I can’t remember exactly where I first found this hat. I was in some beach destination over a decade ago and nothing ever improved upon it in the years that followed.

I finally lost it in Leh, Ladakh, India in May of 2024 at an outdoor art installation where the sand was the same color. It was impossible to find. I didn’t fret for long, because I had already found the source online while exploring other colors…Navy and Red. Ultimately, I replaced it with the same beige cotton that goes with everything and doesn’t distract from my own features.

San Diego Hat Company sells this and countless other hats, but for the traveler, this is the one. It’s more affordable on Amazon by 15-20%, but do you really wanna buy Bezos a coffee?

It 2014, my dear friend and notable photographer, Merri Cyr, lovingly insisted that I buy her 2007 Canon 5D Mark 2 for a great deal. Most of the photos published in my book, So Far… were taken with that camera or the lighter Canon 6D I soon upgraded to. Taking her advice, I collected 3 Prime lenses, a 20mm, a 50mm and an 85mm instead of carrying a more convenient zoom. The 50mm was my favorite, and, to be honest, I still miss her. She was the perfect portrait lens. I learned to love the 20mm for portraiture, as well. I had originally bought the lens for architecture and landscape, but I began to experiment with her for portraits of people with their trade, when I wanted the background featured with the subject, instead of bokeh blur the fifty afforded. I never liked the 85mm. It’s a portrait lens for cowards, afraid to approach strangers.

While the images I captured on this camera are incredible, I’ve recently traded in my bulky Canon body for a petite, powerful used Fujifilm X100F. At 2 pounds lighter and 2” smaller all around with a 4.3 MP advantage, she’s a better daily street rig than the Canon. A rangefinder, I’m restricted to it’s built in 23 mm ƒ/2.0 lens, which is equivalent to a 35mm full frame, but I’m a traveling portraitist. That’s all I need. It took me 150 countries, but I finally found my aesthetic. Someone else has shot that building, that landscape…someone else is more interested in the manual mechanics of the camera itself. I prefer to set it on auto so I can focus on the interaction with the subject.

That’s been the hardest part of learning this camera. It’s bells and whistles are more than I need, and the wheels are more easily manipulated than the Canon. Sometimes I’ll shoot, only to find that my settings were wiggled into weirdness without my knowledge…and the moment is gone. I’ve spent hours of my life trying to figure out what setting was altered while I was simply wearing the camera across my body.

That said, I’m much more comfortable carrying this than the suite of Canon gear. My overall load is so much lighter, encouraging me to shoot more. There were a few destinations that I simply didn’t shoot because the Canon was so cumbersome. Heavy, yes, but, also, hard to hide in less secure spaces. The Fuji X100F is easily concealed beneath a shawl and can fit in a suit jacket pocket.

The best part is that she’s affordable. I bought mine from KEH Cameras, an Atlanta based online retailer with the best customer service I’ve encountered, compared to B&H and Adorama. I traded my Canon gear for a great rate, paying only $300 for cash for my unit. There have been two X100 models since the X100F was released in 2017, most recently in February of 2024. The latest has a 40MP processor, which is tempting, I’m holding out until the next model is released so I can grab it used.

I like to travel rough, but nothing is rougher than the overhead fluorescent lighting I find in most $10 a night hotels.

I bought this primarily for video calls with clients, but I use it almost every night as my primary lighting source.

It conveniently folds down to about 6x4” with a depth of 1/4”. It hangs from hooks, or clings to metal with 2 powerful magnets. It can be used folded, flat or inflated, for any number of photographic applications. The color temperature is completely adjustable and it charges with a USB-C cable.

Grab one here and 4% of your purchase will support my mission to visit all 330 Countries, Colonies, Territories and Exclaves.

I picked up this pen at a Portland bookstore while traveling the west coast from LA to Vancouver in 2012. I chose a bright orangey red, convinced the color would be difficult to lose. I was right. 7 years later, my 7 year pen cartridge was still going strong. 2 years of daily use later, I finally ordered my second cartridge, which jotted the notes for this post in my bright red notebook.

It’s rare to find a well made product that lives up to it’s marketing. The Seven Year Pen surpasses it’s guarantee. Most people will lose a pen within a year. Mine ran out of ink after 9 years and countless countries. Over 12 years later, she’s still my daily writer.

Women Led Seltzer Good’s has been operating out of Asheville, North Carolina since 2005. Coincidentally, this is where my family now resides. I was there in September, trapped without electricity or an exit route for the first 2 weeks of October, when Hurricane Helene devastated the charming Liberal enclave.

Now, more than ever, would be a great time to buy the best pen from a solid business. They survived Helene. They’ll be around when you finally need a refill.

