First, for future people who are going to ask me next year when the gear post is coming: it will come as soon as I can get it done. I\u2019ll do a gear post every year until I die or stop traveling, so no need to worry about it. The delay this year was coordinating a time to get the pictures taken, but hopefully the new stuff makes it worth it. I think this is one of the best gear posts ever! <\/p>\n
In case you haven\u2019t read the last 18 years of gear posts, my goal is to have the best possible gear with the most wide ranging capability in the smallest form factor possible. Yes, I know some of this stuff is expensive and borderline ridiculous, but I travel for at least half the year and the incremental benefits are worth it to me.<\/p>\n
They may not be worth it for you, but at least you\u2019ll know what the best possible thing is and can work backwards from there. At the very least, get all wool clothing and shoot for around a 20 liter backpack. I have friends with totally different priorities and gear, but they all stick with around the same backpack size.<\/p>\n
Some links are affiliate links. Some aren\u2019t. I promise it has zero bearing on whether or not I recommend things. I also sometimes receive products, and that does make me more likely to try a product, but it won\u2019t affect how I rank them.<\/p>\n
As with last year, I will note when things are new and perfect. Perfect doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s permanent, but it means that there are no obvious improvements that I would hope for with current technology.<\/p>\n
The only thing that was removed this year and not replaced with something else was the travel blazer. I still have it, but it\u2019s not in my bag most of the time.<\/p>\n
Wool and Prince Merino Henley<\/strong> Perfect<\/em><\/p>\n This is my fourth year using the Henley instead of a more traditional button-down. I like both, but the Henley is so soft and comfortable that it makes a big difference when trying to sleep on planes or curl up and read a book. It also has a lot more stretch, so it\u2019s better for active things. It also seems to be totally indestructible. I\u2019ve never replaced it and it looks exactly as it did new. (Wow, I just saw the new colors they have when I clicked to make sure the link worked\u2026 maybe I will be an ochre guy if this one ever wears out)<\/p>\n Buy at Wool and Prince<\/a><\/p>\n Wool and Prince V-Neck T-Shirt<\/strong><\/p>\n This might be the longest running item on the gear list, though I\u2019m not sure. Maybe I should start tracking how many years everything makes it and it would be like a competition. As always, I love this shirt but wish it had a pocket for folded up boarding passes.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re new to the gear post, this is probably a good time to say that the only reason I\u2019m able to keep my packing so light is because I wear wool. I routinely wear this shirt 7-14 days in a row without washing it, and it stays fresh. Wool and Prince is my favorite wool company, but there are other good ones out there, too. I damaged my Wool and Prince one this year so it was a good opportunity to try SmartWool again, but I bought another Wool and Prince shortly after.<\/p>\n This is literally the only shirt I wear all year, even when I\u2019m at home, unless I have to go to a wedding. I generally switch colors every year, which shocks the people in my life because they\u2019re so used to seeing me in one color.<\/p>\n When I became the godfather to my friend Noah<\/a>\u2018s daughter, he got a Wool and Prince V-Neck embroidered with \u201cEl Padrino\u201d for me.<\/p>\n The v-neck is now less deep than previous years. I wish it was the old depth, but overall it\u2019s about the same.<\/p>\n Buy at Wool and Prince<\/a><\/p>\n Wool and Prince Stretch Canvas Pants<\/strong><\/p>\n These pants made it another year! They look like black jeans, have a really good amount of stretch, and are comfortable and durable, but I\u2019ve had issues with the pockets ripping in the past, as have my friends.<\/p>\n But\u2026 they have redesigned the pockets and use new material. So far so good. I actually haven\u2019t been wearing these recently because I\u2019m testing the new denim jeans, but I\u2019m not ready to switch my recommendation just yet.