Travel Gear We Use: Five items I never travel without

On average, I travel twice a month, either by car or plane. I'm in airports at least once a month. This is not as much travel as some people, to be sure, but it's enough that I've pared down my carry-on luggage to include only the essentials. Whether I'm traveling with my kids or solo for work, these five items are always with me. Number 5: My S'well insulated water bottle I own and love … [Read more...]

DeLorme inReach or SPOT Gen3: Which GPS messenger to buy for outdoor adventure

Do your teens hike without you? Do you venture into the backcountry as a family? In winter, do you like to snowshoe, camp, or ski off-piste? If you answered 'yes' to any of the above, you've probably considered outfitting yourself or your kids with a GPS device for the field. In our opinion, these two devices are the best on the market for hikers, backpackers, and backcountry skiers. Here's our … [Read more...]

Travel Gear We Use: GlocalMe WiFi hotspot for travel

Let’s get real about WiFi usage and fees while traveling internationally as a family. When we travel, we embrace being off-the-grid most of the time, but we absolutely need wifi at various times. Sometimes, this is due to necessity: we need turn-by-turn directions out of a foreign city, or we need to call the credit card company to check our damage (I mean, balance). Other times, someone needs to … [Read more...]

Travel gear we use: Best shoulder season hoodie

Everyone needs the perfect shoulder season hoodie, whether they travel with kids, adventure travel, camp and ski, or all of the above (like us!). This review, featuring the Appalachian Gear Company's All-Paca fleece hoodie, is the last you'll need to read. What makes this hoodie so great: It's made from 100 percent Alpaca fiber, which makes it super soft, lightweight, easy to pack, never … [Read more...]

Van life gear review: Thule Transporter Combi review

Much like last summer, most Americans will opt to travel by car instead of air this year, with a big uptick in road trip travel once it’s safe to do so. To kick off the start of the summer travel season, with hopes that travel will soon be part of our plans again, I tested out Thule’s Transporter Combi hitch-mounted cargo box. For me, this is the summer of #vanlife, during … [Read more...]

Travel Gear We Use: Must-have products for road trips

The family road trip really is where the rubber meets the road. And this year, summer road trip travel will be bigger than ever. When it comes to the best products for road trips, we prefer useful items to flashy ones, the tried-and-true over the new-fangled. There are many, many items to bring on your next road trip, but these must-have products for road trips are ALWAYS in the car. 1. A … [Read more...]

Travel Gear We Use: All-time favorite healthy travel snacks

Today's Travel Gear We Use segment isn't exactly gear, but does help us as we travel: we're rounding up our favorite healthy travel snacks. There are many, many products out there that claim to be wholesome, organic, and tasty. We've tried almost all of them. Yet, this list is short. Very short. Why? Let's be real: most so-called healthy travel snacks are gross. Even my kids, who know their way … [Read more...]

Travel Gear We Use: 30 Road Trip Products

I know, your car is already packed to the gills for your family road trip. But trust us, you need these 30 road trip products and ideas to make your travel day run smoothly. We travel every month of the year, and test new road trip products every time we hit the road. Check out our list of road trip gear, updated to include new gear for 2017, and see what you're missing! Road trip safety … [Read more...]

Travel Gear We Use: Abiie Huggs baby carrier review

Reviewed by our baby and toddler gear tester, Karyssa Booth.  Time for a baby carrier review! I received the Abiie Huggs carrier in the mail a couple months before my daughter could fit into it. I waited until she was about five months old before I used it. On initial inspection, I was a little overwhelmed by how many buttons, clips, and snaps it had. I am still figuring out new functions of the … [Read more...]

Outdoor gear brands that give back

As a gear reviewer and travel writer, I am familiar with many travel brands and outdoor gear companies. As we head into this year's 'giving season', I'd like to highlight just a few that donate significantly to a charitable cause or program...not just during the holidays but all year long! Outdoor gear brands that give back: Lifestraw: Lifestraw makes filtered straws that make contaminated … [Read more...]