Our family used these little Travelpro Maxlite 5 20″ for a 3 month trip and managed to fit everything we needed. They worked as carry-on on multiple intra-Europe flights – but you do need to watch the weight, and make sure you order the 20″. Light enough that even a petite 7 year old could manuever it most of the time, reasonably priced, and with wheels that held up on cobblestones.

You might notice that I value practicality over fashion. Well, this CrossTab Hands Free Pack might be the height of it. My much more fashionable daughters even concede that this one is worth it (although they won’t wear it themselves). With all of these pockets and how close it keeps important items to my chest, I feel very secure from pickpockets (we always keep all of our passports in the highest innermost pocket). Holds my giant phone, and the bottom pocket is perfect for an old Kindle Paperwhite full of tour books that I can whip out at a moments notice. I can even keep a small water bottle while staying hands free. The clip at the bottom can hold keys, a light jacket (or child’s jacket – you know how that goes) or a hat when venturing in to an architectural or historical wonder.

Ok, I haven’t used this yet but I’ll report in once I do. I was the only member of the family who took a backpack on that 3 month trip, and while I was grateful for it many times, I also regretted many times (especially in airport lines). I discovered this roller backpack from the grandmaster of travel, Rick Steves. It measures slightly smaller than the Travelpro, so should be international compliant for carry on as well.

The CrossPaq is very similar to the CrossTab, but without that big pouch at the bottom for a small tablet or ereader. If you don’t need that functionality, this one is a little smaller and may hang on you better.

Words can’t express how much I adore Wool&! I can wear the Brooklyn pictured here for 100 days (I’ve done it). Wool wears well in any temperature, doesn’t smell, and washes and dries quickly and easily. This is my go to piece for packing light with carry on only – yes, even for 90+ days! Pick your favorite styles, pack 2-3, and you have most of your travel wardrobe ready to go.

My husband has two pairs of these pants for travel, and he hasn’t been pick pocketed so far! They are also lightweight and quick drying. They have worked for a variety of climates, and are stylish enough for him in most places without looking too touristy. We haven’t tried their other offerings, but I’m intrigued.

I have a bit of a love affair with comfortable, practical clothes. I also have a nasty habit of forgetting things I’ve sat down. With ScotteVest, you’ll have more pockets than you know what to do with where you can safely tuck things away and never have to worry about setting your purse or backpack down and forgetting it. You’ll also have lots of secure places to keep your important documents and other valuables tucked safely away close to your body.

This one little device can act as your adapter and power strip in one easy-to-pack solution. One downside is the bright light, but that’s easily solved with a small piece of tape. 3 USBc ports and 2 regular USB. 4 different country adapters and an extra plugin for a full plug. Ideal for cruises to make use of the European outlets!

I love being able to go back and look at our family’s adventures, and FindPenguins has brought me so much joy. This little app creates a map from your “Footprints” that you post with text, photos and video. Each Footprint includes country, time, date, weather, and more in each post. Your traveling companions can add to your trip as well. Friends and family back home can like and comment. Once your trip is over, you can create a book in either pdf or physical copy. The annual fee for Premium is very reasonable ($20 as of this post), but the free version is pretty robust as well!