<\/p>\n These are 55% merino wool, which is higher than most wool pant blends. You need some material besides wool to keep it durable, but despite these being a higher amount they have been extremely durable. I\u2019ve put them through their paces, worn them every non-warm day, and they\u2019re in perfect shape.<\/p>\n These pants were gone last year, but apparently they were just out of stock. Phew!<\/p>\n Buy at Wool and Prince<\/a><\/p>\n Faherty All Day Shorts 9\u2033 <\/strong>New<\/em><\/p>\n A year or two ago a reader suggested Faherty shorts, and I was lucky enough to remember the name as I was looking for a new pair. And\u2026 WOW are these shorts great!<\/p>\n What makes shorts like these special is that they look good enough to wear every day as shorts, but they dry quickly and have a draw string. The draw string doesn\u2019t serve a huge function if the shorts are the right size, but by tying it together and popping it over the waistband I feel like the shorts look like a bathing suit enough that you don\u2019t look out of place swimming in them. All of the pockets have a mesh portion to drain.<\/p>\n The material is even better than rip curl, they look much less casual, and they seem to dry just as fast (I swam in a cold swimming pool in late November just to give them a full test).<\/p>\n I removed the \u201cperfect\u201d on these because the fabric started pilling after a couple years of moderate use. I still wear them, but it\u2019s annoying that they don\u2019t stay in better shape.<\/p>\n Buy at Faherty<\/a><\/p>\n Wool and Prince Boxer Briefs<\/strong><\/p>\n I decided to try Wool and Prince last year, and have made the switch back to them. I found that the Icebreaker ones would last a year (~180 wears), but no longer. A year later the Wool and Prince ones retain their stretch better and look brand new.<\/p>\n My one complaint is that the waistband wrinkles\/folds over, unlike Icebreaker. Wool & Prince is trying to figure it out and thinks it may be due to laundry habits. I had a brand new pair that I was being careful with to try to figure out what causes the waistband to have issues, but I didn\u2019t figure it out.<\/p>\n I switched to trunks because every once in a rare while there\u2019s some reason I need to be wearing my underwear in mixed company. Two years ago I found myself jumping into the ocean in Greenland to swim to an iceberg in front of some bewildered cruise passengers.<\/p>\n Buy at Wool and Prince<\/a><\/p>\n TimmerMade<\/strong> Custom SUL .75<\/strong> New Perfect<\/em><\/p>\n The Montbell has been replaced! I\u2019ve worn the lightest montbell jacket available since at least 2012, but no longer! However it\u2019s still the most sane choice probably.<\/p>\n TimmerMade stuff is made by a guy named Dan Timmer. Dan REALLY cares about gear and makes the warmest stuff by weight. Someone who cares even more about outdoor gear than me measured everything and made a spreadsheet to rank it all.<\/p>\n But you can\u2019t just order from TimmerMade. They have so much demand and don\u2019t want to raise prices (I guess?) so they have an insane lottery system. Every month you have to answer a one question quiz about how they make their products. For example:<\/p>\n \u201cIf I took the down fill out of a 6\u2033 wide chamber in the footbox of the smallest width Serpentes fetal 20f and I put it into a box that is 6\u2033 long x 12\u2033 wide x 10\u2033 deep, what depth would the down reach?\u201d<\/p>\n So if you want a jacket, you have to learn about how he makes sleeping bags. Then if you answer you\u2019re in a lottery to get a production slot. It took me a few months, but I finally got one.<\/p>\n I explained what I wanted (basically the same specs as a MontBell, but with the benefits of his designs) and he spent a week trying to talk me out of it. He basically hated every choice I made and we essentially went back and forth with him telling me the jacket won\u2019t be good, and me saying I\u2019m already pretty happy with the MontBell, so any improvement is worth it to me.<\/p>\n I even had to justify what I was going to put in the pockets! Anyway, he was very gracious and made the jacket I wanted, and I\u2019m super happy with it.