![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.anniandtom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/IMG_9924-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n- His 48L<\/a>\/ Her 46L<\/a> packs- I have been a die-hard fan of Osprey for a few years now and when I found this pack, I was sold even more. We opted to get less than 50L packs to stay airplane carry-on friendly, needed a true backpacking pack for all the plans we had and had some level of organization with pockets for all the stuff we were packing. I am so in love with this pack. It doesn’t scream “backpacking pack” with a ton of pockets sticking out, which I really like for when we’re walking through cities. It’s relatively sleek on the outside with all the pockets fitting inside. It can be accessed with the sleeping back compartment (which is also a handy place to pack hiking shoes) and has side access. There’s a separate big side pocket, two water bottle pockets, the kangaroo pouch and the top brain pocket with underside mesh stash pocket. Just the right amount of space! We ended up getting matching packs because it was just so good. I think this is the back we’ll both continue to buy over and over. Ospery, you’ve done it again! <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.anniandtom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/IMG_9925-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/li>![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.anniandtom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/IMG_9926-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n- REI Flash pack (their older version) – this little guy stuffs into it’s own pocket (the new version doesn’t do that) so it’s really easy to pack away when we’re moving but it’s been SO handy. I’ve had this thing for a number of years and never really appreciated it until now. We’ve used it for countless day hikes, for filling up with groceries, to the beach and a number of things. It’s even held enough stuff for 2 people for a 20 mile day hike in Patagonia filled with all the water bottles, snacks, rain coats, extra socks and other things and was a champ. We usually pair this with a fanny pack for a tad more carrying space, but half the time the fanny pack isn’t needed. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.anniandtom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/IMG_9927-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n- This should bag<\/a> – I initially bought it for a trip to India a few years ago and haven’t quite used it since. I remember it working well as my personal carry-on item and day bag but I had no idea how great this bag was until now! This is my purse, Tom’s murse, the shared airplane personal bag, the shopping bag, the everything bag. It has a perfect pocket for the passports, a separate pocket for the kindles and charging cords, another pocket (with more pockets inside) for head phones, wallets, hand sanitizer, etc. The main pocket is where the laptop, water bottle and scarf go with a few more pockets inside for pens, my glasses, notebook and things. I love being organized, especially when traveling and being in so many different places, it’s key to have a system and a home for everything. I also really like it because it can be stuffed full or when it’s not, it folds over on itself and looks like a smaller bag. The should strap and handles allow for multiple ways of wearing it too. Another bag I undervalued but so glad I kept it! Both sides of the zipper have already come undone. It’s been repaired but I hope it holds up long enough because I don’t know what we’re going to do if this thing goes beyond repair. But thankfully, they still sell it! So I might get a new one while we’re state side to make sure it’ll last. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.anniandtom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/IMG_9928-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n- Steripen<\/a> – this little guy just might be the MVP of all. Tom favors that smaller pen (there’s a much bigger version) because it’s lighter, packs better and this one is USB charged. Total bonus! It has to be charged more often because it’s smaller, but that’s never been a problem. It works by sterilizing the water by UV light (about 1 min. for 32 oz.). We us this ALL THE TIME. We use it backpacking and if the water is more silty, we filter it with a buff when filling up the Nalgene. We also use it in cities and towns where the water is clean but not totally safe for us to drink. We’d rather be safe than sorry and spend a minute sterilizing the water than chancing it. It also allows us to not buy bottled water every where we go. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.anniandtom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/IMG_9934-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n- Nalgene\/ Platypus<\/a> pouch combo – We decided to just take 1 Nalgene with us because, well duh, you have to have one, but just one because they’re kind of a space hog. We opted for a few of the Platypus water pouches which roll up when not being used and basically disappear. They also add 0 extra weight and the one has an integrated carabiner, which is probably the best invention ever. If you don’t have one of these, you should buy one. I already want a second. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.anniandtom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/IMG_9930-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n- This Black Diamond lantern<\/a> – my mom gave this to us kids as a stocking stuffer about 10 years ago or so. It is awesome! It shrinks down and packs pretty small, and you pop it open and have a lantern! There’s a clip on the top to attach it to anything to hang from and it dims. We’ve used this thing so many times. In Cape Town the power goes out for a bit occasionally and we used this little guy in the bathroom instead of headlamps. Mom, you had no idea this thing would be one of our favorite pieces of gear. I just ask for the next Christmas, find one that charges off USB instead of batteries :). <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.anniandtom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/IMG_9931-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n- Moment 58mm Lens<\/a> for iPhone – this little guy is straight up amazing. Initially, Tom was thinking about bringing another camera with us, knowing we’d be in areas (especially on the safari) and wanted to be able to capture our experiences better. Instead, he found this awesome little zoom Lense that attaches directly to the iPhone via a case! This has been a great win, it packs way smaller than another device and makes our phones just a little more versatile. Basically every picture from our Botswana trip was taken with this.