My travel gear

Compression socks

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When I started taking The Pill for more than one month at a time, my gynecologist recommended wearing compression socks on any flight that’s over three hours. Even when you don’t take medication that can cause blood clots, it’s a great idea to wear compression socks to improve your blood circulation when you’re sitting still for a long time.

Merino legging/long Johns

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I wore merino wool for the first time when traveling to Canada in winter and was so happy with it! I recommend wearing a merino wool legging under your normal trousers or ski pants. I also wear these under jeans in winter when I need to be outside for a long time.

Merino top base layer

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I love my long-sleeve baselayer. It’s super basic so I an wear it underneath just about everything and it keeps me nice and warm whether I’m out exploring a city in winter or up in the mountains somewhere. I have two from Icebreaker and one from Arc’teryx.

Arc’teryx Patera Parka

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This elegant winter parka is as warm as it is stylish. Made with Gore-Tex, it’s waterproof, windproof and breathable so you don’t need to worry about sweating in it as the material allows moisture vapour to escape. I love how even the hood is a perfect fit and how lightweight this coat is despite it being super warm. It’s not cheap but it’s one hell of a winter coat.

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These hiking pants are so comfortable. They’re super lightweight and made of a stretchy material that provides protection against ultraviolet radiation both in the sun and in the snow. It feels really thin but I wear them even in winter with the Patera Parka mentioned above over them and like that they’re not too cold. The pants also have two zippered thigh pockets and a waist elastic for when you want the pants to fit more tightly.

Fjällräven Keb Touring Down Jacket

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This is the ideal travel jacket for me. It’s super lightweight while being warm as well as wind and waterproof. I can easily stuff it in my backpack and when it comes back out, it still looks great. I also love how it’s a bit longer so that it keeps your back and behind warm even when you sit down. It also has plenty of (hidden) pockets.

North Face ThermoBall Hybrid Hoodie

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A super lightweight jacket for late sprig, early far or cooler summer nights that you can easily stow away. The only downside is that it doesn’t hold up in a downpour.

Speakeasy Travel Scarf

Speakeasy catalogus
The Speakeasy travel scarves have a secret pocket with zipper that allows you to store your money, phone, passport or other small valueable items without anyone noticing. Plus, they look cool!

Havaianas flip flops

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These comfortable flip-flops saved me when I had sore feet in Barcelona. I roamed the city in them for a day and they offered surprising support.
Read the full Review

Merino wool socks

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Merino wool socks come in a lot of varieties. I have some that look like real walking socks, but I also have plain black once that you can easily wear under regular clothes to have warm feet all winter long.

Teva walking sandals

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I’ve put off wearing walking sandals for a long time as even I have my limits when it comes to putting comfort over style, but these Teva’s look cute and spare my feet, knees, and back while I walk around all day.

SD memory cards

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I use SD cards in my smartphone, my point-and-shoot camera, my digital camera and my GoPro. When I bought my first one, my dad recommended the Sandisk brand and I’ve stuck with that.

Samsung Galaxy S23

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When my Samsung Galaxy S20 became too old and slow to run certain apps, I bought the Samsung Galaxy S21. A few years later I switched to the S23. It’s super user-friendly, great for taking photos and I love the large but not ultra-large screen. Thanks to the easy drag-and-drop way of adding files to and moving them from the phone, I much prefer my Samsung to an iPhone.

Mini power strip

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I don’t always bring this, but a mini power strip does come in handy when you’re traveling overseas and only have one universal adapter or when you’re in a place that simply doesn’t have a lot of plug holes :-)

Macbook Pro

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I’ve wondered long and hard whether I should get a MacBook Air or not. I decided not to because I don’t find OS as intuitive as a lot of people do. So far, this HP Elitebook has been serving me just fine. I love the keyboard, the fact that it’s 14” and how light it is. One downside is the battery life. Finally, after a few years, I did get a Macbook Pro

Portable hard drives

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I used to have only one portable hard drive as a backup drive but as my HP Elitebook only has 8 GB of storage, I now use two (one of 1TB and one of 2TB) and put everything on them instead of on the laptop.

USB sticks

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Even with the portable hard drives, USB sticks are so handy when you just quickly want to transfer something or share data with someone that’s too big to send them. I make sure I always have at least one with me.

Portable chargers

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Indispensable when traveling. When I actively use my phone it doesn’t last a day, so I always make sure I have at least one portable charger with me. Sometimes I even carry two, of which one has the option to charge both a phone and a tablet at the same time.

Kindle Paperwhite

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While I still prefer reading paper books, a Kindle is indispensable for travel. It’s light, has amazing battery life and can hold hundreds of books in the fraction of the size and weight of a paper book.

Universal plug

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Indispensable. Imagine bringing your laptop, phone, tablet, and camera, but then not being able to charge them because the chargers don’t fit.