<\/p>\n It\u2019s almost exactly the same weight as the MontBell, but it feels like it packs down a little bit easier. It\u2019s maybe 20% warmer or so (absolute guess), and has a much better collar that keeps your neck super warm. It\u2019s also a denser exterior fabric (he REALLY didn\u2019t want to use the same density as MontBell). It also feels like it is a bit better in the wind without a shell over it than the MontBell.<\/p>\n The only odd thing is that it seems like feathers come out more easily than the MontBell.<\/p>\n If I didn\u2019t write a gear post I probably wouldn\u2019t have upgraded, but I\u2019m glad I did. I really like the jacket a lot.<\/p>\n Buy at TimmerMade<\/a><\/p>\n Rab Cinder Phantom<\/strong><\/p>\n I loved the idea of the windbreaker as a shell until I found myself running through a storm in Riga<\/a>, soaking wet, desperately trying to find a working ATM so that I could get cash to get to the airport.<\/p>\n What I\u2019ve learned about waterproof shells is that the lightest ones are made for bikers. This makes for a slightly shorter cut (in the photo it\u2019s folded over, not super short), but they look normal enough for regular use. After a ridiculous amount of research I ended up on the Rab Cinder Phantom.<\/p>\n This is the second year I\u2019ve had this, and I\u2019m surprised every time it actually keeps me dry. It\u2019s as light as tissue-paper, but has never worn or ripped despite a lot of use.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t be tempted to get pullovers. You can save a tiny bit of weight but they are really annoying and have fewer options for temperature regulation.<\/p>\n Besides keeping you dry, a shell is critical for the coldest weather, as it traps the heat when worn on top of the Mont Bell plasma. Between the two you have a range of warmth ranging from unzipped plasma in the spring and fall to zipped plasma with shell for winter and snow.<\/p>\n The Rab Cinder is 3.5oz, which is a full 25% lighter than the last one, and it is definitely waterproof. The only thing I don\u2019t like about it is the stuff sack is tricky to use and the hood doesn\u2019t follow your head very well when you turn it.<\/p>\n I\u2019m giving it a perfect score because I already thought MontBell was perfect and it\u2019s better.<\/p>\n Buy at Rab<\/a><\/p>\n FarPointe Alpha Wool<\/strong> Beanie<\/strong><\/p>\n I thought this hat wouldn\u2019t last more than a year, but I still wear it. It weighs 21 grams and actually adds a meaningful amount of warmth, especially with a shell hood over it. The don\u2019t have the exact same hat anymore, but I linked to the closest thing.<\/p>\n Buy at Farpointe<\/a><\/p>\n Merrel Hydro Moc<\/strong> Next<\/strong><\/p>\n These shoes are similar to those I wore in prior years, but they have a real sole made of harder rubber. I tried them on a lark because when the other soles wear out they become very slippery.<\/p>\n I love these shoes and was tempted to label them as perfect, but I\u2019m not sure that label can be applied to shoes that look like this. Then again\u2026 I did wear them to a wedding this year and wasn\u2019t kicked out.<\/p>\n The point of wearing shoes like this is that you don\u2019t need to wear\/pack\/wash socks, which is a hard requirement for me. Most shoes like this (e.g. Crocs) don\u2019t quite have enough ventilation to never smell bad. These do. Unlike normal shoes, they can also be used as water shoes and they dry quickly and easily.<\/p>\n I tried another pair of more normal shoes on a couple trips this year and they didn\u2019t last. I\u2019m trying another one now. I really would like to have shoes that look acceptable to polite society, but I\u2019m just not willing to wear socks or shoes that smell bad.<\/p>\n Buy at Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n Roav Eyewear Lennox Sunglasses<\/strong> with Transition Lenses<\/strong><\/p>\n These are the smallest folding sunglasses you can get. They look really good, weigh almost nothing, and have survived years of use without issues.<\/p>\n The only thing I don\u2019t like about them is that the nose pads flop around too much.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve always hated the case that these came with, since it seemed too big for the small amount of protection it provided. ROAV also sells a fake leather pouch that looked similar. Ever since I got them I wanted to make a custom pouch.