Hello, hello Jetsetters! I hope you all are doing well! Today I want to take some time to talk about my favorite travel pieces after spending 1 month in Ecuador and seeing which of my purchases were useful and which weren't. Don't worry, there will be a whole other blog about the things I didn't use on this specific trip, and whether or not I think they were a good investment for future trips or...just a miss altogether.
I typically hate shoes, so I'm going to start with the footwear to get it over and done with. First up are these quick-drying TropicFeel breathable shoes made of recycled materials! These specific ones are the Canyon style and will run you $129 but they're worth it. I feel like, if you're going to buy shoes that you want to last, you gotta pay a little bit more and quite frankly, I love them. I can wear them without socks which is just an absolutely beautiful thing and I am especially fond of their versatility. It was hot, especially in Guayaquil and the Galapagos, and these shoes allowed my tootsies to breathe. They're also water friendly, drying quickly, so I used them for walking to beaches and taking a dip. They fit snug and didn't fall of my heels or anything while swimming around, were great for protecting the bottom of my feet from anything sharp hiding in the sand, and didn't weigh me down. Then they'd be dry by the time I walked back to the hotel, was part way through shopping, got to the restaurant, or whatever activity I was doing. You can find they're whole footwear catalog here and these specific shoes, the Canyon, here.
Next in footwear is the adventure sandal, very important for a destination like Ecuador. Basically an adventure sandal is a rough and tumble sandal that's comfortable and versatile. I would up with these cute ones from Amazon that range in price based on your size and the color chosen. It's a little strange- size 7 on sale for $31 but size 10 is $59 and size 5 is $48. Their original list price is $85 but I know that I got them for $25, so they must go on sale often? Anyway! I love how adjustable these are and they hardly took any breaking in. My one issue is that the Velcro strap on the back isn't quite long enough to get it as tight as I'd like it, but that could just be me and my narrow heels. In any event, these things were my saving grace on this trip- I wore these on waterfall hikes, to beaches, walking for hours on islands, sand, and roads in cities. They did well over all terrain and the poor things are a mess now, but still good. You can find them here.
This little device packs a BIG punch. I actually received this as a gift from my worried boss! It's called "Birdie" and it's a personal alarm found here for only $30. I hooked this onto my fanny pack so it would be hidden, but right at hand level for easy access. and boooy howdy when you unleash this monster, the sound is like an eruption to your ear drums. Loud is an understatement. Luckily, I never needed it, but it definitely gave me piece of mind and an added level of safety/security. I even liked it while hiking alone in nature as I think it would work well for repelling/scaring off animals too! It sure made me feel better having it and thinking that anyway. This is something I think that everyone should have and would also make a great gift for travelers and non-travelers alike given how crazy the world is nowadays!
This should look familiar to any of us who lived in the 90's! Fanny packs were all the rage back then, and they've made a big of a comeback lately. I for one love them for amusement parks, as most rides/rollercoasters allow you to keep them on instead of stashing them in a locker. But that's not what we're here for. This was perfect, for me, for stashing my money, phone, bus passes, tissues, soap sheets etc because I would hide it under my shirt or jacket to keep it concealed and safe. Plus, as I mentioned above, I could keep my Birdie alarm hooked right on it.
Lastly, these soap sheets were an amazing accessory to have on me, and next trip I'll also be bringing some toilet paper as well. So many times I found the restrooms to be out of soap or just flat out didn't have any. Most times it was just a cold water faucet to run your hands under. I shared these with many people during the trip too as I had purchased 3 packs and had plenty of sheets to spare. A small bottle of sanitizer would probably work well too, but I like that these are dry sheets so I don't have to worry about packing it among my liquids for getting through airport security. I also think I snagged these off of Shein for like $1 each? But if you search "soap sheets" on Amazon, Shein, Temu, or likely wherever else you shop they should come up and you can pick whichever ones you like. I particularly liked these because they're tiny and perfect for keeping in my fanny pack or even a pocket. I had some for laundry too, but most places I stayed with washing machines, also had detergent to use, so I really only needed them for washing small things in the sink. So they were good and useful, but nowhere near as useful as these soap sheets were.
And...that will do it, those are my favorite travel pieces from my trip to Ecuador! It's hard to say if they'll be my favorites for every trip, but I think they're strong contenders. What are some of your favorite travel accessories?
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