Eating s’mores around a crackling fire as stars twinkle overhead. Waking up with the birds at dawn to sip a mug of hot coffee and watch the sun rise. Camping is all about those quiet, peaceful moments of simplicity and bliss. Moments when you take … [Read more...] about Ultimate Camping Checklist: 42 Car Camping Essentials
The Best Backpacking Travel Insurance: Complete Travel Insurance Guide for Backpackers
Here’s the thing: I am a walking disaster. I am clumsy, forgetful, scatterbrained, and generally prone to mishaps. But up until a few years ago, I had never purchased travel insurance in my life. I’d never even heard of it. Now, I refuse to travel … [Read more...] about The Best Backpacking Travel Insurance: Complete Travel Insurance Guide for Backpackers
The Ultimate Packing List: 43 Must-Have Travel Items (by a Full-Time Travel Blogger)
"What are your must-have travel items?" is one of the most common questions we get asked. And while we’ve written a bunch of very specific packing guides for everything (see them all here), we have yet to create a big ol’ chunky ultimate travel … [Read more...] about The Ultimate Packing List: 43 Must-Have Travel Items (by a Full-Time Travel Blogger)
The 4 Best Travel Pants for Men in 2026, Tried & Tested
I would have never thought finding the best travel pants for men would be a chore. Since when is it hard for guys to buy pants? What are we, women?! JK... mostly. But I digress. I spent ages searching for the perfect pair of travel pants to … [Read more...] about The 4 Best Travel Pants for Men in 2026, Tried & Tested
The Curvy Girl’s Beach Vacation Packing List: What to Pack for the Beach
Some people are born to be on the beach. All year long, they dream about dipping their toes in bright blue water and frolicking on soft white sand, and they return from their beach vacation with sun-kissed skin, positively glowing with beachy … [Read more...] about The Curvy Girl’s Beach Vacation Packing List: What to Pack for the Beach
What to Pack for Bali: The Essential Bali Packing List
Bali, Indonesia: land of white sandy beaches, glittering temples, cute but evil monkeys, lush green jungles, and active volcanoes. It's no wonder that Bali tops the bucket lists of everyone who's ever watched Eat Pray Love (or casually browsed … [Read more...] about What to Pack for Bali: The Essential Bali Packing List
What to Pack for Disney (& What NOT to), The Ultimate Disney Packing List by a Former Cast Member
Years ago, when I was a Walt Disney World Cast Member, I didn't think about what I threw into my day bag on my way to the parks. Some days, I didn't even have to pack a bag at all: I would just hop on a bus and go have lunch in Epcot or grab a Mickey … [Read more...] about What to Pack for Disney (& What NOT to), The Ultimate Disney Packing List by a Former Cast Member
43 Travel Essentials to Pack for Hot Climates
Backpacking and hot climates go together like people without a lot of money and ... destinations that are inexpensive to visit. Look, I'm not great at writing analogies, but I AM great at researching travel gear and field testing it. After a … [Read more...] about 43 Travel Essentials to Pack for Hot Climates
25 Essentials for Cold Weather Travel: Winter Travel Packing List
Living in California makes us antsy for winter. We crave snow and cold weather and yearn for hot mulled cider and a crackling fire. The good news is that living in the San Francisco Bay Area means snow is only a few hours away from us, so we've … [Read more...] about 25 Essentials for Cold Weather Travel: Winter Travel Packing List
Europe in Winter Packing List: 32 Essentials for Christmas Markets & Winter Weather
Living in California makes us antsy for winter. We crave snow and Christmas weather and yearn for hot mulled cider. But other than watching cheesy Christmas movies and crying into our peppermint bark every night, the only way we can get our Christmas … [Read more...] about Europe in Winter Packing List: 32 Essentials for Christmas Markets & Winter Weather
The 5 Best Travel Shoes for Men in 2026: Lightweight, Technical, & Field-Tested
Not all shoes were created equally, and not all shoes are up for the challenges of travel. This is something I've come to accept reluctantly, after tossing out countless pairs of ruined Converse shoes, which are what I happily wear every single … [Read more...] about The 5 Best Travel Shoes for Men in 2026: Lightweight, Technical, & Field-Tested
7 Best Women’s Travel Shoes in 2026 that are Minimalist, Field-Tested, & Cute AF
It took me years to find the perfect combination of women's travel shoes. Every trip I would stare dubiously at my suitcase, trying to figure out how the heck I was going to cram in the number of shoes I needed to achieve the various activities I … [Read more...] about 7 Best Women’s Travel Shoes in 2026 that are Minimalist, Field-Tested, & Cute AF
27 Long Haul Flight Essentials, Plus Travel Tips for Economy Fliers
As a full time travel blogger, I do a lot of flying. It's part of the gig. Except unlike my old corporate job, I don't have the luxury of a corporate card, priority anything, or any other amenities. Every time I fly, I'm stuck back in economy with … [Read more...] about 27 Long Haul Flight Essentials, Plus Travel Tips for Economy Fliers
Essential Galapagos Packing List: What to Pack for the Galapagos Islands
The Galapagos Islands, located off the coast of Ecuador in South America, are a bucket list destination. From the clear turquoise water and white sand beaches to the incredible variety of unique animals and happy, ecologically protected … [Read more...] about Essential Galapagos Packing List: What to Pack for the Galapagos Islands
25 Truly Terrible Travel Tips: What NOT to Do When You Travel
As a professional full-time travel blogger, I get a lot of inquiries from my readers looking for travel tips and advice. Most of them refer to me as a "travel goddess" or "the female Rick Steves" and they typically end with something like "why don’t … [Read more...] about 25 Truly Terrible Travel Tips: What NOT to Do When You Travel
What to Pack for Colombia: The Ultimate Packing Guide
Packing for a trip to Colombia can be really challenging. After all, Colombia is home to about every diverse landscape you can think of: the tropical Caribbean northern coast; the hot, humid Amazon; Medellin's "eternal spring;" the cool, … [Read more...] about What to Pack for Colombia: The Ultimate Packing Guide
How to Plan a Trip in 8 Practical Steps (& What NOT to Plan)
Planning a trip can feel like both the most exciting AND the most overwhelming part of travel. Sure, creating a Pinterest board full of gorgeous pictures is fun, but then you start trying to figure out the actual logistics and it hits you ... oh … [Read more...] about How to Plan a Trip in 8 Practical Steps (& What NOT to Plan)
What to Pack for South America: 32 Backpacking Essentials
Before we left for 5 months of South America backpacking, we spent months researching what to pack for South America (or rather, I did - Jeremy’s less persnickety about these things). Well, after 5 months of backpacking through … [Read more...] about What to Pack for South America: 32 Backpacking Essentials