<\/p>\n A couple years ago in Madrid some friends organized a leather making workshop where we all got to make our own projects, so I made this little case.<\/p>\n Last year I switched from carrying glasses and sunglasses separately to carrying just one with transition lenses. It\u2019s a compromise, but one I\u2019m happy to make given how infrequently I wear sunglasses. That said, it\u2019s pretty clear when wearing these that they aren\u2019t as good as regular sunglasses.<\/p>\n I chose Transitions XTRActive lenses because they will darken even in a car and they seemed to be the darkest. I\u2019d say in reality they\u2019re just barely dark enough to make a difference. As normal glasses they work perfectly, so having sunglasses in a pinch is a bonus.<\/p>\n Buy at ROAV<\/a> + Lenses at Lensabl<\/a><\/p>\n Seiko Astron GPS Watch<\/strong> Perfect<\/em><\/p>\n I wrote an entire article about this watch<\/a>, but here\u2019s the gist of why I switched from my Breitling mechanical watch:<\/p>\n I used to be enamored with traditional watchmaking (and still am, to an extent), but this watch really shattered some illusions. I believe this is the watch great watchmakers would make today, given that back in the 1800s they were using all available technology.<\/p>\n This watch syncs the time every day via GPS so that it\u2019s always correct, can find your timezone and set the time anywhere in the world, remains charged via solar (and can survive two years in the dark), and looks and feels like a normal analog watch. It\u2019s even titanium, so it\u2019s very light.<\/p>\n I\u2019d consider getting the newest model that has a stopwatch now, but I prefer how mine looks and don\u2019t need a stopwatch badly enough to switch.<\/p>\n I linked to Chrono24 below which has ALL GPS Astron watches. My specific one is an SBXC117<\/a>. <\/p>\n Buy at Chrono24<\/a><\/p>\n Triple Aught Designs Axiom S2 VX Pack<\/strong><\/p>\n Wow, new backpack! This does not happen often. If you read this post every year, you know that my biggest gripe is that the Minaal Daily doesn\u2019t have enough good organization. Well, the TAD Axiom S2 totally solves that problem!<\/p>\n It has a similar main compartment to the Minaal. It opens up all the way and has roughly the same amount of storage. But then in front of that pocket it has an organizer pocket that zips halfway down. It has so many awesome pockets in it that almost everything I need while I\u2019m traveling is reachable there.<\/p>\n On the top it has a small pocket that\u2019s big enough for a charger, glasses, and headphones, which are the things I\u2019m most likely to grab quickly.<\/p>\n One side has a laptop pocket, and the other side has a water bottle pocket that drains outside. Perfect for the Kanpai water bottle that leaks if you don\u2019t really cinch it down.<\/p>\n The material is pretty cool, though I probably prefer the Minaal material overall. I also wish that the laptop pocket was accessible from the top.<\/p>\n I love the look of the bag and I find it very comfortable. I might make a video or live broadcast to show how I pack this thing.<\/p>\n They have a variety of materials. I chose the VX because it was the lightest and is fully waterproof (though I haven\u2019t put that to a very serious test yet).<\/p>\n Recommended to me last year through the comments here by Denis.<\/p>\n Buy at Triple Aught Design<\/a><\/p>\n Sea to Summit Ultra-sil Packable Daypack<\/strong><\/p>\n I had something like this years ago, stopped carrying it, and then went on enough cruises in a row that I really wished I had something I could easily take to the beach or on a hike. The bag is so small and light that it\u2019s really a no-brainer if you ever use it at all. It\u2019s perfect for a towel and for hiding your wallet, or for stuffing jackets into as you hike. Stuffing it back into the sac is very annoying, but given that I use it a dozen times a year or so, I like how compact it is.<\/p>\n Buy at Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n Kem Vintage WWII Playing Cards <\/strong>Perfect<\/em><\/p>\n These were made during WWII for US soldiers. You can\u2019t tell very well from the picture, but the cards are tiny, maybe 1\/3 the size of normal cards. I used to carry these around everywhere when I was practicing memorization, but then I stopped.