Aubrey Daquinag knows a thing or two about which travel essentials are worth the suitcase space. The online business owner and author has been travelling the world for more than a decade, pursuing her love of travel photography and writing her book ‘Wander Love’, a tome of tips, inspiration and lessons learned while globetrotting. Aubrey also runs her life and mindset coaching business, The Love Assembly, on the road. She shares the must-have travel tech that keeps her connected and inspired while running her business, her top travel photography tips for beginners, and her future travel plans.

Aubrey Daquinag’s Top 6 Tech Travel Essentials

Aubrey spends plenty of her time in transit and chooses to travel with tech that's lightweight, versatile and convenient so she can easily work and create on-the-go. Here are some of her must-have tech travel essentials.

  • Noise-cancelling headphones: “Not only are they great for blocking out external noise when you’re flying or listening to different soundtracks when you’re walking down the streets of your favourite city, but they’re also great for editing videos. They’ve been such a game changer for my meditations as well. They totally immerse me into the soundscapes and allow for a more elevated experience.”

  • Portable SSD card: “When you are travelling, you have to be very mindful of weight restrictions. A portable SSD card is lightweight, fast, protected, and it’s a must-have for content creation and storage while you’re on the go as well.”
  • Universal travel adaptor: “This makes packing and travelling life so much easier. No matter if you’re heading to one destination or 10, you just grab one universal travel adaptor that will work anywhere you go without having to switch or pack multiple [plugs].”
  • SD card reader: “I take photos and video on a camera and also on my phone. An SD card reader is great for instant sharing and transferring to your phone to do a quick edit if you want to share it right away, instead of waiting until the end of the day to upload onto a laptop and do the whole backup process.”

  • Powerbank: “When I’m using a device for phone calls, texts, photography, video, and basically running my whole online business, a powerbank really saves the day when I’m out and about and exploring.”
  • Tripod: “I travel solo most of the time, and this makes content creation possible. It also makes it a breeze when you’re travelling with someone who you don’t necessarily want to bother, or you want everyone to be captured in the frame as well.”

What to Try

A GIF series of travel products, shown on various brightly-coloured backgrounds. Products include things like noise-cancelling headphones, a powerbank and a travel adaptor kit.

SEE ALSO: Find the Best Headphones and Wireless Earbuds For You

Aubrey’s Top 3 Products for Running Her Business

Clear audio is essential for Aubrey to run her workshops, so a quality microphone takes pride of place in her tech arsenal. While tech plays a big role in her content creation, putting pen to paper is part of her process, making journals and a notebook a key part of her kit.  

  • Microphone: “[This is] for great audio on my group calls, course creation videos, and my hypnosis and meditation tracks. It provides a higher dynamic range and gives you more depth and clarity of sound.”

  • Journals: “I prefer one lined and one plain. I really love the Moleskine ones. I am an avid journaller and I jot down everything, like my book ideas.”

  • Notebook: “I always have a pocket-sized notebook with me, specifically [one with] a soft cover because it’s lightweight and easy to pack.”

What to Try

A GIF series of travel products, shown on various brightly-coloured backgrounds. Products include things like noise-cancelling headphones, a powerbank and a travel adaptor kit.

SEE ALSO: Real Review: Logitech Casa Pop-up Desk

Aubrey’s Top 3 Tips for Travel Photography

Aubrey says photography “has always been my first true love of creative expression.” This is her top advice for getting started with travel photography, embracing your inner photographer and letting go of expectations. 

  1. Start where you are: “You don’t need a fancy or super-expensive camera to get started; start with where you are. Play around with the settings on your phone. Borrow a family member or friend’s camera that’s probably been sitting on the shelf for a really long time. Buy a disposable camera and just capture moments.”
  2. Share your unique perspective: “There’s so much beauty in the world, we just have to be open to see it, and everybody’s view of the world is so unique. So rather than trying to emulate this or that or be like someone else, tune into your own uniqueness and express yourself authentically.”
  3. Experimentation is key: “Play with the composition [of a photo] and experiment with how it can further tell a story from your travels. Sometimes the more candid moments are better [to capture]. But then, sometimes, patience and precision to get the shot is worth it as well.”

What to Try

A GIF series of travel photography items, shown on various brightly-coloured backgrounds, including a disposable camera, an instant camera and an action camera.

SEE ALSO: What I’ve Learnt About: Creativity