It’s summer travel season once again, and The Verge staffers are preparing to roam, whether it’s to follow a story, check out a new tech device, or enjoy some down time away from home. Most people who travel have gear — tech or otherwise — that makes the process easier or more enjoyable. We asked our staff for some examples of their favorite travel tools, from bags and power banks to water bottles and portable bidets.
I first used a Tortuga travel backpack for a trip to Japan years ago. It was a super convenient bag for toting stuff around the country and keeping my hands free for holding a phone, map, or snack. I recently broke it out again for a business trip, and I was happily reminded just how dang great it is while traveling. The bag just fit under an airplane seat, meaning I could easily access my food, Steam Deck, and laptop during the flight. When the flight was over, I didn’t have to wait to fish a bag out of an overhead bin — I just picked the Tortuga up and walked off the airplane.
I’m not sure when I’ll be on a plane next. But whenever that is, I’ll probably be bringing along my Tortuga bag. — Jay Peters, news editor
$40
Side by Side’s pouch lets you stow cords, chargers, and all the gadgets you need to keep your tech going while traveling.
This Kickstarter-born travel case is the best cord organizer I’ve found, and I’ve tried many. Recommended to me by former Verger Dan Siefert, this gadget bag holds every tech-related accessory I need for a two-day or two-week trip.
I can fit multiple cables, dongles, earbud cases, pens, and more in its main pouch, which also features several smaller pouches for things like SIM card tools and SD cards. A large zipper pocket on the outside accommodates bulky devices, such as power banks and bricks. I’ve managed to cram three charging bricks and two small power banks into that outer pocket, which still hasn’t pushed its super stretchy material to its surprisingly large limits.
The zippers are impressively sturdy, too, and its vertical form factor makes it easy to pop in my bag. I’ve had it for two years, and it still looks like new. I literally never leave home without it. – Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, reviewer
For years, I’ve been procrastinating getting a proper phone holder for my car so I can easily glance at GPS directions, instead of having to look down at my Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. (I kept it tucked inside my cupholder, which barely fits, by the way.) But a couple weeks ago, I got fed up with having an Android Auto-less car enough to finally purchase a wireless phone charger and holder from Amazon. Sure, it’s not a name-brand device, but I was able to easily mount it on my dashboard with the suction cup, and it’s stayed in place since. It also has a neat auto-clamping feature that ensures your phone stays snug inside the holder, and it provides a way better charge than the measly USB cable I had plugged into my car before. — Emma Roth, news writer
Call me old-fashioned and maybe a bit paranoid, but I’ve never been comfortable with the idea of logging into my streaming services on a hotel TV, despite assurances that the credentials are automatically cleared between guests. As I’m always traveling with at least my smartphone and usually a tablet, I always make sure to pack a USB-C to HDMI adapter (and a short HDMI cable) so I can connect either device to a TV and enjoy Netflix or Prime Video on a larger screen. But I specifically recommend an adapter, like this Anker model, that lets you connect a power source so you can also charge your phone or tablet while it’s connected to a TV. You don’t want to get halfway through a movie only to find your phone has suddenly died. — Andrew Liszewski, senior reporter
I travel abroad a lot, so a reliable charging brick that I can use both at home and while traveling in Europe and the UK (which are all different plugs) is an essential item for me. Minix’s compact 66W 3-Port GaN wall charger is my favorite one — it’s small but mighty.
It features two USB-C fast-charging ports and one USB-A port, so I can charge my laptop, phone, and other devices simultaneously in my hotel room (I’m still waiting for hotels to figure out that USB-C is a thing now). But the best part is that it comes with a European and UK wall plug adaptor that I can easily snap on depending on which country I’m in. — Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, reviewer
I’ve lost count of the number of times a good night’s sleep in a hotel room or Airbnb has been thwarted by an uncomfortably bright status LED on a TV or random appliance. But not everything can be unplugged or turned off (like a smoke detector). My solution is to travel with either a couple sheets of LED dimming stickers precut into various sizes or a roll of light-dimming tape. Instead of blocking an LED’s glow entirely, they reduce its intensity by 50 to 80 percent, which I find is usually more than enough to prevent it from being a nuisance overnight. You just need to remember to peel them off before you leave. — Andrew Liszewski, senior reporter
A water bottle is usually one of the first things I pack ahead of a trip. But while I have several different bottles I regularly use at home, I only travel with Brita’s filtering bottles. As much as I prefer water over any other drink, I don’t like spending money on bottled water, and I often can’t stand the taste of the water in other cities. I’m sure I’d get used to the taste over time, but for a week’s stay, I find Brita’s bottles, which use a carbon filter inside, are an effective way to eliminate tastes and odors of water that I’m not used to. —Andrew Liszewski, senior reporter
I’m a transgender person who lives in the Midwest. I travel a LOT to play roller derby. Using public bathrooms has always felt a little fraught for me — even more so in the current political climate. Refuge Restrooms helps me feel a little safer while I’m traveling to do my favorite thing in the world. The site hasn’t been updated in a while, and I’m not sure how active the maintenance is, but I’ve used spots listed on the website and had good experiences. — Ursa Wright, editor, Decoder
The item that I simply must not forget if I’m leaving home for any sort of multiday visit or vacation is my Tushy portable bidet. There’s a lot that you can’t control during your travels, and that includes the kind of toilet paper you’ll have access to (if any). I don’t need to get specific; using this convenient bidet-in-a-bottle lets me freshen up. The collapsible bottle is easy to clean, it doesn’t leak, and it’s easy to store in its included (and discreet) carrying bag for whenever I might need it next. — Cameron Faulkner, commerce editor
It’s hard to be happy if your feet aren’t happy. I recently came back from a week in Scotland, where it can rain at any time, and I spent the entire week in either Balega blister resist socks or Darn Tough wool ones. The Balegas are my running socks, and true to their name, I’ve logged hundreds of miles in them with nary a blister. (Did I run during my vacation? No, but I walked a lot.) Wool socks breathe well, don’t stink, and insulate even when wet — essential for rainy conditions or sweaty feet, both of which were in play. Crucially for me, both brands offer extra-large sizes. You’d be amazed how many brands stop at size 12. — Nathan Edwards, senior reviews editor