<\/p>\n Now my wife, friends, and I are obsessed with this three-player Chinese card game called \u201cfight the landlord\u201d, so we carry these around to play.<\/p>\n Finding these cards is impossible now. I have a couple decks, but only one that has the jokers (necessary for our game). A reader once offered me a few decks he had collected, but I didn\u2019t take him up on it. Huge regret!<\/p>\n Can\u2019t buy anywhere\u2026 sometimes on ebay or etsy.<\/p>\n Philips One Toothbrush<\/strong><\/p>\n I like having an electric toothbrush, and this one is good enough. I wish it was more powerful, but this one is a big enough improvement over a non-electric that I\u2019m happy with the compromise.<\/p>\n Now I have the rechargeable one, and it uses a stupid proprietary plug! I really don\u2019t want to carry that around, so I may switch back to battery once it dies.<\/p>\n My toiletry bag is from Swiss Air business class. A pro tip\u2014 search ebay for business class amenity kits. A lot of them are stupid, but in general they are the only toiletry bags that are small. I bought five of these on ebay and gave a couple to family members.<\/p>\n Buy at Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n Scissors and Nail Clippers <\/strong>Perfect<\/em><\/p>\n The nail clippers are my trusty Henckels Ultra-Slim Nail Clippers<\/a>. This is the same pair I\u2019ve had for six years and they\u2019re still just as sharp and effective as ever.<\/p>\n The scissors are Tweezerman GEAR Scissors<\/a>. I think that I actually bought some fancier Dovo Solingen ones when I thought I lost these, but to be honest I can\u2019t tell the difference from a practical standpoint, so it\u2019s better to just buy these.<\/p>\n Make sure you get the rounded tips. Most places don\u2019t care, but I went through security three times in Australia recently and they were militant about checking to make sure the tips were rounded.<\/p>\n Keith Titanium Travel Tea Set<\/strong> Perfect<\/em><\/p>\n I know the portion of people reading a gear post who actually want tea gear is vanishingly small, but this is maybe my favorite item on the entire list. It\u2019s an absolutely perfect tea set, made of titanium, and the next best alternative is SO much worse that I have a spare set just to make sure I never have to go without. I also bought an extra cup so that I can serve three guests instead of only two.<\/p>\n I modified the set by anodizing the titanium and cutting off the handle of the fairness pitcher. The titanium imparts no flavor and is virtually indestructible. If you love tea and you travel, you should have this.<\/p>\n The cups and gaiwan are double walled so they are never hot to the touch, and the shape and edges are ideal.<\/p>\n Even though I marked it as perfect, I wish there was some way for the interior of the cups and gaiwan to be white to better sea the color of the tea. I think it\u2019s just not possible with titanium, though.<\/p>\n They actually make a new version of this now, but in my opinion it is worse. I bought it and planned to switch, but went back to my old one. I am using the lid from the new one because it has a mesh built in, which is useful for finely cut Japanese teas.<\/p>\n Buy at AliExpress<\/a> <\/p>\n Kanpai Titanium 350 Thermos and 3D Printed Tea Containers<\/strong> Perfect<\/em><\/p>\n This is the lightest double wall water bottle you can get. I love the extra-wide mouth and the no-taper design that makes it easy to clean and to store things inside. It comes with three tops but I just use the hot water one. It\u2019s absolutely perfect for keeping boiled water in. I replaced the noisy rubber seal with an o-ring, and it works perfectly.<\/p>\n As soon as I got my 3D printer I designed and printed a set of stacking tea containers designed to take up about 95% of the interior volume. I can now hold 50% more tea than I could before. They were hard for me to make, especially because they were the first time I tried to make screw threads, which took a lot of trial and error.<\/p>\n The tea containers hold NFC tags and made a script using Tasker so that I can use to electronically label the teas. You can download the files and print your own here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Buy at Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n 300W Immersion Water Heater<\/strong><\/p>\n In case it\u2019s not obvious, I put this in the Kanpai Thermos and use it to boil water. Often I\u2019ll put the top on and wait until I\u2019m in the air before I make my tea. You can also ask for hot water on the airplane, but it\u2019s sometimes not very good because of mineral buildup.