This gift guide lists some of our favorite travel- and food-related products like camera equipment, blogging tools, travel essentials, and home cooking items. I’ve organized them by category so click on a link in the table of contents below to jump to any particular section.
Please note that the product links in this gift guide are affiliate links, mostly to Amazon.
GUIDE TABLE OF CONTENTS
CAMERA GEAR
This is all the camera and video equipment I use for our blog and YouTube channel.
Canon PowerShot G7X Mark III
This is a great lightweight vlogging camera. It’s got good image stabilization and a jack for an external microphone.
Joby GorillaPod Tripod with Ball Head Bundle
This is what I use to vlog with my Canon G7X Mark III.
BOYA Shotgun Microphone
This is the external shotgun microphone I use with my Canon G7X Mark III. It does a good job but you’ll need a bracket to attach it to the camera. I use the Ulanzi PT-7.
iPhone 12 Pro Max
I usually use the Canon G7X Mark III for video and the iPhone 12 Pro Max to take pictures. That way I can quickly upload things to social media.
DJI Osmo Mobile 4
I’ve been an Osmo Mobile user since the second version and absolutely love it. It provides even more stabilization and is great for creating hyperlapse and motionlapse videos.
Bluetooth Selfie Stick
If you’re traveling alone, then you’ll need a good selfie stick with bluetooth remote to take selfies for Instagram.
DRONE
If you want to make great travel videos, then a good drone is a must.
DJI Mavic 2 Pro
There are smaller drones on the market today but I still use the DJI Mavic Pro. It’s lightweight and compact enough and still makes for a great travel drone.
SanDisk Extreme PRO microSDHC Memory Card with Adapter
These are the micro SD cards I use with my Mavic Pro.
Lipo Battery-safe Pouches
As you know, batteries can be dangerous on a plane even when handcarried so I bought these fire/explosion-proof pouches to carry all my drone batteries. I travel with a lot of gadgets and batteries so it’s important to be safe. Even with these Lipo pouches, it’s important to always handcarry batteries and never attempt to check them in.
ESSENTIALS
Travel essentials that we bring on trips.
Power Bank
With so many gadgets, you’ll need a good power bank to keep your equipment charged throughout the day.
PowerCube
You’d be surprised by how many hotels have just 1 or 2 outlets. I’ve had to stay up on many occasions just so I could plug the last charger in. This PowerCube is compact and has 4 outlets and 2 USB jacks.
SCOTTeVEST Tropiformer
Pickpockets are often a concern when traveling. My Tropiformer jacket with 22 pockets and other hidden features keeps my valuables safe and gives me peace of mind on trips.
SCOTTeVEST Men’s Hidden Cargo Pants
If we go somewhere that’s too hot for my Tropiformer, then I’ll bring these cargo pants instead. They have 8 concealed pockets to keep my valuables safe.
SCOTTeVEST Travel Boxers
These travel boxers have 2 deep pockets where I keep our passports and extra cash.
TUO Travel Organizer
This TUO travel organizer is meant to be an undergarment organizer but we use it for toiletries and medicine as well.
FUN IN THE SUN
Bucket Hat
I love wearing bucket hats on trips. They keep me shielded from the sun and rain while keeping my hands free to take photos and videos.
Tribord Easybreath Snorkeling Mask
If you enjoy snorkeling, then you’re going to love this mask. It’s a revolutionary device that combines the mask and snorkel into one piece. The mask covers your entire face so you can breathe more naturally and not have to stick an uncomfortable snorkel in your mouth.
Dry River Bags
If you’re going to the beach or anywhere with water, then it’s a good idea to have one of these waterproof river bags to keep your valuables dry and protected.
BLOGGING
This is the hardware I use to manage our blog.
MacBook Air
The Macbook Air is the best laptop for travel. I’ve been a Macbook Pro user for many years but the Air is so much more convenient on trips.
Noise-cancelling Earbuds
When you’re working in a cafe or public space, noise can make it very difficult to write. Noise-cancelling earbuds significantly reduce ambient noise so it’s easier to concentrate.
Wacom Intuos Tablet
I’ve been using a Wacom pad for almost 20 years now. Without it, creating digital graphics would be so much more difficult. I use this instead of a mouse.
