A Crap? – I order my toilet paper from here and I love it. The packaging isn’t just fun, but plastic free and compostable, too!
Gneiss Spice – These are magnetic, refillable, zero waste spices and I love them. You can buy large and small jars (full or empty) then refill packs after that and those come in composable packaging. They have tons of single spices and blends. Get $15 off $75 here.