<\/p>\n The model with the switch is no longer available, but I might go without it anyway. I once had someone turn on the switch when it wasn\u2019t in water and we almost burnt an airbnb down. Now I unplug it every time.<\/p>\n It\u2019s very important to get a model that can run on 120v or 240v. I suspect that all of them can and that some manufacturers just don\u2019t bother to label it, but I don\u2019t take the risk. In Europe (or on cruises) you can use 240v to boil 4x faster. 300W is a good compromise between size and speed of boiling.<\/p>\n Buy at Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n Carbon Fiber Money Clip<\/strong> Perfect<\/em><\/p>\n I still have my rather expensive original carbon fiber money clip, but there are cheaper options on Amazon now that seem to be identical, so I\u2019m linking one of those instead. I can\u2019t imagine why someone would use any wallet other than this. It\u2019s super compact and light, doesn\u2019t set off the metal detector, and is very easy to use. Mine has retained its springiness for over a decade now.<\/p>\n Buy at Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7<\/strong> New<\/em> Perfect<\/em><\/p>\n Folding phones are just so good that I feel bad for all non folders out there. You used to have to deal with a thick phone, but the Z Fold 7 is the same thickness folded as a normal phone. You still have to have to fight against the Apple blue-bubble brainwashing, but once you do you\u2019ll never go back.<\/p>\n I thought that I wanted the bigger screen for watching movies on the plane, and while it is noticeably better than a regular phone for that, it\u2019s not the main draw. My favorite thing to use the big screen for is reading (it\u2019s bigger than a Kindle\u2019s screen) and web browsing. I barely prefer a kindle over it, and read way more while traveling now.<\/p>\n I used to hate browsing the web on my phone, but now I do it all the time because the size and shape feels like a normal screen. If I need to copy information from one app to another I just open them side by side and it\u2019s like having two phones. <\/p>\n Everyone predicts that they will hate the crease in the middle of the phone, but you really don\u2019t notice it. The inner display has a punch-out now, which is the one downgrade from the Z Fold 6.<\/p>\n When the phone is closed it is roughly the same as a normal phone.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve had every Fold from the 3 to the 7, and I tend to upgrade every year because they make it very inexpensive to do so and I\u2019m happy for a brand new screen and battery. The 7 is the biggest upgrade in many years.<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t switch to the Pixel Fold because Samsung DEX is a seriously underrated feature. It\u2019s hard to explain, but it essentially runs a virtual computer and sends it to a screen. It\u2019s not just mirroring your phone\u2014 you can use both independently at the same time. I mostly use it to play shows on TVs.<\/p>\n My one wish for this phone is that it would get a better zoom, like 5-10X. Maybe impossible given the other constraints.<\/p>\n I use T-Mobile service with the Global Plus add-on, which gives me free LTE\/5G everywhere. I happened to add it on during the <\/p>\n Buy at Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n Lenovo X1 Carbon 13th Generation<\/strong> New Perfect<\/em><\/p>\n The main story here is that the X1 Carbon is a perfect laptop. It has the best keyboard of any compact laptop, has a touchpoint (and a trackpad, but once you adjust to the touchpoint it\u2019s SO much better), and has a great screen and other specs.<\/p>\n Despite having a bigger screen, the X1 is 20% lighter than a Macbook Air. I think if more Macbook people saw how good this machine is, they would switch.<\/p>\n The screen I chose was the 2800\u00d71800 OLED that can run at 120hz. I\u2019ve never had a laptop that can run at 120hz before, and it really makes for a buttery-smooth experience. I don\u2019t miss 4k at all.