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This toiletry bag hangs up to save space! You don’t realize how much you need that feature until you have it! It has internal organization for all your bottles. We travel so much that I actually never unpack mine – I hang it in my bathroom at home and just grab it when it’s time to hit the road!
These water bottles filter the dirtiest of water. We use it in foreign countries where the water might not be safe to drink, but we also use them at home for better-tasting water.
This backpack stands up on its own, has a laptop compartment, and has a waist strap to keep weight off your shoulders. I’ve used it as my only bag for quick overnight trips.
This is a great daypack for traveling. Not too big. I love the “plus” part on the front. You can stuff a jacket, drink, or volleyball between the front of the bag and the additional pocket. There is a padded pocket inside that can fit a small laptop or tablet. The bag fits perfectly under an airplane seat. It is ideal for a day trip hiking or exploring a new city.
This bag has been through years of world travel. One time it even fell out of the back of a car and multiple cars drove over it, but it keeps on surviving! It has two wheels made for rugged terrain, and it converts to a backpack. I also like that I can overstuff it if-needed, or shrink it down to international carry-on sizes by pulling the front straps tight.
We use these to carry extra water for refilling our Life Straw Water Bottles when traveling. They are very light and collapse to save space.
We enjoy slow travel which means we are in a location for a longer period of time. This means that we often need to do laundry. This clothesline is stretchy. The loops at the end allow you to attach it to things in a hotel room. The braided design means no clothespins – just pinch the edge of your clothing in between the braids.
These are the PERFECT solution to doing laundry on the road! A full sheet will do one full load of laundry, but you can tear off smaller pieces for smaller loads. It takes up virtually no room in our bags, and does the job well!
For longer trips, this is awesome! It is collapsible and even saves us space by allowing us to pack fewer clothes.
These come in so handy! They are larger than hotel coffee cups so we can fill up and hit the road. They have lasted great through the dishwasher and microwave!
We save money when traveling by bringing along our food for the day. We make our smoothies in the morning and this bottle keeps them cold until the afternoon – even after sitting in a hot car in Costa Rica for hours!
As an audiophile, Darren likes these headphones. They have great quality sound and block out the airplane noises around him.
This is the BEST beach blanket! It has little pockets on the edges you fill with sand to weight it down. No stakes! Super light-weight and easy to shake off sand.
These quick-dry towels are a must-have for beach vacations! When rolled up, they take no more space than a water bottle. They dry quickly outside, even in the most humid environments. These are the large size.
We bring our own snorkel gear and search out where to go on our own so that we don’t have to pay for rentals. This roll-up snorkel is a game-changer! It takes up a fraction of the space of a traditional snorkel.
I can’t say enough about the usefulness of a sarong while traveling. I’m going to write a post about this soon! No link to this because you should buy these locally where you travel to support local economies. I have sarongs from Costa Rica, Egypt, Bermuda, Hawaii, Israel, and more!
I LOVE my Chacos! They work for hiking, city-walking, and in the water. I wear them to the pool, beach, on an airplane, and even out to dinner with a dress. Having this multi-purpose shoe cuts means that the only other pair of shoes I need to pack for a trip is my running shoes.
Darren prefers these water shoes over the Chacos. He wears them when we are going to be in and out of the water, but he also brings flip flops for the beach.
I am a tea drinker and it just ruins my morning when I use the hotel Keurig and my tea has the faint taste of coffee. This kettle keeps water hot all day and collapses down to save space.
I love being able to brew my tea on the go. I like really strong tea, so I just keep the infuser in the mug. I can also add hot water throughout the day and keep drinking fresh brewed tea.
Splenda is the only sugar-like substance that agrees with my stomach. Before I discovered this little Splenda travel dispenser, I was stuffing hundreds of little yellow packets in my suitcase. You push the yellow button and tiny Splenda orbs are dispensed. One to two orbs equals 1 packet of Splenda. It saves space and waste!