1. My Mom

2. Healthy Food

3. A clean, safe bed

4. Tech

   1. Fujifilm X100F

      1. I’m eager to try, and will likely transition to the Ricoh GR III X

   2. Foreign Outlet Adapter

   3. Magnetic Power Bank for iPhone

   4. Meta Ray Bans

   5. Inflatable Tube Light

   6. Google Suite

   7. 2022 13” MacBook Air

   8. iPhone 14

   9. Signal

   10. Canva

   11. DuoLingo

5. Tools

   1. Seltzer Goods Pen

   2. Moleskin Dupe

6. Apparel

   1. Fall / Winter

      1. Sweater Dress

      2. Navy Wool Suit

      3. Large Wool Shawl

      4. Wool Tights

   2. Spring Summer

      1. Linen Suit

      2. Long Sleeve Rash Guard

      3. Large Linen Shawl

      4. Sun Hat

   3. Year Round

      1. Underwear

      2. Shirt Dress

      3. Evening Dress

      4. The Perfect Leather Bag

      5. The Perfect Belt

      6. Gold Tone Hair Clip

      7. One Piece Bathing Suit

      8. Performance Wool Athleisure

      9. 1 pair thin wool socks

      10. 1 pair athletic socks

      11. The Perfect Silk Scarf

      12. Merrell Vapor Glove Sneakers

      13. Havaianas with an ankle strap

      14. Red Flats

      15. Customized Skagen Clutch

          1. Gold Snake Chains & O Rings

1. Hygiene

   1. UV Retainer Case

   2. Suri Electric Toothbrush

   3. Shea Butter Stick

   4. Egyptian Magic Balm

   5. SLS free toothpaste

   6. Solid

      1. Shampoo

      2. Conditioner

      3. Soap

      4. Laundry Detergent

   7. Powder Facial Cleanser

   8. Glycolic Acid Pads

   9. Menstrual Cup

   10. Calendula Mother Tincture

   11. Mineral Sun Block

       1. Sheer Face Lotion

       2. Tinted Face Lotion

       3. Face Powder

       4. Face Stick

       5. Tinted Face Stick

       6. Flesh Tone Zinc Stick

       7. Body Lotion

       8. Body Stick

       9. Hair & Scalp

   12. Eyelash Curler

   13. Wide Tooth Comb

   14. Exfoliating Gloves

   15. Nail Clips

1. Travel

   1. Silicone Storage Bag

   2. Dramamine

   3. Advil

   4. Diflucan

   5. Cipro

   6. Small Umbrella

   7. Ultra Thin Yoga Mat

   8. Microfiber towel

   9. Hard Case, Zipperless 20” Carry-On

   10. Passport

       1. 2 empty pages

   11. Immunization record

   12. Priority Pass

   13. Apple Wallet

I was devoted to Delsey for decades until they discontinued The Belfort. I use my disabled, decommissioned duo for moth proof deep storage. One won’t wheel and the other’s handle only reaches half it’s height. The greatest benefit of the quintessential French luggage brand was the guarantee to repair or replace. I fondly remember celebrating the successful replacement of a handle with a round of arak served by the Greek authorized reseller steps away from the Cypriot DMZ.

Since then, the quality of both the service and the luggage itself has decreased to the extent that I had to abandon my loyalty. While Delsey was happy to replace my irreparable, irreplaceable Belforts, the replacement were inadequate. the zipper broke on one, which is why I avoid zippers altogether and the handle broke on their only available zipperless hard case model available. They are sending me replacements now, which I’ll likely raffle off to subscribers. I chose items that I simply don’t need due to my minimalist protocols, but the zippered hard case underseat model and the modern, masculine black Peugeot partnered backpack will likely suit someone else’s needs.

For me, though, it’s zipperless hard case or bust…literally. Ever zippered luggage I’ve owned has broken, stranding me with a useless bag, forcing me to make a major purchase under duress when I’d rather be sightseeing.

Samsonite came through…and she’s even the correct color! Better yet, my red has been discontinued, so it’s even less likely someone else will mistake her for their own.

The Essens is almost identical to The Delsey Belfort as far as materials, but I appreciate the unique removable compression packs. I’m unlikely to remove them to pack and unpack, but I’ll certainly appreciate the ease of removal and replacement when my Argan oil spills or my toothpaste explodes.

My major gripe has yet to be addressed by any bag in this price range. Luggage wheel are terrible. They wear out faster than the bag, inevitably, they’re terrible on carpet, which most airports and ALL airplanes have and they’re worse out in the world where terrain is textured and tough.

Floyd attracts me with their skateboard wheels, but their price point is higher than I can handle at the moment. So, I hacked the wheels off the Essens and replaced them with a set from Amazon that resembles small rollerblade wheels. They work much better, but I got an axle that’s a touch too big, so I can only wheel it in a straight line with my left hand, not the right. I’m wondering if I should get a smaller, as well, when I replace the axle, for greater maneuverability. Now that the original axle was sawed through, any changes will be easy, so I can experiment. I’m excited to fix my Delsey Belfort in storage, too.