<\/p>\n I run Arch Linux + Hyprland on my machine and all of the hardware works perfectly out of the gate, except for the webcam. I ordered a touch screen by accident (imagine my surprise when I accidentally touched the screen and it moved), and it has a webcam that I can\u2019t get working.<\/p>\n The port selection on the computer is perfect (2 USB A, 2 USB C, HDMI).<\/p>\n I upgraded to the 13th generation this year and it\u2019s the first one in many years that is smaller and lighter (now under 1kg!)<\/p>\n Buy at Lenovo<\/a><\/p>\n Mogics Adapter MA1 <\/strong>Perfect<\/em><\/p>\n A couple years ago a reader recommended this travel adapter to me and it\u2019s incredible.<\/p>\n It\u2019s just a tiny cylinder that can convert any plug to a US plug. Unlike previous iterations, I don\u2019t think that this could get any smaller.<\/p>\n It is slightly difficult to get. The fastest is to buy a combo pack with a weird travel power strip on Amazon. It\u2019s worth doing just for the adapter. You can also buy it direct at Elvesfactory.com.<\/p>\n Buy at Amazon<\/a> or Elvesfactory.com<\/a><\/p>\n CIO 45W Dual Charger<\/strong> New<\/em> Perfect<\/em><\/p>\n I had the old version of this, but it kept breaking (and I kept buying more). I switched to a slower Anker charger because I liked how small it was. CIO finally came out with a new version that was mostly the same, but\u2026 seems to not break! I\u2019ve had this one for almost a year with zero issues, as has my friend Todd.<\/p>\n Buy at Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n Nitecore NB10000 Gen III Battery Pack <\/strong>New<\/em><\/p>\n I\u2019ve begun accumulating gear to hike part of the Appalachian Trail this year, and that led me to find this awesome battery pack. It has a 38.5Wh capacity (mAh are incredibly deceptive and can\u2019t be compared apples to apples), which charges my phone about once and a half or so. It\u2019s super slim and fits easily into a pocket, it can do pass through charging using its two USB-C ports.<\/p>\n The whole thing weighs 5.3oz, which is light enough that I\u2019m happy to carry it around in my backpack for the rare occasion I need a charge.<\/p>\n They just came out with Gen IV and I haven\u2019t received mine yet, but I\u2019m going to link to it anyway. It\u2019s about the same volume, slightly lighter, and charges 20% faster. It also has a low power mode that can output more total energy at the cost of charging your phone slower, which could be good for overnight charging.<\/p>\n Buy at Nitecore<\/a><\/p>\n Two Rokid Max 1.5M USB-C Cables<\/strong> New Perfect<\/em><\/p>\n I care enough about gear that I went to Tokyo, went to the electronics stores, and took a caliper so that I could measure every cable and find the thinnest. Turns out the thinnest cable was already at home\u2014 the HDMI cable that came with my video glasses I used to travel with is WAY thinner than any other cable I\u2019ve found. It also supports video over USB-C which no normal cables do. This is especially important when you see the next thing on my list.<\/p>\n I have a coupler so that I can combine both cords into one 3M cord (note: the coupler will only work one way. If it doesn\u2019t work, flip one cable around), or I can plug each cable in to the CIO dual port charger and charge my phone and laptop at the same time.<\/p>\n These cables are so thin and light that it\u2019s very easy to stuff two into a tiny pocket along with the coupler. They go in and out of stock. I bought several extras so that I\u2019ll never run out.<\/p>\n Buy at Rokid<\/a><\/p>\n 1964 Ears Custom IEMs With AliExpress cable<\/strong><\/p>\n Two years ago I tried to switch to something that\u2019s easier for people to buy (Samsung Bud Pros), but these are just so comfortable that I keep going back to them. Because they are custom molded to my ears they don\u2019t push on my ears at all, so I can wear them for a whole flight and barely notice that they\u2019re there.<\/p>\n The audio quality is predictably excellent and better than I really need. The custom fit blocks a lot of noise.<\/p>\n They were originally wired, but you can buy all sorts of replacement cables on AliExpress that convert them to bluetooth. I like this style, which allows me to drape them over my neck so that they hang there when I have them out.