In this episode of the Worldschooling Q&A Podcast, Astrid and Clint discuss the unique travel items that made their four years of full-time family travel easier.

Worldschooling Q&A Podcast - Episode 48

Hosts: Astrid & Clint, creators of The Wandering Daughter

Title: Episode 48: What Are Unique Travel Items You Travel With?

This post may contain affiliate links. That means I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase something. But don't worry, this will not result in any extra costs to you.

Worldschooling podcast episode summary

This week we answer a question we get asked a lot: what unique travel items actually make traveling easier? These aren't the obvious packing list items. Instead, these are unique travel items we picked up along the way because we needed them, not because we planned for them.

As part of our ongoing gear conversations, we draw on our four years of full-time travel from 2018 to 2022. Most of these unique travel items weren't things we packed on day one. We added them after running into the same problem more than once, whether that was a dull Airbnb knife or a TV that didn't work.

During our worldschooling podcast episode, we walk through the unique travel items we relied on in the kitchen, for entertainment, for staying active and ergonomic on the road, and for capturing underwater moments while snorkeling. Some are practical fixes for common Airbnb frustrations, and others are things that made the trip more fun for the whole family.

If you are planning a long trip with kids, or just curious what seasoned worldschoolers actually pack, this episode is a grounded, honest list of unique travel items worth considering for your own bag.

Our top 5 unique travel items

Unique travel items for Airbnb living

Airbnb kitchens are hit or miss. We cook a lot as a family, so several of our unique travel items exist specifically to solve problems that kept showing up in rental kitchens.

A knife sharpener for dull Airbnb knives

Dull knives in rental kitchens drove us crazy, especially when we were trying to cut something as simple as a tomato. We started carrying a small knife sharpener so we could keep whatever knives were in the kitchen usable.

We know other traveling families who pack an actual kitchen knife instead, and we did that for a while when we knew we would be checking bags, but a compact knife sharpener became one of our steadiest unique travel items because it works with whatever knives are already there.

A collapsible drying rack

We picked up a collapsible camping-style drying rack while we were in Vietnam, after realizing a lot of rental kitchens simply have nowhere to lay dishes flat to dry. It folds down small and the spindles pop out when you need them.

It is one of those unique travel items you don't think to pack until you're standing at a sink with nowhere to put a wet plate.

A travel clothesline and multipurpose towels

Combination washer-dryer units rarely dry clothes properly, so we carry an old-school clothesline and a bag of clothespins to hang laundry ourselves. Some newer clotheslines on the market now come with the clothespins attached and pack into a small pouch, which we may upgrade to.

We also travel with extra towels and dishrags, since Airbnbs often don't stock enough kitchen towels, and they double as padding for wrapping delicate items in our bags.

Entertainment-related unique travel items for family movie nights

Watching movies together is one of our favorite ways to bond as a family, and a few unique travel items make that possible no matter where we're staying.

A Bluetooth speaker and mini projector

We travel with a small Bluetooth speaker and a mini projector, roughly six inches square and a couple of inches tall, so it packs light. Airbnb televisions are often unreliable or missing entirely, which is the main reason this pair made our list of unique travel items.

In Indonesia and Mexico, both popular worldschooling hubs, we used the projector and a selfie-stick tripod to run outdoor movie nights with other traveling families.

A Roku for streaming anywhere

Alongside the speaker and projector, we pack a small Roku device that plugs into whatever screen is available. It already has all of our streaming logins saved, which makes movie night simple and brings a familiar piece of home into wherever we're staying.

It's a small device, but it's one of the unique travel items that gets used almost every week.

Fitness, ergonomic, and outdoor unique travel items

Staying active and comfortable while working on the road took some trial and error, and these unique travel items are what we settled on.

Resistance bands and a frisbee for staying active

Without regular access to a gym, we lean on bodyweight workouts and resistance bands for strength training, since bands pack flat and weigh almost nothing. A frisbee is another one of our favorite unique travel items for staying active, since it's light, durable, and easy to toss around with the kids at any park, unlike a soccer ball that takes up more luggage space.

A foam roller and collapsible laptop stand for ergonomics

We carry a foam roller for recovery and general flexibility exercises. and after Clint developed a pinched nerve from working on a laptop in non-ergonomic setups, we both added collapsible laptop stands along with external keyboards and mice.

Raising the screen closer to eye level protects your neck and back. And the stands fold down small enough to be genuinely worth the space among our unique travel items.

A waterproof camera for underwater adventures

We do a lot of outdoor water activities, so a waterproof camera earned its spot among our unique travel items. We tried waterproof phone sleeves first, but touchscreens don't respond well underwater.

A dedicated waterproof camera solved that, and it gets used constantly for snorkeling trips, including footage the kids film of themselves underwater.

Submit your worldschooling questions here!

Key topics covered in this episode

Kitchen fixes for Airbnb life

• Carry a compact knife sharpener instead of relying on dull rental knives
• Some families pack an actual kitchen knife when checking bags
• A collapsible drying rack solves the lack of dish-drying space in many rentals

Laundry on the road

• Combination washer-dryer units often fail to actually dry clothes
• An old-school clothesline and clothespins fill the gap
• Newer expandable clotheslines with attached clothespins are worth considering as an upgrade
• Extra towels double as padding for packing delicate items

Entertainment setup for movie nights

• A small Bluetooth speaker and mini projector replace unreliable Airbnb TVs
• The projector has been used for outdoor family movie nights in Indonesia and Mexico
• A Roku device keeps streaming logins ready on any screen

Staying active without a gym

• Resistance bands provide strength training without carrying weights
• A frisbee is light, durable, and easy to pack for park time with kids
• Bodyweight workouts fill in the rest of a fitness routine

Ergonomics for working while traveling

• A pinched nerve led to adding collapsible laptop stands
• External keyboards and mice pair with the stands for a proper setup
• Raising the screen to eye level protects the neck and back

Capturing underwater moments

• Waterproof phone sleeves struggle with touchscreen responsiveness underwater
• A dedicated waterproof camera solves that problem
• Used regularly for snorkeling and kids filming themselves underwater

Episode chapters

00:00:00 – Introduction

00:00:12 – Astrid Welcomes Listeners to Worldschooling Q&A

00:00:45 – Today's Question: What Unexpected Items Make Traveling Easier?

00:01:15 – Four Years of Full-Time Travel and Learning Gear By Trial and Error

00:01:45 – Airbnb Kitchens and Why They Carry a Knife Sharpener

00:03:15 – A Collapsible Drying Rack and Multi-Use Towels

00:04:30 – A Clothesline for When the Dryer Never Works

00:05:30 – The Entertainment Bag: Bluetooth Speaker, Mini Projector, and Roku

00:07:30 – Staying Fit on the Road with Resistance Bands, a Frisbee, and a Foam Roller

00:08:30 – Ergonomic Setups: Laptop Stands and External Keyboards

00:09:30 – ↩ Source of Intro Clip: A Waterproof Camera for Snorkeling

00:10:30 – Astrid's Sign-Off and Where to Find More Travel Gear Tips

Further worldschooling resources

• 9 Best Essential Travel Items For Families
• Ultimate Nomad Family Packing List: Top 10 Nomadic Essentials
• 15 Best Eco Friendly Travel Products For (Almost) Plastic Free Travel
• The Best Backpack for Travel With Kids: 9 Backpacks For Families
• 3 Reasons Why GRAYL Is The Best Portable Water Filter For Travel
• Why We Love Packing Cubes for Family Travel

Sharing is caring!