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- iPhone 11 Pro<\/a> – We purchased the new iPhone 11 Pro before the trip because of the new cameras and the waterproof abilities. All have been tested and approved! The wide angle has been amazing – it allows us to take better pictures than before, and Tom took his phone underwater when snorkeling and it still works! They’re also just invaluable items because we use them countless times a day for everything… Literally everything. Take note – make sure you store and back up everything! That way, if some kid steals it, you don’t actually loose any info, just the physical device. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.anniandtom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/IMG_9932-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n- Tom’s favorite ExOficcio<\/a> underwear – he wears these more than once before washing – hiking, running, climbing and all the things, and surprisingly they don’t stink! Which is what they’re known for. They’re also really easy to wash by hand and dry quickly, which is a plus when you’re traveling with few items and need to wash things frequently. But more wears, means less washing! He’s also a fan of Darn Tough socks<\/a>, basically the same love I have for my Smartwool socks. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.anniandtom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/IMG_9933-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n- Ladies undergarments – they can really make or break a situation, in my opinion. As a lady, it’s tough finding the right pair of underwear to keep you dry and smelling fine, especially after multiple days of not showering and constant movement – you want something you can count on AND that’s comfortable! Why is this so hard to find? So far, I’ve been liking Icebreaker underwear<\/a>, I find the wool keeps me dry, especially when hiking and\/or in hot humid climates and they don’t smell either! I can even stretch them to multiple wears when I need to. Same thing goes for Smartwool socks<\/a> – multiple wears without smelling! And my feet stay warm or cool, dry and blister free. Plus they come in really fun patterns and colors, which takes them to the top for me. All the wins! I’m currently testing out Smartwool sports bras<\/a> (I love their socks, so these must be good too, right?). I haven’t highly tested them, but so far on some local hikes and yoga they’re doing a great job, and are really comfortable!<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.anniandtom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/IMG_9936-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n- His Crocs flip flops<\/a>\/ Her Croc sandals<\/a> – Like most things, I hunted high and low for the perfect sandal. I wanted something that looked cute enough to wear with my dress and out to dinner, comfortable enough to wear all day long walking through a city and quick drying so I can wear them at the beach or in a shower if need be. Behold the Crocs! Neither of us have been into or owned Crocs before, but my mom told me she loved her sandals (she’s very picky with her shoes) so I knew they must be good. These have been the best shoe! They’re extremely light weight for packing, fit in the side pockets and check all my requirements. The plus with mine (which I didn’t think about before) is that I can wear socks with them! I know, fashion faux pas, but after hiking, or when your toes are cold, this is the perfect combination. I will keep owning these after the trip too.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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When we were packing for this trip we tried to be very smart, thoughtful and mainly bring items that were versatile. After talking with Brady…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":431,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[51,61,50,59,60,54,55],"class_list":["post-347","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gear","tag-backpacks","tag-camera","tag-gear","tag-shoulder-bag","tag-underwear","tag-water-bottle","tag-water-sanitation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/anniandtom.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/347","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/anniandtom.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/anniandtom.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anniandtom.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anniandtom.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=347"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/anniandtom.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/347\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":437,"href":"https:\/\/anniandtom.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/347\/revisions\/437"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anniandtom.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/431"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/anniandtom.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=347"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anniandtom.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=347"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anniandtom.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=347"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- His Crocs flip flops<\/a>\/ Her Croc sandals<\/a> – Like most things, I hunted high and low for the perfect sandal. I wanted something that looked cute enough to wear with my dress and out to dinner, comfortable enough to wear all day long walking through a city and quick drying so I can wear them at the beach or in a shower if need be. Behold the Crocs! Neither of us have been into or owned Crocs before, but my mom told me she loved her sandals (she’s very picky with her shoes) so I knew they must be good. These have been the best shoe! They’re extremely light weight for packing, fit in the side pockets and check all my requirements. The plus with mine (which I didn’t think about before) is that I can wear socks with them! I know, fashion faux pas, but after hiking, or when your toes are cold, this is the perfect combination. I will keep owning these after the trip too.