<\/p>\n Buy at 64 Audio<\/a> (Realistically mine are a totally different model that they don\u2019t make anymore, so you may have to do your own research)<\/p>\n Incharge 6 Keychain XL Cable<\/strong> New<\/em><\/p>\n For those who aren\u2019t familiar, this can connect any combination of USB A, USB C, micro USB, and lightning (or USB-C to USB-C). I use it for transferring files and for charging my phone while my laptop is plugged in.<\/p>\n I got a bigger one last year because the small one is just annoying enough to use that I find myself avoiding it. The only thing I don\u2019t like is that the microUSB is shared with lightning, and it\u2019s a little bit finicky. It always works in the end, but I\u2019d rather get rid of lightning and just have a normal microusb.<\/p>\n Buy at Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n Vaio Vision+ Portable Monitor<\/strong> New Perfect<\/em><\/p>\n I noticed that as I approached certain tasks I\u2019d think, \u201cNah, I\u2019ll just do it when I\u2019m home and I have my huge monitor\u201d. But what if I could just have a huge monitor while I traveled? I tried using the Rokid video glasses I had in my list a couple years ago, but shifting focus between them and the laptop was too annoying.<\/p>\n Then I found the Vision+ monitor. It is so thin and light that it feels fake, runs 1920\u00d71080, and is bright enough. It has two USB-C ports, so you can power it from the wall and then power your laptop directly from it (or you can power it from your laptop with no external power). It\u2019s almost exactly the same size as my laptop screen, and almost the exact same height, so when put next to it, it feels like a huge wide screen.<\/p>\n Fun fact\u2026 a Macbook Air is 2.7lb. My X1 Carbon AND my monitor combined are 2.89 lb. <\/p>\n The case that comes with the monitor is super bulky, so I just threw it away. All of the ads in Japan for this monitor show them absolutely thrashing it, so I just put the screen against my laptop lid and put them in the backpack together. No problems after almost a year. I do wish the backpack had a separate sleeve like the Minaal did so that I could more easily take my laptop in\/out without the monitor (like on a plane where there\u2019s not enough room).<\/p>\n Buy at Vaio<\/a><\/p>\n Aurzen Zip Tri-Fold Projector<\/strong> New Perfect<\/em><\/p>\n This was an absolute longshot that ended up paying off. I saw it on Kickstarter, ordered it, and expected to use it once or twice and put it in the closet. But now it has a permanent spot in my backpack.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a folding projector that has made every compromise exactly perfectly. It\u2019s just bright enough that it\u2019s pleasant to watch. The sound is just good enough that you don\u2019t really need a speaker. The battery life is just good enough to get you through a short show. The resolution is 720p, just barely good enough. And all of those compromises lead to a super light projector that easily fits in your pocket. <\/p>\n I\u2019ve used it in a rented RV, several cruise cabins, the bulkhead seat of an airplane, the ceilings and walls of hotels that don\u2019t let you hook up to their TVs, the wall of my aunt\u2019s house, an extra piece of chloroplast on the island.<\/p>\n It looks great at 50-70\u2033, and watchable up to about 90-100\u2033.<\/p>\n The case that came with this projector was enormous, so I designed and 3D printed a 2mm thick one. If you want the STL file, let me know.<\/p>\n Buy at Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n Western Rise Versa Hat <\/strong>New<\/em><\/p>\n I so rarely wear this that I almost didn\u2019t include it, but when I went to take the gear post photos I realized that it was still in my bag, so I might as well. It\u2019s so light that you don\u2019t even notice it\u2019s there.<\/p>\n The handful of times I\u2019ve worn it, though, it\u2019s been great. It keeps the sun out of your eyes and can be stuffed into a pocket if you don\u2019t need to wear it anymore. Great for hikes where you\u2019re walking towards the sun.<\/p>\n Recommended to me by Adam Ruggle.<\/p>\n Buy at Western Rise<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/tynan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/wp-1700828218579-1024x683.jpg\")
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