October 14, 2025 / in Gadgets, How To, Information Technology, Personal / by Jason Terry
Hello friends! Many of you know that my wife and I are focused on traveling in our 50s. I have done so much research over the past year on some of the best things to buy and use when doing international travel, so I wanted to give you a roundup of those things. Here we go!
The Pakt brand of travel backpacks are awesome. I use the green 45L pack, but they also have a 35L pack to consider. The 45L pack lets me fit my 17″ laptop, an extra screen, mouse, clothes, everything I need on the plane and more. And it fits in the overhead. Here is a GREAT YouTube review on this pack and why I chose it. I am able to take everything I need for 2 weeks+ in a medium checked bag and this travel backpack.
I picked up the new Apple AirPods Pro 3, and they are amazing. Arguably the best active noise cancellation I have ever experienced. There is a “conversation awareness” feature that lowers the audio if you start talking, a feature I didn’t realize I would love so much. And the sound quality is excellent.
A more budget friendly recommendation would be the Nothing Earbuds I have blogged about previously.
If you aren’t aware, lots of people sleep with a white noise generator or room fan. As long as I can remember, we have had a full room air purifier running on high every night, and that hum sound puts me to sleep like a baby. Most white noise generators have a setting that mimics the fan sound… and we’ve even used sound apps on our iPads to make that noise. But I found something awesome for $15.
This DreamEgg Tiny White Noise Machine is my newest inexpensive purchase that lets me sleep like a champ no matter where I go.
Having a second screen to connect to my laptop gets me pretty close to my normal home workstation setup. The newest ones have great resolution and only need a single USB C cable to connect them to your laptop for power and video signal.
This is the one I use… and I love it. It is a Viewsonic 17″ 1080p screen like my laptop screen, and weighs almost nothing.
I often wear cotton socks and tennis shoes to get around in Kansas City. But I did some research on footwear when traveling and people kept swearing by wool socks. So I bought some Smartwool socks for my most recent trip and they are a game changer. I noticed a massive difference in the comfort of my feet after walking a LONG way every day for 2+ weeks straight. Worth the purchase. You will thank me.
These are hands down the best pants for travel in my opinion. Lots of styles, a couple of thickness options, tons of pockets and zippers, and they dry quickly and breath well when walking all over creation. I have at least 8 pairs of these pants and they are my favorite for travel, on the plane, through a museum, and around the city. These. Are. Awesome.
People like to recommend travel adapters that are the shape of a Rubik’s Cube and weigh a ton. If you are heading to Europe or the UK, I prefer these travel adapters by Anker. They are not too expensive, they pack well, they look nice, and have one AC outlet and a few USB outlets. My wife carries one as well and that is plenty of “conversion” for any of the trips we have taken.
No. I have plenty of other things I can share with you that I love to have with me on trips… but this made up a list of seven things. And Google seems to like top 5 and top 7 things, right? So we will stop here for now. Any of these would be great gift ideas for that special someone that you plan on seeing the world with in the next 12 months. And if you plan to buy any of these, NONE of the links above are affiliate links. If you happen to buy any of these, please let me know that this blog was helpful for you. I am recommending them because I use them myself and love them.
Thank you for taking the time to read it. Be safe out there!
The Blue Gurus crew did an awesome job designing and constructing my company's web site - Certified Asset Appraisals.
They listened to what and how I wanted our site to look and perform. They were quick and so easy to work with. Hats off to Blue Gurus!
Ken Fancolly
President, Certified Asset Appraisals
Taking our first international trip next July so very interested in these recommendations, thanks so much!!
Thanks for letting me know Jackie! Safe travels!
Love this article, Jason! Going to Italy in February (Olympics!). Do the pants come in women’s sizes? If so, does your wife recommend?
Hi Mary! Thanks for the comment. Trista said Athleta and the Eddie Bauer travel line of women’s pants are great!