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Ladies undergarments – they can really make or break a situation, in my opinion. As a lady, it’s tough finding the right pair of underwear to keep you dry and smelling fine, especially after multiple days of not showering and constant movement – you want something you can count on AND that’s comfortable! Why is this so hard to find? So far, I’ve been liking Icebreaker underwear<\/a>, I find the wool keeps me dry, especially when hiking and\/or in hot humid climates and they don’t smell either! I can even stretch them to multiple wears when I need to. Same thing goes for Smartwool socks<\/a> – multiple wears without smelling! And my feet stay warm or cool, dry and blister free. Plus they come in really fun patterns and colors, which takes them to the top for me. All the wins! I’m currently testing out Smartwool sports bras<\/a> (I love their socks, so these must be good too, right?). I haven’t highly tested them, but so far on some local hikes and yoga they’re doing a great job, and are really comfortable!<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Tom’s favorite ExOficcio<\/a> underwear – he wears these more than once before washing – hiking, running, climbing and all the things, and surprisingly they don’t stink! Which is what they’re known for. They’re also really easy to wash by hand and dry quickly, which is a plus when you’re traveling with few items and need to wash things frequently. But more wears, means less washing! He’s also a fan of Darn Tough socks<\/a>, basically the same love I have for my Smartwool socks. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- iPhone 11 Pro<\/a> – We purchased the new iPhone 11 Pro before the trip because of the new cameras and the waterproof abilities. All have been tested and approved! The wide angle has been amazing – it allows us to take better pictures than before, and Tom took his phone underwater when snorkeling and it still works! They’re also just invaluable items because we use them countless times a day for everything… Literally everything. Take note – make sure you store and back up everything! That way, if some kid steals it, you don’t actually loose any info, just the physical device. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Moment 58mm Lens<\/a> for iPhone – this little guy is straight up amazing. Initially, Tom was thinking about bringing another camera with us, knowing we’d be in areas (especially on the safari) and wanted to be able to capture our experiences better. Instead, he found this awesome little zoom Lense that attaches directly to the iPhone via a case! This has been a great win, it packs way smaller than another device and makes our phones just a little more versatile. Basically every picture from our Botswana trip was taken with this.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- This Black Diamond lantern<\/a> – my mom gave this to us kids as a stocking stuffer about 10 years ago or so. It is awesome! It shrinks down and packs pretty small, and you pop it open and have a lantern! There’s a clip on the top to attach it to anything to hang from and it dims. We’ve used this thing so many times. In Cape Town the power goes out for a bit occasionally and we used this little guy in the bathroom instead of headlamps. Mom, you had no idea this thing would be one of our favorite pieces of gear. I just ask for the next Christmas, find one that charges off USB instead of batteries :). <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Nalgene\/ Platypus<\/a> pouch combo – We decided to just take 1 Nalgene with us because, well duh, you have to have one, but just one because they’re kind of a space hog. We opted for a few of the Platypus water pouches which roll up when not being used and basically disappear. They also add 0 extra weight and the one has an integrated carabiner, which is probably the best invention ever. If you don’t have one of these, you should buy one. I already want a second. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Steripen<\/a> – this little guy just might be the MVP of all. Tom favors that smaller pen (there’s a much bigger version) because it’s lighter, packs better and this one is USB charged. Total bonus! It has to be charged more often because it’s smaller, but that’s never been a problem. It works by sterilizing the water by UV light (about 1 min. for 32 oz.). We us this ALL THE TIME. We use it backpacking and if the water is more silty, we filter it with a buff when filling up the Nalgene. We also use it in cities and towns where the water is clean but not totally safe for us to drink. We’d rather be safe than sorry and spend a minute sterilizing the water than chancing it. It also allows us to not buy bottled water every where we go. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- This should bag<\/a> – I initially bought it for a trip to India a few years ago and haven’t quite used it since. I remember it working well as my personal carry-on item and day bag but I had no idea how great this bag was until now! This is my purse, Tom’s murse, the shared airplane personal bag, the shopping bag, the everything bag. It has a perfect pocket for the passports, a separate pocket for the kindles and charging cords, another pocket (with more pockets inside) for head phones, wallets, hand sanitizer, etc. The main pocket is where the laptop, water bottle and scarf go with a few more pockets inside for pens, my glasses, notebook and things. I love being organized, especially when traveling and being in so many different places, it’s key to have a system and a home for everything. I also really like it because it can be stuffed full or when it’s not, it folds over on itself and looks like a smaller bag. The should strap and handles allow for multiple ways of wearing it too. Another bag I undervalued but so glad I kept it! Both sides of the zipper have already come undone. It’s been repaired but I hope it holds up long enough because I don’t know what we’re going to do if this thing goes beyond repair. But thankfully, they still sell it! So I might get a new one while we’re state side to make sure it’ll last. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n