Over two years as a full-time solo travel blogger and YouTuber, I've refined the Top Tech Picks that fulfil my photography, writing and filming needs. Everything I use is easily available and I've pulled together links to help you easily shop.
My Top Tech needs to include:
- Computer and camera equipment for blogging & YouTube.
- Be compact: fit easily into a standard-sized backpack.
- Smart budget: the right item for the job at a reasonable price.
LAPTOP
Apple MacBook Pro M1 – 16GB RAM and 512 GB SSD.
This is my core work machine and travels everywhere with me. The MacBook Pro M1 is functioning great for me, and I use Final Cut Pro, Lightroom and Photoshop every day. I've included links for the update M2 MacBook Pro and the M2 MacBook Air if weight is a main consideration for you.
LAPTOP BUYING OPTIONS
LAPTOP STAND
This laptop stand folds down to the size of a long pencil case and tucks away into a side pocket. It's extremely resilient and great value for money.
LAPTOP STAND BUYING OPTIONS
BACKPACK
Victorinox has been my go-to for plain black backpacks for the last couple of iterations. My exact model is still available (Pro) and I've provided an alternative Altmont shape as I like that too. I *want* the TUMI Alpha 3, but I am happy with the durability and price of the Victorinox.
BACKPACK BUYING OPTIONS
KEYBOARD & MOUSE
With chronic tennis elbow and the a laptop stand, I soon found I need a separate bluetooth keyboard to keep typing and editing comfortable. I've added this Logitech K370 keyboard and M350 Pebble Mouse to my setup. So far, they're Pretty durable – I've gone with the blueberry colour, but there are grey, lavender, off-white or rose-pink alternatives.
KEYBOARD & MOUSE BUYING OPTIONS
CAMERA SETUP
For short trips, I leave my bigger Sony A7 IV in my accommodation and rely on two smaller cameras for vlogs, plus my iPhone 13 Pro Max for general photography.
GoPro Hero 11
The Hero 11 has been a bit of a game changer for general vlogging because of its stability for run & gun on-street vlogging and ease of use for underwater or sports outings. The wide angle lens works for a lot of situations and it's been great for flight reviews, cruise reviews and destination work, particularly as I can use the Media Mod (shown) for sound or use the cold-shoe mount to add my Røde Wireless GO II (shown below) for better sound quality.
GOPRO BUYING OPTIONS
Sony ZV-1
The ZV-1 has been in my camera bag for nearly two years and is pretty resilient. It has a more cropped-in lens than the GoPro Hero, but gets excellent quality 4K results with simple, one-button point and click recording. I use the small tripod all the time with this setup. I've shown the camera (standalone) and a full content creator kit (which I bought) in the links below.
SONY ZV-1 BUYING OPTIONS
MICROPHONE – Røde Wireless Go II
The Wireless Go II by Røde has been in my kit since Day 1, simply because it's light and versatile. I can switch it between cameras and I even plug it into my MacBook Pro when I need to add voiceovers to a video clip.
RØDE MIC BUYING OPTIONS
TRIPOD & ACCESSORIES: Joby 3k Gorillapod
For a small, adaptable tripod, Joby Gorillapod is the main vlogging choice. This Joby 3k Gorillapod version is strong enough to manage my big DSLR cameras and has accessories for my GoPro or iPhone. I pack the Joby GripTight Phone Mount too for filming Reels or TikToks in portrait mode. Really, don't bother with a cheaper version, this one is the best.
JOBY TRIPOD BUYING OPTIONS
IPHONE 13 PRO MAX
Deciding on your iPhone form factor is a tougher decision that you might think! I went big when Pro Max came out and the quality of the RAW photos and Pro Res video are the reason why.
IPHONE PRO MAX BUYING OPTIONS
IPAD MINI
The iPad Mini is the hero of productivity gurus and there's a reason why… it's light and the perfect size for note management which also fits in your bag.
IPAD MINI BUYING OPTIONS
JOURNALS & READING
Reading and writing are fundamental to planning blogs and videos, and yes, I am a total stationery geek.
JOURNALS & READING BUYING OPTIONS
NOISE-CANCELLING EARBUDS / HEADPHONES
For regular travel, noise-cancelling earbuds are a must. I use all three shown here for slightly different purposes.
NOISE-CANCELLING EARBUDS BUYING OPTIONS
PORTABLE BACKUP STORAGE
Ask any YouTuber and the amount of external storage they carry will seem bonkers to anyone else. That's simply because 4K video footage is storage-intensive. Small portable storage has changed the game and I use both of these brands both for editing and backup.
PORTABLE STORAGE BUYING OPTIONS
If you would like to have your say (or let me know if a link isn't working), please leave a comment below.