Seagate External Hard Drive
You need a good external hard drive to store all your pictures and files. I’ve used several brands but I find the Seagate drives to be the most reliable.
AT HOME
Like everyone, we’ve been spending a lot of time at home because of the global situation. We bought an Ooni oven and make Neapolitan-style pizzas twice a week to keep us sane. If you want to make restaurant-quality pizzas at home without spending an arm and a leg, then you may want to get an Ooni.
Ooni Karu 12
Ooni makes several pizza oven models but we went with the Ooni Karu so we could cook with wood, charcoal, and gas. You can buy it on Amazon or ooni.com.
Ooni Gas Burner
The gas burner doesn’t come with the base Ooni Karu unit so you’ll need to get it as an optional attachment if you want to cook with gas. You can buy it on Amazon or ooni.com.
Firewood
You’ll need good hardwood to make wood-fired pizzas.
Natural Fire Starters
You can get your firewood going with these natural fire starters.
Bench Scraper
You’ll need a good bench scraper to work with the sticky dough.
12-inch Perforated Pizza Peel
A good peel is essential for making quality pizzas.
Turning Peel
When making your pizza, you’ll need to turn it often so the crust cooks evenly. Having a turning peel makes the job so much easier.
Pizza Cutter
Get a good pizza roller so you can cut your pizza in one go.
Infrared Thermometer
You’ll need an accurate infrared thermometer to measure how hot your pizza stone is. You can’t use infrared thermometers that are meant for humans.
Disclosure
Most of the links in this guide are Amazon or other affiliate links, meaning we’ll get a small commission if you make a purchase at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products that we use ourselves and firmly believe in. We really appreciate your support as this helps us keep this blog going. Thank you!
Junnel
Thursday 21st of September 2017
Hello, thanks for sharing this. I am just curious if you ever considered a zoom lens as your walk around lens? I mean most people I ask would suggest a zoom lense like a 18-200 for their walk around.
What were your consideration when you chose a wide lens like EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM.
Sorry for asking as I am currently undecided. I have a good old 1100D by the way.
Thanks in advance.
JB Macatulad
Thursday 21st of September 2017
Hi Junnel, yes definitely. An all-around lens like the 18-200mm would be the easiest and most practical. I got the 10-18mm because I wanted a good wide angle lens that isn't as expensive as the 10-22mm. But I do find myself switching between lenses more than I want to. If you don't really enjoy changing lenses often, then the 18-200mm is a great lens. I'll probably wind up getting one myself.
Nora
Friday 27th of January 2017
Quite a lot of technology for photography! Well, it seems to be worth it, you guys have superb photos hear. :)
JB Macatulad
Saturday 28th of January 2017
Thanks Nora! :)
[email protected]
Friday 30th of December 2016
Can't help but laugh when I read that you need all this equipment to take your "crappy" pictures. Coildn't agreee more, very crappy... NOT!
I'm very tempted to buy a GoPro, so it's good to read that you have one your happy with. Maybe I'll go for the newest, the Hero5.
LOVE that Easybreath mask, definitely gotta get me one of those. Very smart innovation, finally!
JB Macatulad
Saturday 31st of December 2016
Haha very crappy indeed! :P And yes, the EasyBreath mask is a godsend. Love it! :)
Pepe Samson
Tuesday 20th of December 2016
Grabe andami!!!! Ako isang camera lang, a small tripod, 2 extra lenses and my trusty S7 Edge!
MAY DRONE NA SA LIST. Bye.
JB Macatulad
Tuesday 20th of December 2016
Haha hindi ko naman dala lahat on every trip! Only my camera, 2 lenses, GoPro, and GorillaPod ang nasasama lagi. Everything else as needed lang. ;)
Roman
Saturday 10th of December 2016
He, thank you very much for this great list. I thinking about to buy a copter. Are you happy with the Phantom? I thinking about to buy a Typhoon H advance. Do you have experience with Yuneec?
JB Macatulad
Sunday 11th of December 2016
Hi Roman, I'm very happy with the Phantom 4. It's a great drone. Though if I had to do it again, I'd probably get the Mavic. Specs-wise, it's almost as good as the Phantom 4 and it's a LOT smaller. The advantage in size makes it very attractive. Sorry, I've never used the Typhoon H before so I can't offer an opinion on it. :)