City Outfitter

Outfit yourself like a true Urban Trekker!

Must Haves:

Outfitting your trek can mean the difference between a memory of a lifetime and a day you'd rather forget. I'm the guy who'll walk out of a hotel in a light shirt and flip-flops even when I know it's cold. I can just buy something along the way if it becomes urgent. But not everyone rolls like me, so having a list of things to bring and prepping peripatetic (particularly if your partner likes comfort) remains a priority. Too much prepping, however, can ruin the spontaneity. So here's a quick list:

Amazing Powerpack

Last ALL DAY with this cell phone battery! This holds a 26,000 ma charge. To put that in perspective, the Samsung 22 has 6500 ma. Charge your phone 4 times! (Don't forget the universal charging cables)

Selfie Stick and Tripod Stand! 

Selfies are great, particularly if you want to be identified as a tourist, but a mobile tripod has the benefit of getting proper portraits, plus a myriad of other uses, like as a stabilizer for night shots, time-lapse of sunrise or sunset, or to be your own director for your self-starring movie! I bought the Bee-Size version, but I'm not entirely happy with the portability. This one is better.

(BTW, learn your cell phone's tricks for remotely triggering the shutter. I use the "wave!")

The world's BEST backpack!

I have absolute requirements for a backpack to carry all my gear. It must have:

1. Capacious - Carry a laptop, drone, tripod, water, glasses, keys, memory cards, masks, etc. - check!
2. Sleeve to slide over a carry-on suitcase handle - check!
3. Zippers that open almost all the way around, so you can access from a prone position, not just from the top - check!
4. Padded, wide shoulder straps and handle - check!
5. DURABLE - check! (the one I have is 8 years old, and it's just starting to fray at one seam.)

The BEST Electronics Case for Sierra Backpack

My only criticism is that I wish they would have one section of front-loading pockets. With this much room, things tend to slide to the bottom, making some things hard to retrieve. You can overcome this by adding small cases to contain these elements. In the case of the Sierra Backpack, the dimensions 10.5 x 7.75 x 3.5 inches mean that the cast fits snugly in the second (large main) compartment without creating stress or stuffing the room in the other compartments. This also allows stacking without all contents sagging to the bottom!

For example, I have a pack of charging mechanisms, a Roku stick, and other loose items that I place in the bottom of the third compartment snugly. This keeps the entire case from collapsing around it!

Tea/Coffee - For the picky ones

If you are anything like us, you're pretty specific about how you get your morning caffeine. In a pinch, anything will do, but for a long road trip, you have to have a decent portable tea system. What's interesting is that, for all the tea drinkers in the world, there are remarkably few good systems for tea brewing on the road. I tried a bunch and this one is definitely the winner. 

It has the benefits of a micromesh steel steeping mechanism that you can (and will) use as a tea steeper. You can, of course, just set a tea bag in there. Swirl it around and you have a hot thermos full of tea that you can either sip from directly or pour into a cup. I love it. 

... or I guess you could just buy the tea bags!