Fuji XE1 camera body

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After years of using a point-and-shoot camera, I decided to upgrade as there were some things I wanted to do that I just couldn’t with my small Canon Ixus. I didn’t want to lug around a heavy DSLR, so this Fuji XE1 seemed like the perfect compromise between practicality and functionality.

Fuji XF 18-55mm

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I bought my Fuji XE1 as a package together with these two lenses: one for everyday use and one for when I need that little bit of extra zoom.

Fuji XC 50-230 mm lenses

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I bought my Fuji XE1 as a package together with these two lenses: one for everyday use and one for when I need that little bit of extra zoom.

Extra Fuji battery

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Because you don’t want your camera to die the moment you’re taking that winning shot.

Camera cleaning kit

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I’m always super careful with electronics, especially when they’re new. With a cleaning kit like this I know I’m at least using the right tools to clear my camera from dust and dirt.

Joby GorillaPod

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You can asily carry this mini tripod in your backpack or hang it around your camera bag. Thanks to the flexible legs you can attach it to anything and the ballhead makes sure you can always put your camera straight.

GoPro Hero Black edition

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I still have the Hero3+ Black edition and don’t feel like I need to upgrade because I only use this camera on the rare occasion that I’m doing something active :D Though I must say I love the wide angle and should probably use it more.

GoPro LCD Touch Bac Pac

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The new GoPro Hero4 Silver edition has an inbuilt screen, but the edition I have doesn’t. As I sometimes found it annoying not to know for sure if I was aiming the GoPro correctly, I bought the extra touchscreen that comes with different housings to protect it as well as the camera.

GoPro Headstrap Mount

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This GoPro accessory comes in handy when you want to let people see things through your eyes. It’s especially great for activities like snowboarding.

GoPro extendable pole

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Because your arms are never really long enough to take that selfie, are they?

Eagle Creek Pack-It Cubes

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I love these. They’re great for keeping your things tightly together and for separating your dirty from your clean clothes.

Pacsafe Citysafe 100 GII anti-theft handbag

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This bag has an anti-theft design, is comfortable and good looking. The different inner pockets make it easy to quickly find what you need.
Read my review

Crumpler trolley

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I love this trolley. It has lots of pockets to organize your stuff, like a protective laptop sleeve and is the perfect carry-on size.

Eastpak Egghead

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I often take my Eastpak Egghead laptop backpack with me for one-night trips, or as an extra carry-on because it can hold more than my camera bag. It has a ton of handy compartments.

Thule Subterra 75 L

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This handy suitcase if my go-to when I allow myself the luxury of checking luggage, or whenever I go on a road trip and can pack all the things :D It’s divided into two big compartments, making it easy to separate clothes from shoes, a toiletry bag, and other bigger items.

Travel water kettle

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I’m a bit of a tea addict and as I’ve learned that it’s not custom in some countries (I’m looking at you, Germany) to have a water kettle in your hotel room, I got myself a mini one to bring along.

Earplugs

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It doesn’t matter if I’m sleeping in a hostel or a five-star hotel, I always wear earplugs. It’s a habit that dates back to when I lived in busy Antwerp as a student.

J-Pillow

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This is literally the best travel pillow ever. It’s so good because it supports your neck and head all-around. No dropping your head frontward because your chin isn’t supported. Honestly, try it. You’ll never use another travel pillow again.

Intimina menstrual cup

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Ever since I’ve tried this menstrual cup, I’ve been hooked. It’s so much more comfortable than pads or tampons and way less of a hassle, especially when traveling. It’s healthier too and you don’t need to switch it as often as the other options.
Read our Lily Cup review here.

Solid travel toiletries

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If you want to travel light, solid toiletries are a must. I have a solid conditioner and shower bar as well as a solid deodorant and solid toothpaste tabs, all from the brand Lush. They last me longer than liquid toiletries and they don’t count as liquids in your hand luggage which is great!
Read my review here.

Travel hair dryer

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I don’t use this as often, but it comes in handy when I’m traveling in winter and am not sure whether there will be a hairdryer at the hotel or at my rental apartment. Especially when I travel for conferences, I often don’t have the time to let my hair dry naturally before I head out.

Solid shampoo

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Solid shampoo is great for when you want to travel carry-on only. It cleans your hair just as well as a regular shampoo and there are organic options available too.

Solid conditioner

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Just like solid shampoo, solid conditioner comes in very handy if you don’t want to pack too many fluids. plus, it smells nice!

Solid deodorant

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If you choose the right one, a solid deodorant won’t count as a liquid when packing it in your carry-on. Aside from that, solid deodorants are usually pretty small so they’re easy to take with you on a day trip.

Toothpaste tabs

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Crunch a toothy tab it with your teeth and start brushing! Takes up much less space than toothpaste and you’ve got different flavors to choose from.

Travel size containers

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These travel size containers are super handy if you want to bring your own toiletry products without crossing carry-on liquid limits. I use them for facial cream, body lotion and toothpaste when I run out of toothy tabs.