We both have one of these travel yoga mats. They fold like an accordion and fit into the Osprey Sojourn 22 bag along the back. They are very cushiony and almost the size of a regular mat. These are much easier to travel with than a regular rolled-up mat.
For whatever reason, most of what we tend to make when we travel needs a bowl (morning oatmeal, salads, soups). These collapsible bowls save space and keep us from buying disposable bowls when we travel.
Darren brings these with him on trips but also uses them at home. They save space and reduce waste. They work in most hotel coffee-makers.
I keep four types of cords plugged into this: USB-C, USB, Micro USB, and my Garmin watch charger. When it’s time to hit the road, I grab this one charger and have everything I need to charge all of my devices.
This portable charger has built in cables AND all kinds of ports. It plugs directly into a wall to charge, eliminating another cord, and it has a screen display that shows you how much batter is left! It’s all you’ll need in a battery pack!
This is small and handy to have for rental cars. I can mount this in the car and be hands-free when I need to use GPS for directions. But it is a game-changer for watching movies in-flight! It clips to the back of most airplane seats so you don’t have to hold your phone and bend your head down to watch shows. It does need to be stored for take-off and landing.
Great for longer runs. Collapses as you use the water inside to save space. I like that I can store a key, some tissues, and even a small gel pack in the case.
I keep coming back to the Saucony Endorphins. I’m a 5-10k runner and like the speed it gives me. It feels like it’s propelling me forward and is super cushioning.
Darren makes his own fuel for long runs. These flasks are perfect for a natural, homemade gel made of strawberries, dates, lemon juice, lime juice, cacao, and chia seeds.
Darren likes that this shoe has a lot of cushion and is light-weight. He really hates thick tongues – this one has a very thin tongue that stays in place.
This watch is made for runners. It has a crazy-long battery life and charges up really fast. It keeps track of all the data to improve running performance.
A really inspiring autobiography about a middle-aged man who gives up alcohol, starts eating a plant-based diet, and begins running in mid-life. We listened to it as an audio book on a road trip.
This should be required reading for any plant-based athlete! Lots of our staple meals come from here.
We decided to cut down on our paper towel and napkin use by using re-usable dish towels/wash cloths. We keep a basket of these in the kitchen so they are easy to grab multiple times a day.
Save plastic by using laundry sheets! These are also great for traveling – just put a couple into a ziploc bag. It’s a huge space-saver! Tear them for bigger and smaller loads.
Save plastic by switching to reusable straws! These come with a bottle brush, a case, and a handy carabiner to clip on your bag. We especially use these when traveling to coastal locations. Save the sea turtles!
FINALLY, an NA wine that isn’t sweet! This one is like a prosecco. It’s my go-to for the pool and beach.
This is the best NA wine I’ve tried! It’s dry but jammy. Don’t let the bubbles fool you – it’s really not that carbonated. I bring these along to events where there will be drinking so I can have something in my glass!
Athletic Brewing Company was early to the NA market. Darren says these taste just like regular craft beer.
Recess is high in magnesium which can help with sleep and recovery. It also contains adaptogens to help with mood. The taste is like a flavored sparkling water. I’m not a beer-drinker, so this is nice to have when Darren is having an Athletic.
Why is it so difficult to find the perfect headphones? I’ve been through countless pairs, from the cheapest set I picked up at a Walgreens to the elite Shockz Open Run (formerly Aftershockz) that my husband swears by. But I never found any I loved until now. I think my
We love to run where we travel and travel to destination runs around the world. We also try to optimize our life by finding the most efficient and best-value options for gear, running, and traveling on a budget while maintaining our non-alcoholic and plant-based lifestyle. We share our hacks for how we’ve managed to travel and run all over the world for less, our tips for the best travel and running gear to do it with, and how we stay healthy along the way!
Stay up to date on all the hacks for travel, running, and lifestyle to get you to your next destination race!
